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Search Engine Land » Channel » SEO » Google ch-ch-ch-changes. How they're affecting publishers and SEOs
Google ch-ch-ch-changes. How they're affecting publishers and SEOs
Is Google's relationship with publishers and SEOs deteriorating? Columnist Kristine Schachinger discusses the state of this long-standing love-hate relationship and shares her thoughts on what this might mean for all concerned.
Kristine Schachinger on March 17, 2016 at 10:54 am
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There appears to be a trend in Google's actions towards publishers and the digital marketing industry that has me a bit concerned. It seems the company has become less and less transparent with publishers over the last couple years — and frankly, it has me a bit uneasy.
Google transparency
Now, there have always been bones of contention between Google and the SEO community; some believe that Google hates SEOs, while others believe that Google actually needs us.
I was always in the camp that thought Google knew they needed the SEO community because they cannot control the end product. No matter how great the search results, the end product is still the website. If the websites returned by Google are not very usable or relevant, then people won't use Google to find them.
This has made the SEO industry an almost necessary go-between, giving Google a fairly direct method to affect site quality by getting SEOs to communicate their rules to publishers.
However, in light of Google's recent actions — such as bypassing standard SEO industry channels to announce major changes and representatives telling us they know five percent or less of the algorithms — I think we need to consider the possibility that they've begun to care much less about transparently communicating Google's website guidelines to SEOs and publishers.
Of course, those of us who spend our lives immersed in these algorithms know that is not likely to be a successful strategy. No matter how many helpful Webmaster Guidelines you put out, the average site owner will still never understand the intricacies of what makes a good site without help from a knowledgeable SEO practitioner.
It will also do little to stop spam, as spammers represent money, and money can always get around Google. However, for the rest of us in the industry, SEO is starting to become a painful process.
The loss of Matt Cutts
Matt Cutts — Google's former head of web spam who went on leave indefinitely back in July 2014 — was always a polarizing figure in search. Some thought he purposefully misdirected the industry, while others felt that you just needed to understand "Matt Speak," and you could learn a lot from what he said (or more importantly, what he did not say). I fell into the latter category.
However you slice it, Cutts had a very difficult role. I felt he did his best within the parameters of that role to help us understand how search worked and how it didn't. He had a fine line to walk between the needs of the industry and the company he worked for, but I felt he did this well.
The Cutts transparency effect
Cutts played a large role in what was communicated to publishers and SEO professionals. There was advance notice of changes, sometimes months or years ahead. Publishers were told when algorithms were updated and guidelines were changed, and Cutts made himself available to answer questions via Twitter and YouTube videos and at industry events.
Matt Cutts helped create the rules. He understood those rules, and he communicated those rules to us to the extent that he could. For all the controversy around his role, Cutts was the little bit of transparency between Google, its algorithms, SEOs and publishers.
Then things changed. Google released Hummingbird, their entity-focused algorithm. Cutts went on leave soon after. Now we have machine learning and RankBrain, and spam-fighting algorithm updates like Penguin will soon be occurring in real time. Google is relying more and more on AI and seemingly less and less on humans. Whether or not that is a good thing is yet to be known.
Personally, I find search quality outside of "micro-moments" like reviews, times and directions to be sorely lacking these days. More and more, I go to Facebook for answers because I can no longer find them in Google. Google uses AI to throw me a kitchen sink when it is not sure, and that kitchen sink rarely has much in it that's useful for me.
However, anecdotal experience is not evidence of anything.
What I do know is that the information coming out of Google about organic search has become more and more frequently convoluted and often inaccurate — so much so that in private spaces behind social walls, there is a general dismissal of Google having much information to offer the industry at all.
Google has gone deeper into their black box, and the little bit of transparency Cutts offered is gone. The rest of us are left guessing.
Dangerous position
I think this puts Google in a dangerous position. Having worked with very large publishers, I know these sites are looking less and less for Google organic traffic and more and more for traffic they can control.
I have seen sites with more than 50 million visitors and less than 10 percent organic traffic relying more heavily on sources like Facebook (with traffic numbers as large as 50 and 60 percent). None of these sites are buying ads.
Of course, these are not commercial sites, which are much more heavily reliant on Google. But with the recent introduction of four ads on top of commercial queries and the sheer aggressiveness of the penalty algorithms such as Penguin and Panda, how long will it be before Google tips the scales against itself? When will site owners no longer care? If I can get my traffic from anywhere, and I no longer care if that traffic comes from Google, where does Google go?
And what does this mean for digital marketers?
SEO is dead
If we have seen them once, we have seen these articles hundreds of times. "SEO IS DEAD!" "THE SKY IS FALLING!" However, this is the first time in a decade I have started wondering if that writing may be on the wall, at least in terms of Google organic search.
This is not because Google does not need organic results. It is not because it is adding more ads and carousels and Knowledge Graph panels. Google still needs organic users to sell ads. Google still needs publishers to care about ranking.
The issue is that in my personal experience, those publishers that Google depends on are starting not to care as much about meeting Google Guidelines. Why put their money and effort into something that they cannot control?
When Google attacked spammers, publishers could say, "I am not a spammer," and justify the expense of SEO. However, now that algorithms attack every aspect of a website's presence, publishers may feel very uncertain about those waters. Why risk your boat in unknown channels, when others seems so safe and calm?
The necessity of diversification is likely the biggest driver of decreasing dependence on Google.
If I can spend $50 on psychographically targeted Facebook ads, and those users convert well, why would I spend that money optimizing my website for search engines?
If I have been hit by Penguin and am waiting 17 months for an update to get unpenalized, why do I bother trying at all? Or if an unknown quality update knocks me down, one Google does not even admits exists, when do I as a site owner stop rolling the proverbial rock up the proverbial hill?
Of course, anyone who does SEO knows there are very valid reasons to care about organic search. We know the value, but I am just not sure that the site owners still do, and the lack of transparency at Google is not making that much easier.
So what should a digital marketer do?
If you are in a highly commercial space, your job has gotten a lot harder. Product listing ads (PLAs), Knowledge Graph panels, and now four ads at the top of the page are crowding out your site, even if it is in the top organic position.
Optimizing for your commercially competitive queries will become more difficult, and the overall ad space has been reduced to seven slots total; thus, bidding may become much more competitive.
If you are using informational search, SEO hasn't gotten harder — it has just become much more irrelevant. Whereas Google used to be very good at returning exact query results, AI goes with the "broad net" approach. If Google does not have a specific "thing" it can return, it will often return a set of more general results, leaving words out of the query set. Often, the word it leaves out is the most relevant modifier.
Then, let's add to this the traffic-killing Knowledge Graph panels and direct answers/featured snippets. Google scrapes websites and other data sources and displays that information directly on the search results page so that users do not have to click to the actual site. If I were in that space, why would I still continue to care about Google's engine?
Google's ivory tower
Any way you look at it, Google has become almost solely about its bottom line. That is not new. However, over the last few years, it seems that it has become much less transparent and much more aggressive.
Google, it seems, now sits in an ivory tower, removed from the real day-to-day needs of publishers.
A lack of transparency, poor communication, hidden algorithm changes, site-killing updates that never seem to resolve — the list goes on — are all creating a negative climate that Google may come one day to regret.
This general lack of care in the Google-SEO-Publisher relationship has fostered a lot of negative sentiment towards the Search giant, but even worse, it has created sheer apathy among certain publishers.
Glimmers of yesteryear
There have been some very recent efforts to reach out to the SEO community. The return of the Google Dance — which included a private, behind-the-scenes meeting with 50 SEOs during which they were able to provide feedback — shows a potentially renewed interest in fostering communications.
Personally, I would have preferred to see a general feedback loop opened up instead of 50 individuals being selected for an off-the-record meeting. But it is a start, and of course, we all appreciate a good Google Dance. Many relationships have been forged there, including ones between the community and Google.
So maybe we are seeing a new direction. There are glimmers of hope. Maybe these efforts will usher in a new era of necessary transparency — transparency that is not just important for publishers and digital marketers, but for Google, as well. If Google continues to act so aggressively with so little transparency, the apathy is only likely to grow — and there is nothing good for Google at the end of that road.
As a famous movie once said, "You want me on that wall, you need me on that wall." Okay, so we are not exactly Jack Nicholson in "A Few Good Men." But without digital marketers, Google will have a very hard time convincing site owners of much of anything, including the need for Google in the first place.
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Kristine Schachinger
Kristine Schachinger has 17 years digital experience including a focus on website design and implementation, accessibility standards and all aspects of website visibility involving SEO, social media and strategic planning. She additionally specializes in site health auditing, site forensics, technical SEO and site recovery planning especially when involving Google algorithms such as Penguin and Panda. Her seventeen years in design and development and eight years in online marketing give her a depth and breadth of understanding that comes from a broad exposure to not only digital marketing, but the complete product lifecycle along with the underlying technology and processes. She is a well known speaker, author and can be found on LinkedIn, Google+ and Twitter.
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Match Customers with the Products They are Searching For
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Enterprise Digital Experience Platforms: A Marketer's Guide


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Xian, when we first met I didn't know what I was missing
Published by Song Manli on November 21, 2020
When I first met Xi'an, I like to describe it as love at first sight.
It was the beginning of September 18.
For the first time, I, a southern girl who was born in a land of plenty and grew up on the banks of the Yangtze River, came to Xi'an, the ancient capital of the six dynasties, famous both at home and abroad, carrying a huge suitcase and a backpack.
I don't know how to describe the feeling of stepping into Xi'an for the first time, but I remember that after a night on the train and enduring the annoying snoring of the uncle next door, I was refreshed at the moment I stepped into the city.
"So beautiful. " This was the only word in my mind.
Xi'an today, still has more ancient buildings, winding city walls and red high-walled pavilions, the tortuous moat, which is the ancient capital, than any urban modernization.
Speaking of new meetings, I do not know much about Xi'an.
The Most well-known thing about this city is the ancient capital. So, in order to fully explore this city, I set out on an adventure.
The first stop is Xi'an's landmark, the Bell Tower.
I like the Bell Tower, especially at night, I still remember standing in front of the gate of Kaiyuan Department Store One night, the night wind blowing through Xi'an City, watching the Glittering day light up.
Picking up my camera, I loved the feeling of photographing the clock tower at night, the way the lights were on, the way the tower was shining, and the way that the luxurious Chang'an of the Tang Dynasty had almost come back to life.
For me, you will regret coming to Xi'an and not seeing the clock tower at night. Moreover, it is the symbol of the prosperous Datang city that never sleeps.
To tell you the truth, I seldom go to Datang city at night. For once, it's not close to my school, but overall there is too much commotion and people for my taste. But why did I have to bring it up? Because it's still beautiful and breath-taking.
Holding hands while walking through the popular Datang city show. This is the commercial side of Datang city, and the most fascinating one.
However, I'd rather people see the old-fashioned side of this city. The Art of sculpture is one of its charms. When it comes to all the kingdoms and the dynasties, the Empress Dowager, the Zhenguan monument, and the historical and cultural relief columns of the Tang Dynasty are the four main monuments.
It is the powerful scent of all the kingdoms from the Tang Dynasty coming together, the "arrogant" empress Wu, these things make Datang not the night city of the prosperous and obvious, but a city for me to remember.
People may not remember the Bell Tower, the drum tower, or the city that never sleeps in the Tang Dynasty, but they will certainly remember the Terracotta Army, as visitors from all over the country travel thousands of miles to the ancient city of Xi'an, for a glimpse of the first emperor's terracotta army.
The Terracotta Army is one of the greatest archaeological discoveries in the world, and the terracotta warriors have a very long history. The terracotta army is a kind of ancient tomb sculpture. In ancient times, when important people died like Emperors, they needed slaves and servants to accompany them to the afterlife.
After the slaveholders died, slaves would be buried with them as funerary objects.
Terra-cotta warriors and horses (chariots, horses, soldiers) are made of clay, with the only objective to be buried with their masters. It shows a part of the glorious civilization of ancient China and is a calling card when talking about ancient Chinese civilization.
So far, more than 200 leaders have visited China, which undoubtedly shows the charm of the Chinese culture. The Xi'an City Wall, also known as the Xi'an Ming City Wall, is the largest and most intact ancient city wall in existence in China.
Once you enter Xi'an City, you can see the city wall running all around it. The city wall is not only a scenic spot, it is also a unique landmark in the city of Xi'an.
As you walk in the downtown area of Xi'an, you will be able to see the city walls of Xi'an. When you reach the city walls of Xi'an, you will be able to see the scenery of Mancheng District in the city of Xi'an, this is its unique charm.
There are four main gates in the Xi'an City Wall: Changle Gate (East Gate) , Yongning Gate (South Gate) , Andingmen gate (West Gate) and Anyuan Gate (North Gate) . These four gates are also the original gates of the ancient city wall.
Since the Republic of China began to facilitate access to the ancient city, it has opened a number of new gates, Xi'an City Wall has 18 gates now. This also means that in Xi'an City Wall and the Huan City, only a few can see the original wooden walls and stone walls, signs of the Times left by history slowly fading away. I miss not having been back to Xi'an for a long time.
I miss it terribly.
Needless to say, the outbreak of the new coronavirus slowed down my goodbye to Xi'an. I love being able to enjoy the local cuisine of Xi'an, like Xi'an's Mutton Soaked Buns, Saozi Noodles, rou Jia mo, Jing Gao and so on.
I don't know how to describe the two years since I came to Xi'an.
All I know is that I saw a city that I had never seen before, perhaps it was fate that brought me. Someone who likes pasta, brought to an ancient capital whose main dish is…pasta based.
Perhaps it was fate that brought me to the ancient capital of Xiao Sha, which is completely different from the steel forests of China. Perhaps it was fate, that has shown me the simplicity and kindness of the people of the north.
My days in Xi'an may still be long and many, perhaps I will not have to say goodbye so soon, but for now I look forward to the future Xi'an and I will share, and watch our "love at first sight" develop through the years.
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The B.S. degree in Computer Science (Systems Option, also referred to as Option 1) is accredited by the Computing Accreditation Commission of ABET.
The University of North Carolina Wilmington is listed as a member of the Academic Alliance of NCWIT, the National Center for Women & Information Technology.
The Academic Alliance (AA) consists of over 400 distinguished representatives from the computer science and IT departments of nearly 200 colleges and universities across the country, spanning research universities, community colleges, women's colleges, and minority-serving institutions.
Charged with implementing institutional change in higher education, the Academic Alliance provides feedback on NCWIT programs, contributes and adopts effective practices, and serves as a national agent of change. It meets several times per year to compare approaches and provide guidance and mutual support. View the list of NCWIT Academic Alliance Members.


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An Evening of Original Music with Edwin McCain, Maia Sharp, and Kim Richey
The Peace Center is excited to welcome Edwin McCain and Maia Sharp back to Genevieve's for a unique listening room experience. Special guest Kim Richey will join them in this intimate evening of original music.
Two-time Grammy®-nominated Kim Richey is a country singer-songwriter. Her first nomination was for "Baby, I Lied," recorded by Trisha Yearwood; her second was for co-writing Radney Foster's hit "Nobody Wins." Glimmer, her third album, was one of TIME's Top Records of 1999. Her fourth album, Rise, was named People's Best Alt-Country Record of 2002.
After recording two of the biggest love songs in the history of pop music ("I'll Be" and "I Could Not Ask For More"), beloved Greenville native Edwin McCain now performs upwards of 100 shows annually throughout the U.S. as a solo artist. Maia Sharp is an acclaimed songwriter, with songs recorded by Bonnie Raitt, Trisha Yearwood, Cher, McCain, and Art Garfunkel.
Presented By: The Peace Center
Dates: May 4, 2018
Location: Genevieve's Theater Lounge
Address: 101 W Broad St, Greenville, SC 29601


When the bones of the spine (vertebrae) undergo deformity or degeneration, or when the nerves become pinched, the person experiences a pain in the back. For minor complaints, proper care and physiotherapy can cure the patient completely. But when this is not possible, one must have surgery to correct the symptom.
The symptom of pain or tingling in the back or lower back is associated with the cervical spine. The vertebrae have a protective sacrum and nerves that spread out through the back region. When the vertebral bones or discs are free to move and healthy, your spine has flexibility. And when they are damaged, the person is unable to move freely. The aim of the spine surgery is to relieve the pain and tingling sensation. One has to bear the cost of the surgery. The best cervical spine surgery cost in India is Rs10,000 as compared to Rs58,000 in the US.
Cervical deformity: Swan neck deformity or hyperlordosis is the deformity present in the cervical spine. This spine injury can be stabilized and the bone strengthen through spine surgery.
Degenerative disc disease: In this medical condition, the cushion or sacs between the discs decrease and herniation occurs. This results in numbness, tingling, pain, and you become weak.
Injuries dislocations and fractures: When the spinal cord undergoes fracture, surgery can help to rectify the damage.
Though you may not be able to exercise or get into shape, there are a few things that will help you. One is to stop smoking if you are a smoker. It interferes with the healing of the bone graft.
Next thing is to have a physical examination. You must do this at least 10 days before the surgery. The surgeon will ask for your blood work, EKG, medical history, and urine analysis.
Keep the home in the condition you want when you return from surgery. Keep things within hands reach and without bending. Get prepared for the hospital with a bag that has warm clothes, your toiletries, health insurance card, and debit card for payments.
Next donate blood. There is chance that there will be loss of blood. If you cannot, then arrange for blood in your name.
Posterior cervical decompression surgery: This is done from the back of the neck. When the disc herniation is to the side of the spinal cord, the surgeon will prefer this kind of surgery. More often, this microdisectomy is performed to cure leg pain and is known as radiculopathy.
Anterior Cervical Corpectomy: This spine surgery is done to remove the disc and the disc space. The surgeon will suggest this course of action when the cervical disease has damaged the disc and the space.
The usual time involves a stay at the hospital for seven days at least. After one or two days, the patient is made to walk. By doing so, he or she reduces the risks of blood clots. Usually, the patient needs to wear a collar brace. Once the patient reaches home, they must avoid lifting heavy weights (10 pounds) for up to six weeks.
You can perform cervical spine surgery in India at low cost at the best hospitals in India. Check with the doctor and fix an appointment.


Chromacoma checking in again for November. After last month's much more contemporary art venue, I am bringing it back to a neo-classical favourite photographic location in Bangkok this month: Hua Lamphong Train Station.
The correct name is actually 'The Railway Station of Bangkok' or 'Sathani Rotfai Krung Thep' (you can't Romanize Thai so no complaints about how I have chosen to spell it please, there almost is no right or wrong way within reason). This might be technically correct but in decades in Thailand, I've never heard a single soul actually refer to it in such a manner. In real world use, Thais and even farangs with bad accents all know it by its colloquial moniker of 'Hua Lamphong'. If you are actually heading there or departing on a train, you'll see it on railway authority train maps as simply 'Krungthep' (station) which is the abbreviated Thai word for Bangkok. The full name for Bangkok in Thai is literally a paragraph or two long!
It's actually a pretty cool place to go and have a look at. Be warned though, this is the number one main railway terminal for the whole country. At peak times, it is RAMMED and this doesn't just mean Thais but also foreigners looking to go off on another chapter in their Thai adventure. With this in mind, beware of scammers; do not talk to Thais who suddenly, randomly approach you speaking English, watch your belongings at all times, ignore all the Tuk-Tuk drivers and general 'hangaround' guys etc. The usual common sense sort of stuff that I have already covered in this guide before so I'll not repeat myself too much here.
The building itself is now over a hundred years old, and that is pretty old for a building in Bangkok that is still standing and in regular daily use by the public. A little known fact is perhaps that is was actually designed by a reputable Italian. That's right, it's an Italian design (not many Thais are always aware of that when it comes up in conversation) and in something of a renaissance style at that, simply beautiful and not what you might perhaps expect in this part of the world. Well worth checking out, both from within and the exterior.
One thing I like about this locale is that the platforms and train lines are pretty much at ground level (without some huge 'forbidden' step down onto the track level) and as long as you are careful not to displease the station guards and their whistles, basically you can walk right up and touch the trains and all over the tracks as much as you like in such a way that just wouldn't be allowed (deemed unsafe?) in many Western countries. Indeed, when people disembark from some of the main platforms, they just spill out and onto the tracks and are just swarming in and around the trains and over the lines, sleepers and gravel in a pretty freestyle manner.
The classic sort of Hua Lamphong shots are often concerned with the interior roof, light shining down sort of style. This has always been a staple. It does seem however though that in recent times, some sort of blocking the light from the top inside has occurred. I think it is a new installation of blinds or something similar, seems a different look than in years gone by. This makes it not quite as easy as it used to be to stumble on the brilliant interior light spilling all over the platforms, trains and passengers that it has often been famous for, but still quite nice to shoot. Film shooters would do well here in the day with about ISO400 film in my experience (and preference I suppose).
Lens options here really aren't too limited, low down wide angle is definitely something that could be very effective but on this day I just had a standard lens on a medium format film Rolleiflex (equivalent to a 'normal' 50mm on a full frame digital or 35mm film camera, albeit with more headroom) and didn't really feel that I needed or wanted for anything more. Good fun can be had playing with perspective and the interplay between the tiny people and the huge locomotives. Lots of long vanishing point lines and strongly backlit subjects can present themselves when you are at the main hall end of the platforms looking out.
It's easy to get there, any taxi driver in the city knows it (if they don't, exit the vehicle IMMEDIATELY !) In more modern times, it has also been connected to the underground railway network in Bangkok and so you can catch that from literally anywhere in the city and simply depart at the MRT station that connects directly, which is also called 'Hua Lamphong'. Simple as thatreally. It's also in the more westerly side of Bangkok and is situated fairly close to where the really Chinese part of the city begins (and indeed Chinatown itself) so you could also get a lot of bang for your photographic buck if you fancy some exercise and a wander off with your camera from this point.
In the station, there are lots and lots of platforms (around 14 if I recall correctly) and I am sure that there must be between 100-150 trains in and out of here every single day. The number of passengers is insane as Thais really know how to pack a train out, especially in the lower class carriages from upcountry. So, as well as the building and scenery, the human element is also more than well catered for.
Go and check it out with your camera and have fun, I did. Here are a few more medium format shots of Hua Lamphong taken very recently.


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Release date: September 26th 2016. Label: Argonauta Records. Format: CD/DD/Vinyl
Horta – Tracklisting
Cio' Che Tradisce
Re-Growth
Andrea Missagia - Guitar
Nathalie Antonello - Drums
Diego Loreggian - Bass
Indivia are newly signed to Argonauta Records. One of my fave record labels who have been on a roll recently signing great artists to their impressive roster. Indivia are no different as their album is another winning entry from Argonauta Records. So what can you expect from Indivia. Well the band were a new entity to me as I hadn't heard of them before.
Their new album, Horta is their second full length album but acts as the perfect introduction to Indivia's groove laiden Doom/Stoner riffs. Reviewing instrumental albums can be a very hard thing to do at times but Indivia's music make this so easy as they've released an exciting and different kind of instrumental doom/stoner metal album. It's a heavy and almost gloomy affair from the start.
Opening track Dharma runs for less than three minutes but Indivia show you what they can do despite the short running time. Heavy moments of distorted instrumental Doom/Stoner Metal riffs merged with murky psychedelics are the main key. It has the right balance of slow paced moments and angrier faster riffage.
Second track The Green Planet sees Indivia bring heavy thunderous riffs to forefront of the action. As the band create a bass heavy affair to build their epic riffs upon. Fans of SardoniS will find much to enjoy here but Indivia offer perhaps a more well rounded experience. The song is a mixture of sombre Stoner Riffs but matched with a more gloomy doom metal vibe. The soundclip that appears towards the end of the song is a very cool touch that moves Indivia's music into the realm of Space Rock.
Third track Hyperion opens with a drone based sludgy riff before the band add layers of Doom/Stoner riffs played at a very slow pace. The drums slowly come in as the song becomes more faster before the normal sounds of long drawn out riffs appear. Indivia take their time with this song though the mood can be very sloppy at times. Though that's not to say it's a bad song. In fact, it's a very good song. I felt that the heavier moments didn't flow smoothly as they should. It can leave you feeling disorientated at times.
The final three songs on the album offer more straight-forward Doom/Stoner Metal riffs with Indivia creating even louder psych based noises especially on tracks such as Shogun and the final track, Re-Growth. Horta is expertly produced as the album sounds superb. The mood of the album is loud and crisp throughout. Indivia expand on their sound with each individual song almost to the point that the songs sound vastly different to each other.
Horta is a dark, loud and exciting album to listen to especially if you're a fan of Instrumental Doom/Stoner Metal. This album is only being released on CD and Digital Download which is a crying shame. As this album deserves a vinyl release to fully experience it's dark and twisted vision. Excellent and Highly Recommended.
Thanks to Barbara at NeeCee Agency for the promo. Horta will l be available to buy via Argonauta Records from September 26th 2016 on CD/DD.
Labels: Album Reviews, Argonauta Records, Doom Metal, Indivia, Instrumental, NeeCee Agency, Psych, Steve Howe, Stoner Metal


Value Resorts as you can tell by their name, are the least expensive of all Disney resorts. These resorts have both smaller beds (double vs. queen in all other resort classes), no water slides at pools, and uncovered bus stops. These resorts are moderate in size, but rooms farther away from the main building are a bit of a hike. Value resorts only offer a quick service dining option.
For more specific information on each resort, click their name/link for an overview of the resort including specifics on rooms, location, transportation options, dining options, and relative cost. Resorts are listed in alphabetical order.
Comparing each of these resorts, see a recent post on the pros and cons of each Disney Value resort!


Deciding on a date night outfit can be nervewracking. No worries, I'll make it easier for you. With tips from some of the very best fashionistas (I need a reference for guys), you can rest easy knowing that "drop dead" looks will make a good impression. The rest is up to you!


Is Kellogg Safe From the Cereal-Killing Generation?
Cereal sales are slumping as millennials skip breakfast. With slight improvements in its second-quarter earnings, is Kellogg a worthwhile opportunity?
Millennials have developed a reputation for being food-obsessed. Armed with Apple iPhone cameras, they seem to be snapping photos of every single meal to upload to their Facebook and Instagram accounts. And their demand for what they perceive as being higher-quality and healthier ingredients have sent sales of sodas (even the iconic Coca-Cola) plunging.
They've driven the rise (and fall) of Chipotle Mexican Grill. And they've even brought McDonald's to consider putting kale on its burgers.
However, they're just not that keen on cleaning up after themselves in the kitchen.
According to a survey from research firm Mintel, roughly 40% of millennials skip breakfast because they find cleaning up afterward too inconvenient.
This has wreaked havoc on the breakfast cereal industry. In 2015, sales in this sector came in around $10 billion, versus $13.9 billion in 2010. This has made investing in the top cereal brands -- General Mills (GIS - Get Report) and Kellogg (K - Get Report) -- a risky bet.
However, earnings results released yesterday by Kellogg suggest that the company is managing to stay afloat during this spree of cereal killing.
Kellogg reported a profit of $280 million, or 79 cents per share, for the quarter, versus $223 million, or 63 cents per share, a year earlier. And the company, which is headquartered in Michigan, raised per-share earnings estimates from $4 to $4.07 to $4.11 to $4.18. The stock surged upward on the news.
However, revenue plunged by 6.6%, to $3.27 billion, missing analyst expectations of $3.36 billion for revenue and 91 cents per share for profit.
Now is not the time to get back into Kellogg.
Much of the improvement to the company's finances was made through strict cost-cutting measures and better-than-expected results in Venezuela. However, cost cutting doesn't guarantee sustainable improved sales, and the economic and political outlook for Venezuela continues to be troubling. I wouldn't bank on long-term gains here.
Kellogg's sustainable success lies in the company's efforts to make cereal more appealing for millennials. The company is repositioning many of its classic brands -- such as Special K -- as snack foods rather than boxed, loose breakfast cereals (snack bars don't require doing the dishes).
And the company is also taking another unusual tack. Kellogg has opened a café in Times Square that promises the joy of breakfast cereal without the mess. For about $8, customers can order up a bowl of cereal with milk and their choice of gourmet toppings.
It sounds a bit ridiculous, but the project just might give a boost to Kellogg's sales. Greek-yogurt maker Chobani has seen a 40% sales boost since it opened a café in New York's SoHo neighborhood.
The Kelllogg café opened two days before the close of the second-quarter reporting period, so we don't know yet the effect it will have on the company's bottom line. However, this goes to show that until millennials learn to clean up after themselves, cereal-dependent companies are going to need to think outside the box to stay afloat.
Investors should continue to be wary of these soggy stocks.
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In the era of hybrid IT, migrating apps to the public cloud is only the first step of a sound cloud computing strategy.
From scalability to cost-efficiency, cloud computing delivers a range of benefits to an enterprise. And when it comes to provisioning new capacity, there are three distinct cloud computing advantages organizations don't want to miss: the ability to scale on-demand, paying only for the compute resources used and end-to-end service automation.
Unfortunately, cloud computing strategies aren't always easy to carry out -- especially when migrating existing cloud workloads between cloud providers or public and private clouds. That migration process typically requires many manual steps, and the process itself can be difficult to scale. If these migrations aren't handled efficiently, organizations pay for cloud resources they don't use.
Before being able to move workloads between different cloud platforms, organizations must first move their on-premises applications to the cloud. And that's not always an easy feat.
The experiences of Girish Juneja, chief technology officer at Altisource, a Luxembourg-based provider of mortgage, financial and technology services for the real estate industry, sound typical. Like many, Altisource's foray into cloud was mostly for pilot projects and non-critical applications. But that strategy gradually grew into a broader cloud commitment.
The company embarked on a hybrid cloud strategy, with the aim of moving workloads between public cloud and private cloud "at the push of a button," Juneja said.
Altisource faced a number of challenges on its hybrid cloud journey. The first was that the company's on-premises configuration was statically defined and operating with finite resources. To address that, Altisource turned to workload automation.
"The first step we took was to look at the workloads and make sure we had automated deployment configuration," Juneja said. "We made it so that anything could be abstracted and moved anywhere."
Make infrastructure immutable to avoid doing change management on an ongoing basis. This involves creating immutable components such as base images, network configurations and software dependencies, rather than changing configurations and upgrading servers each time a change is required.
Design an application blueprint by defining all components and embedded configuration fields, so it can be duplicated in the cloud.
Embed security and ensure high availability.
By taking those steps, Altisource rapidly transitioned workloads to Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Verizon public cloud with very few glitches. "We routinely bring up out our entire stack from scratch in both AWS and Verizon in under a couple of hours, something that was unthinkable just a few months ago," Juneja said.
There are three common approaches to migrating applications to the cloud, according to Laurent Lachal, senior analyst of Infrastructure Solutions at London-based analyst firm Ovum. The first two approaches are "lift and shift" and refactoring. The third and more sophisticated option is extension or redesign.
Lift and shift means moving an application directly to a cloud host. In many cases, the approach works fine -- but it won't take advantage of the cloud platform's full capabilities. A somewhat better approach, according to Lachal, is refactoring, which involves making modest application code changes to ensure a smoother migration. The best approaches, though, are extension -- or heavily modifying code to fit the new cloud environment -- or a complete redesign to optimize the application for cloud.
For organizations that want to move beyond public cloud and into hybrid cloud, the ability to move workloads between public and private environments becomes crucial.
To smoothly transition workloads between public and private clouds, organizations should use cloud management and orchestration tools that can provide visibility across consumption models through a single pane of glass, said Mark Bowker, senior analyst at Enterprise Strategy Group, based in Milford, Mass.
A common misstep for companies is to grow accustomed to a highly virtualized on-premises environment and then set up additional public cloud infrastructure without ensuring consistency between the two.
"That means the tools will not span the environments, so you don't have a hybrid cloud -- just two different consumption models," Bowker said. The "secret ingredient" is a cloud management tool that comes with a virtual environment, such as VMware's vCloud or vRealize, he added.
Portability between public and private clouds shouldn't be difficult to achieve. And despite legitimate concerns about cloud vendor lock-in after moving to public cloud, those concerns are often exaggerated, Bowker said. At many levels, IT has dealt with lock-in for years. And some forms of lock-in -- such as standardization on a particular operating system -- can be helpful in spanning public and private clouds. Hypervisors from vendors such as VMware and Microsoft can also help manage virtualization across clouds.
Chris Riley, DevOps analyst at Fixate, a content marketing specialist based in Livermore, Calif., agreed that the biggest challenge when moving workloads across public and private clouds is the unification of the platform technology. That said, organizations heavily invested in VMware should consider vCloud Air because it would make the transition between private and public more seamless. Likewise, organizations invested in Microsoft Hyper-V stacks should consider Azure for public cloud.
Another way to increase workload portability between public and private clouds is by using containers.
"If your entire stack is run on containers, then they can go anywhere at any time," Bowker said. Containers will also help simplify the migration of future applications to the cloud, since containerized applications can move to the cloud "on a whim," he added.
Why are CIOs slow to adopt a cloud migration strategy?
What have your experiences been migrating between clouds?
Sort of the same answer as I gave to a similar hybrid cloud question. I don't migrate between cloud solutions, I use real-world hardware and the cloud to balance my data backup and security needs. I won't be going full cloud until costs are more attractive.


Whether you are visiting Central Florida's Space Coast for the first time, a regular visitor, a seasonal resident or a life-long resident, we are proud to provide this detailed directory of restaurants, bars, entertainment, businesses, health clubs, stores and other places that are located on Brevard County's Space Coast. Please contact us if you know of a business missing.
This directory is published by Web Design Melbourne Florida (local site for eWareness).


Over the past few years, we at New Covenant have added to our theological vocabulary the word Christocracy. We confess that we are Christocrats.
Since these terms are unfamiliar to many people, we want to define and instruct ourselves in the subject so that we can be able to explain it to others and appreciate the revelation. This is important because language and use of words are a gift that God has given to mankind. If you understand the word, you will use it effectively to build yourself up in the light of the total revelation of God.
Therefore, Christocracy means Christ's government on earth, and a Christocrat is a representative of Christ's government.
Can you break down the concept of Christocracy a bit more?
We must understand that Jesus came specifically to set up God's kingdom on earth. Or we can put it this way: Christ came to establish a permanent kingdom that replaces the temporary kingdom that Satan took over from Adam in Genesis 3. Read Genesis 3:15 and please note that the phrase "the seed of the woman" refers to Jesus. Also read Mathew 2:1-6. Jesus was born a King but He would have to come and set up a kingdom. The fears of the kings who lived during Jesus' time were genuine, but Jesus was not coming to take over their kingdoms (John 18:36). Instead, Jesus came to set up the kingdom of God. What is the kingdom of God? Simply put, it is submission to God's rightful rule and authority over every thing and person because He created everything. The Bible tells us what this kingdom should look like by explaining God's laws and expectations for our behavior. That is why He instructed His disciples (and us as modern-day believers) to pray for His Kingdom to come on earth as it is in heaven (Matthew 6:10). But the role of the believer is not only to pray for God to set up His kingdom on earth. We are charged with establishing His Kingdom by exercising the dominion given to us in Genesis 1:28 and using the keys to the Kingdom of Heaven given to us in Matthew 16:19. In doing so, we govern the earth for God's glory until His expected and imminent return.
You pointed out a couple of scriptures, but not one mentions the words Christocracy or Christocrat. Is this doctrine really Biblical?
Many words embraced by the modern-day church are not specifically used in the Bible. For instance, you'll never find the words "rapture" or "homosexuality" in the original text of the Bible, but the Bible unquestionably discusses and takes a position on both concepts. Take a look at 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 for an example of the Bible's views of the rapture, and examine Romans 1:26-27 for a Biblical perspective of homosexuality. "Rapture" and "homosexuality" are not Biblical words, but these words have been used over time as a short-hand to refer to certain principles discussed in the Bible. Since language constantly changes with the progression of time, the purpose of using a new word to describe well-established principles is to make things easier to understand. The Biblical principles of Christ's divine rulership and our role in representing Him on earth are clearly identified in scripture. The words "Christocracy" and "Christocrat" are just a short-hand for these principles.
Do Christocrats only believe in serving Jesus Christ? What role do God the Father and God the Holy Ghost play in Christocracy?
Christocracy embraces fully the concept of the Godhead identified in scripture, consisting of God the Father, God the Son (Jesus Christ), and God the Holy Spirit. The focus on Christ in Christocracy serves two purposes. First, it is consistent with the Bible's teachings that the Godhead would establish its Kingdom on earth through Jesus Christ and those redeemed by His sacrifice on the cross. (Isaiah 9:6-7; Revelation 5:9-10). Second, it makes Jesus a central figure to remove any confusion about whose kingdom we are advancing. Using a general term like "theocracy" does not accomplish this because the root of the Greek word "theo" refers to god (but not necessarily the God of the Bible).
Okay, but how do I practice Christocracy?
Like Jesus, we do not speak of "governing" in the traditional sense of holding political office. While it is possible for a Christocrat to be a politician or a government employee, being a Christocrat simply means that we use the gifts, skills, knowledge, and resources that God has given us to represent Christ within our respective spheres of influence. Remember, we defined the kingdom of God as a system reflecting total submission to God's authority and rulership. This touches every area of life--from our salvation, to our health, to our finances, to our environment, to our political structures, to our food systems, to our methods of helping others in need, and on and on. If you can think of any issue in life, be assured that the Bible has expressed a view on it. And following the Bible's view on an issue is practicing Christocracy. By doing so, you are bringing the kingdom of God closer to earth since you are submitting to His authority and rulership. So as Christocrats, we aim to be like the two servants in Matthew 25's parable of the talents who were honored for using what they were given to create a profit for their master.
If God has given you a passion and skill to work with children, then you can practice Christocracy by being a Sunday school teacher or a teacher in a Christian school.
If God has given you an artistic sense of style and a flare for design, then you can practice Christocracy by designing stylish clothes that reflect Biblical modesty.
If God has given you a desire to help others in physical pain or distress, then you can practice Christocracy by entering the medical field.
Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.
Tell us how you will get involved and how we can reach you.
How will you commit to practice Christocracy?
Through church administration, evangelism, mission work, etc.
New Covenant Christian Ministries is an ambassadorial ministry representing the Kingdom of Jesus Christ here on earth.


This 13" Macbook Case from Kiko Leather is unassuming yet fine tuned down to the smallest details. Constructed from pebbled cowhide leather and 100% wool felt, it provides stylish and complete protection while adding some extra document stowage in the outer sleeve. A zipper closure keeps it all secure and the easy carry handle make this Kiki Leather Case a perfect on-the-go companion.


text:
Dubas just the latest promotion from Marlies
by AHL PR
Photo: Toronto Maple Leafs
by Patrick Williams | for TheAHL.com
Follow @pwilliamsNHL
The Toronto Marlies have their latest NHL promotion, but this time it comes from the executive suite.
Marlies general manager Kyle Dubas was named the general manager of the parent Toronto Maple Leafs on Friday. For the 32-year-old Dubas, who was hired as the assistant general manager of the Maple Leafs in 2014, it continues his rapid climb in the hockey world.
Dubas spent four seasons guiding the Marlies, going 190-90-20-4. In that span the Marlies won two division titles and captured the Macgregor Kilpatrick Trophy this season as the AHL's regular-season champion this season and in 2015-16. Their 54 regular-season victories this season tied a franchise record set in 2015-16. That season the Marlies also established a franchise record with 114 points.
Flanked by Maple Leafs president Brendan Shanahan, Dubas gave thanks to the Marlies at a news conference held at Air Canada Centre on Friday.
"The people that I've worked with every day on a very, very close basis, the player development staff led by Scott Pellerin and the Toronto Marlies staff, and our research and development crew led by Darryl Metcalf," Dubas told reporters.
The Marlies still have work to do this spring. The last time a Maple Leafs affiliate won the Calder Cup was in 1982 with the New Brunswick Hawks, part of a dual affiliation with the Chicago Blackhawks.
A sweep of the Syracuse Crunch in the second round of the Calder Cup Playoffs this week moved the Marlies to their second Eastern Conference final in the past three seasons. They will meet the winner of the Charlotte Checkers-Lehigh Valley Phantoms series. The Phantoms lead that series three games to one going into Game 5 at Charlotte on Saturday.
They have also sent a stream of players on to the Maple Leafs, who had eight Marlies graduates on their final roster at the end of this season — defensemen Connor Carrick and Travis Dermott along with forwards Connor Brown, Zach Hyman, Andreas Johnsson, Kasperi Kapanen, Josh Leivo and William Nylander.
Dermott and Johnsson returned to the Marlies in the first round for additional experience.
Several other NHL organizations have tapped into Toronto's AHL pipeline as well.
Forward Nikita Soshnikov, another Marlies graduate, finished his season with the St. Louis Blues after he was acquired from the Maple Leafs on Feb. 15. The Montreal Canadiens had former Marlies in defenseman Rinat Valiev and forward Kerby Rychel as part of the price that the Maple Leafs used to acquired veteran forward Tomas Plekanec.
The Marlies have shown a penchant for finding talent everywhere.
Early in the 2014-15 season, the Marlies brought in ECHL center Byron Froese on a tryout. Froese, who ended up signing a contract with the Maple Leafs, spent parts of three seasons with the Marlies while playing 58 regular-season games with the Maple Leafs. He moved on to the Tampa Bay Lightning organization last season, went with Syracuse on a run to the Calder Cup Finals, and played 48 games for the Canadiens this season.
Leadership on the AHL roster has been a priority during Dubas's time at Ricoh Coliseum. Before this promotion to the Canadiens early this season, Froese had been named captain of the Laval Rocket. Marlies defenseman Vincent LoVerde was a free-agent signing from the Ontario Reign after captaining AHL prospects in the Los Angeles Kings organization for three seasons and winning the Calder Cup in 2015. Former Marlies captain Andrew Campbell holds the same role for the Tucson Roadrunners.
"The Marlies, I would be remiss not to mention the efforts of the players throughout the last number of years," Dubas said at the news conference. They're the ones that go on and play. The whole job is to support and give the players the proper resources to have the success that they can."
The Maple Leafs hired Dubas on July 22, 2014. Before the 2015-16 season, Dubas reunited with Sheldon Keefe, who was appointed head coach of the Marlies. Before Dubas had departed for Toronto, the two had worked together in a general manager-head coach relationship for parts of three seasons with the Ontario Hockey League's Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds.
There they pushed analytics into hockey's mainstream and won a lot of hockey games along the way.
The Dubas-Keefe partnership began in Sault Ste. Marie halfway through the 2012-13 season. Dubas had taken the Sault Ste. Marie general manager position at age 25 a season earlier and started the process of turning around a struggling franchise. By the end of the 2013-14 OHL season, Dubas had assembled a 109-76-7-12 mark over three seasons that attracted the Maple Leafs' attention.
"My partnership with [Keefe] and relationship with him has really helped me to grow as a manager, and he has obviously done a great, great job coaching and is a very bright young coach."
Now it is Dubas's turn to get an "opportunity," a word that Keefe uses frequently.
"You look at the opportunity for us," Keefe said at the 2018 AHL All-Star Classic in January. "Coaches, managers, trainers, all the way through to the PR staff.
"All of these people, really, it's all about opportunity."
Tagged: Toronto Marlies
AHL Morning Skate: 5.12.18
Phantoms oust Checkers, head to East Finals
Statement regarding Friday's Marlies-Stars game
Brooks quickly learning value of every NHL moment
For Aberg, 'it's her and hockey'


Did you know that skin cancer is one the leading forms of cancer in the United States? According to the American Academy of Dermatology, one in five Americans will develop skin cancer in their lifetime. Most cases of skin cancer can be attributed to ultraviolet (UV) radiation. Sunlamps, tanning booths, and from the sun, can cause UV radiation. The most dangerous kind of skin cancer is called melanoma. Studies show, a person's chance of developing melanoma doubles with more than five sunburns. It is important for Americans of all ages to be aware of the risks, dangers, and prevention techniques to avoid serious illness.
Skin cancer occurs when they body does not repair damage to the DNA inside skin cells, allowing the cells to divide and grow uncontrollably. There are a variety of factors that cause skin cell damage, including genetics and skin type. But most cases of skin cancer are caused by overexposure to ultraviolet (UV) sunlight. Skin cancer may appear as a dark spot, lesion, a wound that does not heal or a bump on the skin. The type of skin cancer depends on the cells that are damaged.
Avoid using tanning beds or sun lamps.
Stay out of direct sunlight for long periods of time, especially between the hours of 10 am to 4 pm. This is typically when the sun is the strongest. Seek shade if you are outside.
Wear hats with wide brims, UV-blocking clothing and sunglasses.
Use sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 30 or higher, and has broad-spectrum coverage for UVA/UVB protection. Reapply regularly if you swim or engage in an activity that makes you perspire.
Don't burn! According to the CDC, sunburns, especially on children, have been linked to an increased risk of developing melanoma later in life.
Avoid tanning booths and beds that use concentrated UV light.
Examine your skin every month for suspicious spots and see a dermatologist for skin checks once a year.
With the sunny days of summer upon us, it's important to be aware of the importance of sunblock and skin protection. The Memorial Healthcare Cancer Center hosts FREE cancer screenings for those who are uninsured or underinsured throughout the year. Please click here to visit our Events page for our next scheduled screening. If you have a screening need prior to a scheduled screening, please call Stephanie Rowell, Social Worker, at (989) 729-4729 to discuss screening options.


Online marketing has transformed most every industry, and the insurance industry is certainly not immune. If you look at this as a game-changing opportunity as we do, you'll agree that the prospect of making a killing through online insurance marketing has never been better! For a number of years a traditional approach including advertisements, yellow pages, and word of mouth was somewhat effective. But today's consumer is spending less time reading the local paper and spending more time online. Insurance agents that recognize this shift can still get out in front of the curve and take advantage of the changing habits of your target market. To reach your target audience, you need to rethink your marketing strategy and integrate new online tactics such as local search optimization, social marketing, and content marketing into your marketing mix.
We'll work with your insurance agency one-on-one to determine the best approach on how to reach your marketing objectives. For some, the objective may be awareness or retention, for others it might be new business or new markets. Regardless of what yours may be, we can design and implement a program to achieve the results you're looking for through one or more online marketing tactics.
Achieving your objectives can be accomplished through a number of online tactics and platforms. A website optimized for search may work for some, while a social marketing (or as we like to call it "online referral marketing") approach may be best for others. Yet to reach your agency's insurance marketing objectives, an email marketing program coupled with online ads might be the right approach. One thing you can count on, we'll consider all the options available and create a strategy that meets your agency's interests, and talents.
There's never been a better time to get started than now. Whether you already have a marketing plan in place and need some help, or you're ready to start from scratch. We would love the opportunity to be your Insurance Marketing Partner!
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Battletank
Battletank is an online NES game that you can play at Emulator Online. This free Nintendo game is the United States of America region version for the USA. It has been played 1,891 times so far and was posted on May 10, 2017. Battletank is a single title from the many arcade games, action games and tank games that we offer for this console. If you enjoyed playing this, then you can find similar games in the nes games category. Battletank game is from the various retro games on the site, and there are more games like this, including Super Battletank 2, Super Battletank and Mario Kart 64.
Mike Tyson's Punch Out The Legend of Zelda Contra Mega Man 2 Mega Man


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Categories: U.S News
Twitter suspends 70K QAnon accounts in wake of Capitol riot
San Francisco [US], January 12 (ANI): Twitter on Monday announced that more than 70,000 accounts have been suspended following the riots in Washington DC stating that these accounts were engaged in sharing harmful QAnon-associated content.
QAnon is often portrayed as a shadowy collection of individuals who claim President Donald Trump is secretly battling a network of paedophiles in the Democratic Party and the establishment, Sputnik reported.
The social media giant confirmed in a blog post that it has removed the accounts as part of an effort following the riot last week "to protect the conversation on our service from attempts to incite violence, organise attacks, and share deliberately misleading information about the election outcome.""We've been clear that we will take strong enforcement action on behaviour that has the potential to lead to offline harm. Given the violent events in Washington, DC, and increased risk of harm, we began permanently suspending thousands of accounts that were primarily dedicated to sharing QAnon content on Friday afternoon," it read.
"More than 70,000 accounts have been suspended as a result of our efforts, with many instances of a single individual operating numerous accounts. These accounts were engaged in sharing harmful QAnon-associated content at scale and were primarily dedicated to the propagation of this conspiracy theory across the service," it added.
The now-banned accounts "were engaged in sharing harmful QAnon-associated content at scale and were primarily dedicated to the propagation of this conspiracy theory."The Hill further reported that the social media giant last week permanently suspended accounts for former national security adviser Michael Flynn, pro-Trump attorney Sidney Powell and former 8kun administrator, Ron Watkins, as part of efforts to crack down on content related to the QAnon theory.
The micro-blogging site also permanently suspended Trump's account on Friday, claiming that his tweets pose "the risk of further incitement of violence."However, Twitter is not alone in Silicon Valley in boosting efforts to tamp down" in misinformation following the riot among pro-Trump demonstrators last week in the Capitol. Facebook on Monday announced that it is taking down content that contains the phrase "stop the steal.""With continued attempts to organize events against the outcome of the US presidential election that can lead to violence, and use of the term by those involved in Wednesday's violence in DC, we're taking this additional step in the lead up to the inauguration," the company said in a blog post as quoted by The Hill.
On January 6, a group of Trump's loyalists stormed the US Capitol building, clashing with police, damaging property, seizing the inauguration stage and occupying the rotunda. The unrest took place after Trump urged his supporters to protest what he claims is a stolen presidential election.
The outgoing President has since been blocked on all major social networks at least until after he is out of office. (ANI)
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The Palm organiser, that electronic filofax of the new wireless generation, could also become a common companion to the MR fieldworker with the arrival of new and possibly easiest-to-use yet Palm-based CAPI package. Entryware, from Canadian developer Techneos, exploits the features that make Palm PDA devices so effective as personal organisers for the benefit of fieldwork: easy to carry, easy to use, a battery life of days not hours and best of all, inexpensive when compared with laptop PCs.
Questionnaire creation is carried out in a Windows-based editor called Survey Workbench, then 'hot-synchronised' with the Palm either through its battery-charging cradle or over a modem link for administration in the field. The 'Mobile Interviewer' module allows for several different surveys to be active at once, simply selected from a menu. Data comes back into Survey Workbench via the Palm's 'cradle', or via modem, if interviewers are working remotely. A neat innovation is the 'Survey Dataport' utility that means a laptop, perhaps under the control of a fieldwork supervisor, can go out into the field and act as a central collection point for hot-synched questionnaires that can then be sent back to the office for analysis.
A well-designed graphical interface means anyone used to using survey software would be able to put together working questionnaires very rapidly. On the plus side, there are many time-saving facilities: answer lists can be shared between questions and question libraries allow often-used questions or messages to be re-used. There is support for up to 15 foreign languages in a single survey, and an elegant version tracking facility to aid continuous research activities.
niggles with Entryware include the lack of support for quota checks and the ability to conditionally hide answers to questions as you can in most CAPI packages. There is no analysis capability, but it exports data and labels in SPSS format for analysis.
tickboxes, with a scroll bar for long lists of answers. Numeric questions incorporate a simple number 'keypad' on screen which is easy to use. It is really only openended questions that cause a problem.
Parks Canada is currently experimenting with two Entryware Palm devices for visitor surveys to National Parks in the Atlantic region. It is enjoying a modest increase in response rates because the interview process appears more interesting to interviewers and respondents. Sean Murphy, Market Research Specialist at Parks Canada reported, "It is fairly straightforward and easy to learn. This was my first exposure to anything like this: before everything was done on paper. It makes it a lot more streamlined. The staff in the field are appreciative of it and we're getting good feedback."
GLS Research in San Francisco conduct 3,300 intercept interviews a year for the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority and have recently abandoned paper for Techneos Entryware on handhelds costing as little as $150 US a piece. GLS's Aaron Percefull explains: "Our interest was in eliminating key entry and reduce interviewing errors. The automated skips and range value checking makes it a lot more foolproof than doing it with pencil and paper. It's a wonderful thing."
As the interviews are carried out in the public areas of hotels and casinos, the unobtrusiveness of using Palm PDAs and the ability for interviewers to work standing up are a big advantage. With around 500 interviews, the product has proved to GLS it can provide cleaner, more accurate data direct from the field, ready to drop into SPSS, the tool GLS uses for its analysis.
Percefull observes: "If we have had any difficulty it's been that the Palm Pilots have small screens and sometimes interviewers have some difficulty in reading the screens. And we've met some resistance to the technology, especially among older and more traditional interviewers. Younger interviewers tend to be far more receptive."
While Entryware will not offer all the flexibility of paper-based questionnaires, it will deliver better quality, more complete data without the delay and cost of data entry. And it looks cute too.
Published in Research, the magazine of the Market Research Society, April 2001, Issue 419.


Host Whoever: And welcome to the new show 'It's all pointless' with your host, oh who cares!
The aim of the game, and for your chance to win our grand prize of £100,000 is to be the most pessimistic about the world as possible.
Host: So we have contestant one can you tell me why 'it's all pointless'?
Contestant 1: Well seeing as the universe is 4 billion years old, the 80 years we walk the earth is but an eyes blink of the universe; no matter what we do nothing truly changes as the universe will still be here long after you and I both die, so what the point!
Host: that's pretty bleak contestant one- I'd say well done if I wasn't struggling with the tedium of existence so much. So now contestant number two, tell my why 'it's all pointless'?
Contestant 2: scientists have calculated that there are 1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 planets in the universe and we live on just one of them; on this universal scale we are less than a grain of sand on a beach, everyone you have ever known barely makes up one grain of sand on the beach that is the history of the universe. We are all utterly tiny and insignificant.
Host: chilling stuff there contestant 2! I can literally feel the absurdity of our insignificant existence weighing down on me as I trail off cos I can't be bothered anymore! Contestant 3?
Contestant 3: time only exists because we perceive it, because we perceive light, if we were not perceiving that light then time ceases to exist and when time ceases to exist then everything ceases to exist as time is the ultimate reference point for anything in existence. This means that when you die you stop perceiving time therefore the universe ultimately dies with you. If the universe dies when you die then any action we take is ultimately utterly pointless!
Host: and there you have it ladies and gentleman all three of out contestants have given their answers and I can confirm that the judges have chosen contestant 3 as our winner and the winner of our grand prize of £100,000!
Contestant 3: I won?! I can't believe it- I never win anything! This is amazing, this is the best thing to have ever happened to me!!
Host: oooh I'm sorry you have just lost your grand prize by not responding in a suitably nihilistic fashion, suggesting that you do see a point to things.
Contestant 3: what? But I couldn't help it!
Host: I know despite it all our human minds can't truly rationalise the absurdity of existence with an infinite universe, but instead finds happiness in the here and now, and the day to day. Utterly mundane I know. But on the bright side, if there is such a thing, the prize money has inevitably rolled over to next week. Do tune in again to see how utterly unable we as humans are of accepting the utter futility of life and instead ascribing meaning to our lives and actions. And don't forget our competition for you guys at home. If anyone can come up with an alternative to ignoring the futility of existence and enjoying the here and now while you can as an answer to the existential concept of absurdity then you stand to win something once we can be bothered to find a prize. So far we have received no answers, but we do live in hope for some unfathomable reason! goodbye folks! See you next time if I can manage to find the modicum of motivation needed to turn up!


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The Secret Meeting Between Mark Zuckerberg, Peter Thiel, and Donald Trump
Peter Thiel scares a lot of people. He's the tech billionaire who was able to shutter Gawker and he holds a lot of influence in Silicon Valley and politics, and the intersection of the two.
On the latest episode of The New Abnormal, author Max Chafkin, whose upcoming book The Contrarian is all about Thiel, tells Molly Jong-Fast that "if there's a Trump political party or a Trump faction, Thiel wants to be the Koch brothers to that faction."
That's because Thiel allegedly got richer than he already was during the Trump presidency. And that leads us to the secret meeting that he attended with then-President Donald Trump, Jared Kushner, and Mark Zuckerberg in response to Zuck and Facebook coming under fire for manipulated ads whose targets included House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, as well as for supposedly suppressing conservative content—despite analytics proving otherwise.
The meeting is not news, but Chafkin shares some details that haven't been in the news.
"Thiel told a friend, [and] according to the friend, Zuckerberg and Jared Kushner basically reached an accommodation…"
Also on the episode, Rep. Mondaire Jones (D-NY) and Molly talk about the two main bills Congress is working to pass, including one that may finally give the country paid family leave. He also does not go easy on Democratic holdouts Sen. Kyrsten Sinema and Sen. Joe Manchin.
"Joe Manchin has no excuse" for not passing the bill, says Jones, and neither does Sinema.
"[She] comes from a state that Biden won and that overwhelmingly supports things like a $15 minimum wage, as does, by the way, West Virginia. And yet those two senators voted against the interests of their constituents when they voted a few months ago not to overrule the parliamentarian who said that a $15 minimum wage could not be contained in the American rescue plan. We are dealing with people who are looking out for people who are not their constituents," he says.
lus! Historian Dr. Timothy Snyder gives a grim look at the road ahead for American democracy.
"We've gotten ourselves to a point where we think that not following our own procedures is somehow a sign of liberty, but it's not, it's a sign of tyranny," he says.
Molly puts it in simpler terms: We're "slow-rolling" into a civil war.


since working has been very demanding these days, i've been finding ways to sweat out the unnecessary toxins accumulated from the work-related stress..and it's so much fun when your friends are supportive about it..i guess, more and more people are conscious about their health these days..
so there we go, making full use of the abundant landscape made available at the work place..
The last leg of the hike..what a beautiful rainbow..
Previous Post of that impossible trip..


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Tag Archives: Eiji Takemoto
Sailor Moon Crystal Deluxe Limited Edition Blu-Ray vol. 7 review
Posted on April 23, 2015 by Adam
The 7th volume of Sailor Moon Crystal was released in a Deluxe Limited Edition Blu-Ray on April 8th. This release has Princess Serenity on the cover and wraps up the Dark Kingdom story arc. This is a Japanese language release with no English audio or subtitles. Those looking for an English version of Sailor Moon Crystal can continue to watch the streaming version with English subtitles. You can order this disk from Amazon Japan or CD Japan for as low as 5046 yen, about $42 US. The regular edition Blu-Ray and DVD will be released on May 13th at the same time as volume 8 is released on Deluxe Limited Edition Blu-Ray.
As with other releases, this comes in a special collectible box and includes a charm and full colour 20 page special booklet. The charm included in this release is Sailor Moon's Cutie Moon Rod, which is the attack item she uses in the second story arc. The Cutie Moon Rod does not appear on the episodes included in this release.
The special booklet follows the same format as the previous booklets did. It includes episode summaries, interviews, character designs and a special page by Fumio Osana, also known as Osabu. The interviews are with producer Junichiro Tsuchiya and the voice actors for the Shitennou, Daisuke Kishio, Kosuke Toriumi, Masaya Matsukaze and Eiji Takemoto. The character designs included are of Princess Serenity, Prince Endymion, the Shitennou, Queen Beryl and Queen Serenity.
There are only 2 episodes included on this disk. Included are Act 13, Final Battle – Reincarnation, and Act 14, Conclusion and Commencement – Petite Etrangère. This has the Sailor Guardians vanquishing Queen Beryl and Queen Metalia and concludes with the appearance of Chibiusa.
Streaming version
Blu-Ray version
All home video releases include some minor updating to the animation, and this release is no different. Some of the changes however were no just cosmetic. The major change which I found a bit upsetting was the modification to young Queen Serenity's dress. In a scene in Act 13 we see a flashback to a young Queen Serenity petting a kitten Luna. In the original streaming version Queen Serenity is seen wearing a dress that is similar to Princess Serenity's, and quite unlike the dress that adult Queen Serenity wears throughout the series. This seemed like a neat side reference, reminding us that Queen Serenity was young herself once, and perhaps also the Princess at the time. In this updated episode her dress is modified to look like it does when she is an adult.
Other changes to the episodes included the removal of white eyes when the Sailor Guardians are wounded. Seeing zombie Sailor Guardian eyes was a bit off putting but kind of cool. Now they have pupils again. There was also some amount of injury added to the various girls after they had been beat up. Even the preview image for Act 13 in the special booklet shows the Sailor Guardians with dirt on their faces that does not appear in the streaming version.
A great resource to comparing the streaming version to the home video releases is Crystal Comparisons. This site has a thorough comparison of both versions of the show with many screenshots broken down by episode. Check out all the changes in Act 13 and Act 14 to see what was modified for this release.
The audio commentary for both episodes on this disk is provided by Kotono Mitsuishi, the voice of Sailor Moon, Fumio Osana, the editor for the Sailor Moon manga, and another voice which I was unable to identify. I do not speak Japanese so I don't have anything to add about the content of the commentary.
As usual I can only recommend this release to hardcore fans. With only two episodes and no English audio or subtitles most fans are better off just watching the streaming version or waiting for the inevitable domestic dubbed and subbed release which is yet to be announced.
Keep reading for more images of the packaging including photos of all pages of the special booklet.
Posted in Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon Crystal (2014)	| Tagged Blu-Ray, Daisuke Kishio, Eiji Takemoto, Fumio Osano, Junichiro Tsuchiya, Kosuke Toriumi, Kotono Mitsuishi, Masaya Matsukaze, Princess Serenity, Queen Serenity, Sailor Moon Crystal Act 13 - Final Battle – Reincarnation, Sailor Moon Crystal Act 14 - Conclusion and Commencement – Petite Étrangère, Sailor Moon Crystal Phase 1 - Dark Kingdom, Sailor Moon Crystal Phase 2 - Black Moon	| 4 Replies
Listen to previews of every song from the Sailor Moon Crystal Character Song Collection CD
We previously announced that a Sailor Moon Crystal Character Song Collection CD would be released on April 29th. Previews of all songs have been posted to the official Sailor Moon Instagram page. The first 9 tracks posted match the names given in the track listing earlier. The final song was previously posted to YouTube. The clips on Instagram are all 15 seconds, the maximum length for videos on the site, but with a sample of every track we get a good idea of what's in store for next week.
All video clips are embedded below.
Posted in Merchandise, Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon Crystal (2014)	| Tagged Ami Koshimizu, Daisuke Kishio, Eiji Takemoto, Hisako Kanemoto, Jadeite, Kenji Nojima, Kosuke Toriumi, Kotono Mitsuishi, Kunzite, Masaya Matsukaze, Music, Nephrite, Rina Sato, Sailor Mars, Sailor Mercury, Sailor Moon, Sailor Moon Crystal Character Song Collection, Sailor Venus, Shitennou, Shizuka Ito, Tuxedo Mask, Zoisite	| 10 Replies


The blooms are made even more beautiful against the red rock.
The claret cup cactus is so beautiful - what a rich colour. I'm sure the horses were pleased to find the bunch grass.
I'm always amazed at the beauty of cactus blossoms. You've captured all of these blossoms beautifully.
I love the cactus blooms. What a beautiful ride.
The desert blossoms are stunning! The colours are so vibrant.
What a wonderful post, Janie. I love seeing the wildflowers from the desert --and I'm so glad that you know the names... Wow---awesome!!!
We had Indian Paintbrush in Texas --and it would bloom when the Texas Bluebonnets bloomed... So pretty --together!!!!
We saw all these beauties on our hike to Observation Point in Zion this AM. I was thrilled!
The wild flowers are gorgeous. I especially like the penstemons, so beautiful.
Your photos are excellent with the contrast of the delicate flowers and the stark landscape!
the desert is a beautiful place when it is all in bloom.
gorgeous cactus! you have more flowers than we do. our desert bloom is PUNY this year. very dry. a smattering of paintbrush, and I saw one whole globemallow plant. that's about it!


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Squandered opportunity
Sarah Smith reviews 'The Man Without a Shadow' by Joyce Carol Oates.
Joyce Carol Oates' new novel is a big ragbag of ideas, some widely explored, others gently hinted at, all them pertinent to psychologists, applied and experimental alike. These include the treatment of female scientists, the thought processes of the amnesiac patient, and the symbiotic relationship between researcher and subject. Her narrative focus too, is immediately of interest: a male patient with partial retrograde and total anterograde amnesia whose stoical, decades-long involvement in research forms the foundation of our understanding of memory function and organisation in the brain. Oates has changed many of the biographical details of his case, but there are no prizes for guessing who this book is based on.
Amnesia is a condition rich in opportunities for metaphor, and Oates takes full advantage as she charts the course of 'Patient EH's' life as a research subject. Early on she evokes her protagonist's dilemma as he converses with researchers: 'His is the eagerness of a drowning person, hoping to be rescued by someone, anyone, with no idea what rescue might be, or from what.' She returns frequently to the idea that Eli Hoopes lives in 'an indefinable present-tense' (an echo of Suzanne Corkin's account of her work with HM, Permanent Present Tense), and the man himself reflects 'without a memory is like being without a shadow'. Sometimes Oates writes dangerously close to cliché: I didn't feel that the image of Eli as 'a brave man who stands alone, as on a brink of the abyss' helped my understanding of him very much. Elsewhere she grasps at an almost poetic style that gives the novel a dream-like quality, as when the researcher Margot suggests that her precarious status in Eli's mind makes her 'like a moon in a lunar eclipse'.
Oates is at her best when she writes about the courteous, charismatic Eli, and the few sections written in his voice are startling in their empathy (much like Emma Healey's exploration of dementia in the novel Elizabeth is Missing). His hypersensitivity to others' reactions allows him to safely navigate conversations and interactions: 'it is imperative, he knows, not to acknowledge any surprise or confusion'. Anxiety is ever-present for Eli, the simplest questions trigger panic and he must face the daily puzzle of the lab: 'Always there are smiling strangers, happy to see him.' In moments he tumbles into paranoia: how does Margot know about his sketchbook 'unless she has been spying' on him? Oates's imaginative evocation of the amnesiac patient's inner life is speculative, but it is warm and poignant, especially when she recounts Eli's sense that he must be gracious and diplomatic to the now ageing stranger, Margot, who has spent 30 years with him.
Unfortunately, Margot is the weak point in this book. Initially I found her characterisation rather heartening. Introduced as a 24-year-old grad student assigned to a major neurological project, she ponders: '…will my life begin at last? My true life.' and debates the fact that 'catastrophe in one life… precipitates hope and anticipation in others'. This, it seemed, was a real portrait of a scientist as a human being. It quickly becomes clear, however, that Margot is, ethically, not much of a scientist and, with her total immersion in her subject, her eccentricities of hairstyle and clothing and failure to form meaningful relationships, she is still a bit of a cliché. Focused entirely on Eli and her work, Margot develops a 'passionate, doomed and deranged love' that leads her seriously astray by the book's end. All the while she wonders whether her behaviour qualifies as scientific misconduct, generally managing to dismiss this as unnecessary worrying.
The novel poses interesting questions: What if a research scientist falls in love with her patient? What if the link between your career and your emotional life is just too close? But Oates doesn't give a satisfactory answer, fashioning instead a modern gothic tale about delusion and loneliness. She adds a persistent memory of childhood trauma to Eli's suffering, but never quite resolves the mystery. In a similar vein she makes Margot an anorexic with alcohol dependency, without exploring the impact of either condition. It struck me that this book was
a fascinating opportunity, badly squandered.
Oates has researched her novel thoroughly, with many references to findings on HM (such as the distinction between declarative and procedural memory). I even wondered if the initialled name EH was a sly reference to founding father of memory research, Hermann Ebbinghaus. And it has been broadly well received in the mainstream press. But I found it impossible to suspend the disbelief that Oates's surreal depiction of Margot's amour fou requires. Instead I found myself yelping in alarm every time the irksome Margot broke another ethical code. For all its empathy with the amnesiac patient, this is a novel I would rather forget.
Fourth Estate, 2016, Pb £12.99
- Reviewed by Sarah A. Smith who is a Graduate Member of the British Psychological Society.
5 minutes with… Anna Sallis
The silent companions
Walking the radical talk