Indigenous People's Literature Blog

How To See Who Unfriended You On Facebook

2012-02-01T13:25:00.001-08:00

http://fbupdates.com/2012/01/how-to-see-who-unfriended-you-on-facebook/
Facebook has never allowed the users to see who all have removed you from their Friend list. We always see how many friends are their in our friend list and wonder when the number decreases. But now using simple scripts we can easily see the person who have removed you from his friend list.
You can see this script in all your browsers (Firefox, Google Chrome, Opera, Safari and Internet Explorer) that notifies you when someone on Facebook unfriends you, alerts you when someone you’re friends with deactivates her profile, and helps keep track of your friend requests.
Please read all the steps carefully to add this functionality to your web browsers:-
1. The Script
The Unfriend Finder can be found on Userscripts.org. If you’re using Chrome, it will install automatically.
2. For Firefox Users
Firefox users will have to first install the Greasemonkey add-on. Then install Unfriend Finder
3. On Facebook
NOW see two new features in Facebook. There will be an “Unfriends” tab on the top-right of your screen and an “Unfriends” option in your “Favorites” list.
When someone unfriends you, a red number notification will appear above the “Unfriends” tab.
Now you can see the people who have unfriended you on Facebook.
We would like to know your suggestions about that would like Facebook to add these Features so that Using Facebook becomes more interesting ??
source:-Mashable

New Native American Books

2012-02-01T12:55:00.001-08:00

Beyond conversion and syncretism : indigenous encounters with missionary Christianity, 1800-2000 / / edited by David Lindenfeld and Miles Richardson.
   BV2120 .B49 2012
   Imprint: New York : Berghahn Books, 2012.

The globalization of Christianity, its spread and appeal to peoples of non-European origin, is by now a well-known phenomenon. Scholars increasingly realize the importance of natives rather than foreign missionaries in the process of evangelization. This volume contributes to the understanding of this process through case studies of encounters with Christianity from the perspectives of the indigenous peoples who converted. More importantly, by exploring overarching, general terms such as conversion and syncretism and by showing the variety of strategies and processes that actually take place, these studies lead to a more nuanced understanding of cross-cultural religious interactions in general - from acceptance to resistance - thus enriching the vocabulary of religious interaction. The contributors tackle these issues from a variety of disciplinary perspectives - history, anthropology, religious studies.



Major problems in the history of North American borderlands : documents and essays / / [edited by] Pekka Hämäläinen, Benjamin H. Johnson.

E46 .M35 2012
   Imprint: Australia ; Boston, MA : Wadsworth, Cengage Learning, c2012.

Designed to encourage critical thinking about history, the MAJOR PROBLEMS IN AMERICAN HISTORY series introduces readers to both primary sources and analytical essays on important topics in American history. The collection of essays and documents in MAJOR PROBLEMS IN NORTH AMERICAN BORDERLANDS surveys the North American past from the point of view of its borderlands. The essays and documents discuss people and events readers may find familiar, such as the founding of early European colonies, U.S. independence, the War of 1812, the U.S.-Mexican War, and Prohibition, but less widely-known events and actors--expanding native peoples, the Bourbon reforms of the Spanish Empire, fleeing slaves and servants, border surveyors, the Mexican Revolution, and key U.S. immigration legislation--also take center stage.

A separate country : postcoloniality and American Indian nations / / Elizabeth Cook-Lynn.
E78.W5 C575 2012
Imprint: Lubbock : Texas Tech University Press, c2012.

Elizabeth Cook-Lynn takes academia to task for its much-touted notion that “postcoloniality” is the current condition of Indian communities in the United States. She finds the argument neither believable nor useful—at best an ivory-tower initiative on the part of influential scholars, at worst a cruel joke. In this fin de career retrospective, Cook-Lynn gathers evidence that American Indians remain among the most colonized people in the modern world, mired in poverty and disenfranchised both socially and politically. Despite Native-initiated efforts toward seeking First Nationhood status in the U. S., Cook-Lynn posits, Indian lands remain in the grip of a centuries-old English colonial system—a renewable source of conflict and discrimination. She argues that proportionately in the last century, government-supported development of casinos and tourism—peddled as an answer to poverty—probably cost Indians more treaty-protected land than they lost in the entire nineteenth century.

Indians and British outposts in eighteenth-century America / / Daniel Ingram.
   E98.F39 I54 2012
   Imprint: Gainesville : University Press of Florida, c2012.

This fascinating look at the cultural and military importance of British forts in the colonial era explains how these forts served as communities in Indian country more than as bastions of British imperial power. Their security depended on maintaining good relations with the local Native Americans, who incorporated the forts into their economic and social life as well as into their strategies.

Daniel Ingram uses official British records, traveler accounts, archaeological findings, and ethnographic information to reveal native contributions to the forts’ stories. Conducting in-depth research at five different forts, he looked for features that seemed to arise from Native American culture rather than British imperial culture. His fresh perspective reveals that British fort culture was heavily influenced, and in some cases guided, by the very people these outposts of empire were meant to impress and subdue.

'What the Mainstream Media Will Never Tell You About Prayer . . .'

2012-02-01T10:09:00.001-08:00

http://w3.newsmax.com/newsletters/mhr/prayer_video.cfm?promo_code=E143-1

Does prayer really work?
Can prayer prevent and even reverse disease?
Can prayer strengthen your brain and prevent mental decline?
Can prayer improve your relationships?
Can prayer increase your happiness and success?

Yes, these are truly fascinating questions, but don't look to the mainstream media for answers.
In fact, the media routinely avoid this subject, even though statistics show three out of every four Americans pray on a daily or weekly basis.
But with so many people praying regularly, we thought you deserved scientific answers to these and many more questions on prayer.
So today, we're reporting the results of our exhaustive investigation into how praying impacts your brain, and by extension, your overall health and happiness.
Hello, I'm Travis Davis, publisher of the Newsmax's The Mind Health Report, the newsletter for people who want to:
Improve their memory and mental function . . .
Enhance their daily problem-solving ability . . .
Prevent mental decline, dementia, and Alzheimer's . . .
Live longer, healthier, and happier lives . . .

To this end, we sent our Mind Health Report team out to the scientific medical community, to learn the potential benefits of regular prayer practice.
And let me be clear. We're not promoting any specific religion or spiritual practice.
But rather, we wanted to see what neuroscientists learned from their laboratory tests and controlled double-blind medical studies regarding these questions . . .
Does prayer work?
What impact does prayer have on your brain?
What benefits, if any, does prayer offer to your physical, mental, and
emotional well-being?
And if prayer activity can be scientifically measured, can you improve
the practice to achieve even better results?

Frankly, We Were Both Surprised and
Excited by What We Found . . .
Because not only can you measure prayer as brain activity, but prayer also has been scientifically proven to help:
Reduce stress and lower your blood pressure . . .
Boost your resistance to illness and disease . . .
Neutralize harmful negative emotions . . .
Enhance your memory and mental function . . .
Prevent dementia and Alzheimer's disease . . .
Decrease your suffering from pain . . .
Give you a healthier, longer, and happier life . . .

In fact, it even does far more than this. And today, I'm going to share with you some of what we discovered.
But since our presentation here is limited, I also want you to know that we've prepared two detailed reports for you . . .
These Reports are So Important,
We Want You to Have Both of Them FREE!
Your first FREE report (a $15 value) focuses on the groundbreaking work of Dr. Andrew Newberg, director of the Myrna Brind Center for Integrative Medicine at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital.
Dr. Newberg is one of the founders of the field of "neurotheology" — the scientific study of the relationship between the brain and spiritual phenomena.
And, your second FREE report (also a $15 value) focuses on the research results of 47 double-blind medical studies on the proven health benefits of prayer.
Some of these benefits include:
Improved immune function
Reduced risk of death from heart attack and stroke
Less stress — and increased peace of mind
Reduction or elimination of panic attacks, anxiety, and depression
Reduced impact from chronic pain
A more positive, happy outlook on life
A healthier, longer, more fulfilled life

In just a moment, you'll see how to get FREE copies of both reports. But first, let me preview some of the amazing facts you'll discover in them . . .
And let's begin by defining "prayer."
At The Mind Health Report, our goal is to help you achieve better physical, mental, and emotional health through good brain health.
So, for the purposes of our research, we defined "praying" as any mental activity that includes:
Traditional prayers practiced by people of religious faith, such as making a petition to God, or expressing gratitude for God's goodness.
Meditation, or contemplative reflection on a power greater than oneself, which can be God, the Universe, or all Life.
Focused positive thinking, such as speaking affirmations, setting worthwhile goals, and maintaining positive thoughts and speech.
Attending a church or synagogue service and praying and singing with the congregation.

Of course, if you're a person who prays regularly, you already know that prayer has brought many positive benefits to your life . . .
Yet what you probably don't know — but will discover today — is . . .
The Brain Science Behind Prayer
Just keep reading, because you'll discover:
What's going on in your brain while you're praying that actually improves
your physical and mental health . . .
What medical researchers have discovered about the act of praying that
can actually help you get even better results . . .
How a specific amount of "prayer time" per day can help prevent memory loss,
mental decline, and even dementia and Alzheimer's . . .
And, finally, the #1 prayer pitfall that can actually make you sick
(this is one of the most important bits of wisdom you'll ever gain) . . .

The exciting news is that science has these answers. And now you'll get them in your valuable FREE reports . . .
Now, briefly, before I show you what's in your FREE reports that will benefit you, listen to what our Mind Health Report readers have said about Strengthen Your Brain Through the Power of Prayer . . .
As You Can See, This Report— That You'll Get FREE — Has Had a Very Enthusiastic Response . . .
And for good reason. Let me show you what's in it for you that can make a real difference in your life.
Let's begin with an illustration of the brain.
You'll see how prayer and spiritual practices impact the different parts of your brain, and how that, in turn, affects your physical and mental health.
Note the four major areas of the brain: the frontal lobe, the anterior cingulate, the parietal lobe, and the limbic system, which is comprised of several smaller parts.
Each of these areas plays an important role, but according to Dr. Newberg, two of the four parts are much more important to your health and happiness, especially as you age.
And the good news is this . . .
Prayer Stimulates the Parts of Your Brain
That Help Keep You Healthy and Happy
First, your frontal lobe, which is located just behind your forehead, is activated when you focus your attention, or when you plan, reason, read, or speak.
Obviously, this area is extremely important, as these are things you do almost every waking hour of every day.
But the danger is that the frontal lobe can shrink with age, and this shrinkage is associated with memory loss, mental decline, and even dementia and Alzheimer's.
Wouldn't it be wonderful to avoid this life-robbing mental decline? Well, now you can. You see, prayer stimulates your frontal lobe, helps keep it healthy, and prevents age-related shrinkage.
This is one of Dr. Andrew Newberg's most exciting findings, and he was able to repeat the result, again and again, as he monitored brain waves in the frontal lobe of his subjects as they prayed.
However, Dr. Newberg discovered that casual praying for just a few minutes per day had no significant impact on the frontal lobe.
To get good results, he observed that his subjects needed to pray for a specific minimum number of minutes per day — or longer.
How long?
In your FREE report — Strengthen Your Brain Through the Power of Prayer — you'll discover exactly how many minutes per day you'll need to pray to gain this valuable anti-aging benefit.
I'll give you a hint . . . It's more than 5 minutes, but not nearly as long as you'd spend vacuuming the house or washing the car.
Next, let's move on to the anterior cingulate, the area of the brain that's activated when we feel empathy and compassion for others.
This part of our brain is what distinguishes us from animals. Dr. Newberg calls it our "neurological heart."
And the good news is that prayer activates your anterior cingulate, which helps you to feel compassion for others and a loving connection to God, or all Life.
This, as you'll see in a moment, has many positive health benefits. And please remember, because we're limited by space here, you'll get full details on all of this in your two FREE reports.
And you can claim your two FREE reports just for trying The Mind Health Report for a few pennies a day.
Click Here Now to Claim Your Two FREE Reports!
As the Health Publisher for Newsmax Media, I can tell you that The Mind Health Report is one of our most popular newsletters.
And rightfully so, because it shows you how to keep your brain healthy and active, which in turn keeps your body and mind healthy and happy.
But let's continue now and consider two parts of your brain that are sometimes useful, but when unnecessarily activated can actually cause bodily and mental harm.
Plus, why you're better off with less activity in these areas of your brain . . .
First are your parietal lobes, which give you a sense of yourself separate from other people and things in the world.
This area is important for spatial reckoning, physical self-awareness, and ego, but activity here can also give you a feeling of isolation and loneliness. And what's more, brain activity here is not associated with health benefits.
Fortunately, Dr. Newberg says the time you spend praying, attending religious services, and even singing with the congregation deactivates your parietal lobes!
This helps you to forget yourself and your problems, and instead to feel love and compassion for others, as well as a closeness to God, or all Life.
There are many scientifically proven health benefits to this.
I'll give you several just ahead, but here's one now . . .
Studies Show That Prayer Can Significantly
Reduce How You Experience Pain
That's because prayer reduces activity in the parietal lobes, which causes you to have less awareness of yourself and more awareness of others.
Do you think that's worthwhile? Absolutely, and in your FREE report, Strengthen Your Brain Through the Power of Prayer, you'll discover how to enhance this pain-reducing effect.
And let me also say that each month we go out and talk to recognized brain experts, then report our findings in The Mind Health Report.
As a regular reader, you can count on learning dozens of valuable tips in the coming year that will significantly improve the quality of your life.
After all, nothing is more important than brain health, because your brain affects every part of your body, as well as your feelings, even from one hour to the next. And when you understand how it works, you can control it in ways that dramatically improve your life.
Let's see more . . .
Finally, we must consider the limbic system, which frankly can be a real troublemaker.
You see, the limbic system includes several parts situated just above your spinal cord. This is the primitive area of your brain, sometimes called reptilian, because even reptiles have a limbic system.
The limbic system is where negative emotions are produced, such as anger, fear, and resentment, as well as anxiety, depression, and pessimism.
Some of these emotions were necessary for the "fight or flight" response our ancestors needed to survive. But they have far less value in our modern civilized society, especially when you're mature and living a stable life.
Under such circumstances, negative emotions will unnecessarily cause physical and emotional harm.
How can you reduce these harmful negative emotions?
According to Dr. Newberg, that's easy.
Prayer Turns Off Your Limbic System
In fact, Dr. Newberg says that the more you diminish the activity in your parietal lobes and limbic system, at the same time you increase the activity in your frontal lobe and anterior cingulate — and as a result, you'll be HAPPIER AND HEALTHIER!
This is the wonderful recipe you'll discover in your FREE report . . . Strengthen Your Brain Through the Power of Prayer.
Click Here Now to Claim Your 2 FREE Reports!
Simply put, prayer and spiritual practices increase activity in the areas of your brain that are most helpful to you, and diminish activity in the areas that are less helpful and even harmful.
Here are just a few of the amazing benefits of daily prayer . . .
Increases your ability to feel love and compassion . . .
Improves your memory and mental function . . .
Prevents your frontal lobe from shrinking, which is the cause of memory loss,
mental decline, and even Alzheimer's.
Reduces stress and negative emotions, so you can feel at peace
with yourself and others.

You can almost say that prayer is a kind of "fountain of youth."
And that's why all of us here at The Mind Health Report want you to have a FREE copy of Strengthen Your Brain Through the Power of Prayer — just for "auditioning" The Mind Health Report for a few pennies a day.
Here's just some of what you'll discover in your FREE copy of Strengthen Your Brain Through the Power of Prayer . . .
The brain-healthy diet — which foods strengthen your mental function,
and which foods do your brain harm?
Simple ways to reduce stress, anxiety, and depression . . .
How to increase optimism, which in turn improves your immune function
and reduces your risk for heart attack and stroke . . .
How spiritual practices improve mental function and your ability to
solve everyday problems . . .
How many minutes per day (or more) you'll need to pray to stimulate your
frontal lobe and prevent mental decline . . .
Simple steps to take care of your brain to make it wiser and more efficient . . .
Plus, Dr. Newberg's step-by-step guide on how to resolve conflicts in
relationships without triggering anger or resentment . . .

Does this sound worthwhile? Well, listen to what even more readers of The Mind Health Report have said about it . . .
Mary S. of Merritt Island, Fla., sent this email . . .

Bernadette W. from Culleoka, Tenn., said . . .

Connie B. of Port Matilda, Pa., wrote to tell us . . .

John P. from Ararat, Va., reported . . .

And Oeda B. from Bluefield, W.Va., was thrilled to tell us . . .

I know you're going to be delighted with Strengthen Your Brain Through the Power of Prayer, but don't forget . . .
Your Second FREE Bonus Report
You'll also receive a FREE copy of The 47 Scientifically Proven Health Benefits of Prayer, plus the #1 Prayer Pitfall That Can Make You Sick.
Let me show you just a few of the amazing benefits of prayer that you'll discover in this report . . . and also warn you about the #1 prayer pitfall . . .
The following benefits have been reported in leading medical journals . . .
Two studies showed that praying for a person increases your capacity for forgiveness. And a third showed that forgiveness was associated with better overall health and satisfaction with life. (Florida State University; Psychological Science)
An analysis of 42 studies involving 125,000 people found that people who participate in spiritual practices are healthier and live longer. (Health Psychology)
Several studies have shown that prayer and other spiritual practices reduce or alleviate depression. (The American Journal of Psychiatry)
A study at Utah State University showed that older people with strong religious beliefs handled stress as well as persons 30 to 40 years younger and did not experience an elevation of blood pressure. (Annals of Behavioral Medicine)
Can You Imagine Getting Benefits Like These —
All Through Daily Prayer?
Let's look at a few more . . .
In a study of 202 people suffering from chronic pain, researchers found that those who prayed or concentrated on positive thoughts were less affected by the pain and had a more positive outlook on life. (Journal of Behavioral Medicine)
In a study of 6,000 Californians between the ages of 21 and 75, those who attended weekly religious services reduced the risk of disease and death to the same extent as "not smoking or abusing alcohol." (International Journal of Psychiatry in Medicine)
Researchers at Duke University tracked nearly 4,000 people age 65 and older and found 40% less risk of elevated blood pressure among those who prayed daily and attended religious services weekly. (International Journal of Psychiatry in Medicine)
Researchers at Yale University School of Medicine studied more than 2,000 people over age 65 and found that those who attended religious services were less likely to lose their mental faculties or become physically disabled. (Journal of Gerontology)
Researchers at the University of Iowa found that people who make spiritual practices a regular part of their lives boost their resistance to viruses and other infections, which they concluded accounted for their healthier, longer lives. (Health Psychology)
And by contrast . . .
Researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health tracked 28,000 men between the ages of 42 and 77 for 10 years. They found those who had no close friends or spiritual practice in their lives had significantly increased risk of death from heart disease. (American Journal of Epidemiology)
As you can see, this is extremely valuable information to have. And remember, you'll get full details on all of these, plus another 37 benefits, in your FREE copy of . . .
Note that we've barely scratched the surface of the 47 scientifically proven benefits of prayer, but already you can see that prayer and regular spiritual practices will help you live a healthier, happier, and longer life.
So Claim Your Two FREE Reports, Just for Trying
The Mind Health Report for a Few Pennies Per Day
And regarding the #1 prayer pitfall, let me give you a hint — it involves a kind of lazy thinking, or improperly focused prayer.
Your FREE report explains it, and I can guarantee you'll find it one of the most valuable things you'll ever learn . . . because allowing this lazy thinking — or sloppy type of prayer — can actually make you sick.
But Best of All, These Valuable
Reports Are Yours FREE
Each month in The Mind Health Report, you'll discover:
How your brain is your most important muscle — that requires
specific nourishment and exercise to stay healthy . . .
How you can keep your brain young, so that it performs with more wisdom
and efficiency than brains of persons 30 years younger . . .
Simple ways to improve your memory and mental clarity,
plus how to reverse or prevent mental decline . . .
Using your brain to train your body to lose fat . . .
One of the most common causes of brain fog — and how to correct it . . .
How to get off antidepressants and alleviate depression naturally . . .
5 dangerous brain toxins found in common foods that
you must avoid . . .
The brain secret to more energy and better sleep . . .
News and practical tips on brain health from leading neuro
experts from around the world. You'll see how to improve
your brain health for enhanced physical, mental, and
emotional well-being . . .
And much, much more . . .

So Claim Your Two FREE Reports Worth $30,
Just for 'Auditioning' The Mind Health Report
In your FREE reports, you'll get everything we've discussed today in far greater detail, plus much more.
You'll also start receiving The Mind Health Report each month for just pennies a day. And that's the best way to keep your brain healthy, for better physical, mental, and emotional health.
And no worries. You have a 30-day, 100% money-back satisfaction guarantee.
We're sure you'll love The Mind Health Report. However, if after taking a close look at this popular monthly newsletter, you don't believe it can dramatically improve your life, just let us know for a prompt 100% refund. And even after 30 days, you still qualify for a prorated refund on any unused portion of your subscription.
Of course, you can always keep your FREE REPORTS with our thanks, just for giving The Mind Health Report a fair try.
It's decision time — so what are you waiting for?
To your best health,

Travis Davis
Newsmax Health Publisher
P.S. Don't miss out on this opportunity to discover the real truth about how prayer can benefit your brain and overall physical and mental health!

Send me my FREE 'Health Benefits of Prayer'
Gift Pack Right Now.

Tashi Delek! Happy Tibetan New Year! བཀྲ་ཤིས་བདེ་ལེགས

2012-02-01T09:58:00.001-08:00

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tashi_delek

Tashi delek (also written zhaxi dele, tashi deleg, tashi deley, or trashi delek; Tibetan: བཀྲ་ཤིས་བདེ་ལེགས, Wylie: bkra shis bde legs, Lhasa dialect IPA: [[ʈáɕiʔ dèleʔ]]) is a Tibetan greeting.

1 Origin and meaning
2 Usage
3 References
3.1 Notes
3.2 Sources

4 External links

Origin and meaning

Tashi means auspicious and Delek (or Deleg, Deleh) means fine or well.^[1] It is difficult and perhaps impossible to translate properly into English.^[2] Different authors render it as "Blessings and good luck" or "May all auspicious signs come to this environment".^[3]^[4]

Usage

The correct usage of the phrase "Tashi Delek" can be a point of contention between Tibetans in and outside of China. Tibetans outside of China use it in approximately the same way as the English "Good day", whereas Tibetans in China use it only for New Year's greetings. Each claims the other side's use has been corrupted.^[5]. However, Tibetans all over the Tibetan Plateau respond positively to tourists using it year round and also might greet Westerners with 'Tashi Delek'.

The phrase "Tashi delek" is also used in the Chinese language with the Chinese transcription Zhaxi Dele (扎西德勒).^[6] Most Chinese only know the Chinese transcription of the phrase, not its Roman alphabet transcription.^{[citation needed]} There is a song called Zhaxi Dele with lyrics by Rongzhong Erjia (容中尔甲), a Tibetan, and music by Chang Yingzhong (昌英中), a Han Chinese.^[7]

The phrase is also used in Nepal, Bhutan and Sikkim. There is a company in Bhutan called TashiDelek.com^[8] and a Hotel Tashi Delek in Gangtok, Sikkim.^[9] The inflight magazine of Bhutanese airline Druk Air is called Tashi Delek.^[10]

References

Notes

^ Language & Literature, Khandro.net, retrieved 2009-05-12
^ Oha 2008, pp. 91–92
^ Dresser 1999, p. 43
^ Jackson 2004, p. 292
^ Frechette 2002, p. 109
^ "西藏百姓互道"扎西德勒"欢度藏历新年", Xinhua News, 2009-02-25, retrieved 2009-05-12
^ http://mp3.baidu.com/singerlist/%C8%DD%D6%D0%B6%FB%BC%D7.html
^ Tashi Delek Net
^ Hotel Tashi Delek
^ Tashi Delek

Sources

Dresser, Norine (1999), Multicultural celebrations: today's rules of etiquette for life's special occasions, Three Rivers Press, ISBN 9780609802595
Frechette, Ann (2002), Tibetans in Nepal: the dynamics of international assistance among a community in exile, Berghahn Books, ISBN 9781571811578
Jackson, David Paul (2004), A saint in Seattle: the life of the Tibetan mystic Dezhung Rinpoche, Wisdom Publications, ISBN 9780861713967
Oha, Obododimma (2008), "Language, Exile, and the Burden of Undecidable Citizenship: Tenzin Tsundue and the Tibetan Experience", in Allatson, Paul; McCormack, Jo, Exile Cultures, Misplaced Identities, ISBN 9789042024069

How Music can reflect the visual world !! (a perfect example)

2012-02-01T09:33:00.001-08:00

BEETHOVEN SYMPHONY No. 6

Your complete guide to Facebook Timeline

2012-02-01T09:04:00.001-08:00

Your complete guide to Facebook Timeline

by Kristin Burnham, CIO

http://www.macworld.com/article/164999/2012/01/your_complete_guide_to_facebook_timeline.html

Facebook announced last week that Timeline—its redesigned profile page—is becoming mandatory for all users. If you don’t switch to Timeline on your own, Facebook will do so for you within “the next few weeks.”

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Facebook has been rolling out Timeline slowly since December, after first introducing it at its F8 developer conference in September. The project is one of Facebook’s most ambitious and significant redesigns to date, as it seeks to become your digital scrapbook with the capability to document your life from birth to present day, and revisit old posts more easily.

While not everyone is on board with Timeline, the switch is inevitable. Here’s our complete guide to Facebook Timeline, from making the switch to adjusting your privacy settings, in order to make the transition easier.

Getting Started: Facebook Timeline basics

To switch your profile to Timeline on your own, visit facebook.com/timeline and click the “Get It Now” button.

After you make the switch, Facebook will immediately send you to your new Timeline page. At this point, only you can see your new Timeline—all your Facebook friends will still see your old profile design.

From the day you choose to up update to Timeline (or from the day that Facebook switches you), you’ll have one week to make any changes you want—including deleting old posts, adding life events and more—before your new profile goes live for your friends to see. Or, if you’re ready to debut Timeline before the one-week period, you can click “Publish Now” to push it live.

Facebook’s Timeline feature will soon be mandatory for all users of the social networking service.

New features

There are a number of new features and components that you’ll discover once you switch to Timeline. Here are a few of the important ones:

Inline privacy controls: When you update your status, you’ll notice a drop-down menu that shows exactly who you’re sharing a post with: Public, Friends, Only Me or Custom. When you change this setting, it will stay how you set it for future posts until you change it again. You can also designate a status for certain lists.

Navigating Timeline: There are two easy ways you can revisit your past posts. First, you can choose a year by clicking it on the Timeline slider on the right side of your screen, then drill down by month. Or, you can start by clicking the option beside your name and next to the “Update Info,” called “Activity Log.”

Within your Activity Log you can sort your past posts by everything from only items you’ve posted, posts by others, comments, notes, likes, info updates and more. This comes in handy when you’re deciding what you want to keep on your Timeline. (For more on this, see the next section on privacy.)

Adding “Life Events”: Just above your inline privacy controls is a new option—“Life Event.” Just as you can share a status or photo with your friends, you can also fill in your Timeline by highlighting events from your past, such as previous jobs, family and relationships, location moves, travel and more.

After you choose a category to update, you’ll be brought to a form to fill in the details: the location, who you were with, the date, a backstory, photos and a privacy setting for who can see this life event.

Highlight what matters: As part of Timeline’s more visual interface, you’re able to denote which posts deserve more prominence and which are less important, which is reflected in the size of the post.

For example, if you want to highlight a new photo album of a vacation that you just updated, hover over the item and click the star icon. This will turn this item into a “featured post,” which means it’s more prominently displayed.

Similarly, if you want to hide a particular post from your Timeline—but not delete it entirely—hover over the post and click the pencil icon.

How to adjust your privacy settings

When you (or Facebook) migrates your account to the new Timeline, you’ll have one week to make adjustments to your past posts and privacy settings before your Timeline will go live for everyone to see. You can publish your Timeline yourself anytime within the seven-day waiting period.

It’s important to note that Facebook does not change the privacy settings of your old posts; it retains the privacy settings from when you originally posted it. That means that while today you may limit wall posts to just your “Limited Profile” list, posts from years ago could be “Friends only” or even public since the Limited Profile option did not exist at the time.

You have a few options when it comes to pruning old posts:

Make all posts friends-only: It’s possible that your past posts have varied privacy settings based on when they were posted. One way—the easiest of them all—is to use one of the blanket privacy settings: “Limit the Audience for past Posts.” You’ll find this option near the bottom of your Privacy Settings page.

If you decide to use this option, the content on your Timeline that you’ve shared with more than your friends—such as public posts—will automatically change to Friends only. With this setting, though, people who are tagged and their friends will still be able to see the post.

Limit the posts by others on your Timeline: Another way to hide past posts is to limit specific people or lists of people from viewing what others have posted to your wall. To do this, go to your Privacy Settings page, then select “Edit Settings” next to “How You Connect.” Select the drop-down menu next to the last item—“Who can see posts by others on your timeline?” and choose “Custom.”

In the box under “Hide this from,” type the names of the people or the lists that you want to exclude from viewing posts from others on your wall—for example those on your Limited Profile list. Then click Save Changes.

Use “Activity Log” to edit posts manually: On your Timeline, click the “Activity Log” button that appears under your Cover Photo (the large landscape picture). From here, you can use the drop-down menu in the top-right that says “All” to drill down to every type of post or event that has appeared on your wall.

From this view, you can see who currently can see a particular item by clicking on the gear icon next to the post. You can also click the circle icon next to that to either “star” it on Timeline, hide it from Timeline, delete the post entirely or change the date.

Beware of scams

If you’re not a fan of Facebook’s new Timeline, you’re not alone. In a CIO.com poll of more than 800 people, 88 percent responded that they dislike the new profile design. Unfortunately for them—and contrary to Facebook Pages and Groups popping up—there’s no hitting the rewind button to revert to the old profile.

These pages, which you can find easily by searching Facebook for the keyword “Timeline,” have attracted tens of thousands of people. They are generally entitled “Deactivate Facebook Timeline on your Profile” or “Deactivate Your FB Timeline” and are found under app, public figure, community, cause, website and organization categories.

They also have a number of characteristics in common: Most request that you “Like” its page before it reveals how to receive your old profile design, then it instructs you to click a cluster of “Like” buttons and a “Share” button; select a state or country; and choose friends to invite to the application or group.

Security experts suggest that you steer clear of these bogus pages. Generally, Facebook’s official Facebook page and its official security page are two good resources to check if you’re unsure about whether or not a page or meme is legitimate. On these pages, Facebook will post information about new security features, tips and rumors.

Facebook Timeline and the new apps

Along with Facebook’s announcement of Timeline in September, it also introduced a “new class of apps” that go hand-in-hand with Timeline. Last week, Facebook officially launched more than 60 of these new applications.

While Facebook hopes that these new apps will keep you on its site longer, you can expect another change, too: a lot more noise in your Ticker and News Feed,as well as an influx of over-sharing. To avoid this, there are a few things you can do.

Choose your settings before you download: Below the app summary information when you first choose to download an app is an option: “Who can see activity from this app on Facebook.” How you’ve set your default privacy settings—either public, friends or a custom setting—that will determine the automatic setting for all your applications, unless you change it.

If you’re interested in using an application but don’t want your activity broadcast to your friends’ News Feeds and Tickers, choose the “Only Me” option. While your activity will appear on your Timeline, no one else will be able to see it.

Adjust settings after downloading: If you’re not sure what your app preferences are or you want to adjust them, you can review them one by one from within your Privacy Settings page.

From the drop-down menu in the top-right of your screen, select “Privacy Settings” then choose “Edit Settings” next to “Apps and Websites.” On the apps privacy page, click “Edit Settings” next to “Apps you use”—this will show you all the apps that you have downloaded, and the privacy and permissions associated with them.

Here, you can remove the app if you no longer want it connected to your account. You can also preview what permissions the app has and remove certain ones (some are mandatory, which you cannot remove). The last option, “App activity privacy” will tell you who can see posts and activity from this app. If you don’t want Facebook to share your activity, change this option to “Only Me.”

Know how your friends share your activity: Your friends and other people you share information with can also share your activity with apps they use.

To prevent your friends from sharing your app activity with others on Facebook, go to “Privacy Settings,” choose “Edit Settings” next to “Apps and Websites” then “How people bring your info to apps they use.” Here, make sure the box next to “My app activity” is unchecked.

What are lists on Facebook? / Five Facebook Changes and What You Need to Know

2012-02-01T08:59:00.001-08:00

What are lists on Facebook?

http://www.facebook.com/help/?faq=200538509990389
Lists are an optional way to you organize your friends on Facebook so you can filter the stories you see in News Feed or post an update for specific people from one part of your life, like your coworkers or friends who live near you.
To help you get started, you have lists for:
Close Friends: You can add your best friends to this list to see more of them in your News Feed and get notified each time they post. You also have the option to turn these extra notifications off.
Acquaintances: This list is for friends you don’t need to stay in close touch with. People on your acquaintances list will rarely show up in your News Feed. You can also choose to exclude these people when you post something, by choosing Friends except Acquaintances in the audience selector.
Restricted: This list is for people you’ve added as a friend but just don’t want to share with, like your boss. When you add someone to your Restricted list, they will only be able to see your Public content or posts of yours that you tag them in.
Note: Your friends won’t get notified when you add them to these lists.
You also have smart lists and custom lists.
Smart lists are lists that update automatically based on info you have in common with select friends, like a school, job or city. So, if you live in San Francisco, you’ll have a list of all of your Facebook friends who live within 50 miles of San Francisco. You can change this distance to adjust the size of the list, or manually add or remove people from this list. This list updates automatically as your friends update their profiles (timelines). For example, if 10 of your friends live within 50 miles of San Francisco (according to their Facebook profile/timeline), they’ll be listed on your San Francisco smart list. If 2 other friends change their profile (timeline) to indicate that they also live within 50 miles of San Francisco, your smart list will automatically update to include them too.
You can also create custom lists to organize friends as you like. You choose who goes into these lists and what (if any) privacy restrictions apply. Note that you’re friends won’t get notified when you add them to custom lists.
==============
Five Facebook Changes and What You Need to Know
By Andrea Vahl

http://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/five-facebook-changes-and-what-you-need-to-know/
Are you wondering what to make of all the new Facebook changes?
This article takes a detailed look at how the News Ticker, Smart Lists, News Feed, Subscribe feature and Timeline will impact marketers and business owners.
It’s been quite a rollercoaster recently with all the new Facebook changes. Some changes have already happened (i.e., News Feed and the new Smart Lists) and other changes will be coming as a result of the Facebook F8 conference.
Let’s dive into these changes in detail and talk about the changes to come in the next few weeks with the new Facebook Timeline.
#1: The News Feed Ticker
Probably the most controversial change is the addition of the News Feed Ticker. Some people hate it; others love it. But the one thing you can’t do is easily hide it. Although there are some workarounds.
The News Feed Ticker shows all the comments, posts, likes, friendships and events of all of your friends, pages and subscriptions.
The Ticker contains posts and “activity stories” (such as friends commenting on other posts, liking pages, RSVPing to events, etc.) but now the “recent stories” area contains only posts (which can include status updates, pictures, links and videos) by friends, pages, subscriptions and stories posted by apps (such as YouTube or Networked Blogs).
The Ticker is very real-time and shows who is doing what on Facebook right now. By clicking on the down arrow in the upper-right corner of a post, you can have more control over what you see from that person or the app that posted the story.
Click the down arrow in the upper-right corner to adjust the settings for posts.
The “activity stories” are what appear in the Ticker, so if you don’t want to see every move made by a person, you can unsubscribe to their activity stories. You’ll still get updates when that person posts something in their status bar. You can also decide if you don’t want to see updates from a certain type of application as shown in the picture above.
Something interesting about the Ticker is that previous posts by pages and friends may have a longer life than they did before. When someone comments or replies to a previous post, the story of that comment shows up in the Ticker and you can then click on the story to see the whole post again as shown in the figure below.
Posts have a longer life due to follow-up comments.
One benefit of the Ticker is if you have friends who are also connected to your fan page, and you see that they’ve replied to your fan page post in the Ticker, you can reply as your page right from the Ticker. But only if you have your Posting Preferences set to “Always Comment as your Page.” Find this setting in the Edit Page area of your Facebook page, and then select “Your Settings.”
Reply as your page right from the Ticker.
#2: Smart Lists
Smart Lists were also introduced. Mari Smith taught us how to make a Friends List in the Facebook 101 for Business Guide, but many people still haven’t made one. These lists help us keep track of posts by certain groups of people. And many of us have found that they were sometimes difficult to maintain when we made new friends.
Your New Lists are on the left sidebar of your Home page.
Facebook automatically creates several lists:
Close Friends: Facebook does not actually pick your close friends (thankfully), but they do have a list of suggestions based on whom you interact with the most. When you put people on this list, you’ll see all of their updates.
Acquaintances: Again, this list is not automatically populated, but if you add people to this list, you’ll see fewer of their updates in your News Feed.
Work (based on your employment listing): If you add someone to this list, he/she will get a notification to confirm employment at this location. Facebook will add that employer to their profile. So only add people to this list if you actually work at the same place.
School (both high school and college): These lists are self-populating, meaning that any Facebook friends of yours who list your high school or college in their profile will be put on this list. It is also self-updating for new Facebook friends you make or Facebook friends who later add this information to their profile.
Family: If you have people who previously indicated they were related to you, they’ll be on this list. It’ll be self-updating for people who indicate they are family of yours; otherwise, you’ll have to manually add people to this list.
Your city (set to a 10-mile radius around your city): This is another self-updating list for any Facebook friends who list your city in their profiles. You can set the radius of this list to include more people by clicking on the list on the left sidebar and selecting the “10 miles” hyperlink at the top of the page. You’ll then see a box where you can edit the radius as shown in this picture.
Change the radius of your area to include more people on this list.
If you’ve already created Friends lists, they are all still available. And maybe you’ve already created a list for local friends or family. You can merge these lists together by clicking on your list and clicking Manage List in the upper-right corner.
It's easy to merge your lists.
You can also easily send a post just to this list by clicking on the list, and then updating your status within the list.
Update your status just to people in your lists from within the list.
You can also send an update to certain lists at any time by clicking on the dropdown menu to the left of the Post button.
Control which list can see your posts.
One frustrating thing about Smart Lists is that you can’t delete them, you can only hide them. Click the pencil next to the list to hide it or add it to your favorites. If you have a list that you want easy access to, click More next to the lists, find that list and click the pencil next to it to add it to your favorites and now it’ll appear on your left sidebar.
Add a list to favorites.
#3: The News Feed
The News Feed has changed. There is no longer the Top News and Most Recent to toggle between, now there are Top Stories and Recent Stories. The Top Stories are things Facebook thinks you might be interested in based on your interaction in the past. The Recent Stories are in chronological order.
Top Stories appear at the top and Recent Stories are below.
If you check Facebook more frequently, you won’t have as many Top Stories because everything will be in the Recent Stories area.
As mentioned earlier, only posts such as status updates, photos, videos, check-ins and posts from applications like Networked Blogs appear in the News Feed. The “Activity Stories” will be posted in the Ticker.
The other change to the News Feed is the larger photo size.
#4: The Subscribe Button
The Subscribe Button allows you to make your personal profile more public. You can allow subscribers to see your public updates. You may not have wanted to friend people and weren’t sure about making a fan page. The Subscribe button is perfect for a more public person who wants to allow more connection with people.
To allow subscribers, go to www.facebook.com/about/subscribe. Edit your Subscriber settings and make sure you’re using the dropdown menu next to the Post button when you update your status to control who can see your posts.
Edit your Subscriber settings.
You can subscribe to others if they have a Subscribe button on their profile.
Subscribe to others.
Now a question you may have is, “Should I create a Facebook page or should I just allow subscribers?” Here are differences as shown on the Facebook+Public Figures page:
Differences between the Subscribe button and a Facebook page.
#5: Timeline
Now to get to the Facebook Timeline and other F8 announcements. The personal profile page is now called the Timeline. Facebook describes it as “All your stories, all your Apps, a new way to express who you are.” It’s also been described as your personal scrapbook.
The new Timeline.
You can update your status from here and your friends can still write something directly on your Timeline.
You now have one large picture at the top that you can change and update but it doesn’t change unless you change it (unlike the photostrip that was updated with your most recent photos). You can choose something recent that you were doing as your photo or have an artistic picture to express yourself.
Make your photo artistic.
One thing that I like about the new Timeline is the ability to go back in time. Click on View Activity or click on a date on the right side to a date in your Facebook history.
Rediscover what you were doing on a certain date.
You have options on your Timeline to hide stories, feature a story or change the privacy settings.
Use the editing features on your Timeline.
Other changes that came out of the F8 conference include Facebook partnerships with apps such as Spotify (music), Netflix, Hulu and the Guardian among many others. These apps will help Facebook differentiate itself from Google+.
So far there are no immediate changes seen for Facebook Pages. Facebook Pages will still continue to have the same look and feel for the time being, but most likely they will be updated to reflect the look of the personal Timelines. As all the changes are to the personal profiles, there are no actions to take for page administrators. We’ll continue to monitor the effect of the new Ticker and News Feed on engagement for Pages and keep you posted on the results!
What about you? What do you think of all the Facebook changes? Leave your thoughts and comments in the box below.

GOOD news for those of us over age 55

2012-02-01T08:13:00.001-08:00

Hi! For those of you who are Seniors or those of you who know Seniors ~ Surprise !!! Some GOOD news for a change!!!

As I was waiting in line behind an older gentleman at Wendy's recently, I heard him ask for his senior discount. The girl at the register apologized and charged him less. When I asked the man what the discount was, he told me that seniors over 55 get 10% off everything on the menu, every day.

Dunkin Donuts gives free coffee to people over 55. If you're paying for a cup every day, you might want to start getting it for free.

Restaurants

Applebees: 15% off with Golden Apple Card (60+)

Arbys: 10% off (55+)

Ben & Jerrys: 10% off (60+)

Bennigans: discount varies by location

Bobs Big Boy: discount varies by location (60+)

Boston Market: 10% off (65+)

Burger King: 10% off (60+)

Captain Ds Seafood: discount varies on location (62+)

Chick-Fil-A: 10% off or free small drink or coffee (55+)

Chilis: 10% off (55+)

CiCis Pizza: 10% off (60+)

Culvers: 10% off (60+)

Dennys: 10% off, 20% off for AARP members (55+)

Dunkin Donuts: 10% off or free coffee (55+)

Einsteins Bagels: 10% off bakers dozen of bagels (60+)

Fuddruckers: 10% off any senior platter (55+)

Gattis Pizza: 10% off (60+)

Golden Corral: 10% off (60+)

Hardees: $0.33 beverages everyday (65+)

IHOP: 10% off (55+)

Jack in the Box: up to 20% off (55+)

KFC: free small drink with any meal (55+)

Krispy Kreme: 10% off (50+)

Long John Silvers: various discounts at participating locations (55+)

McDonalds: discounts on coffee everyday (55+)

Mrs. Fields: 10% off at participating locations (60+)

Shoneys: 10% off

Sonic: 10% off or free beverage (60+)

Steak n Shake: 10% off every Monday & Tuesday (50+)

Subway: 10% off (60+)

Sweet Tomatoes: 10% off (62+)

Taco Bell: 5% off; free beverages for seniors (65+)

TCBY: 10% off (55+)

Tea Room Cafe: 10% off (50+)

Village Inn: 10% off (60+)

Waffle House: 10% off every Monday (60+)

Wendys: 10% off (55+)

White Castle: 10% off (62+)

Retail And Apparel

Banana Republic: 10% off (50+)

Bealls: 20% off first Tuesday of each month (50+)

Belks: 15% off first Tuesday of every month (55+)

Big Lots: 10% off

Bon-Ton Department Stores: 15% off on senior discount days (55+)

C.J. Banks: 10% off every Wednesday (60+)

Clarks: 10% off (62+)

Dress Barn: 10% off (55+)

Goodwill: 10% off one day a week (date varies by location)

Hallmark: 10% off one day a week (date varies by location)

Kmart: 20% off (50+)

Kohls: 15% off (60+)

Modells Sporting Goods: 10% off

Rite Aid: 10% off on Tuesdays & 10% off prescriptions

Ross Stores: 10% off every Tuesday (55+)

The Salvation Army Thrift Stores: up to 50% off (55+)

Stein Mart: 20% off red dot/clearance items first Monday of every month (55+)

Grocery

Albertsons: 10% off first Wednesday of each month (55+)

American Discount Stores: 10% off every Monday (50+)

Compare Foods Supermarket: 10% off every Wednesday (60+)

DeCicco Family Markets: 5% off every Wednesday (60+)

Food Lion: 6% off every Monday (60+)

Frys Supermarket: free Frys VIP Club Membership & 10% off every Monday (55+)

Great Valu Food Store: 5% off every Tuesday (60+)

Gristedes Supermarket: 10% off every Tuesday (60+)

Harris Teeter: 5% off every Tuesday (60+)

Hy-Vee: 5% off one day a week (date varies by location)

Kroger: 10% off (date varies by location)

Morton Williams Supermarket: 5% off every Tuesday (60+)

The Plant Shed: 10% off every Tuesday (50+)

Publix: 5% off every Wednesday (55+)

Rogers Marketplace: 5% off every Thursday (60+)

Uncle Guiseppes Marketplace: 5% off (62+)

Travel

Alaska Airlines: 10% off (65+)

Alamo: up to 25% off for AARP members

American Airlines: various discounts for 65 and up (call before booking for discount)

Amtrak: 15% off (62+)

Avis: up to 25% off for AARP members

Best Western: 10% off (55+)

Budget Rental Cars: 10% off; up to 20% off for AARP members (50+)

Cambria Suites: 20%-30% off (60+)

Clarion: 20%-30% off (60+)

Comfort Inn: 20%-30% off (60+)

Comfort Suites: 20%-30% off (60+)

Continental Airlines: no initiation fee for Continental Presidents Club & special fares for select destinations

Dollar Rent-A-Car: 10% off (50+)

Econo Lodge: 20%-30% off (60+)

Enterprise Rent-A-Car: 5% off for AARP members

Greyhound: 5% off (62+)

Hampton Inns & Suites: 10% off when booked 72 hours in advance

Hertz: up to 25% off for AARP members

Holiday Inn: 10%-30% off depending on location (62+)

Hyatt Hotels: 25%-50% off (62+)

InterContinental Hotels Group: various discounts at all hotels (65+)

Mainstay Suites: 10% off with Mature Travelers Discount (50+); 20%-30% off (60+)

Marriott Hotels: 15% off (62+)

Motel 6: 10% off (60+)

Myrtle Beach Resort: 10% off (55+)

National Rent-A-Car: up to 30% off for AARP members

Quality Inn: 20%-30% off (60+)

Rodeway Inn: 20%-30% off (60+)

Sleep Inn: 20%-30% off (60+)

Southwest Airlines: various discounts for ages 65 and up (call before booking for discount)

Trailways Transportation System: various discounts for ages 50 and up

United Airlines: various discounts for ages 65 and up (call before booking for discount)

U.S. Airways: various discounts for ages 65 and up (call before booking for discount)

Activities And Entertainment

AMC Theaters: up to 30% off (55+)

Bally Total Fitness: up to $100 off memberships (62+)

Busch Gardens Tampa: $3 off one-day tickets (50+)

Carmike Cinemas: 35% off (65+)

Cinemark/Century Theaters: up to 35% off

U.S. National Parks: $10 lifetime pass; 50% off additional services including camping (62+)

Regal Cinemas: 30% off

Ripleys Believe it or Not: @ off one-day ticket (55+)

SeaWorld Orlando: $3 off one-day tickets (50+)

Cell Phone Discounts

AT&T: Special Senior Nation 200 Plan $29.99/month (65+)

Jitterbug: $10/month cell phone service (50+)

Verizon Wireless: Verizon Nationwide 65 Plus Plan $29.99/month (65+).

Miscellaneous

Great Clips: $3 off hair cuts (60+)

Super Cuts: $2 off haircuts (60+)

I have already been told that A&P supermarkets offers 5% off to people over 55 every Tuesday. If you know of any other senior deals that aren't on the list, please add them.

Native Americans As Slaves, Slave Owners In North

2012-02-01T07:28:00.001-08:00

Reuters: "Spam" linked to diabetes risk in Native Americans

In a new study, American Indians who frequently ate processed meat that comes in a can - a common food on reservations and one subsidized by the U.S. government - had a two-fold increased risk of developing diabetes compared to those who ate little or none of the products generically known as "spam."

NPR: Native Americans As Slaves, Slave Owners In North

MacArthur 'Genius' Tiya Miles does pioneering research on the relationship between Cherokee Indians and African-Americans. She speaks with host Michel Martin about shedding light on the unexplored history of Native American and African-American slavery in Michigan.

Forbes: Obama Administration Aims to Clear Roadblocks Holding Up Tribal Renewables

America’s Indian Country has the potential to host a significant share of the renewable energy generated in the United States. But development of those resources is stymied by a lack of transmission, onerous tax disincentives, and a thicket of bureaucracy. A new rule proposed by the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), promises to clear the bureaucratic tangle.

Top 5 Web Design Mistakes Small Businesses Make

2012-02-01T04:51:00.001-08:00

http://mashable.com/2011/04/10/5-web-design-mistakes/
Your Own Business Website
- Getting Virginia businesses online. Free websites from Google.
www.VirginiaGetOnline.com
This post originally appeared on the American Express OPEN Forum, where Mashable regularly contributes articles about leveraging social media and technology in small business.
If you’re a small business owner, your website is the central hub of your company, and it’s a pivotal part of your marketing and branding.
Potential customers visit your site specifically for its content, meaning its appearance and usability are critical to its success and how those users view your company. However, getting your web design wrong can have a negative impact on your business.
Here are 5 common web design mistakes you must avoid to create a great user experience and grow your bottom line.
1. Poor Navigation
Many small businesses fail to make navigation a priority, but without careful attention to how people navigate your site, you could unintentionally be creating a frustrating experience for any potential visitor. People visit your site for specific information, and if they cannot find it they will quickly go elsewhere, leaving with the impression that your business is disorganized in more than just its website.
A good navigation structure should be seamless and will keep visitors on your site longer, which means potentially more readers, subscribers, sales or leads — whichever is your primary objective.
Website navigation affects both usability and accessibility, so it’s important to make it a primary concern. Most websites and blogs use common navigational techniques that are expected by the average visitor. The pages and sections of the site should be easy and logical for visitors to maneuver. Don’t make your visitors think about how to navigate your site; it should be effortless and natural.
There are several principles you can follow to create an effective navigation structure:
Use icons to aid navigation. They’re both visually appealing and easy to use and understand.
Create logical groups of related links, with the most important links on the top-level navigation bar and functional (dashboard, account, settings, etc.) and legal (copyright, privacy, terms) located elsewhere.
Provide location information so users know where they are on any given page and how to proceed to another area of the website. This can be achieved by using Breadcrumb navigation.
2. No Clear Calls To Action
The fundamental error of many small business websites is the lack of a clear call to action. We’ve all seen bland small-business brochure websites with nothing but endless descriptive paragraphs. If you aren’t leading users to commit to an action (buy a product, contact you or subscribe, for example), then you are losing them.
Driving traffic to your website is important, but that traffic is useless if your primary call to action is a plain “click here” link buried in a sea of text. Call-to-action buttons are a great way to grab the user’s attention, and these buttons can be the key to higher conversions. Investing time and consideration into creating successful calls to action can help guide users and address their needs while achieving your own business goals.
It’s important to keep the following best practices in mind when creating an optimal call to action:
The design of a call to action can be broken down into 4 simple elements — size, shape, color, and position. Each plays a vital part in determining how effective the call to action is in directing the user.
Don’t make your users work or think, or they’ll leave. It’s not that they aren’t smart, it’s that they want access to information quickly without spending unnecessary time searching for it.
Don’t overdo it with multiple, competing calls to action on every page. Decide what your primary target is and then define a clear objective per page. Your content should have answered, “What’s in it for me?” and your call to action should now answer, “What do I do now?”
3. Color & Contrast
Color and contrast aren’t usually high up on the list of priorities for a small business owner when it comes to creating a website. But it should be, because if your website text does not have sufficient contrast compared to its background, people will have difficulty reading your content, especially people with poor vision or color-blindness.
Aside from plain readability, color and contrast are important because they can be used to create visual interest and direct the attention of the user. It can equally be effective in organizing and defining the flow and hierarchy of a page, and it’s therefore an essential principle to pay attention to during the design process. Here are some tips:
Using a free a Color Contrast tool (which conforms to accepted standards) you can easily check to see how the contrast on your website measures up.
Research how major sites use color and contrast to improve readability and highlight specific sections, and use this knowledge to experiment with color schemes.
One of best ways to enhance contrast is by creating size differences between elements, making some things appear larger than others. This works especially well within a minimal color scheme, and it means you don’t have to necessarily rely on color.
4. Content, Content, Content
People visit your website for its content, and how that is structured is a huge factor in its success or failure. Unfortunately, an overwhelming number of small businesses get so caught up in overloading the user with information that they overlook how that information is presented.
Most people do not read unless it’s absolutely necessary, and they prefer to scan through information quickly to get to the points of interest. This is why it’s so important to establish a strong visual content hierarchy so users can quickly scan your site and sifting through relevant information. A logical content hierarchy also acts as a guide through each page and creates a more enjoyable user experience.
So when focusing on your content, it’s best to keep in mind these three tips:
White space is possibly the most important factor to consider. It will allow the user to focus on the meaningful content within each section.
Break up lengthy pieces of information into digestible blocks of text, utilizing headings, sub-headings, bullets, blockquotes and paragraphs.
Readable content is important, so use a good line height that is large enough to make content scannable. Margins and letter spacing also need to be taken into consideration.

The 10 Most Blatant Design Ripoffs in Social Media

2012-02-01T04:42:00.001-08:00

http://mashable.com/2012/01/31/10-blatant-social-media-design-ripoffs/?utm_medium=email&utm_source=newsletter#view_as_one_page-gallery_box4095

Pinspire vs. Pinterest
It doesn't get more blatant than this. Pinspire is pretty much a pixel-for-pixel Pinterest clone, created by the serial digital ripoff artists at Rocket Internet. It's a bit obscene just how much of a copycat Pinspire is -- from concept to functionality to the cursive-style logo. Will it be as lucrative for the Rocket's Sawmer Brothers as their other projects, an eBay clone they sold to the real auction site for $50 million or the European deals site that Groupon gobbled up? Or will someone finally serve them with a cease-and-desist letter? If that happens, someone please pin it.
Heello vs. Twitter
Founded by the guy who created Twitpic, Heello doesn't just look like Twitter. It works exactly the same, just renaming tweets as pings, retweets as echoes and followers as listeners. The only things missing are, of course, the user base and popularity. That's left Heello, after a short period where it was an amusing haven for joke accounts (imagine Mark Zuckerberg as a profane megalomaniac), largely empty.
Funded By Me vs. Kickstarter
"Crowdfunding has been used for centuries," says the About page for Funded By Me, almost coming across as an excuse to blunt any accusations of copyingKickstarter. It's actually a rather benign clone, basically taking the crowdfunding idea and giving it a base in Scandinavia. Site design is very similar, however, with both adopting a call to action that's more prominent than the brand, followed by a Pinterest-y river of featured projects.
Yammer vs. Facebook
Yammer is a networking tool for business. Rather than re-invent the wheel on group communication, Yammer chose to emulate Facebook's user interface and functionality. And when we say "emulate" we mean "copy wholesale," right down to the blue-and-white color scheme, pulldown menus and sidebar list of apps. If you have both services open, you are guaranteed to be confused about which one you're on at some point -- probably right when you're about to share those photos of your pub crawl last night.
SCVNGR vs. Foursquare
Location services have been around for a long time, and Foursquare is far from the first. It's arguably the most successful, though, and with that success brings imitators. Case in point: SCVNGR, whose name may be a little too on the nose, and cribs not just Foursquare's concept of socially powered check-ins, but also the game mechanics of badges as well. Facebook might also want to have a word about the main menu, since it looks very similar to the one in Facebook's old iOS app.
DianDian vs. Tumblr
Can we forgive a service in China for wanting to create an instablogging service that functions just like Tumblr? Of course. Is it then OK to rip off the execution so completely that the sign-up process, layout and tiled explore wall. We'll leave that up to you, but there's no question DianDian, aka the Chinese Tumblr, is one of the more top-to-bottom copycats we've seen.
Hacker News vs. Reddit
Take one look at Reddit and you'll wonder why anyone would ever want to rip off its design, but there's Hacker News, inviting the question. Reddit, like Craigslist, is almost laughably minimalistic, and it wears its stripped-down design with pride. The approach is popular with a certain nerdy demographic, and it's clearly the same group targeted by Hacker News, complete with its own voting system.
PicPlz vs. Instagram
Sorry, PicPlz, we're not buying it. You may have changed Instagram's "Popular" to "Interesting" and taken the number of columns down to three from four, but it's the same damn thing. Just like "My Network" is exactly like "Feed" and "News" is "Activity." PicPlz may do a couple of tricks that Instagram doesn't, like preserving the original image, but the whole presentation makes it come across as a second-rate copy.
Blinklist vs. Delicious
During its Yahoo years, you wouldn't have thought Delicious would have been worth ripping off, but being the original web-based bookmarks app counts for something (as does the clever name). Delicious has since revamped itself, so Blinklist serves as a ripoff of what it used to be, and kind of an ugly one at that. And you have to question the relevance of a "social bookmarking" service that none of my friends are on and where one of the Popular topics is just "insurance." As ripoffs go, this one's a fail.
DZone vs. Digg
Sorry Dzone, but flipping which side your margin is on (as well as the thumbnail photos on posts) doesn't make your site design any less of a Digg ripoff. Maybe selecting a different color for your vote boxes or ditching the white background would do the trick. The "Digg for developers" concept is kind of promising, but right now there's not much reason to visit DZone instead of the developers section of Digg.
In the world of social media, discovering that worthwhile original idea for your app or website is by far the hardest thing to get right. It’s so hard, in fact — and the field so potentially lucrative — that many parties who jump into the field tend not to bother. Why should you create something original when there are so many successful sites and services that you can just rip off?
At least that appears to be the thinking behind many Internet companies whose concepts, web design or apps appear to owe a lot to other, more successful forebears. Once you start looking, it’s not hard to find digital ripoffs. At best, they’re quirky homages inspired by a successful digital brand. At worst, they’re ersatz imitators looking to cash in on someone else’s idea — just a step or two above malware.
Perhaps that’s a little harsh. After all, the humor writer Josh Billings once said, “About the most originality that any writer can hope to achieve honestly is to steal with good judgment.” If you substitute “web designer” for “writer,” he may have been talking about the state of digital design today. After all, it would be impossible to find a design that isn’t at least a little derivative.
SEE ALSO: Top 5 Web Design Mistakes Small Businesses Make
Still, there’s a difference between borrowing some core design ideas and wholesale imitating. In social media, where the essential premise of connecting and sharing with your friends provides a basic architecture, perhaps the line between the two is blurrier than in other fields. After all, Facebook was called a MySpace clone, which was called a Friendster clone before that. But they are (and were) nothing like each other.
While building on existing concepts will always be part of design, so too will mimics, where the cloning is so pervasive and total that the site is nothing more than a copy of the original, merely slipped into a different skin. Here are the 10 most flagrant design ripoffs in social media today, at least to Mashable‘s eye.

The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo 1848 - 164 years of occupation !

2012-02-01T04:33:00.001-08:00

Nuestro Pueblo tiene una historia de lucha y resistencia sin fin

encontrá la violencia y la opresión nacional, segregación racista,

explotación de clase, deportaciones masivas y desigualdad, NOSOTROS

creemos que tenemos que RECONOCER la linea fronteriza entre EU-Mexico

y el Tratado De Guadalupe Hidalgo de 1848 COMO ILEGAL! (Es una

frontera impuesta por fuerza militar, guerra, invasión y opresión) Y

Feb 2, 1848-2012 164 years of occupation! Because in the 1836 to 1900', we as a Mexican@ Indigenous people were displaced by force off our lands in South Texas and what is now the Southwestern United States, and by the 1900's we were working what were our lands but now under Gringo ownership. The invaders and occupiers became the owners and we became 'cheap' wage-labor, Because the clauses guaranteeing the land ownership of Mexican and Indigenous people north of the borderline established by the War of the United States against Mexico 1845-48 and under the protection by the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo but that were VIOLATED repeatedly and with impunity, Because our people suffered a campaign of terror and death at the guns of white racist vigilantes, lynchings by White mobs, the mass savage killings by the Texas Rangers, and genocide under the Slave Republic of Texas and under United States occupation and military control that turned the northwestern part of Mexico, into the now Southwest of the United States, Because we have been treated and have experienced genocide in indigenous peoples and lands, national oppression as a people, exploitation as a working class, racism and racial segregation, mass deportations as migrant workers and youth experience incarceration not education, And because, our people have a story of unending struggle and resistance against the violence, national oppression, racist segregation, class exploitation, mass deportations, and inequality We believe that we must recognize the US-Mexico border line and the Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo of 1848, as ILLEGAL! (It is a border imposed by military force, war, invasion and oppression) and denounce them every year on this date, We must rescue and revive our peoples struggles and stories; A regeneration of our culture, universal human rights, indigenous roots, and languages, and connection to the land that is not U.S. Centric, We must decolonize our lands, our minds, spirits and our people for we are for all practical and political purposes treated as an internal colony within the entrails of the monster. We reject the assimilationist models of hegemonic power, capitalism and imperialism, colonialism and white supremacy and hold high our goal for liberation, not just reform; but true democracy, and universal equality for all! Another United States is Possible and Necessary for another world to be possible and happen! "Traducción: El Tratado de Guadalupe Hidalgo del 2 de febrero del 1848-al 2012 son 164 anos de occupacion!. Porque desde 1836 y 1900, Nosotros como pueblo Mexicano Indígena, nos desplazaron por fuerza de nuestras tierras en el sur de Tejas lo que es el suroeste de los EU y ya para los 1900s estábamos trabajando esas tierras pero ahora abajo de los nuevos dueños gringos. Los invasores y ocupadores se volvieron los dueños y nosotros nos convertimos trabajadores "mano barata." Porque las clausas garantizando títulos de la tierra para los dueños de sus tierras para nosotros los Mexicanos e otros pueblos indígenas norte de la LINIA FRONTERIZA establecida por la Guerra de los EU y Mexico del 1845 z 1848 y abajo la protección del Tratado de Guadalupe Hidalgo pero que FUERON VIOLADOS repetidamente y con impunidad.

Porque Nuestra gente sufrio de una campana de terror y muerte de las armas de los vigilantes racistas blancos, ahorcadoras por hordas blancas, las masacres salvajes de los Rinches tejanos, y genocidio abajo el ESTADO Esclavista de Texas y bajo la ocupación de los EEUU y su control militar que cambio el Noroeste de Mexico a lo que ahora es conocido el Suroeste de los EU. Porque hemos sido tratados y experimentado genocidio en tierras y pueblo indígenas, opresión nacional como pueblo, explotación como clase trabajadora, racismo y segregación racial, deportaciones masivas como trabajadores migrantes y hemos experimentado encarcelación de juventud y no educación, Y Porque

Tenemos Descolonizar nuestras tierras, nuestras mentes, nuestro

Denunciarlos cada ano en esta fecha. Necesitamos Rescatar y Revivir

las luchas de nuestros pueblos y sus luchas; Una Regeneración de

nuestra cultura, derechos humanos universales, raices indígenas y

Lenguas, Y nuestra conectivo a la tierra que no sea USA-Centrica.

espíritu y nuestra gente porque al fin de cuentas practicables y políticas somos tratados como una colonia interna en las tripas de la bestia. Rechazamos modelos de asimilación de poderes hegemonías, capitalismo e imperialismo, colonización, y la supremacia blanca y Guardamos alto nuestras metas para la liberación, no solo reformas; pero verdaderamente una democracia y igualdad universal para todos! Otro EU es posible y Necesario para que Otro mundo sea posible y sucede!" Ruben Solis University Sin Fronteras grulla@swunion.org skype:rubensolisgarcia

Pitbull VS Kitten (Real Love Real Fights)

2012-02-01T04:24:00.001-08:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=czhpQe-56qg

WATCH THE SEQUEL:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SAsHRinMg6UIntroducing the dog Spike - my majestic American Pitbull Terrier - and Visa, my 2 months old cat. While trying to depict their relentless Looney Tunes style relationship of caring and hugging while fighting and mocking about (countless plates and cups were broken during filming) the best choice of soundtrack was Guns n' Roses - Live And Let Die

http://amzn.to/xfEWIQAnd remember Pitbulls are not dangerous.

People with video cameras are.

U.S. Drones Stir Outrage In Iraq; Fleet May Grow

2012-02-01T03:00:00.001-08:00

U.S. Drones Stir Outrage In Iraq; Fleet May Grow --Program by State Dept. Is Seen as an Affront to Sovereignty 30 Jan 2012 The State Department is operating a small fleet of surveillance drones in Iraq to help protect the United States Embassy and consulates, as well as American personnel mercenaries. Some senior Iraqi officials expressed outrage at the program, saying the unarmed aircraft are an affront to Iraqi sovereignty. The program was described by the department's diplomatic security branch in a little-noticed section of its most recent annual report and outlined in broad terms in a two-page online prospectus for companies that might bid on a contract to manage the program. It foreshadows a possible expansion of unmanned drone operations into the diplomatic arm of the American government; until now they have been mainly the province of the Pentagon and the Central Intelligence Agency. [Just shoot them down - problem solved.]

Breaking: Mitt Romney projected winner in GOP Florida primary: NBC News --50 delegates at stake 31 Jan 2012 Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney is projected to win the Republican primary in Florida, in a 'winner-take-all' primary state, NBC News projects. Newt Gingrich is projected to finish in second place. [This story will be updated.]

FDA secretly surveilled e-mail of scientists and doctors, intercepted communications with congressional staff 29 Jan 2012 The Food and Drug Administration secretly monitored the personal e-mail of a group of its own scientists and doctors after they warned Congress that the agency was approving medical devices that they believed posed unacceptable risks to patients, government documents show. The surveillance - detailed in e-mails and memos unearthed by six of the scientists and doctors, who filed a lawsuit against the FDA in U.S. District Court in Washington last week - took place over two years as the plaintiffs accessed their personal Gmail accounts from government computers. Copies of the e-mails show that, starting in January 2009, the FDA intercepted communications with congressional staffers and draft versions of whistleblower complaints complete with editing notes in the margins. The agency also took electronic snapshots of the computer desktops of the FDA employees and reviewed documents they saved on the hard drives of their government computers.

USociopaths trolling to spend billions on Blackwater and other corpora-terrorists: Pentagon Prepares for New Military Talks With Iraq 30 Jan 2012 The Obama administration is preparing to begin talks with Iraq on defining a long-term defense relationship that may include expanded U.S. training 'help,' according to Defense Secretary Leon Panetta's chief policy aide. Michele Flournoy said in an interview with a small group of reporters that the administration is open to Iraqi suggestions about the scope and depth of defense ties. "One of the things we're looking forward to doing is sitting down with the Iraqis in the coming month or two to start thinking about how they want to work with" the U.S. military to develop a program of exercises, training and other forms of security cooperation, Flournoy said.

Car bomb kills three Iraqi soldiers north of Baghdad 31 Jan 2012 Three Iraqi soldiers have been killed in a bomb blast north of Baghdad, an Iraqi official said today. The attack came hours before the nation's parliament is to reconvene after Sunni-backed politicians ended their boycott in protest at persecution of Sunni officials. Major Ghalib al-Karkhi, a police spokesman in Diyala province, said a parked car bomb was detonated near a military patrol in Baqouba late yesterday, killing three soldiers and injuring three others.

Huge Israeli Drone That Can Reach Iran Crashes [What a shame!] 30 Jan 2012 The Israeli military says a drone that can fly as far as Iran has crashed in central Israel on a routine experimental flight. The military says there were no injuries in Sunday's crash, and it was investigating the incident. The Heron TP drone is also known locally as the Eitan. It is the largest unmanned aircraft in Israel's military arsenal.

Karzai 'to hold peace talks with Taliban in Saudi Arabia' 30 Jan 2012 The Afghan government will hold talks with the Taliban in Saudi Arabia, opening up an alternative avenue to peace negotiations between the insurgent group and the United States, according to reports. The Taliban, which was ousted from power after the US-led invasion of Afghanistan in the wake of the 9/11 terrorist attacks [inside job] on the United States, has previously refused to talk to the Afghan President Hamid Karzai, branding him as an American stooge. The Saudi-brokered meetings are due to take place in coming weeks ahead of talks in Qatar, where the Taliban is opening an office for the purpose of holding discussions with the Americans aimed at ending the decade-long war, the BBC reported.

Thousand police officers deployed on streets of Indianapolis as massive Super Bowl security operation swings into gear --Special teams sweeping Lucas Oil Stadium 30 Jan 2012 A massive security operation involving 1,000 police officers has been launched in Indianapolis as the city's first Super Bowl rolls into town this week. Super Bowl fever has already hit the city and 150,000 NFL fans are expected to descend on downtown Indianapolis in one of the most high-security events in the U.S. The city has invested millions of dollars to keep spectators safe, including most bizarrely the installation of 150 new manhole covers after a series of underground explosions. Officers at the event have been equipped with smartphones and other electronic hand-held devices to allow them to feed photos and videos to a new state-of-the-art operations centre on the city's east side.

Police Violence Targets Occupy Oakland Demonstration --NLGSF Demands Action From the Monitor On Police Misconduct 30 Jan 2012 The National Lawyers Guild San Francisco Bay Area Chapter (NLGSF) condemns Oakland Police (OPD) and Alameda County Sheriff’s Office (ACSO) violence, mass arrests and abuses against Occupy demonstrators at Saturday's demonstration. Police violently attacked activists with chemical weapons, so called Less-Lethal munitions, and physical assaults. Hundreds were arrested unlawfully, without opportunity to disperse, and then detained for many hours on the street and then in buses, in stress positions, and without bathrooms, food or water. Once in jail, protesters faced inhumanely crowded conditions, abusive treatment and were denied access to legal counsel. The NLGSF received many reports of assaults on protesters... Police reportedly threw others through a glass door, and down a flight of steps. A videographer was pushed to the ground and clubbed.

Park Police tase Occupy D.C. protester Sunday 29 Jan 2012 An Occupy D.C. protester was tased Sunday afternoon at McPherson Square, as Park Police were handing out fliers about the upcoming Monday deadline on overnight camping. Park Police Sergeant David Schlosser tells WTOP the man got angry about the fliers and confronted officers about the ban. Schlosser says officers used a taser on the man when he wouldn't comply with police orders. Police arrested him and took him to the hospital, after he informed them about a previous medical condition.

Park service to crack down on Occupy DC camps --Demonstrators vow to continue vigil at two sites in DC 30 Jan 2012 The National Park Service plans to crack down Monday on what it calls "sleeping activity" at two longstanding camps established by Occupy DC demonstrators in the nation's capital. The service notified protesters on Friday that they "may be subject to arrest and their property subject to seizure as evidence" if there are evident "camping violations" by around noon Monday. The demonstrators say they will defend their sites.

WikiLeaks to move servers offshore, sources say 31 Jan 2012 Julian Assange's investors are in the process of purchasing a boat to move WikiLeaks' servers offshore in an attempt to evade prosecution from U.S. law enforcement, FoxNews.com has learned. Multiple sources within the hacker community with knowledge of day-to-day WikiLeaks activities say Assange's financial backers have been working behind the scenes on the logistics of moving the servers to international waters. WikiLeaks' servers are now based in Sweden and Iceland, among other locations.

WikiLeaks's Assange Sued on Eve of U.K. Extradition Appeal 31 Jan 2012 WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, who will ask the U.K. Supreme Court tomorrow to block his extradition to Sweden in a rape case, was sued by the British law firm he hired after his 2010 arrest. Finers Stephens Innocent LLP, which specializes in commercial litigation, sued the 40-year-old Australian yesterday in London over legal fees, according to court records. Assange replaced the firm last year after a U.K. judge rejected his defense and upheld the Swedish arrest warrant.

Illinois nuclear reactor shuts down, vents radioactive steam --Officials say the steam contains low levels of tritium, a radioactive form of hydrogen. --Nuclear Regulatory Commission declared 'unusual event' 30 Jan 2012 Officials at a northern Illinois nuclear power plant believe a failed piece of equipment at a switchyard caused it to shut down. Exelon Nuclear officials say the switchyard is similar to a large substation that delivers power from the plant to the electrical grid. Unit 2 at Byron Generating Station shut down around 10:18 a.m. Monday after losing power. Operators began releasing [radioactive] steam to reduce pressure, though not from within the nuclear reactor.

Illinois nuclear plant shut down over power issue 30 Jan 2012 A nuclear reactor at a northern Illinois plant shut down Monday after losing power, and [radioactive] steam was being vented to reduce pressure, according to officials from Exelon Nuclear and federal regulators. Unit 2 at Byron Generating Station, about 95 miles northwest of Chicago, shut down at 10:18 a.m., after losing power, Exelon officials said. Diesel generators began supplying power to the plant, and operators began releasing steam to cool the reactor from the part of the plant where turbines are producing electricity, not from within the nuclear reactor itself, officials said.

Japan finds water leaks at stricken nuclear plant 29 Jan 2012 Japan's stricken nuclear power plant has leaked more than 600 liters of water, forcing it to briefly suspend cooling operations at a spent-fuel pond at the weekend. The operator of the Fukushima complex, the Tokyo Electric Power Co (Tepco), reported two main leakages on its Web site on Sunday, one from a pump near the plant's office building and another from a back-up cooling system at reactor No.4. Water had also leaked at other facilities within the complex, the Nikkei newspaper said Monday.

Fukushima pets in no-go zone face harsh winter 31 Jan 2012 Dogs and cats that were abandoned in the Fukushima exclusion zone after last year's nuclear crisis have had to survive high radiation and a lack of food, and they are now struggling with the region's freezing winter weather. The government let animal welfare groups enter the evacuation zone temporarily in December to rescue surviving pets before the severe winter weather set in, but Yasunori Hoso said there were still many more dogs and cats left in the area. Hoso runs a shelter for about 350 dogs and cats rescued from the 20-km evacuation zone around the crippled nuclear plant.

Occupy Exxon Mobil: Exxon Mobil's quarterly profit hits $9.4 billion 31 Jan 2012 Exxon Mobil Corp. said Thursday its fourth-quarter profit rose 2% to $9.4 billion, or $1.97 a share, from $9.25 billion, or $1.85 a share, in the year-ago period. The oil major earned $41.1 billion in 2011, up 35%, reflecting higher crude oil prices. In the fourth quarter, capital spending remained about flat at $10 billion. [Exxon Mobil - and other oil corpora-terrorists - gets huge tax subsidies - thanks to Obusha and his GOP overlords. And, after USociopaths/Israel attacks Iran, Exxon Mobil will make a greater killing on the killing.]

Taxpayers still owed $132.9B from bailout: report 26 Jan 2012 A government watchdog says U.S. taxpayers are still owed $132.9 billion that companies haven't repaid from the financial bailout, and some of that will never be recovered. The bailout launched at the height of the financial crisis in September 2008 will continue to exist for years, says a report issued Thursday by Christy Romero, the acting special inspector general for the $700 billion bailout. Some bailout programs, such as the effort to help homeowners avoid foreclosure by reducing mortgage payments, will last as late as 2017, costing the government an additional $51 billion or so.

Eurozone unemployment at new record high 31 Jan 2012 Unemployment in the 17-nation eurozone ended 2011 at 10.4 per cent, a new record high for the single currency since its launch at the start of 1999, official figures showed today. Eurostat, the EU's statistics office, said the rate in December was unchanged, as November's was revised upwards from a previous estimate of 10.3%. Unemployment has been steadily rising over the past year - in December 2010, it stood at 9.5% - largely because of Europe's debt crisis.

Free the Captive Dolphins in Turkey --Target: Republic of Turkey Prime Minister and the Turkish Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Livestock --Sponsored by: Freedom for Dolphins and Ric O'Barry's Dolphin Project 31 Jan 2012 Dolphin captivity is cruel, no matter where it is in the world. Unfortunately, there are 10 dolphinariums in Turkey, with dolphins being held in rusty, cramped and unnatural pens. Sadly, many bear the physical and emotional scars of their appalling conditions... The Republic of Turkey Prime Ministry, together with the Turkish Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Livestock, have the authority to shut down these operations and to prevent further captures and imports of dolphins into the country. Please sign and share this petition!

Some Interesting Books !

2012-02-01T02:52:00.001-08:00

Ahmed Rashid. Descent into Chaos: The U.S. and the Disaster in Pakistan, Afghanistan and Central Asia.
http://www.amazon.com/Descent-into-Chaos-Disaster-Afghanistan/dp/014311557X/r...

Peter Maass (for some reason, this author's name rings bells for me, but I can't remember why). Crude World: The Violent Twilight of Oil.
http://www.amazon.com/Crude-World-Violent-Twilight-Vintage/dp/1400075459/ref=...
Aaron L. Friedburg. A Contest for Supremacy: China, America, and the Struggle for Mastery in Asia.
http://www.amazon.com/Contest-Supremacy-America-Struggle-Mastery/dp/039306828...
Last night I saw a very interesting interview by Charlie Rose on PBS. He talked to David Barboza, the Shanghai correspondent for the New York Times, and it was a fascinating glimpse into post-Mao, post-Communist China. You can catch the interview at http://www.charlierose.com/ I'm not sure that Chinese capitalism is an improvement over the People's Revolution.
You will have to watch the program and decide for yourself.
Andrew Feinstein. The Shadow World: Inside the Global Arms Trade.
ISBN 978-0-374-20838-7
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&fiel...
Steve Crenshaw & John Jackson. Small Acts of Resistance: How Courage, Tenacity and Ingenuity Can Change the World.
http://www.amazon.com/Small-Acts-Resistance-Tenacity-Ingenuity/dp/1402768079/...
Alan Axelrod. A Savage Empire: Trappers, Traders, Tribes and the Wars that Made America.
ISBN 978-0-312-57656-1
   The jacket blurb says, "The story of the role of the beaver trade in the founding of America."
http://www.amazon.com/Savage-Empire-Trappers-Traders-America/dp/0312576560/re...

Copying Mozart !

2012-01-31T16:49:00.001-08:00

Live From Lincoln Center: Copying Mozart

Obama holds fundraiser with American Indians

2012-01-31T16:36:00.001-08:00

AP: Obama holds fundraiser with American Indians

President Barack Obama, raising money for his campaign among tribal leaders, said Friday he wants American Indians to be "full partners" in the economy. Obama met with 70 to 75 supporters from Native American tribes. Democratic officials said the fundraiser would benefit the Obama Victory Fund, a joint committee of the Obama campaign and the Democratic National Committee.

AP: Officials look for payoff in Native Mob sweep

Members of the Native Mob gang have shot rivals in Minneapolis, sold drugs in Duluth, and thrown boiling water in a person's face in Crow Wing County. Authorities say they've also assaulted an informant on the White Earth Indian Reservation and shot up houses from Cass Lake to Mille Lacs. This week's federal indictment of 24 suspected Native Mob members will disrupt the activity of one of Minnesota's most violent gangs and could bring some communities a reprieve from violence, authorities said. But it likely won't dismantle the organization -- which is highly structured, active in prison, and wields power from the Twin Cities to reservations throughout Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin.

ICT: BIA’s Impact on Indian Education Is an Education in Bad Education

The forerunner of the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) was created by the U.S. federal government in 1824 to handle all matters relating to American Indians.
From its inception, the ultimate goal of what ultimately became the BIA was not to protect Indians, but to assimilate them into white society. One major tool of that assimilation was education.

Rosebud students combat stereotypes

They’re powerful words routinely used to stereotype people living on American Indian reservations: poor, violent, alcoholic and obese. Students at one high school on the Rosebud Reservation in South Dakota, home to the Rosebud Sioux tribe, have one response: We’re more than that. Behind the attention-grabbing headlines and pictures of reservation life, there’s a rich culture and sense of pride that often goes unnoticed, students from Todd County High School in Mission said.

BBC: Guatemala ex-leader Rios Montt to face genocide charge

Ex-Guatemalan military leader Efrain Rios Montt is to be tried for genocide and crimes against humanity. Gen Rios Montt, 85, was in power from 1982-1983, when some of the country's worst civil war atrocities occurred. Whole villages of indigenous Mayans were massacred as part of government efforts to defeat left-wing rebels. Gen Rios Montt, who has denied ordering massacres, refused to comment in court. But a judge ruled he had a case to answer, placing him under house arrest.

AP: Sitka artist using bulletproof material for work

Local artist Teri Rofkar is going boldly into the future with new artwork that features modern materials and a political edge.Rofkar was one of two dozen artists or art groups in the U.S. to receive the grant, and the first Alaskan chosen in the history of the program. The grant is worth about $90,000 over two years in funding and other assistance.

Green energy boom blows trouble into Mexico

The Isthmus of Tehuantapec, Mexico's narrowest point, is a powerful wind tunnel of air currents whipping through the mountains that separate the Pacific and Atlantic oceans. The wind is "sacred" in this village, says indigenous Huave fisherman Donaciano Victoria. This isolated region of the state of Oaxaca is one of the world's most continuously windy spots. And because wind is a valuable commodity in a world seeking alternative energy, a "wind rush" – reminiscent of the gold and oil rushes of other eras – has swept into the isthmus.

Okla. tribes seek federal ruling in water lawsuit

Two Oklahoma-based American Indian tribes filed court documents Thursday saying the state’s plan to ask a state court to determine the tribes’ water rights won’t resolve their federal lawsuit. The Chickasaw and Choctaw Nations filed a federal lawsuit in August to stop the Oklahoma Water Resources Board from selling its water storage rights to Sardis Lake in southeastern Oklahoma to the Oklahoma City Water Utility Trust without first reaching an agreement with the tribe.

Polar Bears Starving

2012-01-31T16:07:00.001-08:00

Dear Friends,
Polar bears' survival depends on us slowing global warming--which is melting the ice they depend on to hunt for food. But, right now polluters are attacking the Environmental Protection Agency's efforts to reduce the carbon dioxide that is threatening the livelihood of this beloved species.
In the last week, over 9,000 people like you took action to protect polar bears, but we can't stop there.
Polar bears need you to speak up for their future--please take action today!
-Sue

Polar Bears Starving

Protect their Ice from Corporate Polluters

Fight for starving polar bears today»

Support our efforts»

Alert your friends»

Dear Friends,
We are running out of time to make a difference for the future of polar bears in the Hudson Bay--who are starving as rising global temperatures fueled by carbon pollution from coal-fired power plants melts their icy habitat.
Yesterday, President Obama described a "new energy future" in his State of the Union Address. Polar bears are depending on us to ensure that it is a clean energy future.
Polar bears are starving--take action to protect them today.
There is still hope for polar bears, but only if we greatly cut the carbon pollution from coal-fired power plants--starting now.
With coal-fired power plants being the largest source of carbon pollution in the U.S., by reducing the pollution they emit, we can make a substantial impact in the fight for polar bears.
But, even as polar bears go hungry from the impacts of climate change, greedy corporate polluters are fighting to keep dumping unlimited carbon pollution into our air
Don't let corporate pollution starve polar bears to extinction--send this message today.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is acting now to limit carbon pollution from coal-fired power plants, but the EPA is coming under attack and needs to hear your support for stopping the unlimited pollution that threatens the future of polar bears.
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NAKED, BLOODY IMPERIALISM - WE CAME, WE SAW, HE DIED

2012-01-31T16:03:00.001-08:00

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/10/20/us-libya-gaddafi-finalhours-idUSTRE...
Gaddafi's death - who pulled the trigger?
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Thu, Oct 20 2011
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Wed, Oct 19 2011
WRAPUP 5-Clinton brings unity message on visit to new Libya
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Sun, Oct 16 2011Analysis & Opinion
Gaddafi death could add momentum to Arab Spring

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A look back at the Gaddafi era
By Tim Gaynor and Taha Zargoun
(Reuters) - Disturbing images of a blood-stained and shaken Muammar Gaddafi being dragged around by angry fighters quickly circulated around the world after the Libyan dictator's dramatic death near his home town of Sirte.
The exact circumstances of his demise are still unclear with conflicting accounts of his death. But the footage of the last chaotic moments of Gaddafi's life offered some clues into what happened.
Gaddafi was still alive when he was captured near Sirte. In the video, filmed by a bystander in the crowd and later aired on television, Gaddafi is shown dazed and wounded being dragged off a vehicle's bonnet and pulled to the ground by his hair.
"Keep him alive, keep him alive!" someone shouts. Gaddafi then goes out of view and gunshots ring out.
"They captured him alive and while he was being taken away, they beat him and then they killed him," one senior source in the NTC told Reuters. "He might have been resisting."
In what appeared to contradict the events depicted in the video, Libya's ruling National Transitional Council said Gaddafi was killed when a gunfight broke out after his capture between his supporters and government fighters. He died from a bullet wound to the head, the prime minister said.
The NTC said no order had been given to kill him.
Gaddafi called the rebels who rose up against his 42 years of one-man rule "rats," but in the end it appeared that it was he who was captured cowering in a drainage pipe full of rubbish and filth.
"He called us rats, but look where we found him," said Ahmed Al Sahati, a 27-year-old government fighter, standing next to two stinking drainage pipes under a six-lane highway near Sirte.
On the ground, government fighters described scenes of carnage as they told stories of Gaddafi's final hours.
Shortly before dawn prayers, Gaddafi, surrounded by a few dozen loyal bodyguards and accompanied by the head of his now non-existent army Abu Bakr Younis Jabr, broke out of the two-month siege of Sirte and made a break for the west.
They did not get far.
France said its aircraft struck military vehicles belonging to Gaddafi forces near Sirte at about 8:30 a.m. (0630 GMT), but said it was unsure whether the strikes had killed Gaddafi. A NATO official said the convoy was hit either by a French plane or a U.S. Predator drone.
Two miles west of Sirte, 15 pick-up trucks mounted with machine guns lay burned out, smashed and smoldering next to an electricity substation 20 meters from the main road.
They had clearly been hit by a force far beyond anything the motley army the former rebels has assembled during eight months of revolt to overthrow the once feared leader.
There was no bomb crater, indicating the strike may have been carried out by a jet fighter.
Inside the trucks still in their seats sat the charred skeletal remains of drivers and passengers killed instantly by the strike. Other bodies lay mutilated and contorted strewn across the grass. Some 50 bodies in all.
Mansour Daou, leader of Gaddafi's personal bodyguards, was with the former strongman shortly before his end. He told al Arabiya television that after the air strike the survivors had "split into groups and each group went its own way."
"I was with Gaddafi and Abu Bakr Younis Jabr and about four volunteer soldiers." Daou said he had not witnessed his leader's death because he had fallen unconscious after being wounded in the back by a shell explosion.
"MY MASTER IS HERE"
Fighters on the ground said Gaddafi and a handful of his men appeared to have run through a stand of trees and taken refuge in the two drainage pipes.
"At first we fired at them with anti-aircraft guns, but it was no use," said Salem Bakeer, while being feted by his comrades near the road. "Then we went in on foot.
"One of Gaddafi's men came out waving his rifle in the air and shouting surrender, but as soon as he saw my face he started shooting at me," he told Reuters.
"Then I think Gaddafi must have told them to stop. 'My master is here, my master is here', he said, 'Muammar Gaddafi is here and he is wounded'," said Bakeer.
"We went in and brought Gaddafi out. He was saying 'what's wrong? What's wrong? What's going on?'. Then we took him and put him in the car," Bakeer said.
At the time of his capture, Gaddafi was already wounded with gunshots to his leg and to his back, Bakeer said.
Other government fighters who said they took part in Gaddafi's capture, separately confirmed Bakeer's version of events, though one said the man who ruled Libya for 42 years was shot and wounded at the last minute by one of his own men.
"One of Muammar Gaddafi's guards shot him in the chest," said Omran Jouma Shawan.
There were also other versions of events. NTC official Abdel Majid Mlegta told Reuters Gaddafi had been finally cornered in a compound in Sirte after hours of fighting, and wounded in a gun battle with NTC forces.
He said Gaddafi kept repeating "What is the matter? What's going on? What do you want?" and resisted as NTC fighters seized him. He added that Gaddafi died of his wounds as he was being transported in an ambulance.
"He was bleeding from his stomach. It took a long time to transport him. He bled to death (in the ambulance)," he said.
Another NTC official, speaking to Reuters anonymously, gave a violent account of Gaddafi's death: "They (NTC fighters) beat him very harshly and then they killed him. This is a war."
Some video footage showed what appeared to be Gaddafi's lifeless body being loaded into an ambulance in Sirte.
One of the fighters who said he took part in the capture brandished a heavily engraved golden pistol he said he had taken from Gaddafi.
Fallen electricity cables partially covered the entrance to the pipes and the bodies of three men, apparently Gaddafi bodyguards lay at the entrance to one end, one in shorts probably due to a bandaged wound on his leg.
Four more bodies lay at the other end of the pipes. All black men, one had his brains blown out, another man had been decapitated, his dreadlocked head lying beside his torso.
Army chief Jabr was also captured alive, Bakeer said. NTC officials later announced he was dead.
Joyous government fighters fired their weapons in the air, shouted "Allahu Akbar" and posed for pictures. Others wrote graffiti on the concrete parapets of the highway. One said simply: "Gaddafi was captured here."
(Additional reporting by Rania El Gamal in Sirte and Samia Nakhoul in Amman; Writing by Jon Hemming; Editing by Maria Golovnina and Matthew Jones)

THE FLAGRANT HYPOCRISY OF THE LIBYA INTERVENTION
http://www.thenation.com/article/159454/libya-intervention
GADAFI AND MANDELA - BROTHER LEADERS
http://www.mathaba.net/news/?x=627606
LIBYANS BACK GADAFFI IN TRIPOLI'S GREEN SQUARE
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/mar/17/libyans-back-muammar-the-colonel
HERE WE GO AGAIN - THE LIBYAN INTERVENTION

http://www.lrb.co.uk/v33/n07/rory-stewart/here-we-go-again
FIVE MYTHS OF THE LIBYAN INTERVENTION

http://mg.co.za/article/2011-09-

30-five-myths-of-libyan-intervention/
LIBYA INTERVENTION DRIVEN BY OIL INTEREST
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/libya-conflict.96b/

LIBYAN OIL WAR - IS IT THAT SIMPLE?

http://www.salon.com/2011/03/21/the_libyan_oil_war_connection/

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This is the job I've always wanted to do ! - "the culture of music"

2012-01-31T12:26:00.001-08:00

http://www.careersinmusic.com/ethnomusicologist.aspx
http://www.careersinmusic.com/music-jobs.aspx
The Ethnomusicologist is one who researches music, musicians, instruments, and music producing processes. He or she looks deeply into
different cultures and their music-making practices and capabilities. For example, they might travel to China to get to know a family of musicians who perfected a certain instrument or created a specific type of music. The Ethnomusicologist engrosses themselves into the culture, doing the best they can to get a feel for beliefs and customs, and the role of music.
Even though there is a great deal of travel in this position, these individuals also conduct research traditionally within libraries and museums. Overall, the position is one of low-stress, and incredibly enjoyable for anyone who enjoys their work. With that said, to be successful, one should have a passion for travel and should enjoy communicating with the world's many cultures. They need to be accustomed to spending a lot of time away from home, as they could be spending months and maybe even years with certain cultures.

Resulting benefits of such travel and research include becoming a part of new cultures, and then teaching students or museum goers about the culture of music. One of the most enjoyable aspects for many is the opportunity to see the world from many different angles.

Salaries
Salaries depend on a number of factors including experience, educational background, and the particular position with which they are employed. All things considered, they can earn between $30,000 and $91,000. Usually those who work in museums are paid the most, relatively.

Employment
Ethnomusicologists can find work in a number of different settings like universities, libraries, and museums, along within the Recording Industry Association of America. There is currently a growing interest in the field, which may make it easier to obtain an entry-level position.

Advancement
It's common for many Ethnomusicologists to move into traditional teaching roles after they've had some time and experience in the field. One can advance their career by taking on more advanced, in-depth experiences with cultures in areas not previously researched.

Education and Training
To get started in this position, one should have a bachelor's degree. But, to earn more and obtain more advanced positions, a graduate degree should be obtained. Study areas include sociology, anthropology, psychology or other cultural study areas.

Experience, Skills, and Personality
Because of the fact that most of their time is spent in the field, Ethnomusicologists must have superior research skills, while remaining objective and analytical. They need to know how to take detailed notes, and they should be good at deductive reasoning. Also, they should be good writers, with the ability to translate their notes into detailed reports once research has taken place.

Unions and Associations
Ethnomusicologists may belong to the Society for Ethnomusicology, which is dedicated to the study of all forms of music from the perspectives of social science.
=========
This is what I have been for 50 years:

Music Copyist

A music copyist produces the various parts or individual music lines for instruments from a music score, in preparation for a performance or recording session. This work is done by using computer music notation applications. The two roles of the computer-based copyist – the production of parts and of scores – are invariably combined, as it is fairly straightforward to extract parts from the score in music notation applications. The music copyist needs to have a strong understanding of music notation as developed by music publishers over the last century.

There is also an editing component to this job whereby mistakes are detected if they are missed by composers when writing the score. As freelancers, music copyists need to have good skills in small business management, professional networking and self-promotion. Copyists learn a lot about arranging and composition in the course of their work, so these career opportunities are also available to them.
This would be something I do (even includes one of my other passions regarding Native Americans):

About the job
http://us.music-jobs.com/current/music-copyist-job-24337718
Hi, I am looking for a copyist to take the transcription for an 8 movement concerto called Tribal Music Suite (TMS).
Here's what I'm looking for: someone to take the transcription for the strings from the recording one track at a time and put all parts into score format as well as individual parts. All in Adobe, computer generated plus a disc containing the written work from the software program ie Finale, etc (for future editing and changes). Woodwinds & horns have written parts but need to be edited as per the recording.
Here is what I'll send you. A CD-ROM disc of all the parts rendered in 16bit 44.1K wav files, all in sync with a click, can be imported into an your music software program and transcribed or copied accordingly. Plus the written/arranged parts for the wood winds and brass that need to be edited; plus the written viola part that was not on the original recording but needs to be in the score.
Here is a list of the parts for the 1st movement:
Solo violin
1st violins sometimes same as solo violin
2nd violins
violas (part is written out by hand but not on recording)
cellos (this part has been finished)
dbl basses (arco + pizz)
trombones (3)
tympani
snare drum
triangle
gong
cymble swells
chimes
pow wow drum and singers (listed in score but not to be transcribed)
wind effect (listed in score but not to be transcribed)
string pads (synth)
penny whistle
flutes (2) (already arranged/transcribed but needs editing from recording)
Clarinet (1) (already arranged/transcribed but needs editing from recording)
I will overnight a package of the 1st movement to you (no emails or mp3s) plus 1/2 of the estimated fee in check form. You can email me back the Adobe version of the parts and when complete I will send you the balance for the 1st movement and if all has worked well then it's on to the next movement. A completed score and individual parts?
Please let me know if you can help. If you think the project is too big for you or expensive for me don't write me back as that is a clear indication of lack of interest.
Unfortunately it has been taken!!
==========
Recently I have been this:
http://www.careersinmusic.com/recording-artist-website-content-producer.aspx
RECORDING ARTIST WEBSITE CONTENT PRODUCER
$25,000 to $75,000+
Website Content Manager, Website Content Editor
Writes and maintains content on website, retains a following through various methods, gathers fan base.
Other Music Jobs
Recording Artist Website Content Producer
Personal Assistant to Recording Artist
Celebrity Bodyguard
Ethnomusicologist
* required
Email Address *
First Name *
Last Name
Select all the fields you're interseted in below. You'll be notified about the career fields you choose when information is available.

★ All Music Related Jobs* ★
*If you select this, leave the rest blank. You'll get them automatically.

Music Performing & Writing
The Music Business
Recording & The Record Industry
Music Health
Facility, Arena and Club
Music Industry Merchandising
Music Industry PR & Advertising
Radio & Television
Music Industry Touring
Music Education
Church Music
Symphony, Orchestra, and Opera
Instrument Work & Development
Other Music Jobs
About This Music Career
In order to keep fans informed and interested in artists and their websites, most artists, their management companies, or labels retain Website Content Producers, who are responsible for creating and maintaining site content. To begin the process, these individuals are expected to develop and carry out a strategic online content plan. These plans must be fresh and innovative in order to keep fans returning to the site. This is important because websites give artists a presence on the web, allowing fans to find general information, along with timely news, concert dates, and new album offerings. These sites also give artists a simple way to sell or promote their albums and other merchandise including t-shirts and more.

As mentioned, Website Content Producers are responsible for maintaining the content of the site, ensuring content is informative, user friendly, and exciting. To accomplish this, individuals need to research and write engaging stories and articles on a variety of subjects. Content might be about the artist, the music industry in general, or other subjects.

Aside from an exciting homepage that contains breaking news and timely information, other pages on the site might include biographies, artist profiles, feature stories, interviews, tour news, discographies, lyrics of songs, forums, photos, videos and more. Also, the Website Content Producer may develop blogs, webcasts, chats, podcasts and more in order to keep the site relevant and exciting. These outlets help to get fans involved and connected to the act. The Website Content Producer must also find ways to develop mailing lists of fans by utilizing “contact us” forms, surveys, sweepstakes, or fan clubs. These lists are used to get news out quickly, and to inform fans about concert dates and new album availability.

Some sites are extremely large and developed, sometimes requiring more than one Content Producer. In such a situation, one may be a Senior or Executive Website Content Producer who oversees the entire site and the other may develop and monitor blogs and so on.

In addition, Website Content Producers are responsible for overseeing staff copywriters, photographers, and graphic artists. The Content Producer might also need to find a freelancer to produce stories, and is responsible for getting all stories, editing them when necessary, and giving them to the webmaster to put online.

鄭秀文 Sammi Cheng 愛

2012-01-31T11:40:00.001-08:00

Zheng_Xiu_Wen__Sammi_Cheng_Ai_.pdf Download this file

Listen:

MuseScore
@musescore
Free & open source music notation software for Windows, Mac & Linux
http://musescore.org
https://twitter.com/#!/musescore

Wild WAter Dragon (see attachment for written music)

2012-01-31T11:29:00.001-08:00

Listen here:

Ye_Sheng_Shui_Long___WILD_SEA_DRAGON.pdf Download this file

Beginner Question: Why Does MuseScore Keep Adding In Rests?

2012-01-31T11:06:00.000-08:00

MuseScore (free music notation software)

2012-01-31T11:03:00.001-08:00

MuseScore
@musescore
Free & open source music notation software for Windows, Mac & Linux
http://musescore.org
https://twitter.com/#!/musescore

Drain the Mediterranean

2012-01-31T10:24:00.001-08:00

Space Newt

Dear Friends:

A few days ago, when I heard about Newt Gingrich’s plan/idea/hallucination to make the Moon the 51^st State, I wondered what else he has in mind for the country we all love. (I mean America. And, for liberal Democrats, North Korea. Or at least that’s what Newt would say.)

Newt conducted a whirlwind campaign tour around my State of Florida this week. (Better late than never. No, actually, better never.) At the Space Coast, Newt explained what he wants NASA to do. I started to think through what other great plans/ideas/hallucinations that Newt might have in mind for the rest of us. A sort of a Contract With The Universe. Based on Newt’s lunar lunacy, here is what I think that we may see from Newt Gingrich, 45^th President of the United States:

(1) Gingrich will direct the Army Corps of Engineers to drain the Mediterranean Sea. Gingrich will then lay claim to all of the land underneath it. And then he will put the screws to Crete. (Warning to Newt: this may hurt you with your key Tea Party constituent group, the Cretins.)

(2) Gingrich will create jobs in the construction industry by getting bids on a project to make the Washington Monument three times as large, and kind of smoother.   Then he will rename it the “Washington Monument to Newt’s Greatness.”

(3) In order to qualify for the Children’s Health Insurance Program, Gingrich will make infants change their own diapers. You know, to show them the value of work.

(4) Gingrich will order the Pentagon’s DARPA weapons lab to erect a giant 10-gigawatt humidifier, and a giant 10-gigawatt dehumidifier. Turn them loose on each other. Let’s settle this, once and for all. (By the way, Steven Wright thought of this first.)

(5) Gingrich will command the Department of Energy to dig a hole deep down into the Earth’s crust, and fill it with soufflé. Think of how proud we will all feel, watch the world’s first geothermal soufflé rise. And rise. And rise.

(6) Gingrich will have the U.S. Postal Service deliver the mail by drone airplane. Just bomb the mailboxes. First with the mail, and then . . . .

(7) Gingrich will instruct NOAA to conduct a valid scientific test to see whether prayer can change the direction of hurricanes as they approach the shore. A double-blind test, so the hurricane doesn’t know.

(8) Gingrich will mandate that the National Institutes of Health develop a neurological examination to determine whether Newt Gingrich really is more intelligent than every other human being combined.

(9) Gingrich will compel all the tree-hugging liberals who work at the National Endowment for the Arts to translate the internet into Klingon. Including the porn. No, especially the porn.

(10) Gingrich will proclaim a Constitutional Amendment mandating that Newt Gingrich (a/k/a the “Great Leader”) be President of the Earth-Moon Alliance for life, and twenty years beyond that.   Just work out the details.

You think I’m kidding. Well, don’t cling to that conclusion. Here are some actual things that Newt really said, and I’m not making any of them up:

“I have enormous personal ambition. I want to shift the entire planet. And I’m doing it. I am now a famous person. I represent real power.”

“Gingrich - Primary mission, Advocate of civilization, Definer of civilization, Teacher of the rules of civilization, Leader of the civilizing forces.”

Gingrich on Gingrich: “The most serious, systematic revolutionary of modern times.”

Newt Gingrich decides who lives and dies. When a reporter asked Gingrich what to do about the homeless a few days after the police shot a homeless man in front of the White House, Gingrich said: “Give the park police more ammo.”

And Newt Gingrich determines what is true and false. As he said a few weeks ago: “Any ad which quotes what I said on Sunday is a falsehood.”

Why is such an obvious megalomaniac considered to be a serious candidate for President? I don’t know. You would have to ask the Tea Party that question.

As for me, I have rather more modest ambitions than Newt does. I would like to try to help the 24 million Americans who can’t find full-time work. The 50 million Americans who can’t see a doctor when they are sick. The 47 million Americans who need government assistance to feed themselves. And the 40 million Americans who live in homes where the mortgage is more than the value of the home.

Let’s keep our eye on the ball, please.

Are you with me?

Courage,

Alan Grayson

'Every Day on this side of the flower bed ... Is A Good Day'

2012-01-31T10:19:00.001-08:00

Sisters Mary Catherine, Maria Theresa, Katherine Marie, Rose Frances & Mary Kathleen left the Convent on a trip to St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York City and were sight-seeing on a Tuesday in July. It was hot and humid in town and their traditional garb was making them so uncomfortable, they decided to stop in at Patty McGuire's Pub for a cold soft drink.
Patty had recently added special legs to his barstools, which were the talk of the fashionable eastside neighborhood. All 5 Nuns sat up at the bar and were enjoying their Cokes when Monsignor Riley and Father McGinty entered the bar through the front door.
They, too, came for a cold drink when they were shocked and almost fainted at what they saw ...

This is too cute not to forward ...

GIVE US A SENSE OF HUMOR, LORD,
GIVE US THE GRACE TO SEE A JOKE,
TO GET SOME HUMOR OUT OF LIFE,
AND PASS IT ON TO OTHER FOLK
'Every Day on this side of the flower bed ... Is A Good Day'

World's Oldest Twins !

2012-01-31T07:11:00.001-08:00

Chinese 104-year-old twins, Cao Daqiao (senior, right) and Cao Xiaoqiao talk at home in Weifang, east China's Shandong province on November 29, 2009. According to the Shanghai Guinness World Records, these twin sisters, who were born in 1905, are the oldest living twins in the world as they are also listed on the Guiness World of Records for the oldest twins.

Thousand hands dance !

2012-01-31T07:00:00.001-08:00

http://www.expressnightout.com/printedition/PDF/EXPRESS_01062012.pdf

Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival 2012

2012-01-31T06:54:00.001-08:00

http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2012/01/harbin_international_ice_and_s.html?...
The annual Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival has been held since 1963, interrupted for a number of years during the Cultural Revolution until it was resumed in 1985. Harbin is the capital of Heilongjiang province, in northeastern China. It is nicknamed "Ice City" and aptly so for winter January temperatures that average minus 18 degrees Celsius, under the influence of the cold winter wind from Siberia. The festival officially starts January 5th and lasts one month, although exhibits often stay open longer, weather permitting. Harbin is one of the world's four largest ice and snow festivals, along with Japan's Sapporo Snow Festival, Canada's Quebec City Winter Carnival and Norway's Ski Festival.

Tourists visit ice sculptures during the testing period of the 13th Harbin Ice and Snow World in Harbin, Heilongjiang province. The Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival officially launched January 5, 2012. (Sheng Li/Reuters)

2
A newly married husband and wife celebrate after a group wedding ceremony as part of the 28th Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival. The wedding was organized by the city government, and 18 couples from Nigeria, Russia and China participated in the ceremony, local media reported. (Sheng Li/Reuters) #

3
A group of girls pose in front of a castle made from blocks of ice before the opening ceremony of the Harbin International Ice and Snow festival. (Andy Wong/Associated Press) #

4
A swimmer jumps into the water during a winter swimming event on the ice-covered Songhua river in Harbin in northeastern China's Heilongjiang province. (Associated Press) #

5
A performer rests on a set decoration during a rehearsal for the opening ceremony of 13th Harbin Ice and Snow World in Harbin, Heilongjiang province. (Sheng Li/Reuters) #

6
Sunset near a castle made from blocks of ice in northeastern China's Heilongjiang province. (Andy Wong/Associated Press) #

7
Ice sculptures displayed at the annual Ice and Snow festival in Harbin. Fairy tale palaces, towering pagodas, and even an Egyptian Sphynx -- all carved from ice -- are among the sights at the Harbin International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival. (Stringer/AFP/Getty Images) #

8
An employee pours boiling water into a pot at a restaurant built with ice cubes at the 28th Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival. (Sheng Li/Reuters) #

9
The Harbin Ice and Snow festival, an annual event, now in its 26th year, draws crowds from across China and even a few visitors from overseas, drawn to the unique visions of an international roster of sculptors who illuminate their creations with multicolored electric lights encased in the translucent ice. (Stringer/AFP/Getty Images) #

10
Ice block sculptures of fairy tale palaces, towering pagodas, and an Egyptian Sphynx draw crowds from across China and even a few visitors from overseas. (Stringer/AFP/Getty Images) #

11
Spectators watch fireworks explode over ice sculptures during the official opening. (Sheng Li/Reuters) #

12
Fireworks explode while Chinese dancers perform on a snow hill during the opening ceremony. (Andy Wong/Associated Press) #

13
A woman takes pictures of the colorful ice block buildings. (Andy Wong/Associated Press) #

14
Visitors tour a building structure made from blocks of ice and lit with colorful lights. (Andy Wong/Associated Press) #

15
Visitors enjoy the sights at the Harbin International Ice and Snow festival. (Andy Wong/Associated Press) #

16
A climber demonstrates his skill on a building made of blocks of ice during the opening ceremony. (Andy Wong/Associated Press) #

17
Visitors watch fireworks shoot above the ice block buildings during the opening ceremony of the festival. (Andy Wong/Associated Press) #

18
Tourists visit ice sculptures. (Sheng Li/Reuters) #

19
The colorful lights of the ice block sculptures create a intriguing overall scene for tourists. (Sheng Li/Reuters) #

20
Visitors lose themselves in the fantasy-like colorful buildings of the Harbin festival. (Andy Wong/Associated Press) #

21
Harbin in northeastern China's Heilongjiang province is known for its bitterly cold winters and is often called the "Ice City." (Andy Wong/Associated Press) #

22
Even the staircases are made from ice blocks at the Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival. (Andy Wong/Associated Press) #

23
A horse carriage carries tourists through the ice sculptures. (Sheng Li/Reuters) #

24
A horse carriage carrying tourists adds to the fairy tale mystique of the Harbin festival. (Sheng Li/Reuters) #

25
People visit the Harbin Ice-Lantern Show at Zhaolin Park. (ChinaFotoPress/ Getty Images) #

26
Customers have a meal at a restaurant built with ice blocks. (Sheng Li/Reuters) #

27
Spectators watch fireworks explode over ice sculptures. (Sheng Li/Reuters) #

28
Harbin, known as "Ice City" - a nickname well-earned - for winters that are dry and bitterly cold, with a 24-hours average in January of only minus18.4 degrees celcius. Workers install a tree with lights near buildings made from blocks of ice. (Andy Wong/Associated Press) #

春节 - Happy Lunar New Year 2012 新年快乐

2012-01-31T06:41:00.001-08:00

http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2012/01/lunar_new_year_2012.html
The lunar new year is celebrated throughout the world, but especially in Asia when the lunisolar calendar ticks off a new cycle. This year is the Year of the Dragon on the Chinese zodiac, and is viewed as very auspicious. In China, the holiday is known as 春节, the Spring Festival, and kicks off 15 days of celebration. It also triggers the largest human migration in the world, as hundreds of millions of Chinese trek to see families. Gathered here are images of the preparation for the holiday, the travel scene in mainland China, and celebrations in many parts of the world. 新年快乐!

See the full gallery on Posterous