foreclosure report

If you don't know much about Justin Bieber's rise to superstardom, James Parker provides a good primer:

How did he do it? With YouTube, that’s how. Kissed in his cradle by the witch of the Web, Justin was throwing up little promo reels by the time he was 12. Singing a Brian McKnight song into the bathroom mirror. Or sitting on some municipal steps somewhere, busking mightily about the Lord: “You’re my God and my Fa-ther!” he bellows through the legs of passersby, the wooden body of his guitar reverberating with his shouts. ...

Bieber wasn’t from the Disney factory, and he didn’t have a show on Nickelodeon, so the marketing plan was skewed toward his already established constituency in social media: lots of Facebooking and YouTubing and sugary tweets to his millions-strong Twitter army.

A few years ago, the Internet experienced a video revolution. As broadband access expanded and more people began uploading content, video became an expected resource for consumers. Businesses could get more mileage out of television commercials and engage users by linking to video reviews of its products.

A year ago, we saw evidence of small and medium-sized business increasing budgets for video content – to be used both on their homepages and in advertisements. In 2009, 19% of businesses polled were using video (up from 5% in 2008) and I’m willing to bet that number will be much higher in the 2010 report that should come out later this month.

Now, as technology has become more affordable and increasingly mobile, we’re able to experience virtually anything online. As such, local search engines are evolving into master content synthesizers to meet the needs of consumers and advertisers alike – offering video and photos, local advertising deals, user reviews, QR codes, maps and directions, etc.

Consumer expectations of local search engines have never been higher. Users want to see photo and video reviews of a company’s products, read what other people have to say, and even take a virtual tour of your store or restaurant before they visit.

The same is true of small- and medium-sized business owners looking to find a competitive advantage. Local search engines are offering more dynamic content than ever before to users and it’s up to search marketers to help business owners feed that content.

It’s interesting to see how video content has changed since the advent of YouTube. Instead of traditional video advertising, we’re seeing new technology that lets users look around your business from their own home. Soon, we’ll be able to find virtual creations of almost any environment online – and those virtual tours are being integrated with current deals and other advertising promotions to drive traffic to your business.

Recently, a company called EveryScape partnered with Bing and YP to offer digital advertisers a new local search solution – virtual tours. For example, YP360 will let a user step inside a restaurant in Baltimore while they’re still on the train. They can choose a place and even set a reservation, all within the same application on their phone.

Google Earth has gone indoors and local search engines are responsible for bringing this detailed and vivid content to users while keeping it simple and accessible. And the business case for offering this new content to users and advertisers alike is clear as local advertising is expected to grow to $16.1 billion this year, up from $13.7 billion in 2010.

Even more, mobile phone advertising spending is expected to be more than a billion dollars in 2011, up 48% from 2010. Local search engines like YP and Yelp! are seeing over 20 million visitors a month, many of them accessing via mobile phones.

This is a great opportunity for local search engines and advertisers to embrace this new technology and get ahead of the pack. Effective local advertising goes beyond building a social networking presence and listing in directories – you have to make sure your content is engaging. In the online world, the savviest local search marketers who use this technology well will have the most successful campaigns.

I recommend that any business owner or local search marketer read up on the latest digital advertising solutions and consider offering your customers virtual tours of your products or store. To set your business apart, you need to stay current with the best that local search has to offer.

Opinions expressed in the article are those of the guest author and not necessarily Search Engine Land.

Related Topics: Locals Only

Surface Encounters

Manny Malhotra of Vancouver Canucks to undergo eye surgery in New York

Manny Malhotra of the Vancouver Canucks, who suffered a serious eye injury when he was struck by an errant puck earlier this month, is set to undergo surgery aimed at saving his eye and his vision on Tuesday.

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Small Business <b>News</b>: Social Media Brand

What is your social media brand? Do you have one? Sure, many small business owners and entreprene...

Surface Encounters

Take Two: Donald Trump Releases Official Birth Certificate - The Note

Donald Trump learned the hard way this week that if you're going to call on the president to release his official birth certificate, you'd better do the same. The Note, authored by ABC News' Amy Walter and Michael Falcone, ...

Surface Encounters

With few surprises, techies were underwhelmed with Apple’s iPad 2 announcement, but I’m confident that consumers will be thrilled with the product. Apple already had a massive lead in the consumer tablet market it created, and these “underwhelming” upgrades should keep the company comfortably ahead. Apple has given competitors an opening by sticking to 3G, and it did not further pressure them with a lower entry price point or higher-resolution display. However, Apple has three critical advantages.

1. Brand: When consumers are thinking about tablets, they say they are buying an “iPad,” not a “tablet.” The iPad was already the category and volume leader, and the iPad 2 builds on that. In this respect, Apple actually benefits from the crowd of new tablets hitting the market. If there were only one or two strong competitors, consumers would be able to weigh the pros and cons of each offering, but with dozens and dozens of options hitting the market over the next few months, decision paralysis can set in and many consumers will throw up their hands and make the “safe” choice: the iPad.

2. iTunes: The iPad is still the only tablet on the market with a huge digital marketplace for movies, TV shows, and music. Some competitors are taking steps in this direction (e.g., Samsung’s Hub), but iTunes remains a significant competitive advantage.

3. App Store: If all you want to do is browse the Web and check e-mail, any tablet will probably suffice. However, Apple has an enormous lead in purpose-built apps. The Android ecosystem is strong and app availability should improve significantly over time, but the iPad 2 is considerably more versatile than any of its competitors right now, and it appears unlikely to lose its lead any time in the near future.

So if you are competing with Apple, what should you do? Rather than copying Apple’s products, copy its old advertising tag line and Think Different.

Apple’s brand is focused on creative types (or those who aspire to be), which is why it spends so much effort creating things like GarageBand. Competitors should target IT managers, knowledge workers, outdoorsy people, or some other group and build software and hardware combinations better suited to those use cases. Of course, this will take imagination and the ability to tie hardware, software, and services together to build unique experiences. There are some companies thinking outside the box (HTC and RIM have clearly differentiated products on their roadmaps), but for the vendors who are trying to out-Apple Apple… good luck. Here are some pointers, you’re going to need them:

• Based on Apple’s financials, it is clear that the iPad with WiFi is Apple’s volume product and 3G versions are merely gravy. Why is the competition only targeting the gravy?

• iTunes remains a significant competitive advantage for Apple – I cannot easily explain to novices how to get a movie onto the XOOM. Rivals need an “iTunes” of their own, but having one just achieves parity with Apple, so partnering is an acceptable approach. However, half measures are not enough; digital media stores must include movies (including rentals) and TV shows and music. If multiple partners are used, the tablet vendor still needs to provide a common interface and single account/billing relationship.

• Nintendo has a significant base of game developers targeting the 3DS; if you cannot muster equivalent resources (for gaming, media playback, or some other use), adding 3D to your tablet is just a gimmick.

• Apple’s rivals can compete on 4G, higher-resolution displays, or a lower price. Even speed is a potential differentiator from a technical perspective; NVIDIA has quad-core processors sampling this month, so rivals could build even faster tablets for this holiday season. However, I must still caution vendors that all of these factors are irrelevant if consumers do not want your product.

In February of 2007, 83.24 percent of users visiting TechCrunch did so from a Windows machine. One year later, in February 2008, the stranglehold remained firm at 80.44 percent. In February 2009, the number was at 74.04 percent. Last year, it was 61.59 percent. And this year? The number of people visiting our site from Windows machines dipped to 53.84 percent.

The writing is on the wall.

Look at those numbers again for a second. In four years, Windows share among TechCrunch readers has fallen 30 percentage points. That’s incredible.

The knee-jerk reaction in the comment section will likely be something like “it’s because you guys cover Apple so much”. But the fact of the matter is that Macintosh share, after rising for three of those four years, fell last year as well. It’s the mobile devices — specifically the iPhone, iPad, and Android devices — that are eating away at Windows.

In fact, if the trend over the past four years continues at about the same pace, in two years, devices made by Apple (Macs, iPhones, iPod touches, and iPads) will surpass devices that run Windows as the top visitors to TechCrunch. And depending on how popular the iPad 2, iPhone 5, and OS X Lion are, it could easily happen next year.

Here are the broken down numbers:

Feb 2007

• Windows: 83.24%


• Mac: 13.59%


• Linux: 2.51%

Feb 2008

• Windows: 80.44%


• Mac: 15.15%


• Linux: 2.97%


• iPhone: 0.77%


• iPod: 0.15%

Feb 2009

• Windows: 74.04%


• Mac: 20.48%


• Linux: 3.01%


• iPhone: 1.60%


• iPod: 0.28%


• Android: 0.09%

Feb 2010

• Windows: 61.59%


• Mac: 28.62%


• iPhone: 4.07%


• Linux: 3.49%


• Android: 0.87%


• iPod: 0.53%

Feb 2011

• Windows: 53.84%


• Mac: 27.64%


• iPhone: 6.72%


• iPad: 3.44%


• Linux: 3.28%


• Android: 3.06%


• iPod: 0.62%

While even the last batch of stats shows that Windows still has a nice cushion over number two, Mac, if you add the Apple products put together, it’s a different story.

• Feb 2007: 13.59% Apple products


• Feb 2008: 16.07% Apple products


• Feb 2009: 22.36% Apple products


• Feb 2010: 33.22% Apple products


• Feb 2011: 38.42% Apple products

In the four year span, Apple has added 25 percentage points to their share among TechCrunch readers. That nearly all of the 30 percentage points that Windows lost in that same span (Android’s growth pretty much fills in the rest).

So it currently stands at Microsoft’s 53.84 percent versus Apple’s 38.42 percent. Again, a big year for iPad, iPhone, and Mac could mean a changing of the guard as soon as next year. But unless something drastic changes, you can be sure that Apple will be dominant among TechCrunch readers in two years.

The latest rumors have Windows 8 showing up sometime in mid/late 2012. But the fact of the matter is that Windows 7, much more widely praised than the disaster that was Vista, hasn’t helped Microsoft buck this trend among our readers. Perhaps they’re only hope of gaining back share at this point is Windows Phone. So far, that hasn’t been going too well. Nokia should help that, but will it be enough to offset the Windows losses?

Humorously, Microsoft’s best hope for not falling to Apple may well be Android. If Google’s platform continues to make gains, it could prolong Apple passing Microsoft.

But again, Apple has iPhone 5, iPad 2, and OS X Lion on the immediate horizon — all within the next few months. And then there’s the very real possibility of another iPad in the fall.

The iPad 2 and iPhone 5 are likely to push the Apple share forward immediately. But don’t sleep on OS X Lion either. The early indications are that Apple has indeed made it much more iOS-like. That means millions of iPad/iPhone/iPod touch owners who have traditionally been PC users, are going to feel a lot more comfortable on a Mac than ever before.

And a new PC-to-Mac data migration system built in to Lion will only help that.

OS X Lion is going to feed off of iOS users, and vice versa. And the Mac ecosystem is going to continue to expand. Just as happened in the browser world with Chrome taking over, a transition is happening among TechCrunch readers in the ecosystem space. The numbers don’t lie. And Microsoft better pray that our readers aren’t leading indicators of overall trends in the space — which is exactly what you have been in the past.

Surface Encounters

Surface Encounters

In our second installment of The Business of Blogging, we speak to the uber-talented Tommy Ton, founder of Jak & Jil and streetstyle photographer for Style.com and GQ.com

PARIS, France — “It was the summer of 1997 and I was 13 years old,” recalls Tommy Ton, now 27, describing the moment when a self-professed comic book nerd from the suburbs of Toronto first became interested in fashion. “My sister asked me to record Fashion Television and all of a sudden Tom Ford comes on and talks about women, and his idea of sex. He was so eloquent in his choice of words. It was love at first sight.”

From that moment, Mr. Ton embarked on what has been described as a something of a fairytale, becoming the world’s most influential street style fashion photographer today. But achieving such success is rarely that simple — or easy.

More than just a skilled photographer with a good eye and encyclopedic knowledge of fashion, Ton has proven himself to be a savvy digital operator with a potent mixture of ambition, work ethic and strategic thinking that has enabled him to discover and hone in on his special talent. His humility throughout it all has endeared him not only to the stylish women he has made famous, but also to fellow fashion bloggers and his growing list of paying clients.

Yes, Tommy Ton is building a business, and he’s proud of it.

At first, Mr. Ton says he simply became infatuated with fashion. “I’d bike to the library, tear out ad campaigns, and make collages of Gucci and Versace,” he explains over dinner during Paris Fashion Week. At age 15, he interned with the Toronto designer Wayne Clark and then in the women’s accessories department of Holt Renfrew, Canada’s leading luxury department store.

From the beginning, Ton has been a fervent but charming networker, not afraid to approach and build relationships with the industry’s top players. “I made an effort so Barbara Atkin knew who I was,” he says, referring to the Holt Renfrew’s highly-respected fashion director. This ultimately landed him a gig in the store’s buying office, furthering his understanding of the fashion business, but still not quite sating his fashion appetite.

“I was there in the Summer of 2004 when web magazines first started popping up,” he says. Ton started taking classes in digital photography and met with friends who did graphic design, before deciding to start Jak & Jil, which was initially conceived in 2005 as a lifestyle website focused on the product and people in Toronto.

“Then my guardian angel came along,” says Ton, referring to Lynda Latner, proprietor of vintagecouture.com. “She hired me because she saw my site and thought I could help her.”

In 2007 when Latner offered to send Ton to Europe to attend the shows in London and Paris, he had his first opportunity to experiment with street photography during fashion week, a trend which was just beginning to take off due to the pioneering work of Scott Schuman and Garance Doré.

“My first show in Paris was Balmain. I had no idea what Balmain was at the time, or what it was going to be, but all the girls were in that that show, like Daria, Irina, and Anja, and they played the Cure on the soundtrack. As soon as that show was done, it was raining outside…and I was dancing in the rain. I just felt so uplifted. I could not believe what fashion could do for you,” recalls Ton nostalgically. “To have that moment in Paris, at your very first show…it was magical.”

Using his “Canadian connections,” Ton also managed to get into Chanel, YSL, Dries van Noten and Rick Owens that first season. But in all the excitement, Ton says he didn’t know who or what to shoot. “I just shot what I thought was visually amazing. I didn’t know who Emmanuelle Alt was, or Kate Lanphear or even Anna Dello Russo.”

Almost immediately after this first trip, the Canadian fashion media took note of Ton’s photography, beginning with Flare magazine editor Lisa Tant. “Because of that trip, I got a page in Flare which gave me a validated reason to go back,” he says.

By 2008 Ton was already seeking a way to stand out from the growing hordes of photographers outside the shows who were mostly aping Schuman’s photographic style. “I thought, ‘I’m so tired of taking head-to-toe shots. No one can touch Scott at those photos — he is the king.’ I wanted my photos to stand out. That’s when I stated taking the candid shots.”

Ton’s landscape-style images focused in on the little details that caught his well-trained fashion eye — a towering Louboutin stiletto here, a pop of colour there on his favourite subjects as they walked into the shows. He rarely asked them to pose. Ton was developing a photographic style that that has now become instantly recognisable as his own, capturing the raw energy and excitement of fashion week. Fellow blogger Tavi Gevinson later remarked, “You always know what a Tommy Ton photograph looks like.”

He re-purposed Jak and Jil into a blog, and started posting two or three of his new style of photographs each day. This caught the attention of influential bloggers like Susanna Lau of Style Bubble and Rumi Neely of Fashion Toast, who helped to spread the word.

Two and half months later, Ton received an email from the head of marketing at Lane Crawford in Hong Kong, asking him to shoot their Spring/Summer 2009 campaign.

“I said yes, but I didn’t even know what my worth was,” says Ton. “After talking to my business friends in the industry, I threw a figure at Lane Crawford. It was a bit too much, but we negotiated, and I was proud of myself because I was able to get an amount that I was satisfied with and which they were willing to pay.”

With his reputation spreading, Ton’s confidence began to grow. “During the Fall/Winter 2009 season, people started to know who I was. Scott [Schuman] actually knew my work. I was officially blogging and shooting for Lane Crawford at the same time. That was the season I knew what I was doing, and I knew what I wanted to shoot. It was the beginning of something.”

Another important shift came the following season in Milan, when Ton was seated in Dolce & Gabbana’s front row, alongside Doré, Schuman and Bryanboy, an image that was plastered in the fashion media around the world, signalling the arrival of fashion bloggers. “That was a huge moment. It was all due to Anna Dello Russo. She was the one who told Domenico and Stefano: ‘These are the people who are changing things.’”

From then on, the front row tickets came in fast and furious. Everyone wanted Ton to shoot at their shows, knowing his images would be seen by thousands of fashion enthusiasts and influencers around the world. The New York Times, The Boston Globe, and others came calling. “They were emailing to buy photos,” he says.

Ton went from ultimate fashion outsider to insider almost overnight.

But the real turning point came a few weeks earlier when Style.com’s editor-in-chief Dirk Standen asked Ton to step into the formidable shoes of Scott Schuman, whose own photography career had gone stratospheric, in no small part due to the platform given to him by Style.com. Schuman had decided to leave Style.com to focus on other projects, and Ton now had the most high-profile streetstyle photography gig in the business.

“Being associated with Style.com is a huge deal for me. It’s what everyone looks at every day. People go to Style.com like you brush your teeth in the morning. It’s something you just do,” enthuses Ton.

By now, the time had come for Ton to seek professional representation. An introduction to elite agency The Collective Shift—which also represents top fashion photographers Inez and Vinoodh and super-stylist Melanie Ward—instantly felt like the right fit. Ton also signed on Trunk Archive to act as his image licensing agency, removing the burden of negotiating image rights and contracts on his own and dramatically increasing what he could earn from selling his images to the likes of American Vogue, Elle UK, and Vogue Nippon.

“Before, I was underselling myself, getting about $50-100 per image.” Today, Ton reports that he can earn from as little as $100 up to $2000. “The the thing I’ve learned is that you have to really consider whether it’s a one page image or a ½ page image or ¼ page image. It’s a really big deal when it’s one image over two pages in Grazia for example, whereas if it’s ⅛ of a page in Vogue, it is much less. I’m lucky to have Trunk Archive to deal with all that now.”

But image licensing only makes up about 30 percent of the revenue he earns. The remaining 70 percent comes from a variety of projects, including his gigs for Style.com, GQ.com, but also for retailers and brands such as Topshop, Selfridges, Sergio Rossi and Saks 5th Avenue.

Ton says he has made an intentional decision not to have advertising on his site. “It’s an association with your brand. I didn’t want my blog to be associated with any type of branding,” he explains.

But would he ever take pay for editorial placement on Jak & Jil itself? “Yes,” he says matter-of-factly. “But that requires a discussion between my agent, my client and me. The thing about the development of the Tommy Ton brand and the Jak & Jil brand is that everything is strategically selected and carefully monitored. We have to see potential growth in it, and understand what’s in it for us.”

When pressed on the criteria he uses for this kind of paid content, so as not to alienate his audience, he pauses to think. “It’s definitely gut instinct. It just has to be of the moment and relevant for the time.” His readers shouldn’t be able to tell the difference, he says, because the images he creates would be the kind he would post anyway. The standards are the same, and the images are just as powerful.

All the same, Tommy Ton also realizes this is his moment and it may not last forever. “I don’t even know if I will be able to earn the money I do now in a few years. I don’t know if I will be relevant or not. I am just lucky that people want to associate with me and their brand right now.”

And what about all that competition from the hundreds of streetstyle bloggers outside the shows? “You always have to stay on top of your game, and the only way to do that now is to have exclusive content,” he asserts. Recently, Ton has been invited to shoot behind-the-scenes at the Proenza Schouler studio and the Victoria’s Secret fashion show.

“I’m not making any money from it, but it gives me access no one else would have. I take a lot of pride in that. I am so, so happy I am invited to do these things,” he says, recalling that 13 year old kid watching Tom Ford on TV back in Toronto. “In some ways I still feel like an outsider, even though I am acknowledged by these designers. I am still in awe of what is going on.”

Imran Amed is founder and editor of The Business of Fashion

The Business of Blogging is a new series on the rarely discussed business side of fashion blogging. Previous articles are listed below:

Susie Bubble

Preview of Final Result

 

Resources

• PT Sans Bold – FontSquirrel


• Free App Icons for Developers – WebAppers

Step 1

Open Photoshop and create a new document that is 1200 x 1200 pixels, 72 dpi, and RGB Color. Fill the layer with white. (Ctrl+Backspace or Delete)

Step 2

Now create a rectangle for the header and fill it with a white-grey color, then use the colors on the image for the “Gradient Overlay”. Our search and logo will eventually be part of the header.

Step 3

Create a new rectangle above the previous one, with attributes as shown below. The following drop shadow effect creates a look of a 1 pixel stroke which does increase the look of that simple bar. Note: this step creates a horizontal line.

 

Step 4

Now add the “Gradient Overlay” layer style with the hex codes indicated.

Step 5

Add a white 1 pixel stroke. The following stroke of 1 pixel will divide the grey shadow effect. It’ll eventually work as a divider.

Step 6

Make one more rectangle in the middle-right zone, and fill it with white and add a 1 px stroke as indicated – it will be our search box.

Step 7

One more rectangle should be created and filled with blue. Set the inner shadow as indicated below, this will be our search button. This blue works great in combination with grey, white and light-grey. Blue will be the major contrasting color we use as we work through this template.

Step 8

Add the Gradient Overlay details to the button with the details from image.

Step 9

Add a 1 px stroke to the button with the color indicated. Take a look at the first and the final result of the button so you can see the difference all these details made.

Step 10

Now add this drop shadow effect for the text placed in the search box, using PT Sans Bold. This will be the final step in creating your search button. You may want to try other fonts, but the PT Sans Bold is really good for this small button.

Step 11

Make another fill under the header section, this will be the navigation area. Here we will place the navigation links of our template.

Step 12

Write your navigation links using a dark-grey color, then add a white “drop shadow” effect. The effect used for the navigation links is the same used for the search button.

Step 13

With 1px vertical line, make divisions between each links. The lines should be black and will really increase the beauty of the navigation area.

Step 14

Over the home section, make a fill with the blue and then add a Gradient Overlay style as indicated.

Step 15

Copy the Home link, this time color it white and add a drop shadow effect.

Step 16

Create a big, grey zone under the navigation, it should be about 30% of the layout. This will be the background for the featured area.

Step 17

Now create a big, white rectangle and add some shadow with the details shown. A big stock image, a big headline and some text with another great button will be added.

Step 18

Add a any dummy image you want to that featured area. Be sure it covers more than 80% of the area. The one I chose is from a stock website.

Step 19

Add some text to it, use the PT SANS Bold font and make the font big.

Step 20

The remaining area should be filled with grey, in it we’ll place some text. This is really a secondary area which describes the image, the services, the company itself, or whatever you’d like.

Step 21

Place some blue-colored text which will be the title of the information below. Use the details in the image for Drop Shadow style.

Step 22

Add some dummy text. This could be some important information or whatever you’d like.

Step 23

Create another grey area under the featured zone, where we will add some text and icons later. Add the details as stated on the image. Mostly, the icons will promote the services offered by the company behind the website.

Step 24

Continue by adding a Gradient Overlay style for the last rectangle we have created in the anterior steps.

Step 25

Now we are adding titles and icons, as well as some divisions. The icons can be found in the resource list at the beginning of the tutorial. Be sure to choose your icons and text thoughtfully.

Step 26

At the border of both zones, create a small circle and fill it with dark brown color. Add some inner shadow as stated on the image.

Step 27

Continue by adding a drop shadow layer style. It is another small detail, but it really makes that button zone minimalistic, nice-looking and well designed.

Step 28

To finish, add a Gradient Overlay effect.

Step 29

By using the Custom Shape Tool (U), create an arrow in both circles. Now add the details shown on the screenshot.

Step 30

Continue by adding some Color Overlay for the arrow. It should also be a blue color because otherwise, it will not fit the contrast and the colors used on the whole template.

Step 31

Add a video screenshot in the free space and place a title for it. For this template, I have used a simple screenshot of a YouTube widget.

Step 32

Add the text “Product Highlights” and “Case Studies.” Let the text under the “Product Highlights” be links so you could showcase some friends’ websites or resources you admire/promote.

Step 33

Finish it by creating another form for e-mails, place all kind of other information, and whatever you’d like.

Step 34

Don’t forget to make a relevant/small footer for our template. If you have paid attention, you should know how to create the same effect as below. 

 

All done! If you have questions or suggestions, feel free to drop a comment. I hope you enjoyed this whole tutorial!

Surface Encounters

Fox <b>News</b> Bureau Chief: I Thought It Was &#39;Far-Fetched&#39; When I <b>...</b>

In 2009, current Fox News DC Bureau Chief Bill Sammon admitted that he didn't really believe charges that Obama was a "socialist" when he encouraged Fox News staff to use the term. But, he claims, he soon realized it was true.

Surface Encounters

Surface Encounters

Surface Encounters

<b>News</b> FAIL - Epic Fail Funny Videos and Funny Pictures

Fox News is hard right heroine. They love pushing stories, even with only an ounce of truth and a pound of spin, to their audience. However, it is basically the only opposition voice people on the far right have besides talk radio. ...

Surface Encounters

Money Making Websites

OneGoodLove.com is one of 53 companies chosen by VentureBeat to launch at the DEMO Spring 2011 event taking place this week. These companies do pay a fee to present, but our coverage of them remains objective.

To a straight man or woman, it might seem like there are plenty of websites catering to gays and lesbians, but Frank Mastronuzzi, founder and president of a startup called OneGoodLove.com, said it’s a real shortage — one that his site solves.

Sure, there are places where you can find hookups. But if you’re looking for a serious relationship, the options are thinner, and are mostly limited to sites like Chemistry.com and CompatiblePartners.com, which are basically reskinned versions of relationship sites designed for heterosexuals (Match and eHarmony, respectively).

As a result, those sites aren’t attuned to the nuances of gay relationships, Mastronuzzi said. For gay men, they probably miss important questions like HIV status and how masculine they want their partner to be.

The OneGoodLove personality test, on the other hand, was developed specifically for gays and lesbians by someone from the gay community who has a PhD. And because it’s designed specifically for this community, Mastronuzzi said OneGoodLove can avoid some of the other missteps he’s seen on reskinned sites — for example, some of those sites illustrate all of their notifications with photos of women, even if they’re sent to gay men.

We’ve also written about the competition between gay social networking sites Fabulis and GayCities, but Mastronuzzi said that since they’re focused on locations and events, he doesn’t see them as competition.

OneGoodLove has been in testing mode and more than 20,000 users have already joined, but the company is making its big launch at DEMO. The site makes money through a combination of a subscription fee and advertising. Users are actually allowed to donate 5 percent of their payments to nonprofits like the Human Rights Campaign and the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) — Mastronuzzi said that’s one way OneGoodLove can demonstrate that it’s really part of the gay and lesbian community, “not someone sitting in Dallas or Pasadena saying, ‘Let’s make some money.’”

Right now, the site is designed around a recommendation model, where you can only see the profiles of the members that OneGoodLove has recommended for you. Mastronuzzi said he plans to add a mode for browsing other user profiles. The company is also developing a mobile service.

The company has raised $165,000 from the founders, family, friends, and a few angels like interior designer Michael S. Smith. It’s now looking to raise its first round of venture funding.

Next Story: DEMO: Pixable brings its personalized photo experience to the iPad Previous Story: DEMO: Next Island opens time travel for its virtual world

We released a new site last week called the The Internet Explorer 6 Countdown. It’s purpose, to help people say goodbye to their 10 year old browser and move to a modern browsing experience.

Why? Well, websites spend tons of hours making sure their sites can not just support modern browsers like Internet Explorer 8 and 9 but a lot of additional time is then spent to support older standards like Internet Explorer 6. Add this time and money to the many benefits that end users get like better privacy settings, improved security, tabbed browsing, improved speed and the best protection against new attacks and threats. All of this plus over 1,400 security settings allowing your to lock down and standardize IE 8 and 9 within your environment for your end users.

Why else? Learn why Dell, Wunderman and other companies choose Internet Explorer. Visit the Springboard Series for Internet Explorer 8 and Internet Explorer 9  to get the deep dives, FAQs, Videos and information you need to explore, deploy and manage. Then check out the Internet Explorer 6 Countdown site here to learn the benefits for your and your company in moving to a modern browser and do your part to help get IE 6 usage to 1%.

 

bench craft company reviews

The Truth About Twitter: It&#39;s The Evening <b>News</b>

Twitter is a media platform, not a social network.

Out This Week – 01/04/2011 <b>News</b> - Page 1 | Eurogamer.net

Read our news of Out This Week – 01/04/2011. ... Latest Videos. Shift 2 trailer gears up for launch [5] 25 March, 2011. Latest News. Shift 2: Unleashed delayed by a week [16]. Shift 2: Unleashed nets Pagani Huayra [19] ...

Key 2008 Aide Back with Romney - FoxNews.com

Mitt Romney's Free and Strong America PAC announced Monday that his chief domestic adviser in his 2008 presidential bid has returned to join his PAC as policy director, another apparent building block for Romney's likely entry in the ...

Search engine optimization Vancouver For A Better Marketing Solution

 

When you start your personal website there are many ways you'll have to sell it off and one of the best ways is by using SEO services Vancouver if you happen to be in that area. The SEO or seo services will be the top way of getting more traffic to your website and therefore making more sales.

 

Now, you should know that you won't use SEO service if you are no internet business - however, if you don't have an online presence if you are a offline business, then you will not make it very far.

 

It's a popular fact that if you are planning to make it in the offline world you must have an online presence. This is something which all people are learning hard way. One thing that you ought to also know is the fact that it's not as simple as just establishing the website and leaving it to do its things.

 

This can be done in all types of ways, however these companies usually make use of multiple techniques to create an ideal marketing technique online. It is possible to hire them to write articles for you personally, post on forums and blogs, create meta tags and meta descriptions, cleanup the code, add alt tags towards the images and much more.

 

It is crucial that you simply do this because otherwise the company that you have worked so hard for could end up losing the money. When you have an internet site you want to create, then you'll also employ the expertise of a search engine optimization company, which means search engine optimization company. What this company does is basically go ahead and take best parts of your site, check the code, create keywords and write various articles and documents to ensure your site is placed close to the the surface of the list for that major search engines like google.

By doing this the Search engine optimization company can not only improve your traffic, but additionally ensure that your site is fully optimized for that search engine spiders that will be brought to it. These spiders are used to analyze your website and put it in certain positions determined on certain keywords.

 

If you want to use the Search engine optimization Vancouver then all you've got to complete is discover the top companies. It's through these that the SEO gets done effectively and efficiently. Because of so many SEO companies to choose from you have to be certain the one you are going for is reliable. You ought to be in a position to ask for a breakdown of what you want, and the company also needs to be able to let you know know long they have been operating for. This can narrow down their email list to reveal the top ones.

 

SEO Services Provided by Different Vancouver Web Companies

The Vancouver SEO company services are extremely beneficial for business growth as they provide quality services. If you're planning to produce a website for the internet business, then you have come to right article when i will be explaining below how Search engine optimization Vancouver company services can increase your website ranking and make it popular.

Before that, you should know what Seo is. It is not that complicated and i am sure you're going to get a grasp from it reading my article. The main goal of SEO is to have increased traffic aimed at your website and audience. It is a good decision to select a Vancouver SEO company that specializes in this kind of work, so that your website could be listed in search engines like google.

There isn't any reason for you having a website with no website ranking at all while you won't get any business and profits to survive. It is a very tough atmosphere available as there are a lot of online business people exactly like you, who want their share of pie. You must be aware of the truth that nearly 85% of online traffic can be got from internet websites.

Whenever a user types inside a keyword or keywords for what he/she wants to know in different sites, these use crawlers to get web sites with the relevant content and index them based on algorithms. You don't have to worry about the algorithms which these sites use as that is not important.

To appear within the first page from the search result, you will need to hire professionals and experts who can perform the needful to maintain your site among the good books during these websites. These professionals can optimize your website content to ensure your website gets more traffic.

When the traffic gets high, it is a sign that you're obtaining a service that will enable you to get more revenues. SEO Vancouver company do the next to make your website appear inside the first page of search results.

Use keywords which are popularly utilized on search engines like google in your website content.
Have a website design for your website that is simple because top sites are allergic to flash and weird designs.
Submit your site to directories.
Submit your site to directory websites.
Postings on blogs and forums with back-links for your websites. This really is considered as a very effective way to get increased traffic aimed at your website as numerous internet users use blogs and forums.

SEO Vancouver company also perform site diagnostics that is an important part in online optimization as research and analysis on finding keywords may be the way to begin a SEO campaign. So, be sure you choose the best SEO Vancouver service company.

Are you looking for more info regarding SEO Vancouver? Visit http://www.seo4vancouver.com/seo-services.asp today!

 

What to Expect When Hiring a Roofer

When it comes time to repair or substitute your roof, it's really a daunting job to find somebody that is qualified to do the job. There are lots of roofing companies available, however the ones who will perform a congrats for any sensible cost are not frequently easy to find. If you are in the marketplace for a contractor, make use of the tips below with regard to interviewing as well as employing the right one.

Interview as well as Discussion

The majority of roofing contractors provide free consultations. This is particularly essential, since it gives them a chance to assess what your homes roof needs, also it gives you a chance to assess them. As with all businesses, believe in intuition about the individuals a person let up on your roofing. No matter exactly how great a contractor's status or recommendation, he should begin by presenting a person having a business card. If a service provider arrives looking and talking in an less than professional method, chances are that the job he's going to perform may also be unprofessional. This isn't to express that you ought to anticipate companies to reach in fits. They is going to be hiking on your roof, therefore the majority of is going to be dressed up in jeans as well as function boots or even athletic shoes. If the actual contractor seems to be interested in talking on his cell phone while on your roof than he is within evaluating your roof's needs, which may be an additional indication that he is not really the main one for the job. For your lawful safety, make sure that the service provider offers adequate liability insurance coverage.

Roof Evaluation

Anticipate the contractor will be rising in your roofing. Actually, any contractor who not need to go up on your roofing to judge the problem should be instantly discounted. Those who're serious about their work will either create a drawing of your roof's surface area and mark problem areas on it as they undergo their own evaluation, or even they'll take pictures or even video from the surface area while they're available online for. This is an extremely important action, because it allows you to see just what the troubles are and understand how they'll be set.

Estimate

The next phase will be the written estimate. The service provider will take out his calculator and come up with a written estimation. Some companies will go out to their own vehicle or truck as well as write up the proposal, while some will crunch the amounts for the job prior to you. Once you are because of the proposal, make sure that you comprehend which products will be utilized, just how long the job will take and when there are any extra or even hidden expenses that may arise throughout the restore from the roof. The contractor should be able to solution many of these concerns effortlessly as well as forewarn a person associated with a extra costs that might be sustained should the roof's ethics end up being broken within.

Once you have obtained several written estimates from roofing contractors, assess what every organization or even service provider would like to offer you for the price. Do not always low cost the highest bet, because sometimes the greatest bet will actually function as the contractor who does the job properly. Additionally, be skeptical associated with bids that are not nearly as expensive other people. They may be using substandard items or perhaps be unethical concerning the possibility of concealed expenses. Most importantly, believe in instincts as well as opt for the actual service provider who enables you to feel most comfy about handing over your hard earned money.

 

Seven Uyghurs Sentenced to Death

2011-03-23

Critics of the sentences say China has politicized the robberies as acts of terrorism.

 

AFP

A Uyghur man walks past armed Chinese security forces in Urumqi, July 17, 2009.

Chinese authorities in the northwestern region of Xinjiang have ordered the executions of seven ethnic minority Uyghur men convicted of "violent" crimes, official media said on Wednesday.

 

The death sentences were handed down by the Supreme People's Court in recent days, according to state media in the regional capital, Urumqi.

 

The men were accused in connection with three separate attacks late last year in the Silk Road city of Kashgar, according to the news website Urumqi Online.

 

According to another website, the Xinjiang-based Tianshan news site, Aimaiti Tuheti, Yiming Dawuti, and unnamed "others" killed a security guard at a pedestrian mall as part of a failed Aug. 7 robbery attempt.

 

In a separate incident on Oct. 12, it said, Nuermaimaiti Aobulikasimu and 11 others broke into a house, bound and killed the couple living in it, and took their possessions.

 

It said the group also broke into the homes of two brothers, robbed them, and killed six people in a Nov. 11 attack in Kashgar.

 

The report gave no information about the victims or the schedule for the executions.

 

Three of the men were sentenced to death with a two-year reprieve, a sentence that is normally commuted to life imprisonment in China's judicial system.

 

They were convicted of deliberate homicide and armed robbery by the Kashgar Intermediate People's Court in the first instance.

 

'Strike hard' campaign

 

A Han Chinese resident of Urumqi surnamed Yang said a reference to "terrorism" in official news reports on the case showed that it was being politicized by the authorities, who have launched a series of "strike hard" campaigns in Xinjiang following deadly ethnic violence in July 2009.

 

"There is an implied political meaning; that they were somehow engaged in separatist activities or ethnic divisions," said Yang.

 

Exile Uyghur groups said the trials had been conducted behind closed doors, with scant opportunity for public scrutiny.

 

"The entire process against these men, from the trial through to the judgment, was opaque," said Dilxat Raxit, spokesman for the Munich-based World Uyghur Congress.

 

"There was also very little reasonable evidence to convict them on a legal basis, because all the evidence came from one side of the case," he said.

 

"We strongly condemn the Chinese government for continuing to pursue their policies of ethnic division," said Raxit.

 

"We are also strongly opposed to the death penalty in this case."

 

Earlier cases

 

Last month, the Supreme Court sentenced four Uyghurs to death for alleged involvement in an Aug. 19 bomb attack in Xinjiang’s western Aksu city.

 

The World Uyghur Congress pointed to concerns over lack of transparency in those cases too.

 

The Aksu blast left eight people dead, including two of the bombers, and 15 wounded after a man riding a three-wheeled vehicle threw explosives at a group of uniformed patrolmen. Four Uyghurs were arrested shortly after the attack.

 

State media characterized the cases as acts of terrorism and unrelated to longstanding ethnic tensions between Uyghurs and Han Chinese in the region.

 

Exiled Uyghur dissident Rebiya Kadeer has warned that attacks like those in Aksu will continue to occur until Beijing addresses the underlying source of tension in the region.

 

Millions of Uyghurs—a distinct, Turkic minority who are predominantly Muslim—populate Central Asia and Xinjiang.

 

Uyghurs say they have long suffered ethnic discrimination, oppressive religious controls, and continued poverty and joblessness despite China's ambitious plans to develop its vast northwestern frontier.

 

Those frustrations erupted in July 2009 in deadly riots that left nearly 200 people dead, by the Chinese government's tally.

 

At least 26 people, mostly Uyghurs, were sentenced to death in the aftermath of the riots, many of whom have been executed, according to state media.

 

China is believed to execute more people each year than the rest of the world’s countries combined, although the government does not publish official figures.

 

Rights groups say Beijing may execute as many as several thousand prisoners annually.

 

Chinese authorities blame Uyghur separatists for a series of deadly attacks in recent years and accuse one group in particular of maintaining ties to the al-Qaeda terrorist network.

 

New training scheme

 

China on Wednesday also announced a training scheme which places ethnic minority graduates from Xinjiang in work elsewhere in China.

 

Governments of the destination cities will spend 450 million yuan (U.S.$ 69 million) for the program, while Xinjiang will spend 400 million yuan (U.S.$ 61 million), the official Xinhua news agency reported.

 

The program targets some 60,000 jobless college graduates in Xinjiang, around 80 percent of whom are from ethnic minorities, and 60 percent of whom are women.

 

However, some commentators see the move as an attempt to assimilate non-Han Chinese into mainstream Chinese culture.

 

"From the point of view of ethnic minorities, the graduate work scheme is really taking the cream of youth from the minorities and using them to 'further cultural development,'" wrote one ethnic minority user on a popular microblogging service.

 

"In fact, the culture that is being advanced is Han culture, and this group of young people will have been totally brainwashed," the microblog update said.

 

An Urumqi resident surnamed Li agreed.

 

"They have run senior high school schemes like this before during the past few years," he said.

 

"Whether it's high-schoolers or graduate training programs, these are measures that are aimed at thought control and brainwashing, and the 'Partification' of their education," he said.

 

Reported by Qiao Long for RFA's Mandarin service. Translated and written in English by Luisetta Mudie.

Copyright © 1998-2011 Radio Free Asia. All rights reserved.

 

Wikileaks and the Uyghur

by holly on Dec Twenty, This year
Henryk Szadziewski, Supervisor, Uyghur Human Rights Project

Whether it were actually in doubt, information obtained through the whistleblower web site, Wikileaks, has verified Chinese language federal government worries over its continued charge of the location it phone calls Xinjiang, which is also known as Eastern Turkestan. The leaked out cables through Ough.Utes. diplomats demonstrate the degree to which Chinese language government bodies make an effort to persuade governments worldwide to adopt it's stance on issues affecting Uyghurs. The cables also display the United States' concerns as well as views concerning the ongoing repressive steps in the region.

Most lighting associated with Chinese federal government stress would be the cables pointing to Chinese language frustration, or the specter associated with Chinese ire, over the discharge of Uyghur detainees within Guantánamo to third countries. A December Twenty nine, 08 cable applies exactly how Chinese Helper Foreign Minister Liu Jieyi fulfilled using the Ough.Utes. Ambassador in order to The far east in order to tone of voice Beijing's powerful competitors associated with launch to any kind of country apart from China, which when the Ough.S. do certainly accede to this request it might "avoid harm to bilateral relationships and to co-operation ‘in important areas'". In addition, the February '09 cable television describes how the Chinese Ambassador in order to Kyrgyzstan, Zhang Yannian, regarded as the possible release of Uyghur Guantánamo detainees because "an unfavorable act toward us" and a "slap in the face". That the U.S. federal government stood company in not liberating the actual detainees to China illustrates the extent from the politicized nature of the Chinese language judicial program. Legitimate concerns more than terrorism tend to be easy to understand, but in the actual U.S. government's view the detainees might most likely face torture as well as execution when they came back to China

Chinese government stress in regard to the actual Uyghur Guantánamo detainees wasn't just put on the Ough.Utes. government, but also in order to Brand new Zealand and a number of Western government authorities that were thinking about resettlement. Albania, Indonesia as well as Finland, in addition to European Union member says all have the symptoms of borne the brunt of Chinese language federal government disappointment. In the case of Indonesia, which was at first willing to consider two Uyghurs on solely humanitarian reasons, Uyghur Guantánamo cases had been much less preferable to additional detainees due to the negative effects accepting Uyghurs might have on relations along with The far east. The Might 8, 2009 cable relates how "German Ambassador Michael Schaefer reported that Indonesia experienced knowledgeable The far east of the U.S. request to accept a few Uighur detainees held at Guantánamo coupled with already been consequently warned by China of ‘a heavy burden upon bilateral relations' if Germany were to simply accept any kind of detainees".

The diplomatic cables additionally talk about the unrest within Urumchi, the actual regional funds, in July '09. A July Thirteen, 2009 cable discussing bulk occurrences in China says:

"Ethnic riots like those who work in Xinjiang July 5-7 as well as in Tibet within March associated with 2008 differ markedly in source and nature from bulk occurrences, XXXXXXXXXXXX stressed to PolOff [Political Officer] on XXXXXXXXXXXX. Each present severe problems for the actual Celebration, XXXXXXXXXXXX stated, but the Party leadership wouldn't hesitate to open fire upon Uighurs or even Tibetans if they deemed this essential to restore order. Bulk incidents pose another kind of risk, he explained, since the management is actually ‘afraid' to fireplace upon Han rioters with regard to anxiety about causing huge open public outrage that would turn against the Party."

This is a chilling opinion, particularly when 1 views the evidence presented by 50 percent reports launched this year through the Uyghur Individual Rights Project (UHRP) and Amnesty Worldwide that fine detail eyewitness company accounts from the utilization of lethal reside fireplace towards Uyghur protestors in July 2009. In addition, the observation which fire would not be deployed against Han Chinese language protestors offers resonances for the various strategy used through Chinese security forces within Urumchi to Han Chinese protests within September '09. During individuals protests, then Celebration Assistant, Wang Lequan, addressed protesters, that experienced required he let them know about government reactions to protection issues. An identical request to satisfy with the Celebration Secretary by Uyghur protesters in This summer was not met.

The actual broader consequences from the unrest also saw a brief discussion about the impact it might have on Iran-China relationships, as well as on relations along with Sydney after World Uyghur Our elected representatives Leader, Ms. Rebiya Kadeer, spoke in the Nationwide Push Club in Canberra within August 2009. In the second option situation, china government "privately warn[ed] a significant Australian financial institution that vendors the nation's Press Club to use it's influence to block a Kadeer speech there".

The actual U . s . States' issues about the situation within the Uyghur region are available via in the wires. Inside a discussion upon policy direction in Tibet, U.S. authorities clarify that it will be not possible for Chinese frontrunners to adopt the much softer collection "if they look like doing this under worldwide pressure". The cable television out dated 04 Sixteen, 08, one month after the outbreak associated with unrest within Tibetan areas, also relayed the declaration "that domestic balance remains the leadership's top priority most of all, meaning there'll ‘almost surely' be no relaxation from the present difficult line on Tibet or perhaps in locations like Xinjiang." The info included in the cable also sheds gentle on the severe level of sensitivity that the Chinese federal government sights territorial integrity, and also the feasible drip over of unrest from Tibet.

The chance associated with methods to tensions in Tibet and Xinjiang as a result of municipal society tend to be discussed inside a February 24, 08 cable television. While recommending which China's economic achievement will increase its resistance to democratic change, the actual cable television also discusses exactly how Chinese language leaders begin to see the effectiveness associated with "a restricted expansion of municipal culture, such as enhancements within the guideline associated with regulation and a stronger part with regard to approved religions, NGOs, non profit organizations along with other actors within places that bring about social balance and do not challenge Communist Celebration rule." This can be a notable change in thinking, which has observed Ough.Utes. authorities market the notion which Chinese language economic development, and financial relations with The far east brings in regards to a progressively democratic culture; however, more belief appears to be placed in the grassroots movement compared to one which begins in the top levels of the Chinese language federal government. Nonetheless, the actual cable proves which "[i]n places for example Tibet and Xinjiang, the fear associated with separatism leads to tight restrictions on the growth of civil society." This method can be regarded as counter-productive by the official, who shows that the Ough.Utes. federal government "should still express...serious issues more than Beijing's individual rights record and appeal to China's developing consciousness which higher regard for individual rights, spiritual independence and also the rule associated with law will serve to promote the improvement as well as social stability that The far east looks for in addition to to enhance China's international picture." This type of technique would take considerable diplomatic skills considering "China's paranoid fear that the Usa secretly encourages routine alter and ‘separatists' in Taiwan, Tibet and Xinjiang".

The actual wires provide insight into the daily business associated with diplomacy that is rarely owned by everyone, and it is interesting to notice the amount of work done behind closed doors upon Uyghur problems. The significance of the actual part of the United States like a keep track of associated with Uyghur human rights conditions in personal conversations is made clear, as well as contrasts with its sensible public position. The staff from the Uyghur Individual Privileges Task is comfortable with the pressure china government exerts on Uyghur activists; nevertheless, the facts of Chinese language government stress on its counterparts is actually illustrative of the diploma that Chinese language authorities attempt to control contradictory stories. With more revelations to come through Wikileaks, issues more than Uyghurs may not grab the head lines, however the wires possess shed brand new light about the paperwork associated with human privileges conditions within the Uyghur region.

 

Wikileaks and also the Uyghur

by henry upon Dec 20, This year
Henryk Szadziewski, Manager, Uyghur Human Rights Project

If it had been actually uncertain, information obtained through the whistleblower website, Wikileaks, offers confirmed Chinese language government fears more than it's continued charge of the location it phone calls Xinjiang, also is known as East Turkestan. The leaked out wires from Ough.S. diplomats show the degree to which Chinese language government bodies attempt to persuade government authorities worldwide to adopt it's position on problems impacting Uyghurs. The cables also display the actual U . s . States' concerns and views concerning the ongoing repressive steps in the area.

Most lighting of Chinese government stress are the wires pointing in order to Chinese frustration, or even the specter associated with Chinese ire, over the release of Uyghur detainees in Guantánamo to 3rd nations. The December Twenty nine, 2008 cable applies exactly how Chinese language Assistant International Minister Liu Jieyi met using the Ough.Utes. Ambassador to China to voice Beijing's powerful opposition of release to any kind of country other than China, which if the U.S. did indeed accede for this request it would "avoid injury to bilateral relations and also to co-operation ‘in essential areas'". In addition, a Feb 2009 cable television explains the way the Chinese Ambassador to Kyrgyzstan, Zhang Yannian, regarded the actual feasible release of Uyghur Guantánamo detainees because "an unfavorable behave towards us" along with a "slap within the face". The Ough.Utes. government stood firm in not liberating the actual detainees in order to The far east illustrates the actual extent from the politicized character of the Chinese judicial program. Legitimate concerns more than terrorism tend to be understandable, but in the actual U.Utes. government's view the detainees would most likely encounter do-it-yourself torture as well as execution when they came back to China

Chinese language government stress regarding the actual Uyghur Guantánamo detainees was not just applied to the actual Ough.S. government, but additionally to Brand new Zealand along with a number of European government authorities which were thinking about resettlement. Albania, Germany as well as Finland, in addition to Eu member states all appear to have paid for the actual impact associated with Chinese government disappointment. Regarding Indonesia, that was initially prepared to think about 2 Uyghurs upon solely relief reasons, Uyghur Guantánamo cases were less better than additional detainees because of the negative effects taking Uyghurs would have on relations with China. The May 8, '09 cable applies how "German Ambassador Erina Schaefer reported which Germany had knowledgeable China of the Ough.S. request to accept a few Uighur detainees kept at Guantánamo and had already been consequently warned by China associated with ‘a heavy load on bilateral relations' if Indonesia had been to simply accept any kind of detainees".

The actual diplomatic wires additionally discuss the actual unrest within Urumchi, the actual regional funds, in This summer 2009. A July 13, '09 cable talking about mass incidents within China states:

"Ethnic riots like those in Xinjiang This summer 5-7 and in Tibet within March of 2008 vary markedly within origin as well as character through bulk occurrences, XXXXXXXXXXXX stressed in order to PolOff [Political Officer] upon XXXXXXXXXXXX. Both existing serious trouble for the actual Party, XXXXXXXXXXXX said, but the Party management wouldn't wait to spread out fireplace on Uighurs or Tibetans if they deemed this necessary to recover purchase. Mass incidents pose another kind of threat, he explained, since the leadership is ‘afraid' to fire upon Han rioters for fear of sparking massive public outrage that will change from the Celebration."

This can be a chilling opinion, especially when one considers evidence presented in two reviews released this year by the Uyghur Human Rights Project (UHRP) and Amnesty Worldwide which detail eyewitness accounts of the utilization of deadly reside fireplace against Uyghur protestors within July '09. Additionally, the actual observation which fire wouldn't be used against Han Chinese protestors has resonances for that various approach taken by Chinese language security forces within Urumchi in order to Han Chinese language protests in September 2009. Throughout those direct orders, then Party Secretary, Wang Lequan, tackled protesters, who had required that he inform them regarding government reactions in order to security issues. An identical request to satisfy with the Celebration Secretary through Uyghur protesters within This summer was not met.

The wider repercussions of the unrest additionally noticed a brief dialogue on the impact it would possess upon Iran-China relations, as well as on relationships along with Australia following Globe Uyghur Our elected representatives President, Microsoft. Rebiya Kadeer, spoke at the National Push Club within Canberra in August 2009. In the second option case, the Chinese federal government "privately warn[ed] a significant Australian bank that sponsors the National Press Club to use its impact to block a Kadeer talk there".

The United States' concerns about the scenario in the Uyghur area also come via within the cables. In a discussion upon plan direction within Tibet, U.S. authorities explain that it'll end up being not possible for Chinese leaders to consider a much softer collection "if they look like doing so under worldwide pressure". The cable dated 04 Sixteen, 08, 30 days after the outbreak of unrest within Tibetan regions, additionally relayed the actual declaration "that domestic stability remains the leadership's top priority above all else, which means there'll ‘almost surely' be absolutely no rest from the current hard line upon Tibet or perhaps in places such as Xinjiang." The information contained in the cable television additionally storage sheds gentle about the extreme level of sensitivity with which the Chinese federal government sights territorial ethics, and also the feasible drip over of unrest through Tibet.

The chance of solutions to stress within Tibet and Xinjiang arising from municipal society are discussed inside a Feb Twenty-four, 2008 cable television. While suggesting which China's economic success will increase its resistance to democratic reform, the actual cable also discusses exactly how Chinese language leaders begin to see the effectiveness of "a restricted growth associated with civil culture, such as improvements within the guideline associated with regulation along with a more powerful part with regard to authorized beliefs, NGOs, non profit organizations and other actors in areas that bring about social balance and do not challenge Communist Party guideline." This can be a significant alternation in considering, that has seen U.S. officials market the notion that Chinese financial improvement, as well as financial relations with The far east will bring in regards to a progressively democratic culture; however, more faith appears to be placed in a grassroots motion than one which starts in the top quantity of a Chinese language federal government. Nonetheless, the cable television concludes which "[i]n areas for example Tibet as well as Xinjiang, the fear of separatism results in tighter restrictions about the development of municipal society." This approach is viewed as counter-productive through the official, who shows that the actual Ough.Utes. federal government "should still express...serious concerns more than Beijing's human rights record and appeal to China's developing consciousness that greater regard with regard to human rights, spiritual independence and the guideline associated with regulation will serve to advertise the improvement as well as sociable stability which The far east looks for in addition to to improve China's international picture." This type of technique might take considerable diplomatic skills considering "China's weird concern the Usa privately encourages regime alter as well as ‘separatists' within Taiwan, Tibet and Xinjiang".

The wires offer insight into the actual every day business associated with diplomacy that is hardly ever afforded to the general public, and it is fascinating to notice the quantity of work done nowadays upon Uyghur issues. The importance of the role of the United States like a monitor of Uyghur human rights conditions in personal discussions is made clear, as well as contrasts with its sensible public position. The staff from the Uyghur Human Privileges Project is comfortable with the pressure china government exerts upon Uyghur activists; still, the facts associated with Chinese language government stress on its counterparts is actually illustrative from the degree which Chinese language authorities attempt to control contradictory stories. With increased revelations to come from Wikileaks, concerns more than Uyghurs may not get the actual headlines, but the cables possess shed new gentle on the paperwork of human privileges conditions within the Uyghur region.

 

Search Engine Optimisation And Marketing with articles Will Place Yourself on The 1st Page

Seo and article marketing are a couple of the most powerful strategies that can be used to promote your internet site and get the revenue and success that you need for your online business. Those two everything has been around for any really long time already however they still still be really effective. Actually, these have helped lots of people free themselves from the traditional means of money-generating options of society.

In this article, I will be showing the ways on what you can properly execute search engine optimization and marketing with articles for the betterment of one's small business website. Furthermore, I will also be discussing different points you need to look out for when you're using these two website marketing strategies to market your website and get customers. Despite the fact that marketing with articles and Seo have been established for a long time already, you have to know that the trends and preferences concerning how they are done are continually changing, which explains why you should keep yourself up to date with these things through the help of Seo forum sites to enable you to quickly adjust and learn how to make your strategies more efficient.

In the past submitting articles to various websites used to be so simple the effects they produce for websites was powerful. However, everything has changed a great deal today. Currently submitting the same article to several websites has stopped being recommended because engines like google have now changed with a huge extent in how they rank pages. They no more rank contents which can be identical like they accustomed to in the past. This is among the best types of changes that occur in online marketing trends. This change has given birth to wide plethora of methods that online marketers are using today. Nearly all of online marketers now produce articles and distribute them in really popular article submission sites and await targeted traffic to come to their pages. This is perhaps that most reliable Seo strategy that can be used. Aside from being effective, this also provides positive benefits frequently. The only issue with this strategy is the caliber of traffic that you will get out of this defintely won't be that good if you don't do proper keyword research beforehand and use in-links. You first need for carrying on these two things before you decide to submit your articles so that you won't end up losing large amounts of targeted prospects. Which means that you have to practice good amounts of diligence if you'd like your advertising initiatives to function.

In addition to articles, you may also use operating a blog, that is another really powerful form of online marketing strategy today since it is highly favored by the major search engines. Within this technique, it is possible to choose to produce a single web log that specifically targets your chosen market or you can give rise to other blogs which are called experts inside your niche.

Learn effective Vancouver search engine marketing techniques on the Vancouver SEO website.

Roofing Contractors Vancouver Washington

There are several things to consider when looking for any roofing contractor. Price tag, experience, and referrals are a couple of the things you will likely be concerned about. Please read on for even more ideas.

• Finding a Roofers

Before hunting for a roofing contractor, be sure you have a general idea of the job that you need to do. By no means must you be an expert. If you have the Roof Document, read it carefully to find the details about your active roof. Should you not have a Roofing Certificate, talk about documents closed during final to locate your Roof Inspection bed sheet. These paperwork should give you everything you need to find out about your roof. Prior to contacting a roofing contractor, you have to have a list of specifications and features to help you make a decision exactly who works for your covering project. Make sure to write down each potential roofing contractor's answers as well as check them against one another. If you can find any differences, be sure to note this along with take this into consideration when creating a final decision. There are no straightforward ways to go with a roofing contractor, but when you take attention to the information provided, your odds of a successful roofer project tend to be greatly increased.

One of the best ways of finding a roofing contractor is by word of mouth. Try inquiring a friend or relative who may have had roof covering work done, and was satisfied with the work. Get the identify of the business and their particular contact info. If you have no word of jaws referrals, attempt first seeking in the cell phone book and internet-based. A large advertising or fancy website just isn't necessarily an illustration of the top quality of work, but could be a great tool regarding measuring the amount of time and devotion they have placed in their respected profession. In addition, try discovering current worksites and appear at the roof covering work that's done maybe in the process of becoming finished. Should you be visually impressed, ask the house manager for that name of the roofing contractor and also their get in touch with information.

• Background Research

When looking for a roofing contractors, it really is imperative to 1st do your current background research. Purchasing in the yellow pages or on the web is a suitable spot to find a company, finding pertinent information on these kind of businesses will probably be found in many areas. First, check with locations like the Bbb, city, state, and county public records, as well as local licensing agencies. Ask your roofer if they are a part of any roofer associations. These types of precautions can mitigate your current risks. Also ask them what forms of roofing they specialize in. Also ask the roofing contractor concerning any extended warranties they offer on his or her installed rooftops. Find out what measures they decide to try avoid injury done to other regions of the home simply by workers. Items such as gutters, exterior siding, and chimneys are near the coast proximity and therefore susceptible to random damages.

Make certain all of this facts are included in your written contract. Determine whether you need a roofer permit and/or authorization from your house owners association ahead of time. These entities will let you know who is responsible for acquiring these makes it possible for and permissions. If it is the obligation of the roofer, also have that included within your contract. If it is your responsibility, get mentioned permits as well as permissions collated while using estimated roof covering project and have it obviously posted as well as readily available.

• Certification and Recommendations

Roofing Companies are not forced to be accredited in all claims. Contact community licensing companies that govern general building contractors for any list of demands. Once you have received the requirements, make a list of detailed questions to ask your own potential roofing contractor. This simple checklist should instantly help you to get rid of the skilled from the not qualified roofing companies. Qualified contractors should be able to very easily answer questions as well as tell you that they have to do further research ahead of giving any definitive answer.

Even if a roofing contractor provides all needed licensing, you must ask to determine pictures associated with completed roofing jobs and speak to satisfied clients. Use a list of queries handy must recent clients, such as the nature of the employment, timeliness, and overall satisfaction. Make sure these are the latest clients and cross guide if possible. In the case of commercial roof covering, make sure that the particular roofing contractor can be bonded. Looking at these recommendations is another extra measure of safety to define the list of potential roof covering contractors.

Search engine optimization Through Article Writing

Article marketing can be a very powerful form of Search engine optimization for the company websites. Quality written articles manage to improve your websites SERP and add quality to your company website. Writing informative keyword rich articles is important in gaining new backlinks for a business website. Articles can and may be written on topics which are unique for your business or industry. The articles can discuss numerous issues and ideas with your industry. Articles offering the reader which has a resource are invariably probably the most popular and quite a few likely kinds of articles that will bring about backlinks to your site.

Focus your articles on the potential readers or customers. Search engine optimization articles should address real questions which can be asked by current or best buyers. Each article you're writing for you company will include detailed analysis and Search engine optimization keywords that can help associate your site with the content present in your website. Focus your articles on up to 3 keywords and don't stray from them. Consistency is essential when writing Search engine optimization articles. In case you are authoring Vancouver Seo ensure your continue to talk about information strongly related the keyword.

Give each one of your Seo Articles an engaging Title that will encourage people to see and bookmark your posts. Ideally, the articles you're posting can be as links using their company websites that are comparable to yours. This might help boost the power of each and every link and can assist your SERP. Make sure to end each article using a keyword anchored link (see Easy Small Business Seo). This link will assist you to enhance your rankings online as well as other major search engines to the keyword coupled to the link. Submit the articles to some free article directory and Voila! Before very long, your website could possibly be for the first page of Google.

Appreciate your reading. Can't wait to see your Seo articles!

Vancouver Seo Company Aims For Google Places With Absolute Achievement

When folks type in research online term searching for a business within their local area, they are going to find that Google places and Google maps is showing listings of local businesses. It is rather eminent for them to be optimized and from this first page whenever they desire to generate business. Vancouver SEO companies should be educated in this region for their clients.

There will be a great deal of new Vancouver SEO companies establishing, simply because the requirement is there. Finding a search engine optimization firm which has the client's best interest at heart can be tedious. The amount of keywords do they optimize for? Which are the keywords as well as the corresponding amount of searches? Do they know how to optimize for Google places? Etc. Search engine optimization will be the business of landing at the pinnacle and Maxim Edge provide there.

"My wife i started our Vancouver SEO company by accident. We've learned through the school of hard knocks and experimentation how to use the web to advertise any business. We began using the website, then your competition, after which of course building quality back-links to push an internet site up in the rankings. It isn't pushing control button and watching what goes on type of business. It takes a lot of effort, lots of research and a lot of commitment. We strive for our clients and now we are very proud of a high retention rate." Randy Neale says.

For really info on Michael, a Vancouver Search engine optimization company, please visit their site today at seo4vancouver.com

Little about the Uyghurs

In the middle of the desert landscapes of Taklamakan, in the north-west part of China, the land of Xinjiang is a very least populated land whereas it covers close to a sixth with the country's area. Getting resisted while in generations the chinese domination, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, or Old East Turkistan, fell into under the Chinese Han domination in 1949. From then, its population is primarily Uyghurs and Turkic - speaking System.

Islamic most importantly, the Uyghur people have a strong religious identification that, in particular, enabled them to keep a strong difference in opposition to the Chinese invader. Certainly, the Uyghur Kingdom of Mongolia knew a great civilization, until its absorption by the Mongolian Empire in the XIIIth century.

During their own history, the Uyghur People successively adopted Shamanism, Manicheism, Buddhism and the Nestorianism before lastly changing to Islam when the Arab conquerors beat the Chinese in year 751 BC., thus starting the way to the Islamization of the complete Central Asia.

Under the effect of the religions which they taken, Uyghur People used successively, and sometimes in a competing way, a large number of written forms (turco-runic, brahmi, tokharien, soghdien) before developing their own graphic system.

The coming of Islam was a great change because it was accompanied by the assimilation of the Uyghur areas in the enormous Turco-Mongolian and Muslim Empire. Thus, the descendants of Genghis Khan slowly replaced their writing by a Arabo-Persan alphabet, still used nowadays.

If their own writing, their own language and their religion mark a real big difference with the culture of Chinese Han, the Uyghurs also are different from their characteristic, so characteristic of Central Asia's people. A shiny skin, eyes representing a whole pallet of colors, from black to deep blue, features pointing out to the Mongolian, Turkish or Uzbek origins of these men and these women.

For a few years, China has included the proper identity of these remote people, although they represent only 8 million population - a trifle for this kind of immense region. Therefore, Uyghur people are now part of the 56 racial minority groups having been well-known in an official way by the People's Republic of China.

This statute allows them a few rights in a land where their difference is very often repressed. Thus, Uyghur people escape the "single child policy" and their language is accepted as the second official language in Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region.

The integration of the Uyghurs and their culture in the People's Republic of China, however, appears pretty illusory. The presence of all natural resources in Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, and its proximity with countries recognized as very sensitive, highly motivated the government to accelerate the sinicization of this area. Million of Han thus came to settle in this new Chinese eldorado, monopolizing the larger responsibility work opportunities.

In reaction to this true will to assimilate the Uyghurs into the Chinese culture, an independent party like East Turkistan Islamic Movement(ETIM) was born in the early 1990.

Saying more flexibility, but primarily the recognition of their true identity, this movement was seriously repressed by the power authorities in place Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region.

The events of September 11, 2001, were the perfect occasion for the Chinese government to justify true reprisals: they declared the "Uyghur freedom fighters" as dangerous terrorists linked to Al Quaida because of their Muslim origins and their proximity with Pakistan and Afghanistan... However, the terrible repression which followed did not calm down the anger. The Uyghurs population continues today to proudly keep their identification and their tradition , though they become a minority on their own land.

For additional information and facts about Uyghur people, you can visit a Uyghur website called Uyghur News at http://www.uyghurnews.com

ation|Web optimization|Website seo|Seo optimization|Seo optimisation} Expert consultancy - Getting Ahead Using SEO

When it comes to success, one of many mot important matters is planning well ahead of time. Just as in everything else, preparation is key. If you prepare with determination you would be able to uncover prior to the competition, even the world of online business. Websites today are trying to do their utmost to get before competition for their targeted search phrases through meticulous planning. Search engine optimisation is the best tool that can be used in order to achieve your goals and fortunately, the Search engine optimization expert consultancy and tips which were discussed here could make things simpler for you.

Website seo is important today

One of the many reasons why thousands of people today are trying to find Seo expert advice is because it's one of the few strategies that usually work today online. Search engine optimization can be be extremely effective with regards to getting a higher site ranking on search engines, increasing the number of visitors on-page and improving the level of profits and sales. Although most of the people and any good Seo expert would tell you just how it is a lengthy and complicated process, Seo can be a skill that can be learned. In the event you employ the help of an expert or the use of tricks utilised by experts for own sites, then it would be easier for you to understand the idea and use it to your website.

Taking a search engine course

Several businessmen an internet-based website owners today are taking Search engine optimisation certification from experts today mainly because it turns out to be quite great for them. There are lots of short certification courses on Website seo on the market which can educate you on the basic concepts and supply you a grip on the subject. These trainings are generally given by those who are experts inside the field. Through training, these experts share their knowledge with the course participants, teach them the essential techniques for better optimization of internet sites which will help the crooks to promote their business. These courses can instruct them keyphrase research so that they could select the greatest keyword and get a better chance to rank higher about the search engines.

Search engine optimization training can be quite helpful

Through Search engine optimization training you'll be able to learn several concepts and tips like placing keywords inside right put in place the content of sites. Another topic that may be often tackled by such courses is linking strategy mainly because it will also enable you to rank higher. These Search engine optimization trainings and courses may be taken either online or even in the traditional format in classrooms, depending on your own some time to preferences. It is possible to help your website and enjoy better traffic and better profits with the concepts which can be taught by these courses by an search engine optimization expert wales.

The author is fulltime Search engine optimization Expert, it is possible to know more about him and services they supply on their website http://www.seo4vancouver.com/.