text:
11 Citizen Science Projects in the Bay Area
There are dozens (possibly hundreds) of active citizen science projects out there. This short list provides a small sample of the diversity of projects available for you to involve your students in. Many of these projects also make the collected data available on their website so that anyone (including your students) can study it.
1. Bay Area Ant Survey (BAAS)
Project Focus: Ants.
When and where: Any time in the San Francisco Bay Area.
What do the citizens do? Collect ants, record data on where they were found, and send them to the California Academy of Sciences.
What do the scientists do? Your ant will be entered into the AntWeb database, which aims to document ant species worldwide. The Bay Area information is used to track the spread of an invasive ant species as well as the distributions of native species.
Other Info: Free ant collecting kits can be picked up in the Naturalist Center at the California Academy of Sciences. Teaching kits, which include additional tools for collection as well as a microscope and a dichotomous key for your students to identify their own ants, can be rented from our Classroom Kit Program.
Project Focus: Marine invertebrates and algae. Acronym stands for "Long-term Monitoring Program and Experiential Training for Students."
When and where: Any time at certain coastal sites in California.
What do the citizens do? Monitor the distribution and abundance of key species in rocky intertidal or sandy beach habitats. Students gain valuable experience with data collection methods including vertical transects and random quadrats.
What do the scientists do? Regular monitoring helps scientists understand how key species are distributed around the Bay Area, and to track impacts of human activity and natural events (such as large storms).
Other Info: Teachers must attend a training to participate in this project. Special equipment is required and can be purchased, built, or borrowed from LiMPETS.
3. Quake Catcher Network
Project Focus: Earthquakes.
When and where: Any time, anywhere.
What do the citizens do? Become part of a global network of earthquake sensors. The accelerometer in your laptop can act as an earthquake sensor. If you have a desktop computer, a sensor can be attached via a USB port.
What do the scientists do? A dense global network of sensors will provide scientists with more detailed information about earthquakes and could allow for more effective rapid detection and early warning.
Other Info: K-12 educators can purchase USB sensors from the program for only $5. Lesson plans and activities are available on the website. Faculty and students at Stanford University and UC Riverside are involved in the project.
4. The Great Sunflower Project
Project Focus: Bees.
When and where: Any time, anywhere.
What do the citizens do? Grow a sunflower (seeds provided) and observe bees as they visit the flower.
What do the scientists do? You may have heard about declines in wild populations of bees, but what about urban populations? This project will build data about urban bee populations and how they interact with green areas.
Other Info: This project was started by a professor at San Francisco State University. The website includes a teacher page with lesson plans, ideas, and other resources.
5. NestWatch
Project Focus: Birds.
When and where: Any time, anywhere in North America.
What do the citizens do? Monitor birds' nests that you find in your area. Use resources on the website to read up on identifying nests and eggs and what information to record.
What do the scientists do? The reproductive success of many bird species can monitored using the submitted data. Records submitted on paper over the past 40 years are being added to the database, creating a long-term picture of bird breeding and distribution.
Other Info: Be sure to read up on how to monitor nests without disrupting or endangering their occupants before you get started.
6. Great Backyard Bird Count
Project Focus: Birds.
When and where: This is an annual event; the next one takes place February 12 – 14, 2010. You can participate anywhere in North America.
What do the citizens do? Spend 15 minutes (or more) counting birds. Record the numbers and species that you see and submit the data.
What do the scientists do? This annual snapshot of bird populations and distribution allows scientists to track changes in distribution, declines in populations, and shifts in the timing of migration.
Other Info: Tips for involving students and suggested classroom activities are available on the website. Photo galleries showcase pictures taken by participants.
7. Celebrate Urban Birds
Project Focus: Birds.
When and where: Any time, any urban area in North America.
What do the citizens do? Learn about 16 types of birds often found in urban areas. Then choose an area to observe for ten minutes and record the birds that you see.
What do the scientists do? The project is focused on urban green spaces and their effects on certain types of birds. Data collected helps determine how birds use different types of green spaces.
Other Info: Starter kits and other resources can be ordered or downloaded and are available in both English and Spanish. Art activities, gardening tips, and community-building ideas are also featured on the website.
8. Project BudBurst
Project Focus: Plants, phenology.
When and where: Any time, anywhere in North America.
What do the citizens do? Learn about phenology, the timing of life-cycle events. Select a plant to monitor and record the date of events such as the first leaf, the end of flowering, or the first ripe fruit.
What do the scientists do? Data collected through this and other projects helps scientists understand how climate change is affecting phenology and how changes in phenology can affect ecosystems.
Other Info: Supplemental resources for educators, including lesson plans for classroom activities, will be available on the website.
9. Frogwatch USA
Project Focus: Frogs and toads.
When and where: Any time, anywhere in the United States.
What do the citizens do? Use resources on the website to learn about the frogs and toads in your area and train yourself to recognize their calls. Choose a site to monitor and record the species that you hear there.
What do the scientists do? The data collected by this project can be used to monitor frog and toad populations, species diversity, and other information that can help inform conservation efforts.
Other Info: Amphibians are very sensitive to climate change and are suffering remarkable rates of population decline, making the information generated by this project especially valuable.
10. GLOBE at Night
Project Focus: Light Pollution.
When and where: This is an annual event taking place in March. You can participate anywhere of the 110 participating countries (including the United States).
What do the citizens do? Observe the constellation Orion. Record which stars you can actually see. Dimmer stars may be obscured by light pollution.
What do the scientists do? Observations reported from around the globe can be used to study light pollution and population patterns.
Other Info: Family activity packets and teacher activity packets can be downloaded in several languages. 2009 has been named the International Year of Astronomy, so this would be a great time to participate.
11. GalaxyZoo
Project Focus: Classifying galaxies.
When and where: Any time, anywhere.
What do the citizens do? Look at pictures of galaxies on the GalaxyZoo website and classify them based on characteristics such as smooth vs. rounded, spiral vs. not spiral, and so forth.
What do the scientists do? The database of volunteer-generated classifications of galaxy characteristics has been used to answer (and raise) questions such as whether more spiral galaxies tend to rotate clockwise or counter-clockwise. New objects spotted in the photos by citizen scientists have been the subject of follow-up investigations, including a mysterious object first noticed by a teacher.
Other Info: With millions of images of galaxies collected by robotic telescopes, professional astronomers certainly needed a little help from citizen scientists. The user-friendly (and surprisingly addictive!) GalaxyZoo website guides participants through simple steps to classify the images. While this project doesn't meet the goal of getting your students outside, it's still a fun and rewarding way to supplement your astronomy curriculum.
If you're not satisfied with only eleven suggestions, visit Citizen Science Central to find more. They have an extensive database of active projects, as well as a "toolkit" of resources for developing and supporting new citizen science projects.
Speaking of new projects, keep your eyes open for new citizen science projects coming soon from the California Academy of Sciences, including one focusing on spiders!


text:
- kim kyeongmin
- Suwon City
- South Korea
Student ,
This conversation is closed.
Do you need political experience to be a president?
Ronald Reagan, american president was a entertainer before he became president. Is political experience inevitable to be in presidential seat?
Topics: politic
Showing single comment thread. View the full conversation.
Dec 4 2012: Not only was Reagan governor of California, he was also for a while the president of the Screen Actors Guild, which is the labor union for entertainers. In a way, I think everything in life has a political aspect, so I think you could do a job which is not a political job, but still learn a lot about politics.
Showing single comment thread. View the full conversation.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
|New Videos - Best Videos - Hot! - Hits - Tags - Porn Pics - Sex Stories - Pornstars - Adult Forum - UPLOAD
|Sex video sponsored by Your Free Porn (click here to download more of this porn): YourFreePorn is the fastest growing amateur community on the net!
|Franco is relaxing in the backyard, while Colette swims in the pool both completely naked, when she gets out to join him. She walks over and sucks his cock and then climbs on his lounger for a cock ri
|Display / write / close (4) comment(s) for this sex video.
Terms of service - Content removal - Upload Porn Videos - Tool to download flash videos - Advertising.Return to XNXX Free Porn Videos Homepage .


text:
Please browse our guestbook, and add an entry of your own!
Name: Alison C.
Location: Clayton, NC
Date: Feb. 10, 2010
Staff was wonderful, rooms were lovely and it was the best time! My husband and I were having a little getaway to celebrate his return from a years deployment to Afghanistan and the Provincial made it just wonderful. Loved the vintage rooms, the friendly staff and fantastic location! I cannot say enough about how wonderful it was. We are already planning another trip to you fabulous hotel! Thanks so much!


text:
Veronica Knit Maternity Topby
Navy & White Stripes (Item #1470600)
This item is not available for sale
This lightweight cotton maternity knit is a sure hit when it gets a little cooler outside. It features 3/4 length sleeves with button tab detail, v-neckline and ruching with drawstrings on each side to allow you to gather over tummy. So cute and we especially love its navy & white stripes.
Copyright © 2014 Figure 8 Maternity. All Rights Reserved.


text:
Fashion Photography
Travel Photography
Contact Us
Alex Budu,
One of the most unique photographers I have ever seen. Labelling his work as "photography" does not serve it justice, it's art. He is gifted with such an exceptional vision for his work. The Photos are fresh, unique, and creative, his work evidently distinguishes him from other photographers. Alex's great personality and sense of humour is easily reflected through his art, this being the reason I am extremely excited to work with him in the near future. They say that a picture speaks a thousand words, Alex's are limitless.
-Samantha Mele ( Professional Dancer )
Budu's work is as appealing and interesting as his personality. It was a pleasure to work with such a professional and talented photographer.
-Morel Abramovici ( Artist, Designer, Musician )
Having Known Alex for over a decade, I can honestly say it's a breeze to work with him. Not only is he professional, but he's funny and makes sure you're comfortable, even if you're in the most awkward poses. He pays particular attention to detail and makes sure you're satisfied with the finished product. Alex Budu transforms your pictures into something unimaginable and creates images in photography which are beyond art.
-Nicole Lima ( Model)
I've worked with many photographers the last few years and it's very difficult to find one I feel as comfortable with and confident in how the final product will turn out as i am with Alex. He has a sharp eye and an incredibly creative vision. And on top of all that he's just an awesome guy.
-Ari Lyon Wien (Lead Vocalist in Monday Rose)
It's very rare to find someone who is not only passionate about the work he's involved with but also to find a person who has so much fun doing it. The work speaks for itself. It is a true testament to the hard work Alex has put in. Working with him is not only a professional experience but one filled with friendship and trust. He is a master of manipulating the frame and getting what he wants in his work. If his work carries any indication then we are truly going to see some great things from Alex in the years to come.
- Sunnie James D. ( Hollywood/ Bollywood Actor )
2009 Alex Budu
© photobiz


text:
"Franz Anton Mesmer (May 23, 1734 – March 5, 1815) was a German physician with an interest in astronomy, who theorised that there was a natural energetic transference that occurred between all animated and inanimate objects that he called magnétisme animal (animal magnetism) and other spiritual forces often grouped together as mesmerism."
Photo: Cassandra calls upon Higher Powers to spirit away a Friday night blemish
John Purlia
(Source: Wikipedia)
(Source: makingtimeless)
More Percy Faith.
More vintage libations here.
Design by Simon Fletcher. Powered by Tumblr.
© Copyright 2010


text:
I LOVE THIS RUG!!! I was thrilled with the rug before I even opened the package when it arrived at our house! The colors really tied the whole room together! Since we bought it to go in our living room where we spend most of our day, I needed it to be durable for our growning and active family. I couldn't be happier with my purchase.
Usually leaves our warehouse in 1-2 business days. *
Items must be returned in new or unused condition and contain all original materials included with the shipment. More details
FINAL SALE EXCLUSION: Items marked as FINAL SALE are not returnable unless the problem you experience is the result of our error.
This item cannot be shipped to Alaska or Hawaii.
More details
Our standard shipping method is ground shipping. We also offer expedited shipping for most items. Your final shipping cost and estimated delivery timeframe will be available at checkout.
Standard shipping details
Expedited shipping details
* For your safety, some orders go through our loss prevention department. If we select your order for this process, we will immediately notify you that there may be up to a 3-day delay on your order.
** Most Oversize orders are delivered within 1-4 weeks. Some orders may take 6 weeks to be delivered.


text:
Simmons increases board diversity following elections
Readers' comments (4)
I don't know Ms Lockett but if it was me and Simmons PR machine announced my prestigious appointment with no other reference except to the fact that I am a "token woman" to increase diversity, I'd be pretty p!55ed off.
For a firm that had the first female senior partner and which used to pioneer LGBT equality, this is hardly impressive. Simmons seems to be some way behind where it used to be.
If you actually bother to read their press release all they do is announce the results and give a bit of a bio. It's actually the Lawyer which has put the spin on the story not Simmons.
So on FrmCityLawFirmWorker's analysis presumably Ms Lockett is NOT "pretty pi55ed off".
I assume poor analytical aptitude and lack of basic research skills, is why he or she is Former City Law Firm Worker.
And having 25% of their board being female is actually is not bad - probably above average!
I'm all for Simmons bashing when justified and vaguely intelligent but these just seem like two pretty stupid comments from people who don't seem to know anything about PR or journalism.
Simmons needs more skirt in the office.


text:
Sign in
Sign Up
lowest rate guarantee
No.39 Wai Ching Street, Jordan Road, Yaumatei
Harbour City, Kowloon
East Bay
18 Prat Avenue
8 Pak Hok Ting Street, Shatin, Kowloon
Great reasons to book with Agoda
Over 500,000 hotels worldwide – more added every day
Trusted by over 16,000,000 satisfied customers
Best Price Guarantee
8 million+ hotel reviews by Agoda customers
With availability in over 56,000 cities worldwide
agoda special offers
including last minute offers(even same day!)free nightsfree upgrades!
Customer Support
Convenience, Shopping, and Near...
0.05 Km.
Friendly and Very Nice Staff,...
0.09 Km.
Good location; friendly and...
0.1 Km.
Near convention centre
0.11 Km.
Value for money, good location,...
0.13 Km.
Convenient location to the MTR,...
close to the MTR within 5 mins...
Staffs are helpful, well mannered,...
0.16 Km.
Quiet, centralysed, big big room...
0.17 Km.
Convenient location, attentive...
Cleanliness, everything good...
0.21 Km.
Near to heart of the city, near to...
Nice n new hotel.nice aroma when...
0.22 Km.
Food, sight seeing and access...
Clean and Tidy, location is good,...
0.24 Km.
close to causeway bay. Service...
0.27 Km.
Personnel, location, club floor,...
location is very good. room is...
Spacious Room, Easy to take a...
0.31 Km.
Great location, safe, free massage!...
0.32 Km.
4.5 / 5
over 80,000 reviews
of users recommend us
Go To Top
All material herein © 2005 – 2014 Agoda Company Pte. Ltd., All Rights Reserved.
AGODA ® is a registered trademark of AGIP LLC, used under license by Agoda Company Pte. Ltd. Agoda is part of


text:
Pet parents are going to the dogs.
A new survey says nearly half of dog owners spend $50.00 a month on their animals, compared to fewer than 40% of cat owners.
Nearly a quarter of pet owners fess up to holding or attending a birthday celebration for an animal.
That number is also higher for dog owners than cat owners.


text:
Please see the links below for locations of our free tax sites.
To schedule an appointment, please call 1-888-99-TAX-AL.
Anniston – United Way of East Central Alabama
1505 Wilmer Ave
Anniston, AL 36201
Auburn – Boykin Community Center
400 Boykin Street
Auburn, AL 36832
Bessemer Public Library
400 19th Street N
Bessemer, AL 35020
Birmingham – Huffman Middle School (ROEBUCK)
517 Huffman Road
Birmingham, AL 35215
Birmingham – Smithfield Library
#1 8th Avenue W
Birmingham, AL 35204
Birmingham – West End Public Library
1348 Tuscaloosa Avenue SW
Birmingham, AL 35211
Birmingham – Woodlawn Public Library
5709 1st Avenue N
Birmingham, AL 35212
Decatur – Turner-Surles Community Center
702 Sycamore Street NW
Decatur, AL 35601
Dothan – Houston Love Memorial Library
212 West Burdeshaw Street
Dothan, AL 36303
Florence – Weeden Elementary School
400 Baldwin Street
Florence, AL 35630
Gadsden – Family Success Center
821 East Broad Street
Gadsden, AL 35901
Huntsville – Optimist Recreation Center
703 Oakwood Avenue NE
Huntsville, AL 35811
Jacksonville – Old Train Depot
650 Mountain St NW
Jacksonville, Al 35265
Mobile – Gordon Smith Community Center
2448 Gordon Smith Drive
Mobile, AL 36617
Mobile – Cottage Hill Community Center
5013 Cottage Hill Road
Mobile, AL 36693
Montgomery – Old Cloverdale Junior High School
1125 E Fairview Avenue
Montgomery, AL 36106
Opelika – Greater Peace Missionary Baptist Church
650 Jeter Avenue
Opelika, AL 36801
Tuscaloosa – McDonald Hughes Community Center
3101 MLK Jr Blvd
Tuscaloosa, AL 35401
Tuscaloosa – Holten Heights Church of the Nazarene
4401 17th Street NE
Holt, AL 35404
Free Online Tax Filing
Taxpayers who are unable to visit one of our tax sites and make less than $57,000 can file their taxes for free online at the following website:


text:
The latest to leave is Dipchand "Deep" Nishar. In the WSJ report of his departure he is characterized as an unsung hero by other Googlers who commented on his exit. He was influential in the development of Google mobile and other products. Where is he going? LinkedIn. Interesting choice. LinkedIn gets mentions all the time about its potential impact as a social media player for professionals and its rapid growth but it doesn't have the same shine on it like Google, Facebook or even Twitter. LinkedIn gets a lot of traffic and is adding features and is certainly on the rise but it does so in a less spectacular way than others. Something is going well though considering it recently received $53 million in funding based on a $1 billion dollar valuation. There has been more recent investment from strategic partners as well.
What was most interesting was the statement from Mr. Nishar about this change. He said he chose to leave Google because he wanted to go from
"..building impactful products to an impactful company."
"The kinds of things LinkedIn is doing are truly shaping the way professionals work," he said, adding that he plans to push the company to develop more services to help professionals manage their lives online.
I don't think this statement was meant as a slam against Google but it does make one think about Google a bit differently to a degree. Google is the great enabler of the internet economy but is there truly a community built around it or just everyone using the tools but not being part of the community? Let's face it, no one other than Google employees are referred to as Googlers. It appears that the club or social feel of Google is pretty much relegated to the insiders. The rest of us USE Google out of necessity but not really out of commitment Google. There are so many Google products that the ability to truly have community in that vast offering is limited. LinkedIn is more targeted. Notice I didn't say focused just more targeted. Due to this it may be perceived that the company offers more for someone like Mr. Nishar who wants to make an impact on a more personal level. Your guess is as good as mine.
Like most blogging this is just speculation and conjecture on my part. Google's impact is profound in the overall scope of things, that's obvious. I just found his statements curious and the implied meaning could be that the maturity of Google is wearing on some of the most influential early drivers of the company. What that means for Google as a whole remains to be seen. I don't suspect any meltdowns in Mountain View like the rest of the economy in the near future. Ask IBM, though, what can happen to a supposedly untouchable corporate monolith. No one is exempt. Vigilance will be the key to prevent trouble but if there is just a moment of taking their eye off the ball even Google could drop a few.


text:
Steve LeVine
Steve LeVine is a writer, journalist and blogger. He is Washington Correspondent for Quartz, a global financial startup by The Atlantic Company, where he writes about the geopolitics of energy and technology, and a Future Tense Fellow at the New America Foundation. He is also an adjunct professor at Georgetown University's School of Foreign Service, where he teaches energy security in the graduate-level Security Studies Program. Previously, he was a foreign correspondent for eighteen years in the former Soviet Union, Pakistan and the Philippines, for The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The Washington Post, the Financial Times and Newsweek. He formerly wrote The Oil and the Glory, a blog on energy and geopolitics at Foreign Policy magazine. LeVine is married to Nurilda Nurlybayeva and has two daughters. He has published two books: The Oil and the Glory (2007) which tells the story of the struggle for fortune, glory and power on the Caspian Sea; and Putin's Labyrinth (2008), a profile of Russia through the life and death of a half-dozen Russians. His next book, "The Powerhouse," on the geopolitics of advanced batteries, will be published in February 2015 by Viking.
LeVine has lived in Washington, D.C. since 2008. Previously he lived in Central Asia and the Caucasus for 11 years – starting two weeks after the collapse of the Soviet Union. He led the regional bureau of The Wall Street Journal, and before that The New York Times.
Prior to that, he lived in Pakistan from 1988–1991, and before that he was based in Manila from 1985–1988. As of 2007, LeVine has been a regular guest speaker for entities such as Google, the World Affairs Council, and various universities. Steve was also a good friend of slain colleague Daniel Pearl. After the kidnapping he flew to Pakistan to investigate what had happened to his friend. LeVine would later help Mariane Pearl with the Daniel Pearl Foundation. LeVine is working on a new book on the geopolitics of technology, focused on advanced batteries and the scientists who develop them.
- Steve LeVine, The Oil and the Glory: The Pursuit of Empire and Fortune on the Caspian Sea, Random House, New York, 2007. 496 pp. ISBN 978-0-375-50614-7
- Steve LeVine, Putin's Labyrinth: Spies, Murder, and the Dark Heart of the New Russia, Random House, New York, 2008. 224 pp. ISBN 978-1-4000-6685-8


text:
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
tulipblossom said...
I agree that she does look a bit snobby. But, putting that aside, I love how amazingly better her new eyes look. And, if this new Jaina is any indication of human model adjustments to come in Cataclysm, then I am extremely excited.
Because, humans have always been my least favorite character models in the game. And, mostly it's due to their eyes and their somewhat odd upper body. And, despite Jaina's fairly snooty look, I think the adjustments to her model are really promising. And, I hope very much that similar changes will be made to all the human models in the game, come Cataclysm.


text:
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Virginia's major party candidates for governor are taking more than two-thirds of their campaign contributions from outside of Virginia.
Campaign finance data analyzed by the nonprofit and independent watchdog of political cash, the Virginia Public Access Project, shows that Democrat Terry McAuliffe and Republican Ken Cuccinelli received more outside political money than any governor's race on record.
Only 30.5 percent of Cuccinelli's fundraising through August came from Virginians, and it was only 26.6 percent for McAuliffe. The opposite was true for Libertarian Robert Sarvis, the only Virginia-born candidate, who raised 68 percent of his scant $66,060 inside the state.
Since VPAP began tracking state political fundraising in 1997, candidates for governor got 60 percent to 70 percent of their contributions from individuals with Virginia addresses or Virginia-based companies.


text:
Welcome to H.I.S. (He Is Savior) Ministries International
HISMIN is dedicated to helping Mormons who have questions about their belief system being Christian or not. If you have any questions regarding what you find here or things that you are wrestling with please contact us at one of the addresses below.
Rauni Higley email@example.com
Dennis Higley firstname.lastname@example.com


text:
Click here to read the latest issue
Browse Sections:
Weather Cams:
Cape Canaveral
Treasure Coast
Courtesy of JoesDiscoWeatherCentral.com
Now browsing: Hometown News > Sports > Volusia County
The 17th Annual Sugar Mill Women's Golf Association Rally for a Cure was Feb. 21 at Sugar Mill Country Club in New Smyrna Beach.
This year's contributions totaled $10,400, bringing the total dollars raised over the years by the organization to $138,566.
More than 150 women participated in the benefit, which included golf and lunch.
The guest speaker was Ulrike Entwistle of Heart Strings Boutique in New Smyrna Beach, who spoke about her life and personal experiences with cancer.
Contributions from the fundraiser are given to the local Susan G. Komen affiliate. Seventy-five percent of the net income of the Komen Affiliate is used locally for screening, treatment and community outreach programs. The remaining 25 percent is used to fund national research projects.
Golfers who hit their designated par 3 green were given a pink ribbon ball.
Winners of the two-best balls, 18-hole tournament were:
Faith Flight -- Sandy Savian, Claire Anderson, Fiona Houston, Linda McEvoy
Love Flight -- Karen Chapple, Marilyn Armstrong and Peggy Chalfant
Hope Flight -- (Tie) Eileen Weathers, Gloria Clegg, Marlene Jacek, Betty Ann Harless, Anne Robertson, Colleen Roth, Sally Coleman, Viv Heck
Closest to the Pin Winners -- Louise Hersey and Veronica Haines.
Winners of the 9-Hole Scramble were:
Flight No. 1 -- Gail Miller, Janet Depre, Anne Gallaway, Louise Murphy
Flight No. 2 -- Marsha Lundy, Carron Flagler, Carol Tunnessen, Jan Walsh
Closest to the Pin -- Louise Murphy
Closet to the Line -- Pat Nojaim.
Legal Notices
Join our Mailing List:
Crossword Puzzle:
Click here for this week's crossword puzzle
Archives Calendar:
Search Stories:
Order Photos
© Copyright 2005 CityHost411.com
Powered by CityHost411


text:
Bryson Crash Reveals Threat of Headless Government
Soulskill posted more than 2 years ago | from the not-that-they-use-their-heads-much-anyway dept.308
Hugh Pickens writes "According to Business Week, the traffic accident that left U.S. Commerce Secretary John Bryson unconscious and alone in his bashed-up Lexus on June 9 raises questions about why the 10th official in line to succeed the president was left so vulnerable. It also highlights potential gaps in security for senior U.S. government officials, who receive varying levels of protection. 'They lost track of him,' says James Carafano, a terrorism scholar at the Heritage Foundation. 'Post 9/11, that's a bit of a head scratcher.' Defense Secretary Leon Panetta and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who are high in the line of succession and have national-security responsibilities, are provided protection 24 hours a day, seven days a week, but other federal officials, even in cabinet-level positions or other top posts, often travel without the security details that even a big-city mayor or state governor would be provided. Threats to cabinet-level officials aren't overblown, says Norman Ornstein, a congressional scholar at the American Enterprise Institute, who has urged that the government revamp its succession plans and says a nuclear bomb hidden in a suitcase detonated in Washington could leave a headless government. 'The lack of interest in continuity may stem from the same reasons some smart people refuse to create wills, even though failure to do so leaves behind horrific messes for their loved ones,' writes Ornstein. 'Yet the threat is real. Our leaders' failure to establish plans to ensure that our Constitution survives is irresponsible.'"


text:
Full size version is only available to registered users
Please Register as a New User or Login as Existing User to gain full access to all the photos on this site. Registration is quick and completely free.
Unregistered users can only view full size photos that have been added this month.
Bouldering in the last of the light at Stanage
© Dream, Jul 2012
Problem: Broken (Rotor)
Camera used: Canon 500D


text:
Ivan Eland on South Africas Platinum Workers Strike
Recorded: Monday, January 27, 2014
Sr. Fellow Ivan Eland appears on Arise TV to discuss the economy in South Africa, which is facing a strike against platinum producers, threatening to plunge the countrys economy into a deeper hole.
Experts: Ivan ElandType: TelevisionIssues: Business, Economic History and Development (International), Economic Policy, Labor and Employment
John C. Goodman: Obamacares Effect on Jobs
Recorded: Saturday, October 30, 2010
Research Fellow John C. Goodman, author of Priceless: Curing the Healthcare Crisis discusses with Mike Huckabee the potential job losses as a result of Obamacare.
Experts: John C. GoodmanType: TelevisionIssues: Health Care, Labor and Employment


text:
a few more frames from level 15 of my pattern maker app for gp2x (see previous). reduced to black & white for flexibility but generally in color. all gp2x buttons control various aspects of equations creating the patterns, e.g. frequency, color, amplitude, etc. sept 2011
a few frames from level 15 of my pattern maker app for gp2x. reduced to black & white though the app produces colors. all gp2x controls work to vary the pattern - e.g. frequency of waveforms, amplitude, etc. sept 2011.
animation of a few frames of a combination of waveforms. the full animation is much too long to be an animated gif due to the periodicity of the combination. october 2011.
Visuals created from combining several waveforms in Puredata. For smoother curves one could raise the sample rate in the audio. October 2011
Just thinking about the stuff I post on Tumblr….
The graphics and animations that I post are experiments and often used in some other form as part of an entire visual composition - generally in live performance. They aren't complete finished works like a demo reel.
It's something like an electronic musician who would post a single bass drum sound that he/she created. It probably won't be used alone but as one element in a piece of music. Still.. if this bass drum sound is something that the musician created - e.g. using a resonating filter through a VCA with an appropriate envelope - I would be inclined to find it worth clicking on and hearing. But that's me. Some people might prefer to wait and hear an entire composition.
working on some new elements to combine in various ways for live viz.
here we have some simple lines and a rotation. made with puredata. oct 2011.
similar to last experiment. audio signals modulated by LFO and combined with OR going to sig2pix object in GEM. march 2011


text:
Black Ice: Are You Responsible for Falls on Your Property?
If someone gets injured slipping in front of your house or on your property, the short answer is: You are responsible.
Tips & Advice By AOL Real Estate Dec. 31
If someone gets injured slipping in front of your house or on your property, the short answer is: You are responsible.
Just because you keep your own apartment smoke-free doesn't mean that you're not still breathing in secondhand smoke from your neighbor.
Although there's no hard data on the rate of violent incidents between process servers who deliver foreclosure notices and homeowners, some who represent the servers say the housing crisis has aggravated the situation.
The 14,000-square-foot home that Rod Kush built in 1997 had fallen into disrepair and had extensive mold damage, leading the current owner to donate it to the local fire department for a controlled burn.
Though factors such as high unemployment, a battered economy and the recent housing crisis have pushed more people into multigenerational living, studies show that it's a trend that's circled back from a similar era.
Though there's no such thing as a perfect house, the trick is to make sure the home is free of any major problems before signing on the dotted line.
You'd think people would be fighting to lay claim to Idaho's majestic governor's mansion, but nothing could be further from the truth. As a matter of fact, the state's governor doesn't even want it — and never did.
Ten months ago, Occupy Our Homes (OOH) officially launched in more than 20 cities, staging sit-ins at properties in danger of foreclosure to help distressed homeowners stave off eviction.
Homeowners across the country are growing so desperate to preserve their neighborhoods that they're willing to buy the foreclosure next door — only to fail.
The house that Freddy Krueger haunted was a real nightmare — though not on Elm Street — when Angie Hill bought it in 2006.
In neighborhoods across the country, homeowners are watching helplessly as vacant homes lost to foreclosure become havens for pests and crime.
Even though renting might have saved renters from deep pain as the housing bust took hold, is shying away from buying a home a winning strategy for the future?
About 235,000 people age 15 or older are sent to the hospital each year after being injured in a bathroom, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
From the power of a religious figurine to home exorcisms and spiritual cleansing, here are three success stories of how heavenly guidance helped sell homes.
For years, Colin Steer was bewildered by a sunken portion of the floor in his Plymouth, England, home. What he found, some might say, is a golden discovery.


text:
- My Shopping Cart
- Total: $0.00
Browse Departments
JConcepts Manta Decal Sheet
With your purchase, receive at no cost:
This is a replacement JConcepts Manta Decal Sheet. These decals will allow you to decorate your vehicle in style! Specifically for the Manta body line, this unique decal sheet features vivid printing and includes all the JConcepts brand identities associated with the Manta body.
This product was added to our catalog on April 29, 2010.
Customers that bought this also purchased...
Free Shipping! Restrictions Apply
Low Price: $4.59
In Stock!
This item earns up to 5 Customer Reward points Learn More


text:
Posted on Tiger Woods Has New Sponsor
#1 posted 12-23-2009 02:39 PM
I have to ask why people always blame the media. What Tiger has done is reprehensible. Not sure how it's the media's fault when the most recognized public figure in the world has affairs with over a dozen women and expects no one will find out??
-- Gerry, http://home.comcast.net/~cncwoodworker/CNC_Woodworker.html


text:
Related Photo Galleries
Geoff Dugopolski owned the Daily Driver class in 2009 and 2010, winning the bracket race in his '78 Malibu. In 2011, he brought out a '66 Chevelle (right) with a blown 383 and put the car on the trailer the very first day with oil-pressure issues. The first half of 2012 brought new issues, this time fuel-delivery problems, and his E85-burning small-block ate a carb-stud wing nut. He brought the Malibu back last year for one last run at Drag Week™ and then sold it to finance the rest of the Chevelle build. The '66 will be running a 12.0:1, 423ci, AFR-headed, E85 NA small-block.
© Hotrod.com
TEN: The Enthusiast Network
All rights reserved. HAWWBIIS26


text:
Phase Technology's Teatro soundbar
Single-speaker solutions and distributed audio are making their way throughout your house to give your primary and secondary TVs a boost, and let you route your favorite tunes to more than your main media room.
Phase Technology's serving both demands with highlights from its CES 2009 introductions—the Teatro soundbar, and the dARTS multiroom audio solution.
Soundbars are seemingly everywhere these days. Phase Tech's Teatro V-3.0 and Teatro PC-3.0 tweak the solution by featuring drivers to emphasize particular frequencies that widen the soundstage. There's also a front-panel switch that lets you trigger the company's EVT Enhanced Voice Technology circuitry for greater clarity during movie and TV dialogue.
You can use Teatro as a single-speaker solution, or the front three channels in a surround setup. It'll add to a room's elegance with its satin black finish and black grille. Dimensions are 40 x 7 x 4.5 inches.
When you want to send your tunes throughout the home, you can also tap into Phase Tech's new dARTS multiroom audio system, which delivers the sonics of its acclaimed dARTS speaker system to up to four rooms.
The multiroom system incorporates the DP2000 programmable amplifier to power up to eight bi-amplified speakers in four rooms, each of which can have separate calibration using Audyssey's MultEQ software. Even if each room's acoustic properties vary wildly, you'll get the same rich sound on target from your dARTS.


text:
Old man fucking a tight young girl in her ass
Aimee Graham - Reform School Girl
Bedtime story
She dresses as a little girl to fulfill his fantasy
Two girls fucking older British chap
Sex for money is the only choice
Cute young girl fucked by an old man
Guard pleases prison brat
Blonde teens fucking in the forest with old man
MILF seduces AMAZING young girl!
Old Man Seducing Young Girl
Old man helps masturbating teeny to finish
Please enter your name.
Please enter your message.
Sorry, could not submit your comment.
Thank you for submitting your comment! All comments are moderated and may take up to 24 hours to be posted.


text:
Categories > Celebrities > My Chemical Romance > The World Is Ours
Chapter Thirty Eight - The Beautiful Curse3 Reviews
"Uncle Curse!" Bandit ran over to the man she'd called Curse.
Chapter Thirty Eight - The Beautiful Curse
The next day, Zack, Lacie, Guiden and Jeremy were staring at the woman asleep on the couch. Bandit was still sleeping, one of the woman's arms was wrapped around her.
"Who is she?" Zack said.
"I don't know. Maybe it's the girl who my dad was talking about." Jeremy suggested.
"She zombie?!" Guiden worried.
"Guiden, the girl wasn't a zombie." Jeremy said.
"She was!" Zack said.
"She pretty. She look like Bandy." Lacie noticed about her. Infact, she really looked like her cousin.
Lexia started twitching, then she finally woke up.
"Quick! Hide!" Zack said, believing that the woman infront of them was a zombie of some kind, even though she looked nothing like the zombies that Zack had seen his uncle Poison draw before. That was the only way that they all knew what certain things looked like were through their parents explaining them or through their uncle Poison drawing things for them.
Jeremy rolled his eyes and left to go find his adoptive father.
Lexia was confused. Who were the small children? Where they Kobra and Static's kids? She remembered Poison mentioning the fact that they had more kids.
"Who are you?!" One of them shouted.
"What?" She said, her voice was tired, just like her.
"Who you?! Are you zombie?" A different voice asked.
"Am I zombie?" She giggled at the thought. "No, I'm not a zombie. My name's Lexia."
"Lexia? Bandy's mama called Lexia." Lacie realized.
"I know. I'm Bandit's mama." She said, smiling at the little girl who was hiding behind a chair because of what her older brother told her to do. "Don't be scared, I'm not a zombie. I won't hurt you."
Lacie came out and smiled at Lexia. Bandit had just woken up and was sitting next to her mother on the couch. Lacie looked a lot like her mother, but Lexia could see her father in her too. Guiden and Zack shortly followed their sister.
Since one of the children was a lot taller than the other, she assumed that the tallest of the two was Zack.
"You're really Bandit's mom and not a zombie?"
She nodded. "I sure am."
"Oh . . . okay. Hi Lexia!" Zack said, smiling.
She smiled back. "Hi, Zack."
Poison walked in to see his niece, nephews and his daughter all sitting around Lexia.
"Daddy!" Bandit got up and ran over to him.
He picked her up and hugged her. "Hey, B. How'd you sleep?"
He hadn't noticed that she'd slipped out of her room last night to make sure her mother was okay. He thought that she must've gotten up early and gotten breakfast.
"I slept good. Mommy had a bad dream, so I stay here with her to make the bad dreams go away."
"Oh really?"
A few hours later, Static and Lexia were outside keeping an eye on all the kids, who were playing outside. They decided that whenever the kids were playing outside, they needed people to keep an eye on them incase Draculoids were passing by and saw them, they also didn't want them to end up wandering off too far and getting lost like Zack and Guiden did.
"Do you mind me asking you something? It's kind of personal and I completely understand if you don't wanna talk about it."
"Ask away." She encouraged her.
"What was it like being controlled by them? Was it like someone else had taken over your body and you were trapped in your own head or something?"
She shook her head. "No. To tell you the truth, I can't remember a whole lot about it. Last night, I had a pretty fuckin' bad nightmare, but I knew it'd happened before. It felt familiar, but it was like I was watching someone elses memory. It didn't feel like I was myself, it was like someone else was using my body and I could see what was happening through their eyes." She paused, remembering what'd happened. "That probably didn't make any sense, right?"
She smiled. "I kind of understand what you meant, but I didn't go through it, so I guess I'll never know fully what you mean."
She nodded. "Yeah, I guess so."
"Anyways, how're things with you and Poison?"
She groaned. "Bad. Long story short, I think he fucking hates me. He says he doesn't but . . . the way he talked about me, it fucking hurt. I guess it hurt hearing what he said."
"So, you're not getting back together?"
"He's gonna change his mind some time."
She smiled. "I don't think so. He's made it pretty fucking clear he's over me now. I don't blame him. It's been five years. Five years is a long time."
"I guess, but c'mon. It's you and Poison, it works, but with Pheonix . . . it doesn't. It's just sex. I know what you're thinking, it's all rich coming from me since that's how Kobra and I started, but in all fairness we cared about eachother a lot. With those two, it's just . . . sex. He'll realize he's being an asshole and come to senses."
She smiled. "So she's called Pheonix?"
"Yeah. Blue Pheonix is her whole Killjoy name. Pheonix isn't spelt the usual way though. It's spelled P-H-E-O-N-I-X. In my opinion, it just looks like she doesn't know how to spell her own name . . . I just realized I sound like I'm bitching and gossiping . . . I'll shut up about it now."
She laughed a little. "It's fine. It's just good to be back, to be myself again. So, you and Kobra had more kids, huh?"
"Yeah, we did. They're two now, three next May."
"Did you decide to have more kids or was it a surprise?"
"Surprise. It was even more of a surprise since I didn't think I could get pregnant again."
"A few years back, I had a pretty nasty run in with some Dracs and an exterminator. He shot me with a real gun, the bullet went straight through my stomach, just below my belly button." She rolled up her shirt a little to show Lexia the slightly faded scar. "Jet said there was a possibility that I wouldn't be able to have more kids, but I got pregnant about four or five months later."
She smiled. "I'll bet that was a surprise."
"You could say that. I was terrified, especially when I was around three months pregnant. I remember thinking I looked more like five months pregnant, but then Jet suggested that maybe I was having more than one. I freaked the fuck out." She laughed. "Now I couldn't be happier."
She was about to reply to her, but a car pulled up in front of the diner. It was an old Jeep covered in dust and it was in desperate need of cleaning.
All the kids stopped playing when the Jeep pulled up, Lexia couldn't help but notice that Bandit's face lit up when she saw the Jeep.
Three people got out of the car. Two girls and a guy. One of the girls was fairly tall with blonde hair that had loose curls. She was wearing a bright red leather jacket with a dirty white tank top and skinny jeans with leather boots which when up to her knees. The other girl was shorter, she was tanned with dark brown hair. Her hair was loosely curled like the other girl's was. The guy looked around six feet tall, he was muscular, but not to a point where he looked like a body builder. His hair was more or less the same lengths as Poison's was except it was a muddy brown instead of bright red.
"Uncle Curse!" Bandit ran over to the man she'd called Curse.
"Hey, Bandy, how's my best girl doing?" He hugged her.
She giggled. "I'm good. I want you to meet my mama."
Bandit ran over to her mother, showing Curse who she was. Curse followed the five-year-old and smiled at them both.
"Hey, Stat. How are you?" He held his arms around and hugged her.
"I'm doing good, Curse. How 'bout you?"
"Good, we got caught back where we were staying, so we wondering if we could crash with you guys for a while."
"Please, you don't even have to ask, Curse."
"Curse, this is my mama. This is Lexia."
"Hi, I'm Lexia."
"Oh, I know who you are. Little Bandy over here never stops talking about you. In my books, you might as well be a celebrity."
She blushed a little and smiled. He found himself laughing at her blush. He thought that it was cute and she had a beautiful smile to go with it.
"You have a beautiful smile." It slipped out of his mouth without him realizing it. It too him a second to hear what he'd said to her. He started blushing a little himself. "I'm sorry, that was a little-"
"Don't worry about it."
They smiled at eachother. "I'm Beautiful Curse by the way, but as you can probably tell, people just call me Curse."
"Well, it's nice to meet you, Curse. So, how do you know everyone here?"
"Long story short, I saved your husband's ass a few years ago and we've all been friends ever since."
"You guys can come in now if you want. You gotta be at least a little tired from travelling from what? Zone one was it?"
"Yeah, it wasn't too far away from the boarderline between Zone one and two." The blonde girl said.
Curse could tell Lexia wondered who they were. "They're my sisters by the way. The blonde is my older sister by a year, she's called Blonde Rebel, Blondie for short, and the brunette is my little sister by five years. She's called Sunshine Siren, Sunny for short."
She carried on talking to him as they walked into the diner, both of them smiling like idiots.
A few hours later when it was dark outside, Lacie, Zack, Guiden and Jeremy were all in bed, but Bandit still refused to leave her mother's side, even though she was half asleep.
There was some music playing in the background, everyone was talking and seemed to be having a good time, but Lexia looked a little awkward. Or at least she looked a little awkward to Curse, so he decided to talk to her.
"Hey." He said, sitting next to her. Bandit was snuggled into her other side, her eyes were closed, but she was kind of aware what was going on around her.
"Oh hey, Curse."
"Everything okay, you just look a little . . . awkward I guess."
"Yeah, I guess you could say I feel a little awkward too."
"So, Bandit seems to be over moon with the fact that you're back."
Her smile grew wider. "Thankyou. I'm glad she's reacted that way and doesn't hate me for the fact that I wasn't really around."
"Bandit hating you? That'll happen the day hell freezes over, my friend." He took a sip of some water. "So, how'd Poison react to you being back? I thought he'd be with you right now."
"He doesn't like the fact I'm back. He seems to think I'm still working for Better Living and long story short, he doesn't want to be with me in a romantic way. I convinced him to get a long with me for Bandit's sake." She smiled down at her sleeping daughter.
Curse was genuinly shocked. Back when Curse met Poison, Bandit was only about one year old and Poison was still an alcoholic. Curse had been there for him when Poison had cried about how much he loved her, when he cried about how much he wanted her to come back and that there wasn't anything he wouldn't do to get her back. Now he had to pretend to get a long with her? He almost didn't believe it.
"You okay?" Lexia asked him.
"Y-yeah, just shocked I guess. He really did love you, I guess I thought if you ever came back, he'd be with you in a heartbeat."
"It's a different story now."
There was a silence in the room when the door was opened by someone Lexia didn't recognize. She was tall and tanned, she was barely wearing anything. She had cowgirl boots on with extremely short shorts and a hot pink tank top on. She smiled at Poison and kissed him quickly.
Lexia rose her eyebrows. "Let me guess. Blue Pheonix?" She lowered her voice so Pheonix couldn't hear.
He nodded. "The bitch of all bitches, if you ask my opinion."
She laughed a little. "Any particular reason for that?"
"The kicked me in the balls when I accidentally messed up her car. It needed fixing and I know quiet a lot about cars, so I was the first person she came to. I ended up making a few mistakes and made it worse than it was before. She snapped at me like no other girl has before, then kicked me square in the balls. Plus she hates my sisters for being prettier than she is. I thought that it was a pointless reason to hate someone."
"It is a pointless reason to hate someone." She agreed.
Pheonix was laughing with Poison when she realized there was someone knew there.
"Oh, you're new. You got a name?" She asked. Pheonix noticed that the new was pretty. She had suspicions that she liked Poison.
"I'm Lexia. Lexia Oliveson." She guessed that she wasn't a Way anymore, so she used her maiden name.
"Lexia? Lexia as in Bandit's mom? The Lexia who you married? That Lexia?" Pheonix asked Poison, clearly pissed.
"Yeah, but there's nothing going on between us." He said plain and simple.
"Why you here?" Bandit asked Pheonix with a tired voice.
"I'm seeing your daddy, Bandit." Her tone was bitter. It pissed off Lexia that she was talking to her daughter that way. "Anyways, there's this party tonight not too far away from here. You wanna come?"
He paused. "Yeah, why not?"
"No!" Bandit may have been sleepy, but when she had to, she used her shouting voice.
"Bandit, it's okay. I'll be back by morning, you won't even know I'm gone, baby, I promise."
"But I do know that you're gone! You have mommy back now, you don't need her anymore!" Bandit continued to shout.
"Bandit, calm down." Poison said in a soothing tone.
Bandit's eyes were filled with tears. "It's not fair! Aunt Static and uncle Kobra had babies and they're still married. Why can't you and mommy be married again?"
"Bandy, your mommy and I, we both love you very much. Just because we're not together, doesn't mean that we don't love you. Your-"
"I hate you!" Bandit screamed at Pheonix. "You ruin everything and you steal daddy from me!"
Bandit ran to her room, slamming the door behind her.
Poison was torn. Did go and comfort his daughter or did he go with Pheonix?
Lexia could see that he was torn and it pissed the fuck out of her. Did he really have to think about it? It was a bitch, according to what she'd heard from other people, versus his own daughter, he should know who to go to.
"Just fucking go, Poison. You obviously want to be with her more than you do with Bandit." She snapped.
"Lexia, I never even said that! I-"
"Just go, okay? I'll make sure she's okay. Just go have fun with her."
Pheonix was insulted. "Her has a name you know!"
"Pheonix, let's just go."
They left and Lexia went into her room to see her daughter.
Bandit was still crying, she was crying into a pillow head first.
"Bandy, it's okay." Lexia soothed her, rubbing her back.
"Why is she here? Daddy has you now. It's not fair." Lexia could barely make out what she said since her head was still burried in the pillow.
"I know, baby. C'mere." Lexia held her arms out to her daughter.
"I didn't want daddy to go. I like him being here. I miss him a lot, mommy." Lexia held her daughter as she talked to her.
She let Bandit cry while she slowly rocked back and forth. It wasn't long until she cried herself to sleep.
She tucked her in and left the room, leaving her daughter to sleep in peace.
"Hey, is Bandit okay?" Curse asked a minute after she left the room.
"Upset, but she's okay now. Does Poison always just leave like that?"
"Bandit's usually a little pissed about it, but she's never shouted at them before to my knowledge."
She nodded, still pissed off with Poison.
"You okay?" He asked her.
She sighed. "Yeah. I'm fine."
"Good. Now, how 'bout a drink?" He offered her a bottle of bear. It'd been a while since she'd had alcohol. Or at least, she thought it was since she barely had any memory of the past five years.
She smiled. "Thanks, Curse."
"Don't mention it." He returned the smile.


text:
In the wind.
sounds and
a delicate care
in the heart of
a soft wind,
with a tender
profile and a
warm atmosphere.
Francesco Sinibaldi
I understand the Vote Cain cpcneot. Perhaps I am being pssimistic but I think the vast majority of Whites are TOO clueless, to indoctrinated, to de-racinated, too faux Xianized, and too EGOISTIC, really, to EVER Do What's Best for the White. These White protestors, here, and abroad they are too in love, and far gone in thier love, re: the We Are All One scam, to EVER work to preserve our Race. And it's really about ego; Whites, deep down, believe that we ARE superior, and our Wonderful White Wqoderfulness can transform everything on Earth, if we just figure out the correct mumbo jumo incantation, this time .Whites are simpy, finally, too GOOD to be racist; that's for those other, less intelligent, less wonderful Races. By the time enough Whites get it , and get right with reality I think there will be too few of us left to accomplish anything. We wil simply be overwhelmed. The Jews do NOT care about their Mud Golem. Once Whitey's gone Jews are the White People. They don't care if they Rule over Chaos, and a planet full of Dark Savages. They really do not care. They have no standards, for anything. Never have. Just Will to Power. Half the time, these days, I think Whites deserve to be wiped from existence. Every other living thing on Earth tries to preserve and perpetuate itself. The simplest bug tries to live. But not Whitey. I deeply resent the fact that the handful of us that do want to see our Race continue to exist getthe WORST scorn, pushback, impediments, censure, and sheer hatred from our ostensible own kind . WN are a crazy lot. I count myself among that grouping cause in the end we are all we've got.I could be wrong about everything. I dunno. I see a Camp of the Saints scenario for our Race, though. C'est la vie.
Hanna I wish you exciting, safe and innripisg travels. If you get stuck at Frankfurt airport I'll come get you!My travel journal is an altered book and I'm sad to say I've sort of fallen out of love with this medium. My next one will be loose pages. This way I don't have to bring the whole thing along AND I can decide later how to bind it all together or whether or not to combine it with other trips. I love postcards and brochures in foreign languages if you bind your book after-wards, you could work all those extra loose things into the journal plus you could print a few pictures of the trip and include those too the main thing is to have fun!! xoxox tj


text:
You are currently browsing the category archive for the 'Internet' category.
Category Archive
Corporate Communications Lags Internet Trends
December 10, 2011 in Corporations, Crowdsourcing, Globalization, Internet, Research, Social networks, Strategy, Web 2.0 | 1 comment
Every year, I pay close attention to Mary Meeker's annual presentation on internet trends. Meeker, one-time analyst at Morgan Stanley and now partner at Kleiner Perkins, has become famous (some would say infamous) for her internet analysis and market projections. Her presentation and commentary is always worthwhile for any PR professional – particularly given the critical and growing impact of the Web and technology on communications and advertising.
Once again, my reaction to Meeker's analysis is focused not so much on her conclusions, which are cogent and important, but in the apparent gap between technology trends and the state of corporate communications. Allowing the caveat that my perspective is totally subjective and anecdotal (based on recent first-hand experience with perhaps twenty organizations largely based in North America) I see some notable gaps.
Let me start with a snapshot of relevant trends from Meeker's presentation:
- Globalization – More than 80% of users of the world's top internet properties (including Facebook and Google) live outside the United States. In 3 years, China added more internet users than exist in the U.S.
- The Web is social – Social networkers around the world now outnumber internet users.
- Mobility – Mobile technology (led by 3G Smartphones and the unprecedented adoption of tablets) continues to grow at historic rates. Mobile search and access to social networks is growing rapidly. Mary suggests the mega-trend of the 21st Century is the empowerment of people via mobile, connected devices.
- Digital content – User interfaces and digital content is moving from text and icons to a new combination of sound/touch/video. Content is now accessed, moved and altered through a simple touch on the screen.
- Content aggregation – Content is increasingly being packaged, and accessed, though sites that aggregate rather than create original content.
Now let's compare each of these trends to what I typically see in my communication work:
- Globalization – Most companies struggle with truly global communications, and rarely make a concerted effort to ensure their content is representative and relevant across their international locations. Call it the HQ syndrome. Many don't bother to address the most obvious challenge of foreign language in their corporate outreach; English is the default language, even in organizations with a majority of staff outside North America.
- The Web is social – Despite the tremendous growth and opportunity of social technology, many organizations still hesitate to introduce even the most basic social platforms (such as internal blogs) despite the fact most intranet platforms now come with built-in social capabilities. Even fewer encourage and train their staff to be online ambassadors or interact with customers. Some organizations have yet to introduce employee Web policies.
- Mobility – Despite the proliferation of mobile devices, only a hand-full of companies I've worked for/with use company-supplied or personal devices for communication purposes, and that is often limited to text digests. Even organizations with many remote staff and/or manufacturing environments where workers don't have access to computers, mobile outreach is limited. Many companies still ban use of iPhones or other Smartphones that aren't officially supplied.
- Digital content – Text pushed out via email is still king in corporate communications, with a surprising paucity of original video content, and even less packaged audio (though I've seen…or heard…some innovative programs that leverage podcasting and DVDs to train or inform staff.) The ubiquitous Powerpoint slides, which can now feature interesting visuals and compelling design, are often limited to busy, generic text. Photos are becoming more common, but there is rarely a proactive program designed to help create and share original photography. In terms of interfaces, I've yet to see an intranet (or many external websites) that's anything close to the iconic, visualized interface used by many technology providers.
- Content aggregation – Too many companies still believe in the build-it-and-they-will-come come mantra, limiting their online presence to official corporate sites with dubious prospects. (The obvious exception is companies that market and sell online.) Most content on corporate sites is usually produced by the organization, and often self-serving. On the internal side the same trend applies, but with even less access to external content or feeds. Usually, a fairly rigid hierarchy of approved authors prevents staff from being active content contributors.
Even allowing for aversion to risk and cultural differences across workplaces, I'm surprised our profession appears so out of step with emerging trends. From personal experience, I know it's difficult to go against corporate inertia, but we risk losing our credibility and relevance if we don't counsel our clients/leaders to consider these trends and look for opportunities to innovate and improve.
Social Media: Be Careful, Not Fearful
December 10, 2011 in Brand, Corporations, Employees, Internet, Social networks, Strategy, Web 2.0 | 1 comment
It's rare a day goes by without another example of an employee getting fired or reprimanded for posting something inappropriate on their Twitter account, or a company being forced into damage control due to an off-color comment or tone-deaf message. I read this example of Congressional staffers and their ill-advised Twitter chatter this morning. There are countless other blunders that have generated heated coverage – ranging from political scandals (hello Tony Weiner) to marketing snafus. All this noise usually creates two concerns, or conclusions, with many of my clients:
- Social media is very risky for organizations…probably too risky
- It's very difficult to regulate and monitor social media interaction
As I've written before in this blog over the years, I think the fears of social media are overblown and misdirected. Yes, social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook allow content and commentary to spread globally quickly – whether it's positive or critical. But a cursory review of the most celebrated social media snafus (including the one referenced above) reveals that in most cases the controversy could easily have been avoided with basic common sense: Don't lie. Don't use inappropriate language or content. Be nice. Play fair. I would argue these are the same guidelines employees would use with any other workplace forum or channel (including company email.) In fact, I am often amazed at how ridiculous and ill-advised these controversial posts are…causing me to ask rhetorically what were they thinking?
The issue of monitoring and managing social media outreach is also surrounded by misconceptions. Companies can use a wide range of user-friendly tools to monitor the Web and track posts, triage comments or questions and identify emerging trends. With regard to organization, many of recognized social media leaders use a small, dedicated team and simple planning process to direct their social media efforts. In other words, this doesn't have to be that overly costly or complicated. The barriers to entry for social media are very low for individual and institutional users alike.
Rather than blaming social media channels – which are inherently neutral and provide incredible platforms for robust, real-time conversation with millions of users – company leaders should spend more time selecting and training their staff, and determining the strategic purpose of their social media activities (even if they are mostly passive and reactive.) These steps don't have to be onerous. Many of the most successful companies actively using social media – notably Dell, IBM, Best Buy and Starbucks – have clear and simple policies and objectives. And determining if and how you want to get involved can (and should) be shaped by due diligence and strategic planning.
The fact that some have made mistakes using social media platforms is an indictment of the culprits, not the technology.
Brands Expanding Presence in Social Media
August 23, 2011 in Blogs, Brand, Corporations, Globalization, Internet, Marketing, Research, Social networks, Strategy, Web 2.0 | Leave a comment
Universal McCann's latest "Wave" global report – which they claim is the longest running and largest study dedicated to social media – provides an essential statistical benchmark on the evolution of social media. The key findings this year are no surprise: the survey of thousands of global internet users confirms that social media remains an explosive, dynamic phenomenon that is changing how we interact, think, feel and behave. This particular study focuses on how brands are engaging with consumers in social media.
The big takeaway from this study is that data suggests there is huge demand for a more social, interactive relationship with brands online. Almost half of active internet users – who collectively visit social networks 1.5 billion times every day – are joining brand communities. This is occurring despite a steady decline of users visiting "official" company websites and the prominence of peer-to-peer brand recommendations. In short, consumers increasingly want to engage with brands in social media, but on the right terms. The key, according to the report authors, is to identify the kind of relationship users want with brands, and to create corresponding social media programs. Put another way, companies must understand the needs and motivations of consumers as a critical first step in their social media planning. The catch is that these needs differ widely by country, topic (or category) and audience – so brands should seek granular information on their target consumers to detail their habits and preferences. This approach means selecting the platform or network comes last, not first. And that doesn't mean returning to the hard sell, which still remains anathema to many internet consumers.
Here are other highlights of the survey:
- Social networks have become more embedded in our everyday lives as the range of online activities and frequency of usage continues to increase;
- Social media use varies widely depending on geography and user demographics;
- Users have a wide range of motives for accessing web platforms, and select different platforms for different purposes. (Again these motives vary widely by geography.)
- Though penetration among 16-24 year olds remains highest, the 25-34 age bracket has seen the biggest jump in usage (from 52% to 70% in 3 years);
- Social networks have become the main forum for social interaction, even bypassing face-to-face contact;
- Content sharing continues to be popular, though it's now occurring on a wider range of platforms;
- Personal blogs and forums are losing some traction, but are also becoming more specialized and targeted. Micro-blogging, on the other hand, has quickly grown into a mass market activity;
- There's been a significant shift to accessing social media through mobile devices and applications;
- On the brand front, primary reasons for joining brand communities (usually on social networks) include learning about the brand/product, getting advance news on products, and gaining access to free content.
Communicating – and Marketing – in a Digital World
July 26, 2011 in Brand, Corporations, Internet, Marketing, Research, Social networks, Strategy, Web 2.0 | Leave a comment
Over the past few years I've had numerous discussions with clients and peers about the dramatic disruptions caused by new social media technology. In the early years, in particular, not everybody accepted the premise that these changes were in fact occurring, or driving fundamental shifts in how people gather and share information. Well here we are, several years into the so-called Web 2.0 revolution. If nothing else, what has become widely acknowledged – even among the most recalcitrant naysayers – is that we are truly living in a digital world.
Indeed, a recent article by McKinsey provides another layer of accumulating empirical evidence that global consumers are increasingly communicating and conducting business through digital devices. This study mirrors a recent report by Forrester (presented at SXSW 2011) that suggested employees – most of them wired, social networkers – were increasingly using their technology within the workplace, firewalls and rules be damned. [FYI: both these articles may have restricted access and require registration.]
Here are some highlights of the McKinsey study:
- Nearly 50 percent of US online consumers are now advanced users of smartphones, social networks, and other emerging tools—up from 32 percent in 2008;
- Social networks, particularly Facebook, are emerging as the dominant digital-communications channels. For people aged 34 and under, they already are the preferred channel (by minutes of use per day), displacing e-mail, texting, and phone calls. Social-network use, growing swiftly among all segments of our survey population, has doubled among those over 55;
- As the usage and processing power of smartphones increase in tandem with the rising speed of 3G and 4G data networks, mobile devices are invading the domains of single-purpose gear such as game consoles and portable media players, as well as PCs. Smartphones are also becoming the device of choice for e-mail, Web browsing, and product research;
- As digital platforms multiply, consumer video-viewing habits continue to change. Among our survey respondents, 69 percent now view videos on their PCs and 33 percent on their smartphones;
- Only 24% of respondents are considered "traditionalists", or consumers who are less interested in internet browsing and social networking and are more likely to read print newspapers.
Given this data, there seems little doubt that discussions on communication or marketing strategy, and more specifically social media planning, can start from the premise that the majority of our audience are digital natives, or largely wired and fluent in social media. And that cuts across geography, job and income level – though there are still important variations based on these demographic variables. In a sense, the conversation should now shift from if to how or what we need to do differently.
Of course, this has important repercussions for communication professionals, whether the focus is PR or internal communications. At minimum, we need to plan based on this new reality, and ideally take advantage of the emerging opportunities to use fresh, original strategies. I like the approach proposed in another recent McKinsey article that argued that in this digital age we are all marketers. As the headline puts it: "engaging customers today requires commitment from an entire organization – and a redefined marketing organization." Here's an excerpt:
For the past decade, marketers have been adjusting to a new era of deep customer engagement. They've tacked on new functions, such as social-media management; altered processes to better integrate advertising campaigns online, on television, and in print; and added staff with Web expertise to manage the explosion of digital customer data. Yet in our experience, that's not enough. To truly engage customers for whom "push" advertising is increasingly irrelevant, companies must do more outside the confines of the traditional marketing organization. At the end of the day, customers no longer separate marketing from the product—it is the product. They don't separate marketing from their in-store or online experience—it is the experience. In the era of engagement, marketing is the company.
This bold, innovative approach is a useful model for communication professionals. We must avoid falling into old patterns and timid ideas and instead develop new programs that are resonant and relevant to this population of digital natives. In short, we need to change. And we need to help our clients change. With the overwhelming evidence of the increasing reach and impact of new technology on consumers (including our employees and peers), there's really no excuse for inertia.
Kenneth Cole Twitter Scandal – The New Crisis Cycle at Web Speed
February 8, 2011 in Brand, Corporations, Internet, Media relations, Social networks, Strategy, Web 2.0 | Leave a comment
Just read a really interesting article in AdAge that provides a post-mortem autopsy on the Kenneth Cole Twitter scandal…and subsequent redemption. There are two provocative arguments in the article:
- Social media has dramatically accelerated the usual steps and cycle of scandals, including quick resolution and forgiveness for those who take appropriate action;
- The new scandal pattern features a secondary wave or parodies of the original blunder…which sometimes generates more attention that the original event.
Based on some recent miscues propagated on/by Twitter, it would appear that companies can go from goat to reformed sinner much faster than before the advent of social media. And the deluge of content on networks like Twitter and Facebook inevitably helps push old news out of the spotlight. That said, I would argue that the outcome of the crisis – and ultimate impact on the brands involved – depends on the magnitude of the original error, as well as how promptly and cogently the company reacts. Kenneth Cole quickly apologizing for his ill-advised use of #Cairo in his original tweet cannot be compared to the massive BP oil spill crisis, or even the recent Taco Bell "where's the beef" situation. For one thing, those events quickly spread across social several social networks and traditional media channels and an easy, quick resolution is not likely to occur. (BP, for example, is likely to face years of legal repercussions.) These other crises also raise more fundamental, serious questions about the companies involved. Kenneth Cole may have been insensitive, but he wasn't accused of endemic incompetence, harm to consumers or corporate corruption.
Despite these caveats, communication professionals should be aware that old models and time-honored principles of crisis management – do you remember the "5 R's"…responsibility, regret, restitution, resolution and reform – are being influenced by the technology and mores of social media. In nothing else, it appears that some crises will be played out at lightning Web speed. Whether that makes it easier or harder to manage is open to debate, but it's fascinating to watch.
Listening in Social Media is a Contact Sport
January 24, 2011 in Brand, Corporations, Culture, Internet, Media relations, Metrics, PR, Social networks, Strategy | Leave a comment
I am reminded on a regular basis of the gap between organizations leading the adoption of social media – who are embracing and shaping new trends and applications – and others who still seem hesitant to devote any resources or intellectual capital to the discipline. The latest example comes through the concept of listening. While some organizations are (inexplicably) barely paying attention to online dialogue, others are working hard to improve their listening ability and using the information to shape their customer outreach, products and even their business operations. They are listening with a purpose – to use the insights and information they gather to truly engage with their customers, critics and fans online.
A recent blog post by Brian Solis details the progress of companies like Dell and Gatorade, who have expanded the concept of a community manager – the model for many companies engaged in social media – to that of a social media command center. This command center model not only provides a more robust, integrated structure to monitor, analyze and moderate online dialogue – which can be a challenge for organizations with a global profile and thousands of daily mentions – but also helps the team to internalize and respond to the various inputs.
There are numerous benefits to this enlightened approach. Solis writes about the Gatorade team, which is able to adjust online marketing campaigns in real-time based on analytics and user comments. Dell's command center, meanwhile, provides a centralized platform to coordinate the outreach of its online ambassadors, expert authors and customer service activities. Issues and potential emerging PR problems are quickly identified and assessed. Various social media platforms and programs are integrated and managed without attention to traditional silos and functions. In other words… you listen, you learn, you react and you adapt.
As Solis describes it, Dell has become the model of a truly social and adaptive organization. And it's important to note this goes beyond a defensive posture to respond and react to individual customer issues; the ultimate benefit from engagement with online communities is being able to harness their opinions, ideas and wisdom on topics well beyond sundry product or service complaints. Perhaps the biggest lesson from the actions or Dell and Gatorade is that existing organization models and concepts are no longer effective in this age of social media – which transcends traditional disciplines like marketing, IT, research and public relations. Even appointing a few individuals as community managers is a stop-gap measure. It will be interesting to see how other companies manage their social media activities in the coming months. My guess is the gap between leaders and laggards will only get wider.
Social Media Requires Leap of Faith
January 7, 2011 in Corporations, Globalization, Internet, Media relations, Metrics, Social networks, Strategy, Web 2.0 | Leave a comment
The folks at AdAge posted an article recently on what they (and others) have described as the biggest social media campaign of the year: Coca-Cola's global Expedition 206 project, where three "happiness ambassadors" travelled the world to document people's search for happiness. Based on many measures, this campaign was a huge success, with over 650 million media impressions and huge global audiences across the campaign platforms – notably in relatively immature Coke markets like China. (It likely didn't hurt that Coke's social media properties are already among the most popular in the world.)
It's interesting to note that some observers – including a few commenting on this article – aren't sold on the success of the campaign. A few critics questioned whether the program had actually translated into a spike in sales, arguing increased awareness or positive buzz was a soft, meaningless measure of ROI. Others claimed they had never heard of the campaign, suggesting the ratings might be hype.
But beyond the debate about evaluating success – which is a big enough topic for another post altogether – I see a few important lessons for all communication/marketing professionals in this campaign:
- Social media is about people and local markets – The Coke folks developed the campaign blueprint at HQ and leveraged a core team to coordinate the massive undertaking, but used a decentralized approach where local teams (and the personable ambassadors) had flexibility to implement and customize the outreach. It's also worth noting the prevalence of informal video in this program – a popular and compelling format that is too often ignored in many corporate programs;
- Be open to learning and adapting along the way – The Coke team freely admits they were flying blind on many aspects of this program, and leveraged the insights and feedback along the way to adjust the plan;
- Dont' wait for things to be perfect – It might surprise some that even a social media leader like Coke launched this campaign knowing their teams would have to stretch to implement the campaign (for example, requiring a higher level of coordination across marcom groups and forcing many local teams to become more familiar with social media). Sometimes a campaign is the impetus for organizations to raise their game and overhaul technology and/or process…and that's not a bad thing;
- Face-to-face still matters – Coke used a wide range of virtual activities in this campaign, but complemented the robust online tactics with critical local meetings and testimony by the ambassadors, which in turn generated much of the digital content. The heart of this campaign – as it were – was the personal friendships and outreach of the 3 ambassadors on the ground;
- Engage partners in relevant communities – The ambassadors reached out to local bloggers, fans and reporters to support their local outreach and extend local word-of-mouth;
- Be creative - This campaign went well beyond the typical, relatively safe Facebook and Twitter outposts favored by more timid organizations. The result was a campaign that was bold in scope and also much more interesting and lasting in terms of content and coverage.
These lessons were similar to what I experienced at Dell as part of the core team that developed and launched the social media programs several years ago. There were many things we didn't know when we started, but we never would have learned – or made any progress – if we had waited for the perfect situation. Our focus was on getting the basics right – our strategy, objectives and key principles – but positioned our efforts as a constant beta test…constantly assessing, innovating and improving. Like with Coke, our efforts forced the issue on many fronts (for example the introduction of new technology and upgrades in infrastructure.)
The frenetic, unpredictable pace of evolution in social media doesn't allow for ponderous, diffident planning more common even a few years ago. Yes, planning and strategic rigor still matter, but they shouldn't get in the way of great ideas.
Global Media Trends Confirm Growth of Web & Mobility
December 9, 2010 in Employees, Globalization, Internet, Marketing, News Media, Research, Social networks | Leave a comment
One of the challenges of communication planning is coming up with relevant, realistic strategies to communicate with/to a specific audience. Whether the strategic purpose is marketing, reputation management or employment branding, the discussion inevitably reaches the question of delivery and media channels. (One example that comes up frequently in my work is if/how blue-collar employees access the internet from their homes or phones.) Often, in the absence of usage audits or anecdotal evidence, we make assumptions about internet access, hardware and popularity of specific media platforms. A new report on global media trends by AdAge provides some useful context for this discussion.
There are several interesting findings in the study:
- Facebook (with a user base of 517 million) dominates all other platforms in terms of time spent on site;
- Media habits in the United States (e.g. the decline popularity of newspapers) are different from other global regions;
- Television has tremendous reach and popularity in many areas of the world – including many poor markets;
- Internet access continues to expand, fueled in emerging markets by cheap cyber cafes;
- Video use is booming in developing markets (like the BRIC countries);
- Mobile phone growth and penetration is driving most internet usage (due to lower cost compared to desktop or laptop access); and,
- Digital data content continues to explode – with the latest boost powered by video and movies.
I saw evidence of many of these trends during a visit to Tanzania – where locals could visit internet cafes and guides on Kilimanjaro used phones (all the way up to the summit) to communicate with each other.
These global trends, of course, lack the detail and depth required to adequately plan and execute communications aimed at specific audiences – or communities. Communication and marketing professionals still need to do their homework to confirm the best media recipe to reach a particular group – whether internal or external. The ultimate lesson might be to avoid making too many assumptions; media habits and technology are both evolving at a rapid pace and stereotypes are often based on dubious or outdated data.
The Quixotic Quest for Viral Videos
December 6, 2010 in Internet, Marketing, Social networks, Strategy, Uncategorized, Web 2.0 | Leave a comment
If there's one phrase that makes me wince when I'm talking to peers or clients, it's can you help us make a viral video? Believe it or not, I hear it quite frequently. Not surprisingly, many corporate executives are now true believers in the power of social media and want to leverage the tremendous profile and marketing clout of YouTube. Unfortunately, you can't make a viral video. You can make a video and try to help it become viral – meaning viewers will drive others to see it, share it, comment and eventually make it a media sensation well beyond YouTube. Ultimately, viewers decide what becomes viral through their actions and comments.
Though consumers have the power, there are things you can do to increase your chances of encouraging uploads and buzz. Look at the recent Old Spice YouTube campaign as a good example of a successful viral program. This hilarious campaign – which piggy-backed on a popular television ad – has become a new paradigm of how to drive positive word-of-mouth through a viral video campaign. According to media reports, the campaign has generated hundreds of millions of views and publicity across media channels, and there's also evidence it has boosted sales. The true genius of this campaign was the timely, interactive nature of the conversation – with the Old Spice shirtless man responding to individual tweets, reaching out to influential celebrities and pundits and even making a marriage proposal on behalf of a Twitter fan.
So why did the Old Spice campaign work so well? Here's my short-list:
- Though the campaign left plenty of room for spontaneity, there was a marketing plan underneath the whimsy designed to maximize reach and impact across networks and sites;
- The videos were genuinely funny, smart and original – the original ads were a great starting point;
- It was responsive – not only in general terms via comments on YouTube but via individual Tweets responses/posts and video content;
- It was designed as an integrated program that went beyond YouTube;
- It downplayed the Old Spice brand (I didn't find any mention of the products outside the original TV ads);
- The campaign was human and touching – including one video of the Old Spice actor sending a personal message to his son – reinforcing that social media is about real people;
- The campaign knew enough to end on a high, and called it quits before the joke wore thin.
Another important lesson is that the Old Spice guy generated plenty of spoof videos. Video parodies created by viewers are among the most popular on the internet and often widely surpass the original ads in popularity – so be careful what you wish for. (Two recent examples are the hundreds of video parodies of the Tiger Woods and LeBron James Nike commercials.) Further evidence that what goes viral is not decided by marketers but by consumers. (FYI: check out this article for recent stats on the top viral videos on YouTube.)
WikiLeaks Not Model of Social Media Transparency
November 30, 2010 in Internet, Social networks, Web 2.0 | Leave a comment
In the wake of the latest release of classified documents by WikiLeaks, a number of people have asked me if the leaks are simply a reflection of the growing importance of social media – with its emphasis on citizen journalism, transparency and candid conversation. My answer to them is no. WikiLeaks has little in common with the ethos of Web 2.0, and it certainly doesn't represent the best of social media. Here are my reasons:
- WikiLeaks doesn't really qualify as a transparent activity. Though it could be argued there is transparency in making public previously confidential or buried documents (that are confirmed as authentic) the whole process around the leaks has been opaque. In fact, the leaks are closer to a secretive publicity stunt than a public service. As per the modus operandi of the site, the original source of the leaked documents is still uncertain – though an American soldier has been charged.
- The importance of transparency in social media is often discussed in tandem with honesty. On that front WikiLeaks is on equally weak ground. First, the cables and memos were specifically written for select individuals or small groups. Clearly, they were released without the consent of the original authors and recipients. Second, WikiLeaks provides no insight on the value or accuracy of the leaked materials, essentially refusing to take any responsibility for the content. Third, it appears the documents were obtained illegally. WikiLeaks isn't talking under the guise of protecting its sources.
- It's difficult to argue the leaked information hasn't fueled active conversation – the foundation of social media – but it's less certain the discourse has been positive or beneficial to anyone involved. Much like dialogue preaching hate or racism is discouraged, one could argue the nasty brush fires sparked by the leaks has done little but raise tension between countries. On the other hand, the ethical debate around the leaks themselves has been constructive.
- Even in the fluid and informal world of social media, there are norms of conduct and rules of engagement. Most participants follow these informal guidelines and/or corporate policies and there's often a visceral reaction in online communities against those that refuse to follow rules – which are typically designed to ensure the quality of the content and conversation. It's not clear what rules or guidelines WikiLeaks subscribes to beyond acting as a clearing-house for documents that can bring to light – and help redress – human right abuses and criminal activity.
- Social media puts a big emphasis on valuable, relevant content. What I've seen from the recent WikiLeaks exercise is a massive, haphazard package of confidential diplomatic memos that may have more value to conspiracy theorists and spies than ordinary readers. The value of the materials is left for the reader to decide, and the benefits to any community (if any) are unclear.
- Most fans of social media would agree that sharing information comes with responsibility. There's a glaring absence of common sense and judgement around the leaks. Many observers are concerned the leaks could result in serious diplomatic problems, and even compromise the safety of officials listed in the documents. Whether that's true or not is apparently of no concern to WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, who has claimed that releasing the material is in the public interest…but has not explained why or how that is the case.
I've heard some pundits arguing this leak follows in the grand tradition of rule-breaking muckracking, like the celebrated events surrounding the Watergate scandal. And if I take Assange at his word, I applaud his commitment to release any information that brings to light abuses and other criminal behaviour. But again, the context here is totally different than Watergate or even the Iraq war. There is no obvious scandal or political crime to uncover here, merely thousands of sensitive diplomatic discussions (containing predictable off-color candor) that serve no obvious public purpose and clearly put negotiations at risk. The leaks are closer to political gossip than investigative journalism.
There has been robust discussion about whether the leaks should be protected under the First Amendment – more specifically freedom of the press. (Conservative pundits, in particular, are happy to see an independent watchdog tweak the nose of the U.S. Government.) I'm not a legal scholar so I can't answer the constitutional question, but the real issue isn't whether WikiLeaks can make this information public, but whether it should.


text:
San Mateo CPA Accounting Firm that helps individuals & businesses needing a San Mateo CPA with general accounting services and unique tax concerns. We are the tax return preparation CPA experts in San Mateo county. Our firm specializes in tax analysis, tax accounting, accounting systems, financial consulting and bookkeeping including payroll services.
Give our San Mateo CPA firm the opportunity to showcase what we do best so you can do what you do best -- run your business. Call us today for a free consultation with a San Mateo CPA firm accounting services firm managed by a knowledgeable and local CPA in San Mateo. You can reach us at 650-222-2222 or fill out the form to the right.
Tax Preparation -
Federal / State / Corporate
Our goal is to help you stay in compliance with the law while paying the minimum amount of tax possible. We handle:
- Business and personal taxes
- Local, state and federal taxes
- Payroll taxes
- Tax planning and problem resolution
- Local Movers Website Website Website Website Website San Francisco Movers Movers San Jose CA Website Website Los Altos Movers Movers Moving SF Moving Company Website Web design SEO Company Website Website Website Website Movers Moving CO Movers Moving CO Movers Moving Company Free Moving Quotes Moving Company Website Local Movers Moving Co Website Movers Moving Company Bay Area Movers Moving Website Movers Moving San Jose Hauling Service Movers Moving San Jose Hauling Service Massage San Jose CA Massage San Jose
We can perform all the functions of an in-house accounting department at a fraction of the cost:
- Paying vendor bills
- Invoicing customers
- Preparing payroll and related reports
- Bookkeeping
- Financial statements, reporting and analysis
- Budgeting and forecasting
Financial Consulting
Often, accounting & taxes are inextricably linked to broader financial issues. We have experience in all these:
- Business valuations and acquisitions
- Deal structuring for buy-sells and buy-outs
- Generational planning
- Other areas of consultation (please ask)
Bookkeeping Software Consulting
We are Certified QuickBooks Advisors, and can help you set up an accounting bookkeeping system and train your employees in its use, or just provide assistance and answer questions for those who already use QuickBooks.