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A new top enlisted soldier took over duties at the Fort Hood-based Operational Test Command on Thursday.
During a formal ceremony, outgoing Command Sgt. Maj. Antoine Overstreet handed a saber to Command Sgt. Maj. Kenneth Graham, the new top enlisted soldier in OTC. The unit conducts testing on new Army equipment before it goes to soldiers Armywide. Read the full story in Wednesday's Fort Hood Herald.


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Oh no, the event has ended. Don't miss out again, get the latest sales via our newsletter, Facebook, Twitter or RSS feed!
|30 Mar 2012 (Fri)
|26 Apr 2012 (Thu)
|NTUC Unity
Give your active lifestyle a boost with Unity's latest promotion. Plus on 30 March 2012 only, enjoy $10 off for every $60 nett spent.
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5 Apr 2012
Added KORDEL'S Ester C Supplement, BEROCCA Performance Effervescent, BORSCH MED Cordyceps, REDOXON Double Action Chewable and BLACKMORES Fish Oil as well as JCube and Yew Tee Point opening specials
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See ad image for price list and more details
Click on thumbnail[s] to enlarge. Sales on until 26 Apr 2012
(Updated 5 Apr with "5 Apr 2012 NTUC Unity" image)
(Updated 20 Apr with "20 Apr 2012 NTUC Unity" image)
Get get up to $138 cashback when you apply for Standard Chartered card at www.sc.com. Plus enjoy 2 years fee waiver and 1-for-1 privileges at Swensen's, The Fullerton Hotel & more!

subset: commoncrawl


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This day, Aug. 1, marks the 6th death anniversary of former president Corazon "Cory" Aquino who died in 2009 because of colon cancer.
Aquino's death sparked a global empathy as world leaders extended their condolences to one of the world's most prominent democracy icons.
Aquino, the mother of current President Benigno Aquino III, was lauded for her courage in spearheading the world's first People Power Revolution on Feb. 25, 1986 which toppled the 21-year regime of then president Ferdinand Marcos.
Aside from being the wife of former Senator Benigno Aquino Jr., mother of current President Aquino, and the mother of Philippine democracy, here are 10 interesting facts about our beloved Corazon Aquino.
1. Her grandfather, Juan Sumulong, ran for the presidency under the Popular Front party against Manuel L. Quezon in the 1941 presidential elections. Sumulong lost by over a million votes to Quezon.
2. She graduated elementary on top of her class as batch valedictorian at the St. Scholastica's College.
3. Aside from her mastery of English, Filipino, and Kapampangan (her native tongue), Aquino also is also fluent in speaking Japanese and French.
– She learned Niponggo when she was a child during the Japanese occupation and World War II in the country. There was one incident when she perfectly recited a poem in Japanese and was awarded a bag of sugar-coated peanuts by Japanese soldiers.
– She learned French when she enrolled at the College of Mount Saint Vincent in US. When she went for a state visit in France in 1989, she granted an interview in French.
4. After graduating from college in Notre Dame Convent School in New York, she studied law in the Far Eastern University. But after a year, she married former senator Benigno Aquino, Jr.
5. She was often portrayed by actresses for a major role in some films, such as Laurice Guillen's portrayal in the 1988 HBO mini-series titled A Dangerous Life. In 1987, she was also portrayed as a main character in Boy Noriega's stage comedy titled Bongbong at Kris which was a fictitious story that imagined a romantic relationship between Senator Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos, Jr. and Kris Aquino, Corazon's youngest sibling.
6. Aquino developed a hobby out of painting. In 1996, she was mentored by painter Jeff Consumo. She likes to paint about flowers and women. Her works were used to fund her advocacies and were featured in some exhibits. However, Aquino doesn't claim herself to be a professional painter.
7. Contrary to what her detractors used to say against her when she decided to run for presidency that she had "no background in politics," she actually had a commendable political experience when she volunteered for the campaign of US Republican presidential candidate Thomas Dewey against then Democratic president Harry S. Truman in the 1948 US presidential elections.
8. She received 48 awards and honors, both local and international, including her inclusion as one of the 100 Women Who Shaped World History in 1994 and one of Time Magazine's "65 Great Asian Heroes" along with other Asian democracy icons like Lee Kuan Yew of Singapore, Mahatma Gandhi of India, and Aung San Suu Kyi of Myanmar. She also had 22 honorary doctorate degrees that she had obtained in different universities in the Philippines and abroad.
9. She was still eligible to run for re-elections in 1992 but refused. Since she was not inaugurated under the 1987 Constitution, Aquino is still eligible to run for another term in 1992 but she refused, saying that being a president is not a "lifetime position" as opposed to her predecessor, Ferdinand Marcos.
10. Aside from being the democracy icon, she was also a model of humility. In the 1992 turn-over of presidency to Fidel V. Ramos, Aquino rode in an ordinary car when she left for home. Instead of riding in a posh Mercedes, she opted to be escorted by a simple Toyota Crown.
For MORE of NewsCentral.ph, click below:
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Jon and Roy
Nells Jazz & Blues, London.
Nell's Jazz and
West Kensington,
Nearest Tube - West Kensington Station (3mins)
Bus - 74, 190, 430, N74 & N97
Taxi - 30 yds
Choose Tickets
More information about Jon and Roy tickets
Jon and Roy are touching down for the second time in Europe. A strong presence within the Canadian roots, rock scene with six highly acclaimed albums to their name, the duo are proud to share their newest addition, 'The Road Ahead Is Golden', to a European crowd. Performing in the Uk, Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland and Austria, Jon and Roy will move audiences with genuine song writing, warm melodies and rhythmic folk/roots accompaniment.Though new to mainland Europe, Jon and Roy have a growing global following thanks to international tours alongside Xavier Rudd, Trevor Hall, and Buck 65 as well as huge placements in advertising from Volkwagen, Starbucks, ScotiaBank, Ralph Lauren, Bloomingdales and Lululemon. Their music has been nominated for Western Canadian Music Awards and the band has sold over 25,000 albums worldwide. Playing hundreds of shows in clubs, theatres and festivals from international support slots, to playing in front of an engaged home crowd of 40,000 at Victoria BC's Canada Day celebration, Jon and Roy are a fantastic live act and connect with audiences through expressive songwriting.With fresh energy, the duo's new album 'The Road Ahead Is Golden',goes off script featuring a traditional drum set and a vintage 1947 Gibson L4 hollow body semi-acoustic guitar. While growing creatively, nothing endangers Jon and Roy's authentic upbeat folk stylings, intuitive timekeeping and haunting vocals, developed through the easygoing synchronicity of being longtime friends and musical partners.


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The Los Angeles coroner's office has amended Natalie Wood' death certificate to reflect growing questions in the reopened case surrounding the actress' drowning death in 1981.
RELATED: Christopher Walken Recalls Natalie Wood's Death
Previously ruled as "accidental," Wood's death certificate now reads the cause of her passing 30 years ago is classified as "undetermined," reports the Associated Press.
In addition, the modified documents raise questions in regards to her death by drowning as it remains unclear to investigators how Wood got into the water in the first place.
RELATED: Natalie Wood: A Lifetime in Pics
Natalie Wood's case was reopened last November after detectives confirmed several sources came forward with new information. The actress drowned while boating off the coast of Catalina Island in 1981.
They Dated?! Surprising Celebrity Hookups
Star Sightings: Celebrity Candids
Are These Celebs Too Tan?! Cast Your Vote!


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We suggest that all our customers review foreign office advice for Singapore before travelling. Click here for the latest information from the foreign office.
British passport holders do not require a visa for travel to Singapore for a stay of up to 30 days. It is recommended that travellers hold a passport that is valid for at least six months beyond the period of intended stay in Singapore.
Singapore's Changi Airport is modern, stylish and visitor friendly. It is a major transport hub in Asia, connecting passengers to over 200 destinations around the world. Changi takes airports to a whole new level, with carpeted floors, comfy couches and butterfly gardens. Aside from the hundreds of shops and restaurants Changi Airport also has showers, a gym, massage stations, a children's playground and even a swimming pool.
If you have not pre-booked transfers: The MRT train departs from Changi Airport MRT Station, located under Terminals 2 and 3. Trains depart from 5.30am to midnight and take around 27 minutes. In addition there is an airport shuttle service between the airport and the city centre and most hotels in Singapore; the buses leave when all six seats have been filled or every 15 to 30 minutes.
Singapore's currency is the Singapore Dollar (SGD), which is divided into 100 cents. US Dollars and British Pounds are also accepted in the larger shopping centres. Major credit cards are accepted in hotels, shops and restaurants and ATMs are everywhere. Banks are open daily, but some do not do foreign exchange on Saturdays.
Singapore has four national languages -- English, Mandarin, Malay, and Tamil. Most people speak English quite well and the majority of the signs you encounter will be in English. "Singlish", a mixture of English with Chinese and Malay, is also widely spoken.
Visitors should be aware of Singapore's fineable offences -- eating on public transport, littering, smoking in public places and jay-walking all carry heavy fines.
Electrical current in Singapore is 230 volts, 50Hz. The majority of electrical outlets in Singapore take a three-pronged UK-style plug, however it is also worth taking a universal plug adaptor
Despite it small size, Singapore offers an incredible variety of cuisines, with the main ones being Chinese, Malay, Indian and Peranakan. The must-try dishes, and most popular amongst the locals, are Hainanese Chicken Rice: bite-sized pieces of steamed chicken, fragrant rice, soy sauce, and a delicious ground chilli and ginger paste; and Nasi Lemak: a rice dish made from cooking rice in coconut milk, served with chilli condiment and a platter of side dishes. Don't miss the mouthwatering Chilli Crab (stir-fried in a rich chilli gravy and served with steamed buns) at "Jumbo's", awarded the most popular seafood restaurant in Singapore.
There's practically a shopping sale of sorts all year round in Singapore, with the most notable one being the Great Singapore Sale. In addition to that, there are stretches of world-class shopping malls, centres and outlet stores in Singapore that offer you a wide array of shopping choices. You only need to take a walk down Singapore's iconic shopping districts to find out what's in store for you.
For the latest in fashion trends, check out Orchard Road which is Singapore's main shopping district. For a more luxurious, upmarket shopping experience head to The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands where you can find designer brands such as Gucci, Dior, Chanel and Louis Vuitton. If you're looking for more cultural shopping, then the districts of Kampong Glam, Little India and Chinatown are most ideal. Here, you'll find an assortment of ethnic products, jewellery, textiles, antiques and more.
As a tourist in Singapore, you may claim a refund on the 7% Goods and Services Tax (GST) paid on your purchases made at participating retail shops when you leave Singapore and bring your purchases home. Simply look out for retailers that display the "Tax Refund" logo on their shop front and spend SG100 in a single receipt to qualify.
Singapore is a very safe country with low crime rates. Pickpockets aren't unknown, but in general, crime isn't a problem. Singapore citizens are very law-abiding. There are fines issued for just about any offence in Singapore, including S$500 for smoking in public places, S$50 for jaywalking, S$1,000 for littering and S$500 for eating, drinking or chewing gum on the MRT. Drug trafficking carries a maximum penalty of death.
Singapore offers a wide variety of evening entertainment and nightlife. Boat Quay is arguably the favourite place to chill out for most professionals and expatriates, with an eclectic mix of high end restaurants, alfresco dining and lively bars and pubs.
Clarke Quay also offers a myriad selection of entertainment from riverside restaurants and hip cafes to jazz clubs and quirky night clubs. Robertson Quay is the most laidback of the three quays along the Singapore River, offering performing arts houses and art galleries alongside a variety of dining options from Australian pub grub to the best pizzas in town at Bella Pizza. Over the weekends, you'll find families brunching at European-style cafés.
The Marina Bay Sands complex is the new "place to be" when it comes to entertainment. Dining options range from celebrity chef restaurants to quick eats; nightlife can be enjoyed at chic laid-back lounge bars or Avalon nightclub that attracts leading DJs; the spacious theatre shows Broadway shows and if that's not enough there's an expansive Casino boasting more than 600 table games and 2500 slot machines.
Singapore is as its' vibrant during Chinese New Year (January/February), when the streets of Chinatown are lit with red lanterns and decorated with good luck charms. The Singapore Arts Festival (May/June) is widely regarded as one of the best of its kind in Asia, encompassing dance, drama and music, and with an emphasis on creative freedom and cultural diversity.


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ODEP launches new rating website for orthopaedic implants
6 December 2013
The Orthopaedic Data Evaluation Panel (ODEP), the group that provides ratings for hip implants, has launched a new website. The site enables visitors to look up ODEP rated implants, to help make comparisons and be better informed about product evidence.
The new site, developed by Northgate Public Services, aims to better inform surgeons, buyers, manufacturers and the public of the work and outputs of ODEP and to provide easier access to information about ODEP rated implants. The website features a searchable directory of ODEP rated products. This now offers manufacturers the ability to supplement basic product information with detailed product descriptions, product images and links to the manufacturers' own website for further information.
ODEP, administered by NHS Supply Chain, was set up to monitor NICE guidance on hip implants. The Panel provides on-going assessment to benchmark hip femoral stems and hip acetabular cups against guidance issued by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). The ODEP Rating system is designed to assess the follow up data available for orthopaedic implants, based on NICE guidance. ODEP Ratings are now a commonly used benchmark not only in the UK, but globally.
ODEP is currently developing a rating for knees to be launched in 2014.
The new website can be found at www.odep.org.uk.
Keith Tucker, Chair of ODEP said: "As the work of ODEP becomes increasing high profile, it has become appropriate for the public face of ODEP to be refreshed and to provide ODEP with its own identity. I encourage people to make use of this new resource, and welcome any thoughts or feedback they may have."
Iain Mclachlan from Northgate Public Services, said: "We are delighted to be supporting the excellent work of ODEP through the development of this new site. This complements our work with the National Joint Registry (NJR) in establishing the UK as a strong evidence base for orthopaedic best practice."


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Hi everyone and Happy Thursday! :) I am so glad this week is almost over, it's been a crazy busy one and I need the weekend for some R&R :) Onto my card for today.
My friend Christy (from Tiddly Inks) has created some new paper piecing patterns for My Scrap Chick. They are SO cute, I had to have the all :) My card today uses the super cute Rainy Day Donna pattern. I cut her out using my Silhouette, ran the umbrella through my embossing folder using my Cuttlebug, and then put everything together and did some doodling with my white gel pen. I put my card base and card together and then added a bow, roses from Wild Orchid Crafts, and pearls for some finishing touches. The sentiment is from Scrappy Moms Stamps. What do you think?
Well, that's it from me today. Thank you all so much as always for stopping by. Have a wonderful day! :)
Craft Haul 2017– Summer
1 day ago


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Nagpur: Good and bad news for Indian cricket fans ahead of the second one-day international against Sri Lanka to be played on Friday.
India's vice captain Yuvraj Singh is down with flu and he won't play the Friday's game. The dashing middle-order batsman missed the first game because of a finger injury.
However, man of the match in the first ODI ,Virender Sehwag, who was doubtful for the Nagpur game after sustaining a knee injury during the first match, has been cleared to play in Friday's game.
Lanka will be without key spinner Muttiah Muralitharan and paceman Dilhara Fernando due to finger injuries as the duo has been ruled out of the series.
India won the first match at Rajkot by 3 runs after scoring a record total of 414.
The playing surface in Nagpur is expected to be batting friendly. The match was shifted here by the BCCI from Vishakapatnam due to security concerns.
Teams (from):
India: Mahendra Singh Dhoni (C), Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Yuvraj Singh, Suresh Raina, Ravindra Jadeja, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, Praveen Kumar, Ashish Nehra, Pragyan Ojha, Sudeep Tyagi and Virat Kohli.
Sri Lanka: Kumar Sangakkara (C), Tillakaratne Dilshan, Sanath Jayasuriya, Mahela Jayawardene, Thilina Kandamby, Chamara Kapugedera, Nuwan Kulasekara, Lasith Malinga, Angelo Mathews, Ajantha Mendis, Thilan Samaraweera, Upul Tharanga, Chanaka Welegedara, Muthumudalige Pushpakumara and Suraj Randiv.


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GraphicRiver Smoky! the EPIC Product KIT
1-02-2013, 16:39 | PSD Templates » GraphicRiver
GraphicRiver Smoky! the EPIC Product KIT
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Based on the du'a we have covered in today's session, what is most important in a life of a Muslim?
Aqeedah (Belief)
Hifdh (Memorisation)
When we ask Allah to rectify our deen, what are we asking for?
To help us fix our Salah (Prayer)
To help us increase in our Iman
To help us improve our living
To help us arrange gatherings of Khatam (Yaseen and Ayat e Karimah) etc..
Allah won't look at the person whose Sajdahs and Rukus aren't correct.
Tajweed of the Recitation of the Qur'an isn't that important as long as you understand the Qur'an.
When we talk about Akhirah, it includes:
Life in Barzakh
Day of Judgement
Hell and Paradise


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Advertisement [CLICK THE BUTTON ON THE RIGHT TO CONTINUE]
Author | exchange4media News Service | Wednesday, May 13,2015 9:11 AM
Apollo International Limited has called for a Public Relations Pitch.
Through public relations, the company aims to reach end-user audiences and stakeholders, which are the Logistics Industry on the whole and PE investors. Apollo International Limited (AIL) had started in 1994 as part of Apollo Group, to explore new business domains and exploit the opportunities offered by the Indian economy in post liberalization era.
Its businesses include Businesses Logistics, Tyre Marketing and Distribution, International Business, and Leather.
The company's expectations from .their PR agency include establishing ALS as one of the major players in the Logistics sector and establishing AIL/ALS as a professional organisation that will help the company garner investment from various international and national funding agencies to invest in our future projects.


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GEISMAR - Dutchtown used a steady diet of big running plays to jump on visiting Donaldsonville on Friday night and looked like it would coast to an easy victory. The Griffins went into halftime with a 35-8 lead.
However, the Tigers, led by quarterback Devin Breaux, had other ideas and made the Griffins sweat out a 35-22 win.
"When you go into the half up 35-8, you sub out and feel good about your team," said Dutchtown coach Benny Said. "I'll admit I was nervous on the sideline in the second half. I'll take the blame for that. We have some things we have to work on."
Dutchtown cruised early. The Griffins' Austen Brown had three first-half touchdowns on runs of 12, 3 and 9 yards, respectively, before halftime. Brown had 11 carries for 87 yards at the half. Quarterback Mason Nickens had eight carries for 77 yards and Landon Collins had 71 yards on four carries, one of which was a 10-yard TD run. Antoine Margras chipped in a 13-yard TD run and had 45 yards on four carries. Margas finished with 111 yards on 15 carries.
Trailing 6-0, Donaldsonville hit a big play on its second drive when Devin Breaux hit a streaking Jaquel Grant on the right sideline for a 60-yard TD bomb. Tre Brown ran in the two-point conversion and the Tigers were up 8-6. That lead was short-lived as the Griffins scored on four of their next six possessions.
However, Breaux and the Tigers were down big at the half, but they were not without fight. Breaux finished with 355 passing yards, 2 TDs passing and one running.
"I feel great," said Donaldsonville coach Terrance Williams. "We wanted to play with the big boys. We wanted to compete. My guys fought until the end.
"We have two great receivers and a quarterback who can move and throw. We battled the No. 2 team in the state and played hard."
Grant finished with 12 catches for 163 yards and Leondre James had 130 yards on eight catches. Each scored a touchdown.
Donaldsonville was responsible for all the scoring in the second half. They struck in the third quarter on a big play when Breaux hit Leondre James on a 75-yard pass play with 2:12 left in the third quarter.
Breaux scored in the fourth quarter on a 3-yard run.
Dutchtown, of District 5-5A, improves to 2-0. Class 3A Donaldsonville drops to 0-2.
The Griffins built their lead on their first drive. An 18-yard run, followed by a 16-yard run by quarterback Mason Nickens set up Landon Collins for a 10-yard TD run. Collins finished with four carries for 71 yards.
The next time the Griffins got the ball, they marched to a nine-play, 68-yard TD drive that ended when Brown scored from 12 yards out.
The Griffins defense held Donaldsonville to 6 yards and a punt on the next drive.
With the starters still in, Dutchtown took the ball on its 44 and went six plays for a score. The big play as was a 47-yard run by Collins.
"We have to get better in all phases," Saia said. "They have some playmakers.
"That quarterback (Breaux) can make plays with his arm and his feet."


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"Skin that is healthy from the inside will glow from the outside" – can we consider this as the modern day adage?
With the heavy pollution and environmental factors like the harsh sun, the stress of balancing work and family life together with unhealthy snacking and intake of junk food? Glowing skin has become an elusive concept for us! When we do not find enough time to give our skin all the care it requires (in the form of essential nutrients and skin care), how can we expect it to glow in good health?
If we can bring some modifications in our diet and follow the basic CTM (Cleansing, Toning, and Moisturizing) regimen, it is possible to acquire glowing skin naturally. After all, healthy skin is what we call beautiful skin!
Today let us look at some wonderful food for good skin, and that of our choice which can make our skin glow, and which can also be called as "beauty foods".
These are the skin-friendly components in our diet can help us acquire glowing skin naturally. These best food for good skin will help us rectify all the problems from inside out too.
Foods for glowing skin
1. Dark Green Leafy Vegetables:
Adding them to your daily diet is one of the easiest ways to enhance the skin's natural radiance. Loaded with antioxidants, essential vitamins and nutrients, dark green leafy vegetables such as spinach, Swiss chard, arugula help rid our skin of dullness and endow us with glowing skin. This tops the list of foods for glowing skin any day!
2. Kiwi:
Speaking of food for healthy skin. kiwis are true skin-savers! High on Vitamin C content, it protects our skin against the onset of wrinkles and boosts collagen synthesis. In fact, any Vitamin C-rich food such as guavas, oranges, bell peppers, grapefruit, strawberries etc. will do the trick. Vitamin C has multiple benefits for our skin including protecting it from sun damage and promoting cell turnover, thus preserving the youth and beauty of our skin.
3. Wild Salmon & Nuts:
Food rich in Omega-3 fatty acids are essential for providing skin with a healthy dose of natural oils (good fats) that in turn reduces inflammation, acne, scaly skin and redness. We can acquire smooth, healthy and glowing skin through consumption of nuts like walnuts and almonds and fish like salmon, trout and herring. A perfect source of ingredients expected from skin glowing foods
4. Carrots:
This easily makes its way into the list of skin-friendly food! Containing high levels of beta-carotene, Vitamin A and antioxidants, carrots can give us healthy skin from the inside by flushing out toxins. It protects our skin from sun-induced damage preventing premature ageing and wrinkles. Thus warding off or at least delaying the ageing process.
5. Water:
This is not new to us but yes, water can make us glow from head to toe! Drinking lots of water throughout the day will keep your system internally hydrated which in turn directly reflects on your skin. Water helps us not only by flushing out the harmful toxins from our system but also by keeping those ugly wrinkles at bay and giving us naturally getting glowing skin. Keep a bottle of water handy and sip when you crave for your favorite cola the next time!
I am sure you have no questions on what to eat for healthy skin anymore! Set your diet. Be healthy and look beautiful too.


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We bought our first home last May, this cute little fixer. It's cozy and perfect for us and our growing family. This summer, we're replacing the front windows with ones we can open to let the breezes … [Read more...]
Archives for January 3, 2013
Don't feed them after midnight, and don't ever get them wet.
by 7 Comments
The conversation seemed harmless enough, a group of bloggers talking about the Furbys that made their appearance underneath the Christmas tree this year.OK, so in all honesty, we were a little … [Read more...]
2013 Disney Releases!
Are you ready? Here's a line up of some of the 2013 Disney Releases coming to theaters! Keep your eye out and mark these dates on your calendars for some of these must see films!March 8: OZ … [Read more...]


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His Excellency Finn Grim is the Baron of Dragon's Mist.
Persona: Norman 1050-1100, During the time of William the Conqueror and the Battle of Hastings, think Bayeux tapestry.
Color Preferences:Persona colors (green/Black/ White or silver) Personal Favorite Colors: Green and Blue
Fabric: wool, linen, silk (Natural Colors or Baronial Colors – Black and White)
Garb Preferences:Norman tunics, period head coverage, trims (inkle/ card), period shoes, embroidered bags/haversacks and garb, as well as 14 century English Please contact Head of Retinue for sizes.
Other wishes: Hand made items, fibers to make things with (weaving threads, spun fibers, etc.) song and poetry.
Likes: Colors: Black, blue,green, and white. Silver over Gold, Showers, Scented homemade soaps, Fiber arts, Heavy fighting- swords and shields, Archery, Books – hand made
Dislikes: Color red or yellow, Cigarettes or cigarette smoke
Music: Violin, Cello, Acoustic Guitar, A Capella (Irish, Scottish)
Likes: Gatorade jellies, Black olives, Grilled cheese with pepperjack, Bacon-crispy- no flop, Pickled beets, Chai, Corn Chips with salsa or hummus, Scotch, Tequila, Wine, Most juices (no grapefruit), Pies (fruit, lemon meringue, and pecan), Mushrooms, Drinks without ice, Caramel, Chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream, chicken, ham, corned beef, Brisket
Dislikes: Pickles (allergic), Fruit punch (allergic), Grapefruit juice, drinks with ice, Onion, Mayo, Mustard, Rum, Coffee, Peanuts and peanut butter, Dried coconut, Fast food
Challenge: I will try my hand at any craft/dance/art put before me (The more I can learn the better, extra kudos for teaching me yourself)


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Maybe Accepting Guests
- Last login almost 4 years ago
Join Couchsurfing to see Rebecca's full profile. It's free!
About Me
Visit all of B.Cs ski hills
I'm a chill, fun, outdoorsy, girl from the U.K., I've been living in Vancouver for the last year, now I'm travelling about seeing a bit more of B.C. before I go home. I think I'm really funny and pretty cool, but i'm not sure that comes across well!
I guess my philosophy is to get up, and keep trying. Nobody gets things straight away and if you want to be good at something it takes effort - it's simple but it took me a long time to realise.
Why I'm on Couchsurfing
So far I've only surfed, and it's been great! a cool way to get to know people and places. Once I've settled I'm defiantly going to host!
Snowboarding, Hiking, rock climbing and Bouldering, cycling, skateboarding. Drinking Gin, reading comics, food. and I make and sell my own tshirts!
- dining
- drinking
- comics
- reading
- traveling
- bouldering
- cycling
- hiking
- skiing
- snowboarding
- skateboarding
- rock climbing
- archeology
- mountains
One Amazing Thing I've Done
I'm an archaeologist - I get to find loads of cool stuff.
Countries I've Visited
Austria, Canada, France, Germany, Iceland, Italy, Jordan, Kenya, Morocco, Sweden
Countries I've Lived In
Canada, United Kingdom


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The film is more of a sequel to the classic Alice in Wonderland tale than a remake. In it, the title character is now a 19-year-old girl who while attending a party spies a clothes-wearing, time-telling rabbit. Alice chases the furry thing and eventually falls down the rabbit hole of legend, returning to the Wonderland she had visited a decade earlier in the original Lewis Carroll tale. There she encounters a variety of eccentric and sometimes mad characters.
"I think [Burton] was quite anxious, because it meant he had to make everybody mad in different ways," says Bonham Carter. "You know, it's all about madness, but everyone's mad in a different way. [So it was all about] not being repetitive and to find everybody who had different energy. The Red Queen -- hopefully she's funny in a grotesque way. She's oblivious. Anyone who's oblivious, you know… I always find mad people are funny, because they're oblivious and they have absolutely no sense of their context in the world, so they don't listen. She's got this sort of blind look, and it's just because she doesn't see everything. And as soon as somebody's oblivious, it's funny."
Bonham Carter has several other fantasy and genre roles on her credit sheet, but perhaps the biggest series she's associated with is the Harry Potter franchise where she plays the Death Eater Bellatrix Lestrange. She says she just finished shooting the final two films in the series, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (parts one and two), and that while she doesn't show up much in the first movie she's got plenty to do in the second. For those three people left in the universe who haven't read the books, however, Potter spoilers may follow -- so read no further!
"It was fun," she says of the shoot. "I felt really tired. I was only on it for three years. People have been on it for 10 years, you know. And I was really sad for it to be over. Yeah, I miss them all. I do miss them all in fact. I died and actually ended on my last day. It was really weird, sort of dying on my last day of shooting, which I've never done. I love it, and I love that my new fan base is under 10! I love that. Because I relate to under 10s better than over, because kids really believe, you know? I mean, sometimes we assure them that I'm really not that horrible!"
As for what's next for the actress, she can't quite say at the moment.
"I don't really know yet. I'm going to be with my children. And Tim. Burton. I think I had two children by him," she laughs. "And, you know, I've got to remember."
Closing out our chat with the actress, she illustrates the difference between life on set with her dear Tim Burton and life at home.
"I just have to be more obedient [on set] than I am in my home," she smiles. "I don't obey at home. It's like I practically take work vows when going to work -- and one is to obey and listen and seem very docile. And not talk. At home, those reverse. I point and order and he's obedient."
Alice in Wonderland opens this weekend.


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Jock itch is a superficial fungal infection (Tinea cruris) on the skin of the groin area. Jock itch is typically caused by the fungus Trichophyton rubrum. There are many over-the-counter treatments, some of which might work for you. It is important to be informed as to which medicine and treatment option you are using because some of these products have different components. If one treatment option does not work, it is vital that you know which active ingredients are present in the medication.
"Jock itch is best treated with topical creams or ointments, since the fungus only affects the top layer of skin," say dermatologists reporting to allabout.com. By applying an anti-fungal cream or spray on the affected area twice per day, the infection is likely to clear up in about five days. Doctors recommend continuing the treatment for an additional four to five days after all outward signs of infection have passed. There are four main over-the-counter antifungal treatments widely available in grocery stores, as well as pharmacies.
If your rash looks infected or has blisters, it might be necessary to use a topical steroid such as hydrocortisone in addition to the antifungal treatment. Hydrocortisone alone is not a treatment for jock itch.
The following is a list of medications with active ingredients:
Tinactin -- tolnaftate
Micatin -- miconazole
Lotromin -- clotrimazole
Lamisil - terinafine
If these topical sprays and creams are not effective, it might be appropriate for you to see your physician. In these cases oral medications such as itraconazole (Sporanox) and fluconazole (Diflucan) might be prescribed, however they might have side effects. See your physician before taking any of these.
Fungus thrives in warm dark places such as the groin, feet, toes and inner thighs. The best defense is to remain cool and dry. Try to wear loose clothes, especially when working out. After showering, make sure your skin is completely dry before you get dressed. If you suspect you have jock itch, do not share towels. Medicated antifungal powders are available for daily use.
Doctors on e-medicine say recurring fungal infections might lead to chronic bacterial infection on top of the Tinea cruris if left untreated. It is imperative to treat quickly and see a doctor if it doesn't clear up within five days.
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The new cable news channel Al Jazeera America is drawing a lot of major media attention. USA Today asks in a relatively meaty story: Al Jazeera America: Will U.S. viewers buy it? A chunk of that report: While journalists may be eager to join a news outlet that promises to air in-depth coverage, media analysts [Read More…]
Americans prejudiced against Al Jazeera?
August 23, 2013 by


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We love brands with a mission and So Worth Loving is just that. Eryn Eddy Erickson decided to create this brand out of a desire to encourage the pursuit of happy lives, no matter who you may be and no matter who you will become.
Each product carries simple and empowering messages that are dedicated to all those who wish to be the best version of themselves. These messages also serve as a reminder that we are never alone in our battle and that each of us is very much worthy of love.
Surely, you know what it feels to have to submit to what is expected. But if it's not you and you're not happy, then it's no way to live. You might think there is no one that understands or cares... but we certainly do and we're listening. You are so worth loving.
(Our photographer Megan is wearing the Love You. Love People. tank)
Photography // Megan Welker


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Then I see the pricing structure...
And besides which, leaving cash on the bedside dresser on the way out sounds sooooooo tacky!
Keeping your small business or SME afloat is a tricky proposition. Lucky for you, SEO North Sydney is here to help keep the sharks at bay!
So I'm looking into extending my SEO company's reach, using non-traditional channels, when I come across an article on the always erudite website: Forbes.com. An article from a (US) SEO company that is obviously using the platform to pimp their SEO-ride. So I get to thinking...how do I get articles on Forbes? My writing ability and SEO knowledge married with the reach of Forbes? That's got to be a union made in Heaven!
Then I see the pricing structure...
Needless to say I have decided it's better for both parties if we go our separate ways. Because if a fella has to pay US$100,000 a month for a roll in the hay with Forbes, then I'm pretty sure she's not going to be doing it because she loves me for me...
And besides which, leaving cash on the bedside dresser on the way out sounds sooooooo tacky!
Keywords - More is Better, Right?
'Keywords'. Even seeing that written down evokes the art of search engine optimisation in your mind, doesn't it? Come on now, admit it. Despite the murmurings in the Force you've heard to the contrary; deep down you still think keywords are where the action's at.
Oh sure you're nothing if not a diligent small business owner, so you've done some research on the subject of search engine optimisation. And yes, okay, you've heard about that thing called 'Panda'. You've read about that 'Hummingbird' algo-whatsit. And you're vaguely aware that a 'Penguin' is apparently one of the scariest animals in the Google zoo. But really, when it boils down to it, that's all just smoke and mirrors isn't it? A recherché selection of technobabble that is needlessly esoteric and deliberately designed to obfuscate the subject matter from nerdling neophytes. Right?
"Wrong, wrong, absolutely brimming over with wrongability."
Arnold J. Rimmer, RED DWARF
Search Engine Optimisation – How to Make it a Fair Fight
If we were having this discussion in 1996 - or heck, even 2006 - I'd hold up my hands and agree with you that keywords are ubur important to ranking your website. In fact I'd likely buy you the first round at the pub, for bringing the subject up. But we're not in the mid-90s or the mid-naughties, we're in 2016. And in 2016 focusing your SEO strategy purely on keywords, is like using strong language to win a fight against a guy who's carrying a M16A4 assault rifle whilst standing on the deck of the USS Iowa.
Not exactly a fair fight now is it?
The SEO Industry's Biggest Grift
Naturally I don't blame the small business owners who call SEO North Sydney for bringing up the subject of keywords. Because the vast majority of them have been (unbeknownst to them) on the receiving end of the SEO industry's most popular scam: charging per keyword.
"This SEO package comes with 10 keywords!", says the shady SEO sales guy. "And this SEO package comes with 25 keywords! So which package do you think is a better fit with your website's needs?"
"Err…um…well," mumbles the small business owner by way of reply. "I guess more keywords sound better?"
"Of course they do! More keywords means more phone calls. And more phone calls means more money for you, Mr. Small Business Owner!"
"Well then, um. Okay. Yeah, sure. That makes sense. I guess. So I'll go for the SEO package with the more keywords then. Is that okay?"
"Of course it's okay! It's better than okay, actually. It's perfect, because it'll cost you twice the price…"
And so the scam goes. With yet another small business owner getting suckered by the well-oiled sales-patter of an online mountebank.
Keywords Drive Strategy – Not Results
Google search has evolved well beyond the primitive keyword stuffing strategies of yore. SEO types know this all too well. But they don't want you to know it. Much better for them to up-sell you based on the 'more must be better' logic of search engine shenanigans.
Luckily for you though, that's not the way SEO North Sydney operates. Because at SEO North Sydney, all clients, be they large or small, get UNLIMITED KEYWORDS. Because keywords are a component of the content of a particular page, not the other way around.
Think of it this way:
Imagine you have a page on your website with one headline, one picture and 50 words of text. Now insert 25 keywords into that page.
If you did this, it would naturally be B.A.D on so many levels. Human beings reading it would cringe, and click away (as it would be so obviously 'written for Google' as to put them off). And Google's all important Panda algorithm would penalise the page due to the quality (or lack thereof) of the content therein.
However if you have a page on your website with one headline, one picture and 5,000 words of text, how would 25 keywords look on that page? Would they look 'forced' or 'out of place'? Or rather would they just effortlessly blend into the pastiche of the narrative?
The Numbers Don't Lie
Four out of every five calls SEO North Sydney receive are from small business owners who dwell on the subject of keywords because they've been 'shaped' by previous SEO companies to ask questions that the SEO companies know how to answer. But much like Pavlov's dog continues to salivate, even though no food is on offer, so too SEO companies continue to sound the 'Keywords' bell, while offering little in the way of demonstrable returns on investment for the privilege.
Marketing a small business is a matter of common sense, it really is. But to paraphrase that famous Voltaire quote, 'The trouble with common sense is that not many people have it'. This is perhaps never better demonstrated than when applied to how small business owners approach the Herculean task of promoting their business.
Being Good at What You do Doesn't Mean You Know How to Market it
The issue at the crux of this matter is pretty straight forward: most business owners are NOT trained marketers.
This isn't a slight on small business owners. Far from it. We are all of us a hardy breed with entrepreneurial blood flowing through our veins. But most people who go into business for themselves, do so because they are experts at what they do. And therefore conclude (mistakenly) that their future business success is predicated on that particular skill-set. Maybe they're a plumber, or someone who installs solar panels, or perhaps they're an interior designer or an architect or a practitioner of Chinese herbal medicine and acupuncture. Whatever their profession, how good they actually are at it, has little or nothing to do with knowing how to market that skill to the world.
A Small Business Owner Has to Be a Jack of All Trades
Small business owners, by necessity, have to be a jack of all trades. But as the old saying goes, to be a jack of all trades is to be a master of none. And when it comes to succeeding in business, you need to work out very early on, what you can successfully do yourself (to save money), and what you need to outsource. With the rule of thumb being:
"If it isn't core business or within your own personal skill-set: outsource it to an expert."
Where to Invest Your Advertising Dollars for Maximum Returns
There are lots of ways to spend your hard earned money when it comes to marketing and advertising. And the traditional ones are discussed here in this article on Print Advertising versus Online Advertising. But ultimately the best place to spend your money, is wherever you can get the maximum return for the minimum spend. And in 2016, the vast majority of people search online via the Google search engine.
Hiring an Online Marketing Expert is an Investment NOT an Expense
I mentioned at the start of this article that marketing a small business is a matter of common sense. Because if 99% of all people looking for what you do and where you do it, search on the internet (and they do). And the vast majority of those search using Google. Then it isn't rocket science to work out where the bulk of your marketing dollars should go. Or why. But just having a website and being online doesn't cut it. You can spend a fortune getting your small business website design up and running. But that doesn't mean you'll be found in Google search. Far from it in fact. The competition in every industry vertical (that's worth being in), is fierce. And given that 92% of people don't go past the first page of their Google search, how to get your small business website on page one of Google becomes the single most important marketing question you'll ever have to answer.
A Little Knowledge Can be a Dangerous Thing
Of course even if you are fortunate enough to be trained in marketing (and thus understand the fundamentals of how marketing works across multiple channels), that doesn't mean you are equipped to run your own SEO campaign. With over 200 ranking signals and over 10,000 sub-ranking signals powering Google search, and 500-600 algorithmic updates every year; understanding how Google search functions is a full time job (and then some!).
Having a marketing background is a real leg-up when it comes to growing a successful small business because you'll innately 'get' what needs doing and why. But having a working knowledge of how (for an analogy) your BMW's engine works is one thing. But would you really expect to be the one to service the engine before you drive you family across the Nullarbor in the dead of winter? Or do you think you'd be better served leaving your car in the hands of a trained mechanic?
Hiring a trained SEO professional is much the same thing.
Partner With a SEO Company You Can Trust
If getting on the first page of Google is a necessity for growing your small business in 2016 (and it is), then the only question small business owners need to ask themselves is: 'Who can I trust to get my website on the first page?'.
And that's where a company like SEO North Sydney comes in. With a SEO Consultant with 16 years' experience at it's helm, SEO North Sydney have an unparalleled understanding of the constantly evolving search landscape, we are the perfect online partner to grow your small business or SME. At SEO North Sydney we don't sweat the small stuff. We sweat the outcomes. And given we guarantee those outcomes in the contract, you can rest assured that your business growth is in good hands.
Press Release Writing
Press Releases for SEO and Brand Awareness
Writing a great press release can be worth its weight in gold. Indeed, in a world saturated with so called 'news', a brilliantly written and well-structured press release is essential to getting your brand message across to its intended audience.
A well written press release is a valid part of any on-line marketing strategy. It informs the industry vertical you're operating in (and the journalists that work in that space) that you have a new product or service on the market. Done well it should pique their interest and make them want to know more.
A great press release is also an excellent addition to your SEO strategy. As the more places that post your press release online, the more websites you'll have linking back to your own site (as you'll naturally have hyperlinked your brand within the body copy of your press release, to drive traffic back to your main website).
Journalists are Busy People so Help Them Help You
Journalists are exceptionally busy people, and are often overwhelmed with folks wanting their attention. Therefor having your press release professionally written is a must for three reasons:
However if you've got a brilliantly written press release, then journalists can (and often do) cut and paste VERBATIM from that press release, into a short news article for their website or blog. Why would they make up words to describe your product or service, when they can just use what's in front of them in your press release? So if you give them a compelling bit of copywriting, some punchy headlines and some snappy quotes, they are far more likely to choose to write an article about whatever your press release is talking about, than the other 500 press releases vying for their attention that day. Sure, what you're selling or promoting needs to be relevant to the journalist that's reading it. That's a given. But nothing gets a journalist onside more than a press release that MAKES THEIR JOB EASIER.
Get a Professional Press Release Written
SEO North Sydney is headed up by Brian M Logan, a man with over a decade and a half experience in getting companies on the first page of Google, and over twenty years' experience as a professional writer. A Marketing Graduate, and an AWARD and Masterclass copywriting graduate (Australia's leading advertising colleges), Brian is also a professional screenwriter and novelist repped out of Hollywood by William Morris Endeavor (one of the world's 'Big 4' agencies), and managed out of Hollywood by Circle of Confusion (who rep folks like the directors of the Matrix among many others). All of which means that when it comes to authoring brilliantly written press releases for your small business or SME, then you're in very good hands indeed.
Let's talk for a moment about gratitude. About how people sometimes do things for no reason beyond wanting to say, 'Thank you for a job well done'. As small business owners, gratitude is often the last thing on our minds. Overwhelmed as we are by our quotidian railing against the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune. Taxes and wages and equipment costs and rent and insurance and accountants and bookkeepers and ever diminishing profit margins and, oh, did we mention taxes already? The enormity of the 'all hands to the pumps!' approach small business owners go through on a day to day basis makes thinking beyond the next task on our 'To Do List', nigh on impossible. This isn't a slight upon us as small business owners, or as human beings. It isn't that we don't care about other people. It's just that running a small business demands so much of our focus, so much of our time, that it's often hard to look beyond our own borders. Beyond what we need or what we want.
Consequently in business (and indeed in life), someone saying thank you for a job well done, is an all too rare occurrence. Just think about how many satisfied customers you've had down through the years with your small business. And then try to reconcile that with the tiny handful of positive reviews you've got on Google maps, or the minuscule amount of testimonials you've got from customers or clients on your website. Because I guarantee you the math will never come close to adding up.
In small business a customer says thank you by re-signing with you when the contract is up for renewal, or by returning to buy more products from you, etc. And maybe by recommending you to a friend, colleague or business associate. Beyond that, all bets are off.
But sometimes - just sometimes - the innate kindness of the human condition shines through when you least expect it. Today was such a day for me. It started when one of our clients, AutoActive Car Solutions, (a leading North Shore Mechanic) emailed me this wonderful testimonial out of the blue:
Client Testimonial
"Appointing Brian and Tony from SEO North Sydney to build our new website and do our SEO was one of the best business decisions we've ever made. Brian is creative, knowledgeable, focused and is fantastic to work with. His experience and expertise are unparalleled. We had no idea how SEO worked but Brian explained everything and made understanding the process particularly easy for us, and it has been a wonderful experience. Solid results were seen within a few short months, and now we have twice the Google first pages promised in the contract (with many at number 1). Thank you again Brian – we simply cannot thank you enough!"
- Leeman and Bruce – AutoActive Car Solutions
A Gift Basket!
As if receiving that wonderful and unexpected testimonial wasn't enough, we then received delivery of this amazing gift basket!
SEO Case Study
When Autoactive signed with SEO North Sydney several months ago, they needed a new website designed and built, they needed SEO for the new website, and they needed brilliantly written content to populate the new website. But more importantly they needed someone on the other end of the phone who not only understood what they go through each day as small business owners. But who actually gives a damn about whether their business grows or not. And that's where I like to think SEO North Sydney offers a real point of difference. We're a small business just like you. Our clients are small businesses and SMEs just like you. And so we understand - I mean really understand - what steps need to be taken in the digital domain to ensure your small business can compete on an equal footing with the big boys - WITHOUT BREAKING THE BANK. Because when it comes to Google, the size of your business doesn't matter a hill of beans. What matters is the concerted ongoing execution of a comprehensive, tailored WHITE HAT SEO strategy, via Google Best Practice guidelines. Do that correctly (and ethically) and any company, no matter how modest it may be, can rank on the first page of Google.
Thank YOU.
So to Leeman and Bruce at Autoactive Car Solutions, let me go on record and say that it's our turn to say Thank YOU. Because your thoughtfulness and kindness totally made our day!
Website design has evolved a lot since internet pioneer, Tim Berners-Lee, published the World's 1st Website in August 1991. Back then, the internet didn't exist in the way you and I think about it today. So it's a pretty safe bet to assume that the words 'Design' and 'User Experience' were not exactly at the forefront of Tim's thinking when he was looking to publish this gorgeous piece of HTML wonderment:
Website Loading Speed - What Your Web Designers Won't Tell You
Similarly, if someone had mentioned the words 'Loading Speed' to Tim back in 1991, there's a better than even chance he'd have thought it was more likely the sequel to the 1990 movie 'Point Break', than something to do with that new fangled web page he'd just published on the 'internet'!
But, dear readers, let me tell you that loading speed and the user experience is where all the SEO action is in 2016...
Turn Your Website into a Lamborghini
As any competent webmaster, system admin or SEO guru will bear witness, making a website load faster can yield huge dividends, in multiple ways, on multiple levels for small business owners. When implemented correctly, it can significantly impact where your small business website appears in the Google search index.
Benefits include:
Unfortunately for most small business owners, website loading speed is pretty much the last thing their web designers take into consideration when building a website for them. Consequently, though your small business website may look (to the untrained eye) like a Lamborghini on the net when its published. You'll be shocked to know that you're actually cruising around town with a 2 litre Ford Focus engine under the hood...
Why Your Website is Built the Wrong Way
Right about now you're probably pulling your hair out and gnashing your teeth when you think about how slow your website is running. Because chances are you've finally realised that this issue may not only be the root cause of your horrible rankings in Google search, but also largely responsible for the fact that you can't convert the measly amount of organic search traffic you actually do get, into sales. However I'm sorry to break this to you, but the fact that your website is unable to get out of second gear is more than likely YOUR fault, not your web design company.
Now wait up, wait up, before you accuse me of defending other people's sub-par web-building practices, let me explain what I mean!
There are three reasons why web designers build sites the wrong way:
To point 1: it's true that there are a large amount of website designers out there who learned to build websites in what might be termed, 'the old school of web design', and who are simply not cognisant of Google's many, many, many updates on the subject of how to build a website so it loads faster (or how important page load speed and mobile compatibility actually are).
To point 2: it's also true that there are a percentage of web designers out there who know how websites SHOULD be built so far as Google is concerned. But who really just don't care. Because - not to put too fine a point on in - you haven't paid them enough to give a damn. Which segues very nicely...
To point 3: remember when you were haggling with your web designer over price? And how you screwed him down a few thousand and felt good about it; safe in the knowledge that you were getting the exact same product, just for a much cheaper price? Well unfortunately for you, even though it may LOOK (from the front end) like you got the same product, I can assure you that is NOT the same product so far as Google is concerned. And therein lies the problem.
How to Build Websites Correctly
I don't want to turn this blog into a sales pitch, but I can't help feeling that it would be remiss of me not to point out that the very reason SEO North Sydney rock the Casbah when it comes to website design (and building kick-a*se websites generally), is that we are a SPECIALIST SEO COMPANY WHO ALSO BUILD WEBSITES; and not a web-design company who also do a bit of SEO on the side, but who in actuality have little or no knowledge of the 10,000 sub-ranking factors that go into getting a website onto the first page of a Google search.
Website Design Examples
To give you an idea of the sort of websites we build, I've listed a few of our recent web designs below:
Shipping Containers (#1 in Google search for 'Shipping Containers').
Private Investigator (#1 in Google search for 'Private Investigator Sydney').
North Shore Mechanic (#1 in Google search for 'Mechanic North Shore').
iLasik Surgery (#1 and #3 in Google search for 'iLasik Surgery Sydney).
Getting websites on the first page of Google is what we do. It's our bread and butter. So naturally we're industry leaders on how a website needs to be built to help it rank in Google, because we're the guys small business owners call on when their website isn't working properly, or else needs a complete overhaul. And because so many websites are built the wrong way, we are constantly called on to put out other people's fires. As iconic fire-fighter Red Adair is famously quoted as saying: "If you think it's expensive to hire a professional, wait until you hire an amateur".
Web Design - How to Seperate the Wheat from the Chaff
Ultimately your web designer's job is to build you a nice looking website that works. In other words, they get hired to build you a website that looks pretty and functions. Their remit is to build you a website, and that's it. End of story. The fact that it's build in a way that severely limits it's success in Google search, is irreverent to them. Because that's not what you paid them for. What you paid them for is to build you a website that looks nice and functions as it's supposed to. And that's exactly what they delivered. And all that they delivered.
And therein lies the problem, because this budget focused methodology is great for your web design company (as their coders bill less hours), but AWFUL for Google, due to the way the website is constructed and coded. With SEO North Sydney, we code the website in a way that adheres to Google Best Practice. This is a much more labour intensive process, but ensures that when the website is launched, it not only looks amazing, but it gains instant love from Google, due to the way the Googlebot is able to crawl and index the site.
SEO North Sydney's remit is to build small business owners and SME's websites that will automatically rank in Google, due to the code that underlies the website build itself. Where standard web design companies build web sites 'from the front to the back', SEO North Sydney build websites 'from the back to the front'. After all, our clients are paying us to get them on the first page of Google. So why would we design a website in a way that is going to significantly hinder our ability to deliver all the Google first pages we've guaranteed the small business owner in the contract?
We wouldn't. And we don't. When we take on a website build we do so safe in the knowledge that the finished product will not only look amazing and function brilliantly, but that it also ticks all the coding requirements that Google need to correctly index, catalogue and load the site quickly.
Which brings us rather neatly back to the issue of page load speed.
Higher Bounce Rate - Lower Conversions
Even if we think about this from a common web user's perspective, it would not be difficult to envisage why a faster loading website would be more beneficial. As a web user yourself, what would you normally do when a site is taking a long time to load? Would you hang around waiting for it to come up or would you just click-away?
In case you're not familiar with the term bounce rate – which happens to be a very important parameter related to the performance of a web site – it is commonly defined as the percentage of visitors who reach a website and then just leave (or 'bounce out'), without interacting with the site in any way.
The findings of a Kissmetrix study (citing gomez.com and akamai.com as sources) reveals that:
And a Strangeloop study brings the point home even more strongly:
Website Loading Speed – Why it's More Important Than Ever
As if losing visitors and revenue via their website is not harmful enough to small business owners, slow loading sites also get fewer visitors to begin with. This is because Google utilise loading speed and mobile compatibility as major search engine ranking factors. Thus, the slower a website is to load, the lower its SERP (Search Engine Ranking Position), and the smaller amount of organic search traffic it receives.
As any web marketer or SEO professional worth his salt would tell you, web traffic derived from organic search results is the best converting traffic a website can get. But with over 200 major ranking factors, and 10,000 sub-ranking factors deciding who goes where in Google's search engine results, it's become increasingly difficult for small business owners to get their websites on the first page of Google (where all the action is). Website loading speed however, is what we might call 'low hanging fruit' so far as SEO is concerned. And once the website's code is re-written to better mirror Google Best Practice specifications, a significant (and almost instantaneous) bump in your website's rankings in Google search, is common.
Which brings us to the question of:
How to Measure the Loading Speed of a Website
There are three widely recognised online services that measure the many different parameters related to the loading speed of websites.
Probably the oldest of these services is the Pingdom Website Speed Test:
Pingdom Website Speed Test
Click the link below to check out the Pingdom Website Speed Test:
Google PageSpeed Insights Test
The second one is none other than Google itself, by way of a service called 'Google PageSpeed Insights:
Check out the Google PageSpeed Insights at the link below:
GMetrix Website Speed Test
The third and final one is a company called, GTmetrix:
Here is the link to the GTmertix website:
Websites: the Need for Speed
As you'll notice, all three sites show how quickly (or slowly!) your website loads, while also provide various guidelines in terms of what actually needs fixing. Implementing these fixes are obviously extremely technical in nature, and very easy to get wrong, so it is always recommended to leave the changes to the experts:
Why Your Hosting Can Make or Break Your Website
In addition to implementing the recommendations provided by the site speed measuring services above, one method that SEO North Sydney always look into, that often delivers excellent speed page loading improvements, is via upgrading the website's hosting account. Something that can be especially beneficial if a site is hosted in an inexpensive or shared hosting environment.
There are many options to implement this, but the best possible way to upgrade from a shared hosting environment is to go to what is known as a VPS (or Virtual Private Server). While a basic VPS account would typically cost a lot more than a shared account, the difference in speed is often significant, so it makes the extra monthly hosting cost, well worth your while.
If your site is already on a VPS (or on a superior host like a dedicated server), the loading speed can still be improved by tuning various server configuration parameters such as the MySQL configuration (if your site uses a MySQL database in the backend, as most sites do today), Operating System level caching etc. But again, this is delving into some serious tech, so best left to experts like SEO North Sydney.
Conclusion: Speed Up Your Website and Win!
As the owner or marketer of a small business website you are no doubt all too aware that slow websites lose and fast site win in the race to be #1 in Google. And with Google putting more and more relevance on how fast your website loads, and how well it works in the mobile environment, now is definitely the time to turbo-charge your website to win the race.
Click here for a whole heap of brilliant Web Design examples. And here for Search Engine Optimisation information to guarantee your website gets on the 1st page of Google.
Wouldn't getting your business website on the first page of Google be a whole lot easier if Google just told you what it was you needed to do to get it there? Of course it would.
Google doesn't work that way, unfortunately. And tends to hide how search really works from us mere mortals to keep us guessing. But occasionally, out of the mouths of babes and innocents, comes mana from Heaven (if I may indulge in a tag-team of Biblical idioms, writing this as I am over the Easter long weekend).
A couple of days ago was just such an occasion.
Google's Ranking Factors - Where Obfuscation is the State of the Nation
North of 200 ranking signals, and over 10,000 sub-ranking signals make getting your small businesses website on the first page of Google, insanely difficult. By their own admission, Google updates 500-600 algorithms per year. That's nearly 1.6 algorithmic updates per day, folks. Which means Google are constantly changing the rules of search and moving the goal-posts. What worked in search engine optimisation yesterday, might not work tomorrow. And worse, what worked in search yesterday and got your business website so many Google first pages, may actually get your website penalised tomorrow.
What we do know, and have known for many years, is that the list of what Google uses to rank websites is changing all the time, and expanding exponentially. So much so that even those of us who work in search full-time are constantly getting whip-lash from trying to keep up with the speed of the changes flying past us.
Not only is what Google values in a website changing all the time, but the order and priority of the ranking or 'trust' factors (as we understand them) often back-flips when you least expect it, making a change in SEO strategy a matter of urgency, rather than something to do when you happen to get around to it.
Google's Big 3 Ranking Signals - Cutting to the Chase
So back to that manna from Heaven I mentioned: in late October last year, Google dropped a bombshell (quite literally out of nowhere) that the third biggest ranking factor for getting on the first page of a Google search, was known as 'RankBrain'.
To which the SEO industry as a whole went, 'Huh? RankWhat?'
Google did this, as Google are want to do, in a totally off-the-cuff manner. Sergey Brin and Larry Page didn't call a press conference. The WebSpam team didn't thaw out Matt Cutts from his cryogenic slumber to tweet the news to the world. Nor did they so much as send out a press release. Rather, they introduced the world to RankBrain via a Bloomberg Business article titled: Google Turning Its Lucrative Web Search Over to AI Machines, published online on October 26, 2015.
RankBrain - What is it and Why Should I Care?
Before October 2015 there was no 'RankBrain'. At least none that the SEO community knew about (though it's believed to have been running for nearly a year behind the scenes). There was however, Hummingbird. And RankBrain, as it turns out, is actual a constituent component of the much larger, and all encompassing, Hummingbird algorithm.
Still Confused? Don't Be. RankBrain (or RankBrian as I just accidentally typed - now there's a parapraxis if ever there was one!) is a machine-learning artificial intelligence system used by Skynet (err, sorry, Google) to process and interpret complicated or previously misunderstood search queries into a mathematical form it can understand. These misunderstood or 'new' search queries apparently make up about 15% of all search, which is a staggering amount when you think about how many searches are done on Google every day, around the world.
Now, so far as we know, RankBrain is self-learning rather than self-aware. Which is probably for the best, given unleashing an A.I program on the internet can potentially have disastrous consequences...
You Said RankBrain Was Part of Hummingbird?
Yes. Hummingbird is a whole other discussion however, and covered in another SEO blog. But the long and the short of Hummingbird for those in the cheap-seats, is that it is an algorithm released in August 2013 that targets 'Long tail or 'Human' search'. In other words, Hummingbird is an algorithm that largely ignores keywords and instead concentrates on the inherent logic driving the search question. Want an example? Okay. Say someone typed 'Search Engine Optimisation Sydney' into Google (try it). That's a string of keywords followed by a location. It's easy for Google to work out what that particular searcher is looking for: they're looking for an SEO company in Sydney. But what if someone types: 'How do I get my small business website on the first page of Google?' In this instance the searcher hasn't typed the keywords 'Search Engine Optimisation' or 'Sydney'. So how then does Google work out what the searcher is looking for?
This is where the Hummingbird algorithm comes into play. Hummingbird reads 'between the lines' of the search and answers the questions, 'How do I get my small business website on the first page of Google', by musing, 'Okay, this searcher wants to rank their website on the first page of Google. Who provides that service? Oh, yes. Search Engine Optimisation companies do. So they're looking for an SEO company.' And because the searcher hasn't specified a location, Hummingbird will assume the searcher is looking for an SEO company close to where they are. And Google works that out by pinging the device the search was made on (desktop, tablet or smartphone) and going, 'Ah, you're sitting in a Gloria Jeans cafe in North Sydney searching on your iPhone 6s Plus, so you must be looking for an SEO company close to North Sydney'.
Hummingbird as it is understood by the SEO community, can now also be viewed as the over-arching name given to Google's core search technology. For years there was no over-arching name; and if anything Google search as a whole was incorrectly thought to be called PageRank. But in mid-2013 Google released Hummingbird. And at time of writing, it is the understanding of the SEO community that Hummingbird is both 'it's own algorithm' and the name given to Google search as a whole. For example, Panda, Penguin, Pigeon, Payday, EMD, Pirate, Mobile Friendly and Top Heavy are all uber important algorithms in their own right, but are all ultimately part of Hummingbird. RankBrain similarly falls into this category. It uses artificial intelligence (or A.I) to embed vast amounts of written language into mathematical entities know as 'Vectors'. These vectors allow Google to interpret words or phrases it isn't familiar with, and extrapolate data-sets. Or in layman's terms, it allows Google to work out what the hell you're asking, even if you've typed the question into Google like a drunk intern at a PR company who's just returned home after attending Fashion Week for the first time and can't spell for toffee because you've drunk 2 bottles of wine and 7 shots of Tequila.
Clever, huh?
RankBrain - The Technical View
Of course, while RankBrain is primarily used by Google on the 15% of new-to-Google search queries, don't be fooled into thinking that is all it does. Because it is (to quote Google), "Not limited to any particular set of queries". In other words, the technology driving RankBrain also comes into play when trying to make sense of other long-tail searches. And post Hummingbird, long-tail Google searches make up over 40% (and growing) of all search queries. And as keyword driven search is dying (and it is) and question based and vocal search becomes more and more the norm, long-tail question driven search queries are more and more where the SEO gold is buried.
RankBrain is Not Self-Learning After All
Google's Gary Illyes was asked on Twitter to clarify whether the RankBrain algorithm continually re-programs itself and learns as it goes along (as was originally believed by the SEO community). But it turns out it doesn't. Rather, RankBrain is periodically 'Re-trained" by the boffins at Google, to do its job better, as and when new up-dates are released. In Illyes own words: "Its effects are expectable, not assumable".
IIlyes went on to say: "We'll keep experimenting with and testing new models, and we'll make updates as we come up with models that do a better job than the existing one. That could be about refreshing the data or developing new neural net architectures."
Thought Vectors and the Word2vec Connection
Another ingredient in RankBrain is believed to be Google's Word2Vec Project, which is based on the twin architectural models of CBOW (Continuous Bag of Words) and Skip-Gram. Both of which are, in nerd-speak, considered "shallow neural models". In essence, CBOW tries its level best to predict the current word, based on the words around it (because words make more send when viewed in context with the words nearby). Whereas Skip-Gram cleverly predicts meaning from the sense of the words it finds.
Or to simplify it even further:
Whether RankBrain is actually using Word2vec (or a variation of the methodology) or not, is ultimately by-the-by. All we really need to know is that RankBrain is converting words and phrases into vectors, which it then uses to allow for a deeper understanding of the data it's reviewing. The implications of all this being that if Google is able to convert a typed question into vectors to better understand the inherent meaning behind the question, then Google will be able to significantly improve the search results it shows.
Distributional Hypothesis
Another potential element under-pinning RankBrain (and until Google opens their Kimono to reveal all, this is just more guess work on our part, remember) is thought to be 'Distributional Hypothesis'.
In linguistics, Distributional Hypothesis states that words used together in a sentence tend to infer similar meanings. This is a theory born from Statistical Semantics. The distributional hypothesis for this infers that the more semantically similar two words are, the more distributionally alike they'll be, and the higher probability that they occupy similar linguistic contexts.
Or to simplify it even further:
Latent Semantic Indexing
Another element that could be at play in RankBrain, is known as 'Latent Semantic Indexing' (LSI). Which is a retrieval and indexing method that uses Singular Value Decomposition to identify patterns in the relationship between concepts and terms as viewed in written text.
Scalability in Vectors
Ultimately RankBrain will expand its remit from learning patterns within short strings of data, to learning patterns within entire documents. Because just as there is learning to be had in the former, there is surely deep learning to be had with the latter. And it's not too far of a stretch to think that the RankBrain algorithm of a few years down the track will be able to read an entire book and distill its meaning into a few short paragraphs.
Cliff Notes look out!
Professor Geoff Hinton and Artifical Neural Networks
Okay, so let's back track for a minute. RankBrain "Converts words and phrases into vectors," right? But what exactly does that mean? To better understand that, we need to look to Professor Geoff Hinton of the University of Toronto's work in 'Word2vec Connections'. Mr. Hinton is a gentleman and scholar (as the old saying goes) with much wisdom in the field of artificial neural networks. And who happened to have owned a company called DNNresearch Inc, which was acquired by Google in June 2013.
(Ah...the plot thickens...)
Neural Net reporter, Jack Clark of Bloomberg (who wrote the original Bloomberg Business article) attempted to get clarification on the whole Word2ve Connection issue:
"They wouldn't explicitly confirm that it (RankBrain) is Word2vec, but everything we discussed indicated it's likely doing something roughly equivalent to Word2vec, and is also doing similar conversions for sequences which is likely connected to Sequence to Sequence learning (PDF: http://papers.nips.cc/paper/5346-sequence-to-sequence-learni…).
It also links to Geoff Hinton's stuff on Thought Vectors which implicitly involves word2vec."
When pushed on the subject, a Google spokesperson said "It's related to Word2vec in that it uses 'embeddings' — looking at phrases in high-dimensional space to learn how they're related to one another." Which is about as much clarification on the subject as we could rightfully expect to get.
For those with a mind to dig deeper into Rankbrain, there's a Patent Application by Googe pending, which includes this:
Further RankBrain Reading
The 1st and 2nd Most Important Ranking Factors in Google Search
Which segues us rather nicely back to the question of, 'Okay, so if RankBrain is the third most important factor in Google search, what are the first two?'.
This we didn't need last week's announcement to answer; because I, and many other SEO types, have known the answer to this question for years. The first most important thing (in the post Panda world) is QUALITY ORIGINAL CONTENT. The second most important thing (in the post Penguin world) is QUALITY LINKS.
You'll note I added the word 'Quality' to both those Google ranking factors? Good. Because if you think all you have to do to rank in Google is flood your website with cheap content (no doubt sourced out of Eastern Europe), and point thousands of low value links at it (no doubt sourced via an el-cheapo company in India), then you're probably the proud owner of a time machine*, and are kickin' it back in 2010 listening to Ke$ha's mega-hit, 'TiK ToK', or else queuing up with the kids to see Toy Story 3 at the cinema for the umpteenth time. I say this as nobody with half a brain in their head would run that strategy today. Because if they did, their website would have the living crap kicked out of it by both Panda and Penguin, and find itself buried on page 35 of their particular Google search. And given that 92% of people don't go past the first page of Google...good luck with getting the phone to ring from there.
*if you do own a time machine, might I suggest going back to 1997 and investing in Google when they were a start-up? As this is probably a safer bet than trying to con Google with low quality content and dodgy links in 2016...
So Who Announced the New Number #1 and #2 Ranking Factors?
The 'official' announcement on the first and second most important factors in ranking in Google search, was made on March 23, 2016, when Andrey Lipattsev, a 'Search Quality Senior Strategist' at Google, let the cat out of the bag in a video 'Q&A with Google'. Given that Google had already announced that RankBrain was the third most important signal in search today, Lipattsev was pushed on what the first two were. And here is his answer:
"I can tell you what they are. It's content. And it's links pointing at your site'.
Andrey Lipattsev - The New Voice of Google Search?
Now whether Google gave Lipattsev the go-ahead to reveal this information to the world, or whether he simple forgot himself mid-interview and let it slip, we'll never know. But when all's said and done, what Lipattsev revealed is nothing smart SEO minds didn't already know. If you want to rank your website on the first page of Google, you need to create original, engaging, brilliantly written content, that people will want to link to organically.
And there you were thinking this Google business was complicated!
"After researching and speaking with numerous SEO companies, I choose Brian as he was No.1 on the Google search. In only a few months my site is ranking on the first page for lot of keywords, including #1 for the most difficult Sydney keyword. I found Brian to be very thoughtful and helpful towards small business and always willing to do extra if asked for. Good work and thank you again.
Sydney Rug Cleaners
In the digital domain, product offerings are constantly evolving, and it's difficult for small business owners to keep abreast of what online services they need, or how to best to leverage them to positively impact their bottom line. Google Maps, for example, was launched in February 2005 (with much fanfare), and gave birth less than a month later to the Google Local Business Centre. Something which – we were told – was a must have for local business owners everywhere. The Local Business Centre in its turn was replaced by Google Places (launched September 2009). Then, in June 2014, that too morphed into Google My Business. A product that allows you to update business information across multiple Google platforms, via the same dashboard.
The genesis of Google My Business can be found in the difficulty and complexity local business owners previously encountered when having to set up and run both a Google Places listing and a Google plus account. The former was all about listing your business and being found locally. The latter was all about competing as a social media platform with Facebook, and sharing your information within your 'Circles' (think: sharing your information among your 'Friends' in Facebook vernacular).
But before going into the specifics of actually setting up a Google My Business account, let's first address the elephant in the room:
Why Small Businesses Needs a Google My Business Account
Google is omnipresent in the online and mobile worlds (think organic search, Gmail, YouTube, Android, Google Maps, Google Earth, Google Street view, et al) and enjoys by far the biggest share of the user audience. So getting on Google's good side is never a bad idea if you're looking to get your business found by potential customers online.
Registering a Google My Business account helps your company get found in organic Google searches and across the many and varied matrix of Google product offerings. Something that is guaranteed to bring measurable, quantifiable and significant benefits to Australian small business owners and SMEs everywhere.
What is Google My Business?
Google My Business is a free, quick, easy and convenient way for businesses, products, brands and area-specific service providers to manage, promote and ultimately grow their online presence via Google.
The Google My Business dashboard (that you can access once your account has been setup) allows you to perform various tasks including (but not limited to):
The Two Categories of Local Pages
The two categories of local pages available while signing up for a Google My Business account are:
10 Steps to Help You Set up a Google My Business Account
Setting up a basic Google My Business account is a straightforward process. What follows is a step-by-step guide to help you get started:
This should complete the setup of a standard Google My Business account.
How to Verify Your Google My Business Account
It is important to remember to verify your business with Google once you receive the verification code from them (see point 7 above), because your business won't show up across any of the Google platforms (organic SEO aside) until they are 100% sure you are the legitimate owner or representative of the business you're listing, and that your company is physically located where you say it is (hence sending a postcard with a verification code on it to the address you've listed).
There are several ways to verify your business on Google My Business, but for the vast majority of Australian companies, verification will be done by Google sending you a postcard via Australia Post. This can take anything up to 2-3 weeks. During which time your business will NOT show up on Google Maps, etc.
The benefits of verifying your business with Google should be self-evident, but the long and the short if is that a verified Google My Business account will allow you to:
Verify Your Google My Business Account via Postcard
You've Verified Your Business With Google – Now What?
Shortly after you complete the verification, your business should start showing up on Google's regular and local search results, on Google Maps and on Google plus.
It is important to remember that while the Google My Business profile page is more or less a static page (though it can be edited if required), your Google+ page (that got automatically created during the My Business account creation process) is a full-blown social networking presence for your business, and therefore, updating it regularly with routine actions like making posts, responding to comments, creating and adding people to Circles (groups), following others etc, will significantly help drive engagement and yield maximum benefits to your business.
Click here to get your company on Google My Business.
As a novelist, screenwriter and SEO copywriter, it's not too much of a stretch to say that words are my life. In my younger years, when I was a professional film actor, it was the spoken word that held my focus. But since then it's all been about the written word.
Like most writers I am obsessive about what words to use, in what order, and why. On the top end of that obsession you deal with issues of thematics, tone and voice. Of narrative and of structure. And at the bottom end you deal with spelling, punctuation and grammar.
This perfectionism (because that is surely what all writers suffer from) means that even something as mundane as an email or an sms / text, must be written well and correctly spelled. Language after all is a symphony made up of an endless amount of notes. And it only takes one 'bum' note to spoil your enjoyment of the music. As my late sainted mum used to say, "If you say it correctly, you'll spell it correctly". And in the digital age, we can perhaps flip that to read: "If you spell it correctly, you'll say it correctly".
Imagine my surprise then, when I read how Laszlo Bock (such a great name - must pinch that for my next novel!) Google's head of HR, revealed that Google instantly delete any CVs that contain spelling mistakes.
Apparently the Human Resources department at Google receives over 50,000 resumes per week. And, so Laszlo told Business Insider, if you have so much as a single spelling mistake on your resume, it ends up in the trash.
Laszlo, who has himself reputedly reviewed over 20,000 resumes, said that upward of 58 percent of resumes Google receives have "Spelling mistakes, punctuation mistakes, or noun-verb agreement errors".
When quizzed as to why he is so obsessive about spelling mistakes, et al, Laszlo said: "Typos are deadly because employers interpret them as a lack of detail-orientation, as a failure to care about quality".
Which is pretty much what we writers have been saying all along!
Looking for SEO Sydney for your website? Then you've come to right place. Simply call 0425 204 887, today. The first page of Google is only one click away!
Brian M Logan is an on-line marketing, SEO and copywriting expert with over 15 years' experience in the web and over 20 years' experience with the written word.
March 2017


text:
When I reached Heidi Cullen, chief climatologist for Climate Central, she remarked on the glorious weather we were enjoying.
About Sarah Palin, he remarked: "She doesn't know anything."
"Music is a competition," remarked Kreayshawn, another female MC who was recently embroiled in a beef with Azealia Banks.
"You see, but you do not observe," remarked Sherlock Holmes to Dr. Watson, and so my father might have said to us.
After the meeting Tuesday with GOP leaders, President Obama remarked: "None of this is going to be easy."
"And we won't get a medal, either," Stan remarked as he matched O'Malley's grin.
It is remarked by Pope, that what "raises the hero, often sinks the man."
"Then that is where the thief must have come in," remarked Roger.
One family—the Marmosets—have, as has been remarked, claws instead of nails.
As Vyner and I happened to stand apart from the others he remarked upon them.
1630s, "to mark out, distinguish" modeled on French remarquer "to mark, note, heed," formed in Middle French from re-, intensive prefix (see re-), + marquer "to mark," probably from a Germanic source, cf. Old High German marchon "to delimit" (see mark (n.1)).
Meaning "take notice of" is from 1670s; that of "make a comment" is first attested 1690s, from notion of "make a verbal observation" or "call attention to specific points." Related: Remarked; remarking.
1650s, "act of noticing; fact of being worthy of comment," from remark (v.). Meaning "a notice or comment" is from 1670s.
1650s, "act of noticing; fact of being worthy of comment," from remark (v.). Meaning "a notice or comment" is from 1670s.