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Your privacy
Why we use your personal information and what it is
Personal information can be anything that identifies and relates to a living person. This can include information that when put together with other information can then identify a person. For example, this could be your name and contact details.
Some of your personal information might be classed as 'special category'
Some information is 'special' and needs more protection due to its sensitivity. It's often information you would not want widely known and is very personal to you. This is likely to include anything that can reveal your:
- sexuality and sexual health
- religious or philosophical beliefs
- ethnicity
- physical or mental health
- trade union membership
- political opinion
- genetic/biometric data
- criminal history
Why do we need your personal information?
We may need to use some information about you to:
- deliver services and support to you,
- manage those services we provide to you,
- train and manage the employment of our workers who deliver those services,
- help investigate any worries or complaints you have about your services,
- keep track of spending on services,
- check the quality of services, and
- to help with research and planning of new services.
How the law allows us to use your personal information
There are a number of legal reasons why we need to collect and use your personal information.
Generally we collect and use personal information:
- where you, or your legal representative, have given consent,
- where you have entered into a contract with us,
- where it is necessary to perform our statutory duties,
- where it is necessary to protect someone in an emergency,
- where it is required by law,
- where it is necessary for employment purposes,
- where it is necessary to deliver health or social care services,
- where you have made your information publicly available,
- where it is necessary for legal cases,
- where it is to the benefit of society as a whole,
- where it is necessary to protect public health,
- where it is necessary for archiving, research, or statistical purposes,
- to protect the public funds we administer and to prevent and detect fraud.
If we have consent to use your personal information, you have the right to remove it at any time. If you want to remove your consent, please contact firstname.lastname@example.com and tell us which service you're using so we can deal with your request.
We only use what we need!
Where we can, we'll only collect and use personal information if we need it to deliver a service or meet a requirement.
If we don't need personal information we'll either keep you anonymous if we already have it for something else or we won't ask you for it. For example in a survey we may not need your contact details we'll only collect your survey responses.
If we use your personal information for research and analysis, we'll always keep you anonymous or use a different name unless you've agreed that your personal information can be used for that research.
We don't sell your personal information to anyone else.
What you can do with your information
The law gives you a number of rights to control what personal information is used by us and how it is used by us.
You can ask for access to the information we hold on you
We would normally expect to share what we record about you with you whenever we assess your needs or provide you with services.
However, you also have the right to ask for all the information we have about you and the services you receive from us. When we receive a request from you in writing, we must give you access to everything we've recorded about you.
However, we can't let you see any parts of your record which contain:
- confidential information about other people, or
- data a professional thinks will cause serious harm to your or someone else's physical or mental wellbeing, or
- if we think that giving you the information may stop us from preventing or detecting a crime.
This applies to personal information that is in both paper and electronic records. If you ask us, we'll also let others see your record (except if one of the points above applies).
If you can't ask for your records in writing, we'll make sure there are other ways that you can. If you have any queries about access to your information please email firstname.lastname@example.com.
You can ask to change information you think is inaccurate
You should let us know if you disagree with something written on your file.
We may not always be able to change or remove that information but we'll correct factual inaccuracies and may include your comments in the record to show that you disagree with it.
You can ask to delete information (right to be forgotten)
In some circumstances you can ask for your personal information to be deleted, for example:
- where your personal information is no longer needed for the reason why it was collected in the first place
- where you have removed your consent for us to use your information (where there is no other legal reason for us to use it)
- where there is no legal reason for the use of your information
- where deleting the information is a legal requirement
Where your personal information has been shared with others, we'll do what we can to make sure those using your personal information comply with your request for erasure.
Please note we can't delete your information where:
- we're required to have it by law,
- it is used for freedom of expression,
- it is used for public health purposes,
- it is for, scientific or historical research, or statistical purposes where it would make information unusable,
- it is necessary for legal claims.
You can ask to limit what we use your personal data for
You have the right to ask us to restrict what we use your personal information for where:
- you have identified inaccurate information, and have told us of it,
- where we have no legal reason to use that information but you want us to restrict what we use it for rather than erase the information altogether.
When information is restricted it can't be used other than to securely store the data and with your consent to handle legal claims and protect others, or where it's for important public interests of the UK.
Where restriction of use has been granted, we'll inform you before we carry on using your personal information.
You have the right to ask us to stop using your personal information for any council service. However, if this request is approved this may cause delays or prevent us delivering that service.
Where possible we'll seek to comply with your request, but we may need to hold or use information because we are required to by law.
You can ask to have your information moved to another provider (data portability)
You have the right to ask for your personal information to be given back to you or another service provider of your choice in a commonly used format. This is called data portability.
However this only applies if we're using your personal information with consent (not if we're required to by law) and if decisions were made by a computer and not a human being.
It's likely that data portability won't apply to most of the services you receive from the council.
You can ask to have any computer made decisions explained to you, and details of how we may have 'risk profiled' you.
You have the right to question decisions made about you by a computer, unless it's required for any contract you have entered into, required by law, or you've consented to it.
You also have the right to object if you are being 'profiled'. Profiling is where decisions are made about you based on certain things in your personal information, e.g. your health conditions.
If and when Slough Borough Council uses your personal information to profile you, in order to deliver the most appropriate service to you, you will be informed.
If you have concerns regarding automated decision making, or profiling, please email firstname.lastname@example.com for advice about how we use your information.
Who do we share your information with?
We use a range of organisations to either store personal information or help deliver our services to you. Where we have these arrangements there is always an agreement in place to make sure that the organisation complies with data protection law.
We'll often complete a Data Privacy Impact Assessment (DPIA) before we share personal information to make sure we protect your privacy and comply with the law.
Sometimes we have a legal duty to provide personal information to other organisations. This is often because we need to give that data to courts, including:
- if we take a child into care,
- if the court orders that we provide the information, and
- if someone is taken into care under mental health law
We may also share your personal information when we feel there's a good reason that's more important than protecting your privacy. This doesn't happen often, but we may share your information:
- in order to find and stop crime and fraud, or if there are serious risks to the public, our staff or to,
- other professionals,
- to protect a child, or
- to protect adults who are thought to be at risk, for example if they are frail, confused or cannot understand what is happening to them
For all of these reasons the risk must be serious before we can override your right to privacy.
If we're worried about your physical safety or feel we need to take action to protect you from being harmed in other ways, we'll discuss this with you and, if possible, get your permission to tell others about your situation before doing so.
We may still share your information if we believe the risk to others is serious enough to do so.
There may also be rare occasions when the risk to others is so great that we need to share information straight away.
If this is the case, we'll make sure that we record what information we share and our reasons for doing so. We'll let you know what we've done and why if we think it is safe to do so.
How do we protect your information?
We'll do what we can to make sure we hold records about you (on paper and electronically) in a secure way, and we'll only make them available to those who have a right to see them. Examples of our security include:
- encryption, meaning that information is hidden so that it cannot be read without special knowledge (such as a password). This is done with a secret code or what's called a 'cypher'. The hidden information is said to then be 'encrypted'
- pseudonymisation, meaning that we'll use a different name so we can hide parts of your personal information from view. This means that someone outside of the Council could work on your information for us without ever knowing it was yours
- controlling access to systems and networks allows us to stop people who are not allowed to view your personal information from getting access to it
- training for our staff allows us to make them aware of how to handle information and how and when to report when something goes wrong
- regular testing of our technology and ways of working including keeping up to date on the latest security updates (commonly called patches).
Where in the world is your information?
The majority of personal information is stored on systems in the UK. But there are some occasions where your information may leave the UK either in order to get to another organisation or if it's stored in a system outside of the EU.
We have additional protections on your information if it leaves the UK ranging from secure ways of transferring data to ensuring we have a robust contract in place with that third party.
We'll take all practical steps to make sure your personal information is not sent to a country that is not seen as 'safe' either by the UK or EU Governments.
If we need to send your information to an 'unsafe' location we'll always seek advice from the Information Commissioner first.
How long do we keep your personal information?
There's often a legal reason for keeping your personal information for a set period of time, we try to include all of these in our retention schedule.
For each service the schedule lists how long your information may be kept for. This ranges from months for some records to decades for more sensitive records.
Where can I get advice?
If you have any worries or questions about how your personal information is handled please contact our Data Protection Officer at firstname.lastname@example.com.
For independent advice about data protection, privacy and data sharing issues, you can contact the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) at:
Information Commissioner's Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Cheshire SK9 5AF
Tel: 0303 123 1113 (local rate) or 01625 545 745 if you prefer to use a national rate number.
Or visit Information Commissioner's Office website or email email@example.com.


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Evolution of physical activity guidelines reflects changing body of evidence
This is an excerpt from Physical Activity and Health-2nd Edition by Claude Bouchard,Steven N. Blair & William Haskell.
Evolution of Physical Activity Guidelines
Scientific knowledge about physical activity and health is of little value if people cannot understand it and apply it to their lives. For the past three decades, there has been a gradual but steady development in the effort to present information on physical activity and health to the general public. This has come through public health messages known as physical activity guidelines.
Health scientists and practitioners have long believed that regular physical activity is essential to maintain good health. So it is not surprising that for a very long time, individual health professionals and health organizations have been making recommendations regarding the types and amounts of physical activity needed for health and fitness. As emphasized in the preceding section, scientific support for the impact of physical activity on health has developed rapidly in recent decades. As the relevant knowledge base has grown, physical activity recommendations for the public have been modified to maintain consistency with the existing research evidence. In this section, we track the evolution of physical activity guidelines as they have been presented to the public since the 1950s.
In 1957, Finnish researcher Marti Karvonen and his colleagues published the findings of a study that has become a classic in exercise science. Karvonen observed the effects of exercise training via treadmill running on endurance fitness in a small number of male medical students. He reported that training intensity corresponding to a heart rate of at least 60% of the heart rate range (maximum heart rate minus resting heart rate) was required to produce significant gains in cardiorespiratory fitness. Although Karvonen's study was very small and quite limited in its research design, his findings became the platform for exercise guidelines for the ensuing three decades. Karvonen's program was presented in terms of minimums for frequency, duration, and intensity of training. A half century later, it seems remarkable that such a small and limited study could have had such a powerful influence on health practice.
"Heart rate during training has to be more than 60% of the available range from rest to the maximum attainable by running . . . in order to produce a change in the WR [working heart rate]. . . . A decrease of the WR is understood to indicate an increase of the maximum oxygen uptake."
Karvonen, Kentala, and Mustala 1957, p. 314
Initial Attempts to Speak to the Public
During the 1960s, two American men, one a track coach and the other a physician, published books that brought practical physical activity guidelines to the masses. In 1963, Bill Bowerman, coach of the University of Oregon's track team, visited a coaching colleague in New Zealand, where he witnessed many middle-aged adults running for health and fitness. He was so impressed by what he had seen that on his return to the United States, he wrote Jogging, a small paperback volume that has often been credited with launching a fitness revolution (Bowerman and Harris 1967). Bowerman described a slow running program that emphasized gradual, progressive increases in distance and frequency of exercise. His basic recommendation was that almost everyone can benefit from "an exercise program of relaxed walking and running" and that jogging is something that almost everyone can do.
In 1968, only a year after Bowerman popularized jogging as a specific form of exercise, Dr. Kenneth Cooper, then an Air Force physician, published Aerobics, a book in which he laid out a simple point system for determining how much exercise should be accumulated on a weekly basis. With his Aerobics Point System he recommended that adults accumulate a minimum of 30 points per week. Cooper recommended that sedentary adults begin an exercise program by starting at a level compatible with their current fitness (perhaps earning as few as 10 points per week for the first few weeks, for those at the lowest levels of fitness), choose an activity they enjoy, and exercise with others when at all possible. Table 2.1 provides examples of point values assigned to exercises by Cooper. Although neither Bowerman nor Cooper was able to base these recommendations on extensive bodies of directly relevant scientific evidence, both were talented practitioners and gifted communicators who were able to draw on their extensive experience in educating the public about how much physical activity is needed for health and fitness.
Exercise Prescription for the Public
Concurrent with the popularization of the exercise-for-fitness movement and the so-called running boom of the late 1960s and 1970s, exercise scientists began to systematically explore the effects of various types, intensities, durations, and frequencies of endurance exercise on cardiorespiratory fitness. A leader of this extensive scientific effort was Dr. Michael Pollock. During the 1970s, Pollock and his colleagues undertook a series of experimental exercise training studies that, when considered collectively along with the work of other researchers, produced the knowledge needed to recommend exercise in a precise, detailed, and individualized manner. This method became the central dogma in efforts to communicate to the public the types and amounts of exercise needed to promote health and fitness. The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) first formally endorsed this detailed approach to recommending exercise in its exercise guidelines book in 1975 (ACSM 1975) and in a position statement issued in 1978 (ACSM 1978). The key recommendations presented in the ACSM Position Statement are summarized in table 2.2.
During the same period in which exercise scientists were systematically studying endurance exercise training and its impact on cardiorespiratory fitness in healthy adults, cardiologists and clinical exercise physiologists were studying the effects of exercise training in patients with cardiovascular disease. This research demonstrated the critical and now well-accepted role that exercise can play in rehabilitation of patients with compromised cardiovascular function. But furthermore, this research and the clinical guidelines that it spawned established a medical approach to recommending exercise that came to be referred to as "exercise prescription." This technique drew on the research on normal healthy adults as well as research performed on heart patients. In 1975, the AHA published guidelines on exercise prescription for patients with cardiovascular disease. This document helped to establish a place for exercise in the practice of medicine and was influential in communicating to the public the significant health benefits that accrue to physically active persons, even those with already established cardiovascular disease. Table 2.3 summarizes the AHA's first guidelines for physical activity in people with heart disease or at risk for heart disease (AHA 1975).
Importance of Moderate-Intensity Physical Activity
ACSM's Guidelines for Exercise Testing and Prescription has undergone revision approximately every five years since its initial publication in 1975 (ACSM 1975). Note that the first version of this was called Guidelines for Graded Exercise Testing and Prescription, but subsequent revisions dropped the word graded. Each volume included a primary recommendation on prescription of exercise that reflected the current body of knowledge regarding the types of exercise needed to provide health and fitness benefits to initially sedentary adults. Between the first edition published in 1975 and the eighth edition released in 2009, an interesting trend is evident. As shown by table 2.4, most elements in the exercise prescription guideline remained unchanged. The exception is the recommended range for exercise intensity, the lower end of which decreased from 60% .VO2max to 40%.VO2max. The earlier editions of this influential book indicated that rather vigorous exercise was needed to provide benefits, and this concept was widely communicated to the public during the 1970s and 1980s.
Recognition of the importance of moderate-intensity physical activity, as reflected by the changing exercise prescription guidelines of ACSM, evolved gradually during the 1980s and early 1990s as the result of a growing and changing body of research evidence. Two lines of research led to the conclusion that moderate-intensity physical activity (the equivalent of brisk walking) provided important benefits to health and fitness. First and most importantly, the science of physical activity epidemiology matured during the 1980s and produced a series of important investigations. These studies strongly suggested that regular performance of moderate-intensity physical activity provided important health benefits. Not only did these studies show that regularly active persons were less likely than sedentary persons to develop or die from cardiovascular disease, but they also demonstrated that much of the active population's physical activity came from walking and other forms of moderate-intensity physical activity. For example, results of the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (Crespo et al. 1996) showed that most of the physical activities preferred by American adults were moderate-intensity lifestyle activities, such as walking, gardening, and cycling (table 2.5).
As discussed previously, the exercise prescription method for recommending physical activity to the public was based primarily on the findings of a large number of experimental exercise training studies. The results of these studies had generally been interpreted as indicating that vigorous physical activity (6 METs or 60% or more individual functional capacity) was required to produce benefits. That moderate-intensity physical activity did not provide those benefits became the assumption. However, the epidemiological studies published in the 1980s and early 1990s forced a reexamination of the experimental studies. A closer look revealed that, in studies that compared moderate- and vigorous-intensity physical activity, the moderate level produced increased fitness, although often not to the same extent as the vigorous level. Also, it was seen that moderate-intensity physical activity often provided comparable or even greater beneficial effects on health outcomes such as blood pressure and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol. For example, Duncan and colleagues (1991) found that both women who participated in a vigorous exercise program and those who participated in a moderate exercise program had significant improvements in their lipoprotein profiles (figure 2.3). Although women in the vigorous program had significantly greater gains in fitness, as measured by .VO2max, increases in HDL were similar in the two groups.
Learn more about Physical Activity and Health, Second Edition.
More Excerpts From Physical Activity and Health 2nd EditionSHOP
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subset: commoncrawl


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Using VoiceThread for Online Courses
This is a guest post by educator and VoiceThreader, Dr. Maureen Cuevas.
Teaching in an online asynchronous format for the national MSW program at Our Lady of the Lake University, I have come to depend on Voice thread in every class I teach. And as we redevelop our courses to make them more interactive, I recommend to every faculty member that they try to use the incredible power of this tool in each class.
I first learned about Voice Thread in a faculty development seminar with our instructional designers in Fall 2014. Immediately I loved it. We were trying to find ways to connect ourselves and our students more "naturally" which can be difficult in an asynchronous program and Voice Thread looked like a way we could do just that.
Developing a Program Evaluation course at the time, I decided to use Voice Thread to have students "real play" the role of Program Evaluator and present to the "Board of Directors" the different components of the evaluation they are conducting. So they first start off with the evaluation question they've developed and guide the Board through the types and means of data being collected. Then their peers, who have to watch and respond to the videos of two other students using video in Voice Thread, play the role of the Board of Directors and ask whatever questions they have or making comments that are intended to improve the program evaluation as well as the presentation style and performance of the student initially presenting.
The students LOVE this. They can start an actual "conversation" talking back and forth through video and actually connect with one another and with me since I do the same thing and respond to what each one has posted, giving feedback and asking questions. Their feedback says that they feel much more strongly connected to their peers after doing these presentations for one another and that they feel like they are more prepared to do presentation when they get out into the field.
The whole assignment actually has three different presentations over the course of the eight week term. So they are interacting just about every other week, and many of them choose to respond to the same peers every time so that a relationship is built through the process.
One of the other pieces it allows me to address with the students is professionalism and their presentation skills. Sometimes students need to be told things like "don't present in your pajamas" or "yes, your dog is cute, but I shouldn't see it in your video." I want them to really own the professionalism of the program evaluator role and present accordingly. And it is amazing to see the differences between the first video they do and the last one. Most of them gain a lot of self confidence in the process and increase their presentation skills immensely.
I use Voice Thread in other classes as well. In one class, they are presenting to a funding source to try to persuade them to fund their campaign about a personally chosen social justice issue. In another, they present a family interview and solicit feedback from the other "clinicians" in the class about what direction to take with future interventions. Like a case staffing would be at an agency, just taking place virtually. All of these activities help students to develop more fully their social work skills and to practice things they will be done in their jobs as social workers while getting feedback relatively safely from their peers. And again, they love it!
I'm going to add a Voice Thread assignment to every class I teach from now on! I even use it in my face-to-face classes so students can become comfortable with some of the same skills and with the technology. As we move further into the digital age, they will be faced with new and different technology all the time and being comfortable using different types will help them to adapt more readily in the future.
About the author:
Mo Cuevas, Ph.D., LCSW has taught online for years, first in a hybrid BSW program at West Texas A&M University in Canyon, Texas for 12 years. And now for two years at Our Lady of the Lake University in San Antonio. The Lake, as it is referred to, has a large online asynchronous MSW program with more than 800 students. So finding ways to make their classes come alive is really important to Mo.
Mo received her MSSW from UT-Austin in 1989 and her PhD, also from UT, in 2002. Her areas of social work practice have included working with adolescents, working with survivors of childhood abuse, managing nonprofit agencies and counseling individuals, groups and families. She has written about social work education and freshman success in college. You can follow her on twitter or facebook to learn more.


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Thursday, October 21, 2010
Happy Random Thoughts Thursday!
- I'm tired. I could crawl under my desk and go right to sleep. I can't WAIT to get home, slip into some jammies and cuddle on the couch with Cole.
- My nephew Ibrahim turns 4 on Saturday! I'm headed to Philly tomorrow night to go celebrate with my family. We're having a bowling party and a Monster Truck cake! I love them :-)
- "The rent is too damn high!"
but did you peep the gloves though? :-) LOL!
- Did anyone see Tyler Perry on Oprah yesterday? If not, you should find it and watch it. Gripping interview...my heart ached for him.
- The news has been so depressing lately.
- NPR's Juan Williams shouldn't have been fired for his remarks on Bill O'Reilly's show. Was it an idiotic thing to say? Yes. But he was stating his feelings, not an opinion as a fact. People say idiotic, racist, insensitive things every day - doesn't mean you should necessarily get fired for it. While I understand that not ALL speech is protected under "freedom of speech" - expressing your feelings on something, no matter how ridiculous, should be protected. If you want to be able to state your opinion or feelings, then keep in mind that you have to take the good with the bad on that one.
- Don't you hate it when the funky, fly boots you want don't come in your size? Or if they do, they're in a 5 inch heel? What is up with THAT? I have no desire to bust my ass trying to walk. Flat boots it is.
- I'm in a shopping mood...always happens to me in the Fall. Chunky sweaters, boots, scarves! I've been good lately, but that 45% off coupon I got from The Gap is callin' me!
- Since I've lost weight, my favorite "booty" cords are too big for me. They discontinued them, so I can't even replace them. That can't be a good thing. I need them since I've been told I was "booty challenged."
- I feel like I've been working with idiots all morning. It's even worse when the simpletons think everyone ELSE is simple. Don'tcha just love that? Must be nice to live in that world.
- You're never too old to hold hands, give and receive great hugs and to have someone blow raspberries on your face :-)
- I've cut down significantly on Snapple. Baby steps.
- What's for lunch today? I neglected to cook...AGAIN. I gotta get my act together.
- If you all don't follow TogetherAsOne on Facebook, you should check them out. They've started a scholarship program behind one simple concept: If 2000 people pledged $20 a year for 5 years, we could send a young black man to a 4 year college and support him through graduation. I can spend $20 a day on just lunch and dinner alone, so $20 a year is something I can easily commit to. Will you be one of 2000 strong? Join the Village and let's do this!
- Brian's RTT Throwback!
He pulled that one out the hat!
26 comments:
- Anthony Otero said...
first bitches!!!!
- October 21, 2010 at 12:17 PM
- DMoe said...
Dmoe - October 21, 2010 at 12:29 PM
- Yolanda said...
-Tyler Perry's chillin' in my DVR. I always toss a side eye to people who have stunning revelations right before their new projects drop, but I read some of the interview excerpts and what he described IS horrific. I'll give it a watch.
-After last night's radio show with the Brew chicks... I'm still wondering what men really want? And guess what? I kinda don't care. Yes. That's where I am today. Eff it. I'ma take myself to lunch...and least there's no f*ckin side of the menu when I'm treating.
-My Pandora quit at 11 am today. SUCKS. I refuse to upgrade though. Yahoo radio it is!
-Today was supposed to be my all out job search & apply day...'til I got an assignment. Um, don't they know I can't be working when I'm LOOKING for work? The nerve!
-Ugh. Co-worker just used a dry erase marker. I think I'm going to be sick.
-This job is wrapping up soon. My to do list is growing. How did I ever get things done when I had a full time? Oh wait...that's right. I didn't.
-I was a Snapple addict. Then I got kidney stones... not saying one caused the other, but someone told me iced tea has something to do with it. I miss the peach tea. I do dabble on occasion.
-Gym. Gym. Gym. Operation Gym. I've been slacking mucho.
-I'm determined to finish "Bitch Is The New Black"... I've been sitting on that book for months. I just wasn't in the head space to read it like I thought I would be when I downloaded it.
-I'm thinking food truck for lunch. Korean vegetable plate. Nothing wrong with that!
-Or maybe I'll go to the curry truck.
-Depends on the weather.
-Happy birthday to Ibrahim!
-More later...maybe. - October 21, 2010 at 12:54 PM
- Yolanda said...
And the rent is too damn high.
The mortgage too! - October 21, 2010 at 12:55 PM
- Annamaria said...
Happy bday Ibrahim.... Give him lots of kisses for me..
I'm sick. Miserable sick...Absolutely MISERABLE.
All I wanna do is sleep...
Hard to do when you have a 14 month old running around...
Supposed to go pumpkin picking Saturday....
Fashion show on Tuesday & I'm stressed but have a feeling it's going to be FAB!!!!
Supposed to be hitting ATL sometime in Dec to launch the line out there!
BUT all I can think about is this stupid cold... - October 21, 2010 at 1:09 PM
- Brooke said...
I know how you feel. The worst is being sick but knowing you can't rest to get rid of it. People think you're not as sick as you are because you're at work, or blogging, or whatever, but honestly, those are the only things that take my mind off of being sick.
Mind over matter though. I will NOT be sick on Saturday for my baby's birthday!
I hope to be well enough to go to your fashion show on Tuesday, it sounds like it's gonna be awesome.
But the pressure of what to wear is killin' me! What does one wear to a fashion show exactly? I'm fashion challenged :)
Tyler Perry will be back on Oprah on 11/5 with an audience full of men who have suffered through the same abuse he did. It's gonna be something to watch. I don't think he had any real revelations recently, especially since he's talked about his abuse long before appearing on Oprah, but this time he simply gave details. Horrific details. I can't even imagine.
Who cares what men want. What do WE want for ourselves should be our focus. We're always trying to figure out what the other person wants instead of making ourselves happy. I say EFF IT too Yolanda!
I need to figure out this Pandora thing.
My sister told me the same thing about iced tea...but I can't help myself. My weakness is half and half, lemonade and iced tea. Delicious!
I can't eat food off the street. I'm sure it's psychological, but I always get sick when I do it, and I haven't done that in a while. Can't do it. I know the food isn't any better in some restaurants, but I've only gotten sick when I eat off the street...unless it's ice cream from Mr. Softie :)
Time to eat! - October 21, 2010 at 1:21 PM
- DMoe said...
Here's where I'm at:
- Happy Birthday 'Brahim!!! (I just 'breviated that.)
- Though I was not taught, I have learned "how to Dougie".
- "Def Jam Rapstar" is the next item up for bids on my ever-evolving "grown man-must-have-this-new-fun-thing" list.
- iPads are sexy.
- Thanks to all for the luck/love on last week's interview. I nailed the dismount. We'll see how the judges score my performance.
-TVOne's "UnSung" featuring Tammi Terrell was great. She died really young, and they say she did NOT die from David Ruffin hitting her with a lamp, among various items besides his fist. Damn bruh.
- Tamryn Hall has been filling in on the Today show lately. (In Dmoe-speak, the name "Tamryn" means "yummy") Not only can she get it...she can KEEP it!
Next up: The Dmoe RTT playlist.This week? Ode to the REEEEE-MIIXXXXX. Puff Daddy bathes in it, but Bell Biv Devoe ran the water.
Here's a handy-list of bangers (and the unforgettable line) that "re-banged" you for your enjoyment, and their money.
1. Aaliyah/At your best - The rare, B-side gem KILLED the original ballad.
"One two checka, baby lemme know whassup."
2. Lost Boys/Renee - From the "Don't be a menace..." soundtrack, this retread featured the vocals of Mona Lisa (where did YOU go?) with a quicker beat, and the Janet Jackson hook from "Funny how time flies".
"A ghetto love is the law that we live by, day by day I wonder why my shorty had to die."
3. Biggie/One more chance - My .02 cents: This is the greatest do-over ever. Keep the change.
"First things first, I poppa, freaks all the honeys..."
4. Brandy f. Queen Latifah, Yoyo, MC Lyte/I wanna be down - Gave this good song a great new life.
"Yeah I get exotic with the melodic tune, I get hypnotic with the room, but you got to put me down soon"
5. Mary J Blige f. Biggie/Real Love - This was by far the shining star on MJB's "What's the 411? Remix album. Timeless.
"Look up in the sky, its a bird, its a plane...Nope, its Mary J ain't a damn thing changed."
6. Jodeci/Come & Talk to me - Gotta give Diddy his props on this one. The first release made waves. The remix? An OCEAN.
"You look so sexy, you really turn me on, blow my mind every time I...see yo face girlllll...."
7. R.Kelly/Fiesta AND Ignition - One guy with serious problems creates TWO great party anthems. The originals were good, these two? FAN-DAMN-TASTIC.
"After the show, its da after party, after the party its da hotel lobby, and, after the lobby then its probly Cris, and after the original, its probably this!"
8. Eric B & Rakim/Paid in Full - Back in 1988, this may actually be the first "club banger 2.0". You loved the original, but you had to have this new version.
"This is a journey - into sound..."
9. Craig Mack f. Busta Rhymes, Biggie, LL Cool J, Rampage/Flava in ya ear - Let's call this joint the first remix to bring in the heavy hitters for 16 unique bars apiece.
I simply CANT pick a favorite line from this joint. "Heeesheee! Uhhh, Blow-ticious...Skee-vee? Delicous!"
10. Jr. Mafia/Get Money - A classic where BOTH versions bang in their own unique way. Cease, Kim and Big deliver 48 bars of pure gold over the Dennis Edwards' "Don't look any further" sample. Of course, this joint spawned 2pac's (mostly lame) response record "Hit em up".
"Big mama, Keys in Tijuana, some call me Donna, Karan or Armani...Caps by the punani, for brown nose-pu**y crushers, cap-peelin lovers, ignorant mutha-f**kers."
Hard to pick just 10, and many more to mention.
I'm sure we can all add more favorites if ya got em....
I'm DMoe and I approve this message. - October 21, 2010 at 2:11 PM
- Yolanda said...
DMoe's writing excites me!
*backing away slowly* - October 21, 2010 at 2:19 PM
- The Fury said...
@Brooke - Go ahead and buy the 5 inch boots...I dare you. If I see you in the street you I'll make good use of you in those boots.
..yeah in the streets cuz we still haven't gone to lunch (my treat at that!)
...or to the sex club
I wonder if the rent at the sex club is too damn high. Has to be they charge $100+ to get in.
sex club entry fees are too damn high...
but necessary to keep out the homeless.
Snapple is crack
The music list is hot.
That Leflaur Leflah joint was a beast...and still is.
today is #thongthursday who's participating? - October 21, 2010 at 3:32 PM
- Monica said...
I saw Bruce Leroy from the last dragon today!!! LOL That made my day.
Still debating on going to the gym today. Maybe I'll follow your lead Yolanda.
Kick Rocks Dmoe! ...just because I felt like lol
sex club?? Do I even want to know? lol - October 21, 2010 at 4:09 PM
- The Cable Guy said...
Yo, between Brian's throwback joint and DMoe's list, I'm in a musical frenzy! This is the hot shit on Random Thoughts Thursday!
Good look B!
$100 to get in the sex club? Just ocme to my crib and get busy, I'll just charge fi' dollas!
Why do I feel like all my boos on the blog are leaving me? Brooke won't give me no rhythm and now Yolanda is "excited" by DMoe. What up wit dat?
I know this is wrong, but I'ma say it anyway. If your baby ain't cute, don't make their pic your profile pic on FB. That is all.
That Tyler Perry interview was brutal.
I want waffles.
Happy birthday to Ibrahim! - October 21, 2010 at 4:10 PM
- Brooke said...
Next week, for sure! Lunch! and maybe the sex club...gotta check my duggets first!
DMoe's RTT remix list is FIYA! "Come and Talk to Me" Jodeci remx is the SHIZNIT! Why they gotta be crackheads and whatnot though?
I missed Taimak when he was here. How did you see him Mo - in the lobby? Charles Oakley is on his way up right now...so I may holla real quick :)
"When I say who's the masta...you say...Sho Nuff!" LMAO!
I still can't believe Michael Jackson is gone. - October 21, 2010 at 4:13 PM
- Stef said...
What the hell is the Dougie dance anyway?
Happy Birthday Brahim! Those nephews are cuties!
The throwback today was HOT!! I forgot about that joint!
DMoe, as always, the list is bangin'. The folks on this blog have great music taste ;)
Brian is a lurker. WACK! LOL!
Poor Tyler Perry, so sad. I'm glad he's turned all of that heartache into a positive and is who he is today. Say what you want about him, but HE'S a BOSS too!
Lisa Marie Presley is annoying.
Iced tea and kidney stones? really?
uh oh.
my nails are jacked!
Cable Guy, my nemesis, you are correct. There are ALOT of people who think their baby is cute - and they really aren't. I know all babies are supposed to be cute - but they're not :)
I'm going to hell for that :)
and my baby won't be cute :)
I'm horny as hell. I need a story from you Brooke! Meanwhile, I'll mosey on over to Fury's site for a sec :) Where is the Dominatricks blog!?
Ever be real horny, then get with someone and the sex is wack? Doesn't that just piss you off!?
What is going on with all these concussions in football? I'm no expert and I've just started watching, but I feel like there are at least 5 every Sunday.
Waffles are gooood! I want some too! - October 21, 2010 at 4:21 PM
- Monica said...
Brooke he walked by the conference room I was in on the 14th floor for the emergency evacuations meeting.
Happy Birthday to Brahim!
Cable guy the comment about the kids pics...you're too funny! LMAO - October 21, 2010 at 4:29 PM
- DMoe said...
- Back again...
@ Yo and B - I'm flattered, and thanks for today's smile.
"Dmoe's goofy grin is sponsored by ...ya'll azzes"
Wait, booty-challenged? That simply can't be. No way.
@ Mo - You saw Bruce Leroy ey?
Well...I wish I could see him karate-chop yo azz instead of Sho-Nuff sucka!
If Snapple leaves, take me with it.
Stay thirsty. - October 21, 2010 at 4:30 PM
- Monica said...
Dmoe I'll karate chop you! lol
And your grin is goofy every damn day so no need to thank B and Yolanda for that lmao. They have no parts in making yo azz look goofy! :-) - October 21, 2010 at 4:38 PM
- The Fury said...
@TheCableGuy - going as an observer. Never been feel like doing a Tom Cruise in Eyes Wide Shut and seeing what the hell is happening.
@Brooke - No duckets needed. I got you. Next week may be bad though for the sex club. You know that's when I get to wear my ask outside and no one looks at me strangely. Hehehe But....possibly..
I want that Domina*tricks blog!!!
@Stef - yeah you come on over to my blog... *licks lips* - October 21, 2010 at 4:38 PM
- Jay said...
Brooke is NOT booty challenged. Deebo is buggin'...and apparently BLIND. What kind of booty does he want you to have? One so big you can stack a shelf on it? Nah B, your booty is...um...nice :)
Long brown legs and a breathtaking smile....yeah, I'll take some of that. ANY day.
Throwback joint was on point! Definitely dug in the crates for THAT one! Good ish B.
DMoe, your list is tight...as always.
I'm praying for Tyler Perry. His story was insane. This happens to men way more than we know, especially black men. I hope his story of triumph can influence other men to get over the shame of abuse.
I'm looking for a good Halloween party to go to. Anybody?
I can't believe October is half way over, this year is flying by.
I forbid Brooke to go to the sex club with Fury :) Lunch? yes. Sex club? negative.
I sound like cable dude now :)
@Stef, you're right. The tackles are getting out of hand in football. If you feel like you need to retire rather than learn the correct way to tackle, then kick rocks. It's only a matter of time before someone dies on the field. THEN what? - October 21, 2010 at 4:39 PM
- Brooke said...
I agree with you on the tackles situation...and Jay, exactly... when someone dies, then they'll be like "what happened?"
I have no idea how to "Dougie" or even what it looks like...but I know the song. But check out this dance that Craig'n'em sent me:
We just make up sh*t don't we?
Oprah is going IN on her shows lately. A lot of good "gets."
I'm not talkin' bout nobody's babies, cuz I don't want any funny lookin' babies myself :) karma.
I'm trying to wait til TMI Tuesday to post Domina*tricks' blog - be patient! with y'all horny asses!
I don't feel like working. I'm still tired. - October 21, 2010 at 4:51 PM
- Yolanda said...
-Charles Oakley has a food truck business. Random. But I read he's trying to get a reality show out of it. Guess that's part of lurking around A&E, huh?
-Cable Guy: don't be jelly. There's plenty of us to go around. You know I'll never give up cable. (Unless a fine FIOS guy shows up)
-Just playin. Just playin.
-No food truck for lunch today. Just a salad and some sushi for dessert (yes, my addiction is that bad).
-I think I might be ADHD. I'm so unfocused. - October 21, 2010 at 5:05 PM
- Rameer The Circumstance said...
'Sup, y'all.
- Truth be told, women don't WANT to know what men want. Y'all too busy debating and talking about it in the salon to even hear it. Every married woman I know knows what HER man wants - it really ain't that hard.
All the women in my family when I was growing up never had these discussions...it was more like laughing at how easy it was to figure men out and get them to do what you wanted/needed them to do. Sign 'O The Times.
- Juan Williams deserved to get fired simply for being an incessant COON. Sorry - I believe what he said was stupid and worthy of getting fired (his NPR required him to come across as an objective newsperson, NOT a typical Fox head), and I don't argue to defend every Negro or person of color simply cuz they're "one of us". I've listened to the crap that comes out of that man's mouth for years while shaking my head - he's the proverbial "See? We have a Negro who agrees with us!" guest on a lot of radio and TV shows that are offensive to us. I feel no sorrow - that coon is STILL gonna be rich.
- I don't get the "Oprah" thing an never will. First off, it's ALWAYS been on when I'm either in class or at work. I don't really believe in taping or DVRing anything, so it's never BEEN on my radar. And the few times I have seen her show over the years, it just obviously is geared towards women - just not my cup of tea.
And seeing as I'm not a fan of Tyler Perry...no reason for me to check it out. Such is life...
- DMoe - you forgot (or maybe you didn't) about Boyz II Men's "Vibe" remix...or the "All I Need To Get By" remix. Or any Mary J. Blige remix from her second album...lolz!
- Yolanda put me on to a DOPE website - Tuberadio.fm. You can access any music video in a matter of seconds by typing in the song or artist...cuts all the looking through results out of the way! I love to be put on to new ish.
- Trivia - I've met and hung out with members of The Boot Camp Clik ("Lefleur Leflah") more than any other Hip Hop heads I've heard of. Really - it would average out to once a year since they came on the scene in the early 90's. Don't ask me how this occurs...
- The NFL is WEAK for trying to limit hard hits, when they're entire league was built on that. Dirty hits should be fined or cause suspensions...but let these men play FOOTBALL.
- Happy birthday, Ibrahim!!!
- Brooke-Ra - get him some SU gear. Gotta start the kids out early.
- I can't stand my job of late. Can't go into details, but it really has been a chore walking into this place of late.
- Season Finale of "Jersey Shore" tonight...OH YEAHHH!!!
- I find it funny when people who don't know you question your actions or views like "you CAN'T be like/think like that. No one does." My response? Surround yourself with better or different people. Stop assuming everyone in the world does and thinks thing the same...
- I'm staggering my workload lately. If they don't respect my posted schedule, I'll just have to make sure the stuff they throw on my desk doesn't get down FOR SURE. They don't listen to words or e-mail...you can show a fool better than you can tell 'em.
- My girl buys me a fresh melon usually, and chops it up into bits for me to snack on during the week. It's not a big thing...but it's the little things that count. Love her.
- Gotta go edit...perhaps a little More After The Break. - October 21, 2010 at 5:21 PM
- Serena W. said...
RTT! Late edition!
Happy birthday to Ibrahim!
New job is going well! I really missed arts education field.
Gotta SU Alum in my office! It's on! WE BLEED ORANGE!
I want to go shopping too Brooke!
All loot has to go into finishing my book. I can see the finish line but can't touch it yet.
Ran in a 10K on Saturday and won 2nd place in my division! YEAH!
Running in the Army 10 Miler Sunday.
No iPods on the course! BOO! What's up with that! They suck!
I got my dress and shoes for the black tie/masquerade ball wedding reception I'm going too.
Next stop (get toes did)!
My girl in Dallas said, "I was at a brew house sipping on coffee and looked up and there was a framed poem of yours!" Now that's awesome!
I'll be busy next weekend but I gotta make it to Juniors Cheesecake while I'm in NYC!
Yolanda I'm jealous you got Sade tickets! I'm waiting for a NYC or DC date.
Lost Boys/Renee =the shiznit!
I was jamming to Mary J. Blige, "What's the 411" cd. Bananas! Her best work ever!
Did I say my job is great! I'll say it again!! My job is great!
DMoe your list is bananas as always.
Throwback video is the bidness! - October 21, 2010 at 5:34 PM
- Serena W. said...
Rameer you're so dope man! "It's the little things..." that's what's up. I'm happy for you.
- October 21, 2010 at 5:42 PM
- Rameer The Circumstance said...
Thanks, Serena! And you KNOW you reek of dope-icity yourself - always have, always WILL...
Have a good night, all. - October 21, 2010 at 6:05 PM
- Brooke said...
I agree they should let them play football, but dirty hits shouldn't be allowed or tolerated. I agree with Jay, that's not football. There is a right way to tackle and a wrong way. Leading with your head while torpedoing your body into someone's skull is not cool. You become a weapon at that point, and when someone dies or is paralyzed for life, no one is gonna care that they were "just playing football." It's getting ridiculous now.
That's why my son is gonna play basketball...or golf...or tennis :)
Serena rocks! Go girl! I know DMurray and Alison are doing the army 10 miler too - you guys are awesome!
Most men don't "get" Oprah, and I can totally see that. But I wonder why some men don't respect her. She's done alot and come a LONG way - not just personally, professionally. Her show is definitely female skewing, most talk shows are...but I think she's an awesome example of your circumstances not defining who you are or what you'll become...and I think that's a message both genders can appreciate. - October 21, 2010 at 6:11 PM
- Serena W. said...
Rameer I love dope-icity!!! Tight!
Brooke thanks for chiming in ;)
Ah yes the Murray's and I registered together! Team work in full effect on Sunday! We are all crossing that finish line!
Annamaria feel better!
Monica I'm still sending a donation your way! - October 21, 2010 at 8:22 PM


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Listen Live
Mr. Brownworth created the genre-defining 12 Byzantine Rulers, which prompted the New York Times to liken him to some of history's great popularizers. Click "play" to listen to his "12 Byzantine Rulers" and "Norman Centuries" podcasts.
The Word on the Street
In barely 18 months, Mr. Brownworth's podcast, 12 Byzantine Rulers, has become one of the phenomena of the podcasting world.
Captivating... In Lost to the West Lars Brownworth shows a novelist's eye for character, bringing to life some of the most fascinating - and yet little known - figures of the Byzantine era.
This is history as it used to be, history as story-telling. In this fascinating account of the Byzantine empire, Lars Brownworth covers a thousand years of blood-letting, outrageous luxury, bitter religious disputes and vaulting ambition without giving the slightest impression of being rushed or crowded. The page turns unaided.
Latest News
Lars Brownworth's latest book, The Sea Wolves: A History of the Vikings is on sale now!
In AD 793 Norse warriors struck the English isle of Lindisfarne and laid waste to it. Wave after wave of Norse 'sea-wolves' followed in search of plunder, land, or a glorious death in battle. Much of the British Isles fell before their swords, and the continental capitals of Paris and Aachen were sacked in turn. Turning east, they swept down the uncharted rivers of central Europe, captured Kiev and clashed with mighty Constantinople, the capital of the Byzantine Empire.
But there is more to the Viking story than brute force. They were makers of law - the term itself comes from an Old Norse word - and they introduced a novel form of trial by jury to England. They were also sophisticated merchants and explorers who settled Iceland, founded Dublin, and established a trading network that stretched from Baghdad to the coast of North America.
In The Sea Wolves, Lars Brownworth brings to life this extraordinary Norse world of epic poets, heroes, and travellers through the stories of the great Viking figures. Among others, Leif the Lucky who discovered a new world, Ragnar Lodbrok the scourge of France, Eric Bloodaxe who ruled in York, and the crafty Harald Hardrada illuminate the saga of the Viking age - a time which "has passed away, and grown dark under the cover of night".
Find The Sea Wolves on Amazon.com or at your local bookstore.


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1) No other time in our history have we been exposed to this much information. The best way to make sense of it all is through statistics. Any Geospatial Analyst worth his salt will not only have a greater understanding of statistics, but can use this knowledge to predict future events. Through standard algorithms and probability equations (linear regression, Bayes' Theorem, Chi-squared), GIS professionals should be able to anticipate incidents and recognize trends. Traditional statistics are often dismissed as an antiquated and difficult to understand method. The truth is people are afraid of what they don't understand. Statistics in its many forms are a relatively easy way to understand and model data.
2) Without intimate knowledge of regional cultures, ideologies and traditions, a comprehensive answer can never be discovered. Data in its many forms can only paint a partial picture. Spend time to discover the truth that rests in the individuals responsible for establishing this information. Human geography reveals many secrets that typically are hidden in the data. Why did the 2014 West African Ebola outbreak impact so many people? A greater understanding of the region would uncover that culture played a major role in the spread of the disease. Epidemiology models behavior and not the corruption and distrust of local governments.
3) Expand your knowledge of non-traditional data formats and GIS software programs. ArcGIS is a powerful comprehensive package that is capable of performing virtually any GIS function that exists. It is however extremely expensive and not very intuitive. It also uses an archaic file format (shapefile) that requires at least three separate files to form one geospatial entity. Learn some of the more contemporary file formats that are easily exchangeable between platforms and programs. GIS file formats such as GeoJSON and GML are becoming more and more popular and are based upon open standards accessible by all. Additionally if you really want to distance yourself from the crowd, spend some time learning about other software solutions that will scale to fit your needs. Some examples include: CartoDB, MapBox or QGIS.
4) Learn how to visualize your comprehensive analysis in an appealing unambiguous way. Many GIS software programs do not have the capability to present analytical results that influence the audience. I've seen too many maps that are just plain ugly. Learn that through the use of subtlety, your message will be received and results will follow. Harsh coloring without the knowledge of simple tint dynamics will turn most people off. Recognize that deep dark coloring is very unappealing and shows ignorance of visualization standards. Research best visualization practices (i.e. infographics) to discover how best to convey your results. Learn how to use graphics programs like Adobe Illustrator to take your analysis to the next and final step.
5) Get back to the fundamentals and recognize that geography is the core. This field of science has many different sub disciplines that help shape an understanding of the subject you're analyzing. Learn what they are and apply them. Geospatial analysis is all about relationships. Use the principles of Tobler's Law to guide you through your results. Any good geospatial analyst will recognize that a holistic approach is the best way to find the answer you're searching for.


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Alice awakes in Raccoon City, only to find it has become infested with zombies and monsters. With the help of Jill Valentine and Carlos Olivera, Alice must find a way out of the city before it is destroyed by a nuclear missile.
- Alexander Witt
- Paul W.S. Anderson
- Constantin Film Ltd.
- Impact Pictures
Alice awakens from a terrible sleep to find her worst fears realized--the bloodthirsty Undead, which she and the now-annihilated squad of elite military fought to destroy, have been unleashed on the city that surrounds the secret facility of the Umbrella Corporation. Discovering she was an Umbrella experiment, Alice has been bio-genetically enhanced with new strengths, senses and dexterity--and she will need them. In the heart of the ravaged Raccoon City, a small group of uninfected people, including Jill Valentine, a recently demoted member of Umbrella Corp's elite Special Tactics and Rescue Services team, and S.T.A.R.S team leader Carlos Oliveira, fight for their lives against swarms of Undead and the deadlier and faster Lickers. Running out of luck and resources, the group is rescued by Alice, and they begin to wage an exhilarating battle to survive and escape before the Umbrella Corporation erases its experiment from the face of the earth. Their only hope lies somewhere within Raccoon City--Dr Charles Ashford, one of the leading scientists for the Umbrella Corporation, will help Alice and the others escape the city safely--if they find his daughter. Angie Ashford became separated from her father and now hides in fear. Alice, Jill and Carlos will have to fight their way through an army of Undead to save her. All the while, a secret weapon code-named Nemesis has been experimentally altered with greater modifications than Alice and has been programmed to track and destroy them. They will need all their strengths and skills to fight the battle of their lives against the mindless evil that has infected the city and the powerful forces that unleashed it on mankind.
1995 •87 min -
2011 •91 min -
2013 •90 min -
2002 •90 min


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Blank Label Comics, the ground-breaking co-op of independent cartoonists, is partnering with Project Wonderful to launch an ambitious concept in advertising that will offer never-before-seen marketing possibilities. BLC's Summer Wonderfest is a limited-time offer through which advertisers can buy ads that will appear across the entire BLC network at the same time. That's every single Blank Label comic and their forums.
Ads will be purchased through Project Wonderful's innovative infinite auction model: You bid on an advertising slot, and for as long as you are the high bidder, your ad is displayed. You can bid whatever price you'd like for as long as you'd like: two days, a week, a year – it's your choice. You can learn more here.
BLC traffics over 20 million pageviews a month. That means that you have a very good chance of buying a phenomenal amount of exposure for much less than you would spend on a traditional cost-per-view basis. Plus, you're buying a tremendous amount of advertising saturation. Your ad will be seen simultaneously across the Web sites of some of the most popular comics on the Net. The traditional BLC ad system will return in four weeks, so this is your chance to make an incredible impact for your product, site, comic, or group.
The URLs for the BLC member comics are:
- Checkerboard Nightmare: http://www.checkerboardnightmare.com/
- Courting Disaster: http://www.courting-disaster.com/
- Evil Inc: http://www.evil-comic.com
- Greystone Inn: http://www.greystoneinn.net/
- Joyce and Walky!: http://www.joyceandwalky.com
- Krazy Larry: http://www.krazylarry.com/
- Melonpool: http://www.melonpool.com/
- Real Life Comics: http://www.reallifecomics.com/
- Schlock Mercenary: http://www.schlockmercenary.com
- Sheldon: http://www.sheldoncomics.com/
- Shortpacked!: http://www.shortpacked.com/
- Starslip Crisis: http://www.starslip.com/
- Ugly Hill: http://www.uglyhill.com/
- Wapsi Square: http://www.wapsisquare.com/


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Cuban Revolutionary Leader Fidel Castro Dies at 90
Fidel Castro, who served as Cuba's prime minister and president, died Friday at the age of 90.
His brother, Raul, who took over for Fidel in 2008, broke the news on Cuban TV on Friday night.
Castro was the country's prime minister from 1959-1976 and the president from 1976-2008.
Castro seized power in the country during a coup to overthrow dictator Fulgencio Batista in 1959. He would install the lone Communist government in the West and no other living national leader served longer in that capacity in the 20th century other than Queen Elizabeth II. His pro-Communist stance often clashed with the United States and he infamously presided over Cuba during the Bay of Pigs invasion of his country after he aligned with the Soviet Union shortly after rising to power during the height of the Cold War.
He was also in power during the famed Cuban Missile Crisis, which nearly caused nuclear war.
Despite an economic embargo put in place by the U.S. in 1960 and the decision to cut diplomatic ties with the small island nation, Castro maintained Cuba's one-party system and imprisoned those who were against him.
As the man in charge of a Communist regime, Castro had many supporters and many detractors. There are rumors that he survived hundreds of attempts on his life, many by the CIA.
Relations between the U.S. and Cuba remained tense for nearly a dozen presidential administrations, although they improved in recent years. Last year, they agreed to re-open diplomatic relations and in March of this year President Obama visited the country.


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29 Great Classic Rock Christmas Memories
Rock stars celebrate Christmas in their own rock star ways, as you'll see in our list of Classic Rock Christmas Memories. Whether they make gestures big or small, grand and well-planned or completely improvised, all of them added their own special meaning to the Yuletide season.
For instance, acts like Sting, Kid Rock and U2 have participated in charity efforts to make the holidays an easier time for those in need. Others like Aerosmith's Steven Tyler, Alice Cooper and Paul Simon have taken part in special Christmas-themed productions aimed at ensuring the season is merry and bright.
We've seen musicians like the Stray Cats' Brian Setzer and Steve Lukather take deep dives into all things Santa. The Beatles, Crosby, Stills & Nash, Elvis Presley, the Red Hot Chili Peppers and the Rolling Stones clearly put a lot of thought into what they'd do to wish us all good tidings. Other times, however, these holiday celebrations are less planned, more off the cuff: You'll see guys from Bon Jovi, the Monkees and Stryper adding a little rock flavor to everyday Christmas-themed events.
Of course, this time of year is always made complete with its own distinct soundtrack, so we'll also remember musicians like AC/DC, Bruce Springsteen, David Bowie, the Eagles, Hall & Oates, the Pretenders and others who released timeless music that we return to again and again.


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Jeremiah, 51
1. Thus says the LORD: See! I rouse against Babylon, and against those who live in Chaldea, a destroying wind. 2. Against Babylon I will send winnowers to winnow her and lay waste her land; They shall besiege her from all sides on the day of affliction. 3. Let the bowman draw his bow, and flaunt his coat of mail; Spare not her young men, doom her entire army. 4. The slain shall fall in the land of Chaldea, the transfixed, in her streets; 5. For Israel and Judah are not widowed of their God, the LORD of hosts, And the Chaldean land is full of guilt to be punished by the Holy One of Israel. 6. Flee out of Babylon; let each one save his life, perish not for her guilt; This is a time of vengeance for the LORD, he pays her her due. 7. Babylon was a golden cup in the hand of the LORD which made the whole earth drunk; The nations drank its wine, with this they have become mad. 8. Babylon suddenly falls and is crushed: howl over her! Bring balm for her wounds, in case she can be healed. 9. "We have tried to heal Babylon, but she cannot be healed. Leave her, let us go, each to his own land." Her judgment reaches heaven, it touches the clouds. 10. The LORD has brought to light our just cause; come, let us tell in Zion what the LORD, our God, has done. 11. Sharpen the arrows, fill the quivers; The LORD has stirred up the spirit of Media's kings; Babylon he is resolved to destroy. Yes, it is the vengeance of the LORD, vengeance for his temple. 12. Against the walls of Babylon raise a signal, make strong the watch; Post sentries, arrange ambushes! For the LORD has planned and he will carry out his threat against the inhabitants of Babylon. 13. You who dwell by mighty waters, rich in treasure, Your end has come, the term at which you shall be cut off! 14. The LORD of hosts has sworn by himself: I will fill you with men as numerous as locusts, who shall raise over you the vintage shout! 15. He has sworn who made the earth by his power, and established the world by his wisdom, and stretched out the heavens by his skill. 16. When he thunders, the waters in the heavens roar, and he brings up clouds from the end of the earth; He makes the lightning flash in the rain, and releases stormwinds from their chambers. 17. Every man is stupid, ignorant; every artisan is put to shame by his idol: He molded a fraud, without breath of life. 18. Nothingness are they, a ridiculous work, that will perish in their time of punishment. 19. Not like these is the portion of Jacob, he is the creator of all things; Israel is his very own tribe, LORD of hosts is his name. 20. You are my hammer, my weapon for war; With you I shatter nations, with you I destroy kingdoms. 21. With you I shatter horse and rider, with you I shatter chariot and driver. 22. With you I shatter man and wife, with you I shatter old and young, with you I shatter the youth and maiden. 23. With you I shatter the shepherd and his flock, with you I shatter the farmer and his team, with you I shatter satraps and prefects. 24. Thus will I repay Babylon, and all who live in Chaldea All the evil they did to Zion, as you shall see with your own eyes, says the LORD. 25. Beware! I am against you, destroying mountain, destroyer of the entire earth, says the LORD; I will stretch forth my hand against you, roll you down over the cliffs, and make you a burnt mountain: 26. They will not take from you a cornerstone, or a foundation stone; Ruins forever shall you be, says the LORD. 27. Raise a signal on the earth, blow the trumpet among the nations; Dedicate peoples to war against her, summon against her the kingdoms, Ararat, Minni, and Ashkenaz; Appoint recruiting officers against her, send up horses like bristling locusts. 28. Dedicate peoples to war against her: the king of Media, Its governors and all its prefects, every land in his domain. 29. The earth quakes and writhes, the LORD'S plan against Babylon is carried out, Turning the land of Babylon into a desert where no one lives. 30. Babylon's warriors have ceased to fight, they remain in their strongholds; Dried up is their strength, they have become women. Burned are their homes, and broken their bars. 31. One runner meets another, herald meets herald, Telling the king of Babylon that all his city is taken. 32. The fords have been seized, and the fortresses set on fire, while warriors are in panic. 33. For thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: Daughter Babylon is like a threshing floor at the time it is trodden; Yet a little while, and the harvest time will come for her. 34. He has consumed me, routed me, (Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon,) he has left me as an empty vessel; He has swallowed me like a dragon: filled his belly with my delights, and cast me out. 35. My torn flesh be upon Babylon, says the city on Zion; My blood upon the people of Chaldea, says Jerusalem. 36. But now, thus says the LORD: Surely I will defend your cause, I will avenge you; I will dry up her sea, and drain her fountain. 37. Babylon shall become a heap of ruins, a haunt of jackals; A place of horror and ridicule, where no one lives. 38. They all roar like lions, growl like lion cubs. 39. When they are parched, I will set a drink before them to make them drunk, that they may be overcome with perpetual sleep, never to awaken, says the LORD. 40. I will bring them down like lambs to the slaughter, like rams and goats. 41. How has she been seized, made captive, the glory of the whole world! What a horror has Babylon become among nations: 42. against Babylon the sea rises, she is overwhelmed by the roaring waves! 43. Her cities have become a desert, parched and arid land Where no man lives, and no one passes through. 44. I will punish Bel in Babylon, and make him disgorge what he swallowed; peoples shall stream to him no more. The wall of Babylon falls! 45. Leave her, my people, let each one save himself from the burning wrath of the LORD. 46. Be not discouraged for fear of rumors spread in the land; this year the rumor comes, then violence in the land, tyrant against tyrant. 47. But behold, the days are coming when I will punish the idols of Babylon; her whole land shall be put to shame, and all her slain shall lie fallen within her. 48. Then heaven, and earth, and everything in them shall shout over Babylon with joy, when the destroyers come against her from the north, says the LORD. 49. Babylon, too, must fall, O slain of Israel, as at the hands of Babylon have fallen the slain of all the earth. 50. You who have escaped the sword, go on, stand not still; Remember the LORD from afar, let Jerusalem come to your minds. 51. We are ashamed because we have heard taunts, confusion covers our faces; strangers have entered the holy places of the house of the LORD. 52. But behold, the days are coming, says the LORD, when I will punish her idols, and in her whole land the wounded will groan. 53. Though Babylon scale the heavens, and make her strong heights inaccessible, destroyers from me shall reach her, says the LORD. 54. Hear! loud cries from Babylon, dire destruction from the land of the Chaldeans; 55. For the LORD lays Babylon waste, stills her loud cry, Though her waves were roaring like mighty waters, and their clamor was heard afar. 56. For the destroyer comes upon her, (Babylon,) her heroes are captured, their bows broken; The LORD is a God who requites, he will surely repay. 57. I will make her princes and her wise men drunk, her governors, her prefects, and her warriors, so that they sleep an eternal sleep, never to awaken, says the King, whose name is the LORD of hosts. 58. Thus says the LORD of hosts: The walls of spacious Babylon shall be leveled utterly; her lofty gates shall be destroyed by fire. The toil of the nations is for nothing; for the flames the peoples weary themselves. 59. This was the errand given by the prophet Jeremiah to Seraiah, son of Neriah, son of Mahseiah, when he went to Babylon for the king in the fourth year of the reign of Zedekiah; Seraiah was chief quartermaster. 60. Jeremiah had written all the misfortune that was to befall Babylon in a single book: all these words that were written against Babylon. 61. And Jeremiah said to Seraiah: When you reach Babylon, see that you read aloud all these words, 62. and then say: O LORD, you yourself threatened to destroy this place, so that neither man nor beast should dwell in it, since it would remain an everlasting desert. 63. When you have finished reading this book, tie a stone to it and throw it in the Euphrates, 64. and say: Thus shall Babylon sink. Never shall she rise, because of the evil I am bringing upon her. (To "weary themselves" are the words of Jeremiah.)


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Recently while working for a client that was running SQL Server 2008 R2 I was tasked with loading an Excel Macro (.xlsm) enabled workbook. If you have ever tried this yourself you may have tried using the default Excel provider, which does not work. In fact, this is the error message you get after trying to close the Excel connection manager.
I thought I'd go ahead and document the solution in both 2008 and 2012 for you. Both solutions require you have the Microsoft Access Database Engine 2010 Redistributable driver installed so make that your first step before reading on. Don't worry it doesn't require a server restart.
Create an OLE DB Connection Manager and use the Native OLE DB\Microsoft Office 12.0 Access Database Engine OLE DB Provider (Microsoft.ACE.OLEDB.12.0). Then provide the path for your macro enable workbook in the "Server or file name property".
Next click on All to modify the Extended Properties by adding Excel 12.0 Macro;HDR=YES. Most of this text is self explanatory except the HDR which stands for header. If you don't want the first row of data to be the column header than change this to NO.
Click OK and use an OLE DB Source in your data flow to either select a sheet or query the workbook.
Guess what? With SSIS 2012 you don't have to do anything extra! The default Excel Connection that didn't work in 2008 does work now. As long as you have the before mentioned Access driver you're ready to go. Shown below is the 2012 Source Assistant that you'll noticed took care of the Extended Properties setting you had to manually do in 2008. In 2012 you will use the normal Excel Source instead of the OLE DB Source.
Hope this helps!


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Seven Ways You Can Find Peace
No matter what shakes our world, you can find peace.
Blessed is the man… his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law, he meditates day and night.
"I can't' believe you do that. That's crazy!" a friend said when I told her I travel abroad by myself.
That's crazy!
She might be right. Being blind, my traveling alone could be dangerous. Without eyesight, I risk many mishaps—getting lost, losing my luggage, falling, running into objects or into people. Or even ending up in the wrong destination.
But the worry is gone because when I leave for a trip from my hometown of Orlando and head to South America, for example, I have a plan. In one hand I hold my white cane, and in my heart, I carry God's Word. They're verses from the Bible I memorized and silently repeat them in my mind throughout the day.
Good thing I developed that habit because not long ago when I visited Ecuador for the first time to address women's conferences in various cities, God's Word saved me from panic.
"Wake up, Janet!"
My friend whispered as she stood beside my bed "Don't be afraid, but we had another earthquake last night."
This was my first time in Ecuador, the surroundings were unfamiliar and the tremors that would soon follow added to the uneasiness of the moment.
My friend left as she had to attend to some urgent matters. I was alone. The only thing that accompanied me was my white cane and the fear I'd be unable to navigate to find the exit. My fate was that I would be crushed or trapped.
I tried to wipe away thoughts of the possible tragic ending. But, before I did, the furniture began to shake, the windows rattled and my heart beat fast.
I forced myself to take a deep breath. I needed supernatural help. But I had no one to read Bible passages to me. No cell connection to listen to God's Word or even a radio to listen to Christian teachings. The only thing I had, stored deep in my heart and tucked in the crevices of my mind was God's Word. I had written them with the pen of commitment ever since I met Jesus and began a sweet relationship with Him.
In the midst of the tremors, He whispered to me:
- "Be still and know that I am God." Psalm 46:10
- "The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want." Psalm 23:1
- "fear not, for I am with you…" Isaiah 41:10
- "for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control." 2 Timothy 1:7
- "I can do all things through him who strengthens me." Philippians 4:13
- "The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?" Psalm 27:1
The threatening terror turned to triumphant peace. I wasn't alone, God was with me. The tremors stopped in my heart and in the room as well. Fresh reassurance, powerful confidence and profound calmness erased all fear.
No matter what shakes our world, God's Word is available and through the Holy Spirit, it's ready to leap from the page into our mind and heart. Here are seven steps to store them deep within:
- Ask God to speak to you through His Word
- Ask God to grant you spiritual wisdom to understand His message
- Choose a Bible verse
- Keep the verse short
- Ponder on its meaning
- Repeat it over and over again in your mind
- When going to bed, commit it to memory and repeat it the first thing in the morning
Once this verse flows easily in your mind and from your lips, choose another one and follow the same steps.
Storing Bible verses in the heart is like collecting gems. They will shine to dispel the darkness. They will enrich a heart that's empty. They will grow in value. And they will add worth to our life.
Although we all face earthquakes that shake our life, God's Word is the steady foundation that remains solid. His Word, learned and stored within, is the weapon that defeats the enemy, turns fear to faith, panic to peace and soothes the aching heart.
Pray this week:
Heavenly Father, you see the tremors that often shake my own life, I ask for Your wisdom to understand Your Word, for Your grace to keep me focused on You, and for diligence to store Your Word deep within me. Amen.
How has God's Word stored in your heart helped you?


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What Shifts in Product Demand Mean for SEO
If you're working in e-commerce through the COVID-19 crisis, you've likely noticed some wild shifts in the way your products are viewed and consumed by the public. After all, the needs of the entire world have changed in some capacity. It makes sense that purchasing habits have, too.
This shift in demand might require an equal shift in your marketing strategy. As an SEO, you need to make sure that you understand the new demands on your product in the given market, and ensure any on-site changes are SEO-friendly.
These strategies apply not only in the midst of our current pandemic, but also during any rapid or unexpected change in product demand.
E-commerce sites are facing two very different scenarios
With my own e-commerce clients, and as a consumer myself, I've noticed two ways that the COVID-19 outbreak is affecting product demand:
1. Your product is suddenly a hot commodity and demand has skyrocketed.
Sporting goods, home office supplies, and backyard furniture have all exploded since social distancing guidelines were imposed.
Roller skates, for example, are having a moment. Lots of people (including me!) have turned to skating and other outdoor activities for recreation. And with many brick-and-mortar stores closed, we're buying these items online.
[Alt text: Google Trends chart for the keyword "roller skates", which shows relatively steady numbers until a sharp increase in March 2020]
2. Your product is suddenly less relevant to the market and demand has drastically decreased.
Items like apparel, shoes, and luxury goods are all experiencing this to a degree. Engagement rings — being expensive and tied to a major life event — saw a sharp decrease in search volume in March 2020.
[Alt text: Google Trends chart for the keyword "engagement rings", which sees relatively steady numbers until a sharp decrease in March 2020.]
These examples fall on opposite ends of a demand spectrum. Take time to analyze your traffic and consider which side of the spectrum your product lands on, so you can make the best of your situation as an SEO and marketer.
If your product is more in demand than ever
You may think it's all positive when your product is in a season of high demand, especially during an economic downturn. But an unexpected uptick in demand can cause a host of marketing and SEO challenges to contend with. Here are some of the most important considerations to take into account if your products are newly booming.
Manage temporary out-of-stock products
Disrupted supply chains paired with a demand increase is a recipe for an out-of-stock disaster, at least temporarily. If this isn't something your site typically deals with, you may be the one who has to figure out what to do with these product pages while you wait for a restock.
Dr. Pete has a fantastic article about the best way to handle temporary out-of-stock that you should check out if this is your scenario.
Spoiler alert: please don't 404 these pages if the product will be restocked. Also, make sure that you're providing helpful information about where users can find the product in stores, or how they can be notified when it's back in stock online.
Address common user questions
Given the extreme circumstances we're collectively experiencing, customers need to be reassured about any contingencies they'll face when ordering your product. It is critically important to address these pain points with on-site messaging during a sudden uptick in order volume for two reasons:
- You are likely unprepared for a massive influx of customer service calls. Even if you are prepared, you should do what you can to spare your customer service reps!
- Many customers don't want to reach out to customer service to get a basic question answered. If they can't find the information quickly on your site, they're more likely to find another site to take their money.
If you don't know what your customers are asking about, there are a few ways to find out:
- Talk to your customer service reps. They speak with your customers every day, and likely have answered the same questions over and over again. These are the questions to address on-site.
- Mine your chat logs for repeat questions.
- See what customers are asking about on social media — check your linked and unlinked mentions!
- Address anything you know to be a current concern: are there shipping delays? Back ups with your warehouse? Let people know about it up front to save yourself from angry customer messages later.
You can respond to these questions in several different ways on your site. Adding banners, pop-ups, and even prominently displaying your FAQ page are all options. Just make sure your message is easy to find without detracting from important product details.
Moxi Skates provides a great example of this strategy in action. On every product page, they include a "COVID Questions" tab to address changes in operations due to the pandemic. They also have a message directly under the "Add to Cart" button telling users how long they can expect to wait for their skates.
[Alt text: A product page from Moxi Skates that includes a "COVID Questions" tab, describing what customers need to know about the current shipping status of the product.]
Meet your users where they are
If your product is suddenly popular because of a lifestyle change for your customer (such as working from a home office instead of in-office), you could test new language and imagery to keep your products relevant in their new setting.
Vari makes desks and other office furniture, including popular standing desks. Before the pandemic, their homepage featured only in-office business imagery. Now, they prominently feature desk solutions for home learning and work-from-home. This didn't replace their office-focused messaging, but supplemented it in a useful way.
Notice there's no overdone "in these trying times" or "now more than ever" language. Rather they're speaking directly to this newly popular use for their product.
[Alt text: A screen shot from Vari's homepage that pictures a woman working at a desk. The main text says "Feel at Home Wherever You Work."]
Find opportunities to create new indexed pages
With the advent of new concepts comes the opportunity for new indexed pages — both on the content and product side.
Five months ago, "social distance supplies" had no monthly search volume, and likely didn't mean much to any of us. Yet now it's the language we use to describe products like hand sanitizer, cleaning wipes, masks, and gloves.
Sure you could call those items "safety supplies", "cleaning supplies", or "PPE", and you might still want to do that, but there's a new opportunity to use "social distancing supplies" as another relevant semantic grouping that may capture additional search traffic.
Concepts like this can be slow to show promise in keyword research tools, but it's important as SEOs to be on top of the language users are actually using to refer to new concepts related to our products.
Here are a few ways to spot trends before keyword research tools do:
- Monitor internal site search for any novel concepts or terms.
- Spend time where your users do — are they in parent groups on Facebook talking about pandemic pods and distance learning? If so, they were likely there discussing these concepts before they were trending in search tools.
- Stay connected to the news and watch for anything that might be relevant to your products.
This "At-Home Learning" category page from Target pulls together products including desks and chairs, art supplies, computers, and more in one indexed page, providing a one-stop-shop for new homeschooling parents. At the time of this writing, this page is ranking in position six for the "at home learning" keyword in the United States, which is quite impressive for an e-commerce page in an information-dominated SERP.
[Alt text: A screenshot of Target's At-Home Learning category. The main text says "Study from home – Find all the supplies, gadgets, furniture & more to help get into a remote learning routine."]
If your product demand has suddenly decreased
Now we need to talk about the other side of the coin — what if demand for your product has drastically decreased?
Luxury goods, apparel, and anything that includes a "try in-store, buy online" model are struggling.
If you work in marketing at an e-commerce site that's suffering through the COVID-19 crisis, it may feel like there's nothing you can do. While you can't change the market, there are still practical ways you can help your company make the most of the situation.
Highlight your most relevant products
Although some clothing retailers are struggling, many of them have leaned into the stay-at-home situation by creating a loungewear category and prominently featuring it in their marketing. Though loungewear isn't the primary focus for many of these businesses, nor the most expensive clothing category, it's more likely to be purchased while customers are staying at home.
Check out Google Trends for "loungewear" — you can see why retailers have heavily promoted this category for the last several months.
[Alt text: Google Trends chart of the keyword "loungewear," which shows relatively steady numbers until a sharp increase in March 2020.]
Even if you're not in the apparel business, you can employ this strategy by scanning your product catalog for any lesser-promoted products that could be more relevant in the current climate.
If you can't find any, consider tweaking your messaging.
Craft messaging for the moment
If your typical brand messaging no longer makes sense given the change in your customers' lifestyles, you need to update the language you're using to communicate with them. It doesn't do your users any good to pretend that we're not in the middle of a pandemic.
Right now, messaging like "Look good for summer concerts, vacays, and nights out!" just makes me sad. Don't remind your users that they can't do those things right now.
Again, your messaging doesn't have to be doom and gloom, but make sure it fits: "Look good for backyard hangouts, virtual happy hours, and Sunday drives!" is much more appropriate, and positions your product as relevant even in an upside-down world.
Replace in-person experiences with virtual try-ons
Businesses that employ a "try in-person, buy online" model are facing a unique challenge. How do you encourage customers to purchase something, like an engagement ring, without seeing it first in person? Though some users are growing more comfortable with a fully online experience, others still prefer to interact with a salesperson or stylist for this type of purchase.
Creating a virtual try-on experience can be useful in at least partially replacing that in-person component, and can be achieved with dedicated customer service and/or development resources.
Anna Sheffield, a fine jewelry designer, offers live virtual appointments that are prominently featured on their site. This service offers customers a personal touch, and gets them connected with a brand representative who can help encourage a confident purchase without leaving the house.
[Alt text: A screenshot of Anna Sheffield's virtual appointment information, detailing how users can set up a consultation with a stylist.]
Brilliant Earth, another company that sells wedding rings, uses a tool that allows users to virtually try on rings from home. No additional customer service time required.
[Alt text: A screenshot of Brilliant Earth's instructions for how to use their virtual engagement ring try on tool.]
Offer buy-now-pay-later
E-commerce sites have more options than ever to extend payment plans to their customers. Afterpay, Affirm, and Klarna are all popular extensions that allow you to offer credit to your customers easily and securely.
For users feeling nervous about buying something that they don't strictly need during a recession, this could be the difference that causes them to convert.
Summing it up
Change in consumer demand is a challenge that all businesses face, and now more than ever (see what I did there), it's important for e-commerce SEOs to be responsive to these changes. Although none of us could have predicted what 2020 had in store, we can assess how the market has responded to our products and act accordingly.
What pivots have you or your clients made in e-commerce business models this year? Let me know in the comments!
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