text:
Millennium Class Sept. 2010
This beautiful Chilled Green Curry Melon Soup with a Melon, Cucumber & Cherry Tomato salad, made at yesterday's cooking class at Millennium, was the perfect dish for our suddenly sweltering Indian summer weather. The soup was cool, complex, and creamy and the salad added a wonderful acidity and freshness. Taught by Millennium's Executive Chef Eric Tucker, students made a Green Curry Based from scratch with lemongrass, Thai chili, Kaffir lime leaves, and black fermented soy beans, to name just a few of the ingredients. Combined with melon and coconut milk, heated with the curry, then chilled, this was probably my favorite soup we've made in my 17 classes, and I never make or order chilled soup. Change is good!
This time around, we made the majority of the dishes before lunching. They included this Gigantic Bean and Sweet Pepper Salad:
A Nopales (Cactus) & Radish Salad - the nopales were charred, scrapped, then boiled to remove their gelatinous quality:
A trio of salsas - Guac with Poblanos, Spicy Tomato, and Huckleberry Salsa:
And a King Trumpet & Abalone Mushroom Salad with Carrots:
Here's the plated shot with the fresh maza tortillas:
Like I said, it was a big lunch. I was very excited to make an expanded version of a dish I always order at Millennium: Deep Fried Corn-Encrusted Oyster Mushrooms. As you can see, we also deep-fried thin green beans, thick-cut onions, firm tomatoes (green weren't to be had)and zucchini strips.
It's hard to see, but in the center is a wonderful Lovage Remoulade ( a Vegan version of the classic French caper & herb spiced mayonaise). Made with tofu and miso, I think it's worth attending a Millennium class simply to learn how to make one of these incredibly tofu mayos. No way can you tell it's vegan! We switched from a cornmeal based dust to a garbanzo bean flour dust (the darker items) - both were delicious:
A couple of gratuitous shots of my deep-fried darlings (fried in rice bran oil) Zucchini & Oyster Mushrooms:
Thin green beans and onions:
Needless to say, there were no leftovers!
After lunch, we made dumplings or giant mezzaluna filled with a creamy blend of purple peruvian potatoes, leeks, cashew cream and herbs, including lovage. These were served with a Smoked Chili Oil (Chipotles) and a Braised Lobster Mushroom and Fresh Shelling Bean side (we used Cranberry & Marrow Fat Fresh Beans). The lobster mushrooms had a "seafood"-like flavor, created by adding saffron (Iodine quality), scraped vanilla bean pod and white wine. My lousy photo doesn't do this amazing dish justice:
Dessert was Panna cotta made with agar and kuzu. As you can see, it's not the easiest gelling agent to work with, although I think the less set version actually tasted a little better:
Superbly complemented with vegan -chili-clover blossom honey, two very different apple compotes, and candied sweet chilis. Just when you think you can eat no more.....wow!
As always, many thanks to Eric for another superlative class. Thanks also to Thomas, Veronica and Intern Mike! It was also great to see several friends from previous classes and, of course, to meet new people!
Ann - we missed you! See you next time.
Here's links to my previous 16 classes:


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- AltCar Auto Show
- Beijing Auto Show
- CES Auto Show
- Chicago Auto Show
- DC Auto Show
- Detroit Auto Show
- Frankfurt Auto Show
- Geneva Auto Show
- LA Auto Show
- NAIAS Auto Show
- New York Auto Show
- Paris Auto Show
- Philadelphia Auto Show
- SEMA Auto Show
- San Diego Auto Show
- Shanghai Auto Show
- St. Louis Auto Show
- Tokyo Auto Show
Auto Show: 2013 La Auto Show
2014 Porsche 911 Turbo and Turbo S Cabriolet: LA Auto Show
What Is It?
The 2014 Porsche 911 Turbo and 911 Turbo S are high-performance versions of the already-high-performance 911 Carrera. At this year's Los Angeles Auto Show, Porsche unveiled the newest version of the 911 Turbo and Turbo S: the soft-top convertible Cabriolet model.
For Porsche fans, there aren't many surprises here. We already know all about the standard 911 Carrera Cabriolet, and the Turbo and Turbo S Coupe were revealed earlier this year at the Frankfurt Auto Show. As a result, creating the Turbo and Turbo S Cabriolet was just a matter of combining the two iconic 911 models. In other words, expect traditional 911 styling, a power-folding soft-top, a fixed rear wing and a lot of power.
That power comes from a 3.8-liter twin-turbo flat 6-cylinder engine, which produces 520 horsepower in the Turbo or 560 hp in the Turbo S. Offered only with Porsche's PDK dual-clutch automatic transmission, the Turbo Cabriolet boasts a 0-to-60 miles per hour time of 3.3 seconds, while Porsche says the Turbo S Cabriolet reaches 60 mph in just 3.1 seconds. As with the Turbo and Turbo S Coupe, all-wheel drive is standard.
How Much?
The Turbo Cabriolet starts at a whopping $161,700 including destination, while the Turbo S Cabriolet starts at a steep $194,900 with shipping.
When Can You Get It?
Early 2014
Add It to Your Shopping List Because...
For many drivers, the 2014 Porsche 911 Turbo and Turbo S Cabriolet are the ultimate versions of the 911. You get traditional Porsche styling, the versatility and enjoyment of top-down driving and performance that rivals some of today's top exotics. But if you do add the Turbo and Turbo S Cabriolet to your shopping list, add it soon. We expect Porsche dealers will have long waiting lists for both models.
Other Cars to Consider
BMW M6 convertible -- While the M6 is larger and more luxurious than the 911 Turbo and Turbo S Cabriolet, its 560-hp V8 packs a massive punch.
Ferrari California -- Drivers who appreciate the performance of Porsche's 911 Turbo and Turbo S will also enjoy the California, which boasts a dual-clutch transmission, a folding hardtop and four seats.
Mercedes-Benz SL65 AMG -- The SL65 doesn't handle like a Porsche, but it accelerates like one, thanks to a twin-turbo V12 that puts out more than 620 hp and nearly 750 lb-ft of torque.
Used Ferrari 458 Spider-- The 458 Spider is more expensive than the 911 Turbo and Turbo S Cabriolet, so you'll have to consider a used model. But it boasts a more exclusive badge, more exotic styling and similarly earth-shattering performance.

subset: commoncrawl


text: Florida - Top seed John Isner narrowly avoided a second straight first round exit as the big serving American edged past Canadian Jessie Levine 7-6 5-7 6-4 at the Delray Beach International on Tuesday.American Isner was tripped up in the opening round of last week's Memphis International by Uzbek Denis Istomin and the world number 15 again found himself in trouble on the hard courts.This time, however, the 6-foot-9 inch (206 centimetres) Isner was able to blast 28 aces en route to victory in an opening match that lasted over two hours.All seemed to be going to plan as Isner seized the critical first set in a tie-breaker 7-3 but he had his service broken en route to dropping the second set, forcing a decider.But the American, who has been plagued by knee trouble, held firm in the third to advance, much to his relief."Jesse's good. I've always had trouble with him. Honestly, it was a good one to get through," Isner told the ATP website."A win is a win and I haven't had many lately. I'm just trying to get this train going. I'll rest up and I anticipate I'll be better."Another big server, Croatia's Ivo Karlovic, also advanced at the hands of Memphis winner Kei Nishikori. The Japanese forced to retire at 5-4 down in the first set with a stomach muscle problem.Second seed Tommy Haas was another winner but the German was in no celebratory mood.Haas and Igor Sijsling were locked at one set all when the Dutch player quit with an ankle injury after the second set.In the final game that Sijsling lost he blasted three balls into the stands, one hitting a spectator and drawing a code violation warning."What a strange match. You never want to win a match like that," Haas told reporters. "It's not a proud win for me."


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Crawford Jones had a big job interview Saturday night.
At Minute Maid Park.
Interviewing Astros first baseman Brett Wallace.
Jones, a fifth-year senior quarterback and holder on field goals and extra points for the University of Houston, is among 10 finalists to audition as part of the Astros' "You Make the Call" contest.
Here is the clip from Jones' first audition.
The winner will join the Astros' radio broadcast team in 2013 and handle pregame and postgame interviews.
"I'll tryout and if it works out great," said Jones, who is from Keller. "If it doesn't, hopefully I get through enough rounds where maybe I don't have to start out in the middle of nowhere to a small market. Maybe I can kind of put on my resume that I was a finalist for this."
Jones, a broadcast journalism major who will graduate in December, did an internship this summer at SportsTalk 790 in Houston.
Even if Jones doesn't win the contest he's hoping that by being a finalist among 150 people to audition will help open some doors for a job after graduation.
As part of Saturday's audition, Jones did a brief spot that included three questions during an interview with Wallace.
A panel of judges and fan voting will help decide the four semifinalists that will deliver live, on-air appearances during an Astros game from Aug. 30-Sept. 2. From there, two finalists will participate in broadcasts from Sept. 13-14. Fan voting and a panel of judges will help decide the winner Sept. 16-24.
Video clips of this weekend's interviews will be posted online at Astros.com. Voting will also be conducted on the team's website.
This fall, Jones will co-host a weekly, taped sports show "In the Game" on campus station KUHT. He will also host a radio show every Thursday to recap UH athletics.
If there's a bad hold in one of the games will he cover the topic?
"I will stay away from special teams and talk strictly offense and defense," Jones joked.
Read more about the "You Make the Call" contest here.
• • •
Follow me on Twitter at Joseph_Duarte.


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Secure Shell or SSH is a network protocol that allows data to be exchanged over a secure channel between two computers. Encryption provides confidentiality and integrity of data. SSH uses public-key cryptography to authenticate the remote computer and allow the remote computer to authenticate the user, if necessary.
SSH is typically used to log into a remote machine and execute commands, but it also supports tunneling, forwarding arbitrary TCP ports and X11 connections; file transfer can be accomplished using the associated SFTP or SCP protocols.
An SSH server, by default, listens on the standard TCP port 22. An SSH client program is typically used for establishing connections to an sshd daemon accepting remote connections. Both are commonly present on most modern operating systems, including Mac OS X, GNU/Linux, Solaris and OpenVMS. Proprietary, freeware and open source versions of various levels of complexity and completeness exist.
(Source: Wikipedia:Secure Shell)
- 1 OpenSSH
- 2 Tips and Tricks
- 3 Troubleshooting
- 4 See Also
- 5 Links & References
OpenSSH (OpenBSD Secure Shell) is a set of computer programs providing encrypted communication sessions over a computer network using the ssh protocol. It was created as an open source alternative to the proprietary Secure Shell software suite offered by SSH Communications Security. OpenSSH is developed as part of the OpenBSD project, which is led by Theo de Raadt.
OpenSSH is occasionally confused with the similarly-named OpenSSL; however, the projects have different purposes and are developed by different teams, the similar name is drawn only from similar goals.
Installing OpenSSH
# pacman -S openssh
Configuring SSH
The SSH client configuration file can be found and edited in Template:Filename.
An example configuration:
It is recommended to change the Protocol line into this:
Protocol 2
That means that only Protocol 2 will be used, since Protocol 1 is considered somewhat insecure.
The SSH daemon configuration file can be found and edited in Template:Filename.
An example configuration:
To allow access only for some users add this line:
AllowUsers user1 user2
To disable root login over SSH, add the following:
PermitRootLogin no
You could also uncomment the BANNER option and edit Template:Filename for a nice welcome message.
Even though the port ssh is running on could be detected by using a port-scanner like nmap, changing it will reduce the number of log entries caused by automated authentication attempts.
Allowing others in
To let other people ssh to your machine you need to adjust Template:Filename, add the following:
# let everyone connect to you sshd: ALL # OR you can restrict it to a certain ip sshd: 192.168.0.1 # OR restrict for a specific IP mask sshd: 10.0.0.0/255.255.255.0 # OR restrict for an IP match sshd: 192.168.1.
Now you should check your Template:Filename for the following line and make sure it looks like this:
That's it. You can SSH out and others should be able to SSH in :).
To start using the new configuration, restart the daemon (as root):
# rc.d restart sshd
Managing SSHD Daemon
Just add sshd to the "DAEMONS" section of your Template:Filename:
DAEMONS=(... ... sshd ... ...)
To start/restart/stop the daemon, use the following:
# rc.d {start|stop|restart} sshd
Connecting to the server
To connect to a server, run:
$ ssh -p port user@server-address
Tips and Tricks
Encrypted Socks Tunnel
This is highly useful for laptop users connected to various unsafe wireless connections. The only thing you need is an SSH server running at a somewhat secure location, like your home or at work. It might be useful to use a dynamic DNS service like DynDNS so you don't have to remember your IP-address.
Step 1: Start the Connection
You only have to execute this single command in your favorite terminal to start the connection:
$ ssh -ND 4711 user@host
where Template:Codeline is your username at the SSH server running at the Template:Codeline. It will ask for your password, and then you're connected! The Template:Codeline flag disables the interactive prompt, and the Template:Codeline flag specifies the local port on which to listen on (you can choose any port number if you want).
One way to make this easier is to put an alias line in your Template:Filename file as following:
alias sshtunnel="ssh -ND 4711 -v user@host"
It's nice to add the verbose Template:Codeline flag, because then you can verify that it's actually connected from that output. Now you just have to execute the Template:Codeline command :)
Step 2: Configure your Browser (or other programs)
The above step is completely useless if you don't configure your web browser (or other programs) to use this newly created socks tunnel. Since the current version of SSH supports both SOCKS4 and SOCKS5, you can use either of them.
- For Firefox: Edit → Preferences → Advanced → Network → Connection → Setting:
- Check the "Manual proxy configuration" radio button, and enter "localhost" in the "SOCKS host" text field, and then enter your port number in the next text field (I used 4711 above).
Firefox does not automatically make DNS requests through the socks tunnel. This potential privacy concern can be mitigated by the following steps:
- Type about:config into the Firefox location bar.
- Search for network.proxy.socks_remote_dns
- Set the value to true.
- Restart the browser.
- For Chromium: You can set the SOCKS settings as enviroment variables or as command line options. I recommend to add one of the following functions to your Template:Filename:
function secure_chromium { port=4711 export SOCKS_SERVER=localhost:$port export SOCKS_VERSION=5 chromium & exit }
function secure_chromium { port=4711 chromium --proxy-server="socks://localhost:$port" & exit }
Now open a terminal and just do:
$ secure_chromium
Enjoy your secure tunnel!
X11 Forwarding
To run graphical programs through a SSH connection you can enable X11 forwarding. An option needs to be set in the configuration files on the server and client (here "client" means your (desktop) machine your X11 Server runs on, and you will run X applications on the "server").
Install xorg-xauth on the server:
# pacman -S xorg-xauth
- Enable the AllowTcpForwarding option in Template:Filename on the server.
- Enable the X11Forwarding option in Template:Filename on the server.
- Set the X11DisplayOffset option in Template:Filename on the server to 10.
- Enable the X11UseLocalhost option in Template:Filename on the server.
- Enable the ForwardX11 option in Template:Filename on the client.
To use the forwarding, log on to your server through ssh:
# ssh -X -p port user@server-address
If you receive errors trying to run graphical applications try trusted forwarding instead:
# ssh -Y -p port user@server-address
You can now start any X program on the remote server, the output will be forwarded to your local session:
# xclock
If you get "Cannot open display" errors try the following command as the non root user:
$ xhost +
the above command will allow anybody to forward X11 applications. To restrict forwarding to a particular host type:
$ xhost +hostname
where hostname is the name of the particular host you want to forward to. Type "man xhost" for more details.
Be careful with some applications as they check for a running instance on the local machine. Firefox is an example. Either close running Firefox or use the following start parameter to start a remote instance on the local machine
$ firefox -no-remote
Speed up SSH
You can make all sessions to the same host use a single connection, which will greatly speed up subsequent logins, by adding these lines under the proper host in Template:Filename:
ControlMaster auto ControlPath ~/.ssh/socket-%r@%h:%p
Changing the ciphers used by SSH to less cpu-demanding ones can improve speed. In this aspect, the best choices are arcfour and blowfish-cbc. Please do not do this unless you know what you are doing; arcfour has a number of known weaknesses. To use them, run SSH with the Template:Codeline flag, like this:
# ssh -c arcfour,blowfish-cbc user@server-address
To use them permanently, add this line under the proper host in Template:Filename:
Ciphers arcfour,blowfish-cbc
Another option to improve speed is to enable compression with the Template:Codeline flag. A permanent solution is to add this line under the proper host in Template:Filename:
Compression yes
Login time can be shorten by using the Template:Codeline flag, which bypasses IPv6 lookup. This can be made permanent by adding this line under the proper host in Template:Filename:
AddressFamily inet
Another way of making these changes permanent is to create an alias in Template:Filename:
alias ssh='ssh -C4c arcfour,blowfish-cbc'
Trouble Shooting
Make sure your DISPLAY string is resolveable on the remote end:
ssh -X user@server-address server$ echo $DISPLAY localhost:10.0 server$ telnet localhost 6010 localhost/6010: lookup failure: Temporary failure in name resolution
can be fixed by adding localhost to Template:Filename.
Mounting a Remote Filesystem with SSHFS
Install sshfs
# pacman -S sshfs
Load the Fuse module
# modprobe fuse
Add fuse to the modules array in Template:Filename to load it on each system boot.
Mount the remote folder using sshfs
# mkdir ~/remote_folder # sshfs USER@remote_server:/tmp ~/remote_folder
The command above will cause the folder /tmp on the remote server to be mounted as ~/remote_folder on the local machine. Copying any file to this folder will result in transparent copying over the network using SFTP. Same concerns direct file editing, creating or removing.
When we're done working with the remote filesystem, we can unmount the remote folder by issuing:
# fusermount -u ~/remote_folder
If we work on this folder on a daily basis, it is wise to add it to the Template:Filename table. This way is can be automatically mounted upon system boot or mounted manually (if Template:Codeline option is chosen) without the need to specify the remote location each time. Here is a sample entry in the table:
sshfs#USER@remote_server:/tmp /full/path/to/directory fuse defaults,auto,allow_other 0 0
Keep Alive
Your ssh session will automatically log out if it is idle. To keep the connection active (alive) add this to Template:Filename or to Template:Filename on the client.
ServerAliveInterval 120
This will send a "keep alive" signal to the server every 120 seconds.
Conversely, to keep incoming connections alive, you can set
ClientAliveInterval 120
(or some other number greater than 0) in Template:Filename on the server.
Save connection data in .ssh/config
Whenever you want to connect to a server, you usually have to type at least its address and your username. To save that typing work for servers you regularly connect to, you can use the Template:Filename file as shown in the following example:
Now you can simply connect to the server by using the name you specified:
$ ssh myserver
To see a complete list of the possible options, check out ssh_config's manpage on your system or the ssh_config documentation on the official website.
Connection Refused Problem
Is SSH running and listening?
# netstat -tnlp | grep ssh
If the above command doesn't display anything, then SSH is NOT running. Check
/var/log/messages for errors etc.
Are there firewall rules blocking the connection?
Flush your iptables rules to make sure they are not interfering:
rc.d stop iptables
iptables -P INPUT ACCEPT iptables -P OUTPUT ACCEPT iptables -F INPUT iptables -F OUTPUT
Have you allowed SSH in hosts.allow?
Double check you have done this section correctly.
Is the traffic even getting to your computer?
Start a traffic dump on the computer you're having problems with:
tcpdump -lnn -i any port ssh and tcp-syn
This should show some basic information, then wait for any matching traffic to happen before displaying it. Try your connection now. If you don't see any output when you attempt to connect, then something outside of your computer is blocking the traffic (eg, hardware firewall, NAT router etc)
Read from socket failed: Connection reset by peer
Recent versions of openssh sometimes fail with the above error message, due to a bug involving elliptic curve cryptography. In that case, edit the file
or create it, if it doesn't already exist. Add the line
HostKeyAlgorithms firstname.lastname@example.com,email@example.com,firstname.lastname@example.com,firstname.lastname@example.com,ecdsa-sha2-nistp256,ecdsa-sha2-nistp384,ecdsa-sha2-nistp521,ssh-rsa,ssh-dss


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I was as shocked as most other people to hear Tuesday the Department of Justice unveiling charges against Manssor Arbabsiar, a 56-year old Iranian-American apparently linked to Iran's Quds Force. If the facts as described in the government's complaint [.pdf] were part of a crime novel I were editing, I'd tell the author it was far too outlandish and to do some more research. Now we're finding out that the administration itself had "expressed concern that the plot's cartoonish quality would invite suspicions and conspiracy theories."
And cartoonish it was. I had figured that maybe I was the only one who thought the government's story was shot through with gaping holes, but now I read that basically the entire roster of non-neoconservative Iran watchers can't make sense of the plot.
For their part, reflexive hawks have taken the news in stride. James Jay Carafano explained that this is what happens when you act like Jimmy Carter, and the neocons' Foundation for the Defense of Democracies has essentially taken over the WSJ op-ed page. (As one wag noted, the WSJ's unsigned editorial invoked 9/11 in the first sentence.) But note the lack of critical thought in these pieces. Reuel Marc Gerecht uses the story as the latest hook for his "let's bomb Iran" shtick, and another FDD/WSJ offering even says that "though details of the plot are still scarce," "[t]o doubt the Iranian regime's responsibility in the thwarted attack is to misunderstand its nature, or to somehow fall prey to the delusion that when an Iranian connection appears behind a terror plot, its perpetrators have gone rogue or are acting on behalf of some dark faction to undermine a nonexistent 'moderate' camp within the regime." Well, maybe, but I like details.
I think there's a pretty strong case for revisiting our assumptions about Iran, provided somebody can fill in the aforementioned holes. I had a bit more of a critical piece in CNN International, asking a number of questions that I'd like to see answered before deciding anything. I'll just share with you one question I asked:
the accused seem to have believed that the [Mexican drug cartel the] Zetas would blow up [Saudi Ambassador Adel] al-Jubeir (and potentially a hundred people nearby, explicitly including possible U.S. senators) having only been fronted $100,000 of the $1.5 million payoff, and holding Arbabsiar as collateral.
There's little evidence that the Zetas are stupid enough to cause themselves the trouble that blowing up a Washington restaurant containing the Saudi Ambassador and a hundred others would inevitably cause – especially for a potential payday of only $100,000 and a dead Iranian operative. Why did Arbabsiar or the IRGC think that the Zetas would be willing to do this deal?
To my mind, this is the biggest question out there, but I raise several others. For my provisional thoughts on the story, have a look at that piece.


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One of the mysteries of the English language finally explained.
What is the origin of the word 'penguin'?
The origin of penguin is still debated. The name originally applied to the great auk (now extinct) of the seas around Newfoundland in Canada, and may have come from the Welsh pen gwyn, meaning 'white head' (or a similar phrase in the Breton or Cornish languages). In the logbook of the Golden Hind, which sailed around the world in 1577–80, there is a reference to a 'foule, which the Welsh men name Pengwin' that was seen in the Magellan Straight at the tip of South America. The sailors on the expedition may have mistaken penguins for great auks, or simply applied a term they knew to an unfamiliar bird: the great auk resembled a penguin in that it was a large flightless bird with black and white plumage that was adapted to life in freezing waters.
See other questions about the origins of words and phrases.
Take a look at: What is the origin of the phrase 'the bee's knees'?
Or: What is the origin of the term 'brass monkey'?
See more from Word origins
In this article we explore how to impress employers with a spot-on CV.


text:
Landon Swank of 'America's Got Talent' – Hunk of the Day [PICTURES]
One reason we love 'America's Got Talent': It introduces us to hunks in categories we never could have imagined. Say, magicians. Say, Landon Swank. (God, even his name is hunky.) The Alaska native (naturally) is currently fighting it out as one of the show's top ten remaining acts.
Swank, 26, has tasked himself with bringing magic to a younger, hipper audience. And hey, he's not doing a bad job. (Though to be honest, we'd probably be just as happy to watch him paint fences.) You can catch him performing in Las Vegas and, hopefully, on television up until the conclusion of 'America's Got Talent.' Get out your phones and vote, people!


text:
Dealers are going through the same self-realization that's already hit the home-service sector and legal field.
We see it all over the country: dealers spending more and more per car on advertising while complaining that margins are lower than ever because of online price competition.
Many dealers tell me, "To win the sale you have to lose the gross." While MBAs may scratch their heads at that logic, those of us on the street know what's really happening.
The auto-retailing industry is going through the same self-realization that's already hit the home-service sector and legal field. In terms of marketing, it's time to go "Defcon 3."
Home-service companies tell us Angie's List online customer leads are low quality. Law firm principals say the same thing about FindLaw.com. Many are jumping that ship and going organic in their marketing to get out of the shoals.
But many auto dealers still buy promises of great riches if they just list on this or that website or pony up $20 for a lead that seems to lead nowhere. Some dealers are buying every lead that moves and even some that don't.
It all drives up the cost of selling a car while actually limiting sales volume. Internet marketing alone is not enough. Ask Amazon, Google, Bing, and Microsoft why they still advertise on national TV.
Online car consumers are shopping more stores than ever before, dealerships located farther away than buyers ever considered the last time they bought a car. In a race to the bottom, dealers can end up chasing a digital lead all the way to a loser sale.
Dealership principals can be too removed from the sales floor to see what is really happening. If they would ask their lawyer friend or the guy who owns the local air-conditioning company how they get their customer leads, they would hear: "We need organic leads to grow sales and profits, not just sales."
How to you go organic? First, don't rely heavily on Google to help you. Google often does not give you reports on organic traffic on your website. Why should it? It wants to sell you its originated search-engine marketing and search-engine optimization, not drive up the free stuff.
Carefully review cost-per-click campaigns. I've met business owners paying triple retail for these clicks thinking that they were getting a great deal.
What's an organic lead? It's a shopper who sees your ad and goes directly to your dealership website, often bypassing Google or any other search engine. Those potential buyers know who you are, know what you sell and want to contact you right away.
A veteran dealer that employed this organic strategy saw customer prospects increase 5%, sales go up 26% and closing rates improve 22%. It should be noted that his walk-ins, who are the lowest-quality leads, were down the first month. This is good because they were replaced with customers contacting the dealership by phone and email to schedule appointments.
Why fight for the hamburger when you can dine on filet?
Adam Armbruster is a partner in the retail and broadcasting consulting firm
Eckstein, Summers, Armbruster and Co. He can be reached at email@example.com or


text:
Dec. 6, 2011
NORTH DARTMOUTH, MA-Two members of the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth cross country team have received post-season honors from the Little East Conference.
Freshmen Katie Sheehan (Scituate, MA/Scituate HS) and Ben Girard (Manchester, MA/Manchester Essex HS) have been named LEC Rookie Runners of the Year.
Sheehan and Girard were the top runners this fall for UMass Dartmouth, leading the Corsairs all season and finishing as UMass Dartmouth's top runners at the Little East Conference and New England Alliance Championships, with Sheehan finishing fifth overall and Girard 17th.
"Katie was a very pleasant surprise to herself and an extremely pleasant surprise to her coaches," said UMass Dartmouth Head Coach Jon Hird. "I'll take those kinds of surprises any time. She was unheralded coming out of high school, took a few meets to figure things out, and shocked everyone at Westfield State. She just has a drive to do her best, and thankfully, her best is very good."
"Ben made the transition from running 5000 meters in high school to running five miles in college seemingly without losing a step," said Hird. "What's impressive about Ben is that he was hurting the last part of the season, but still managed to finish as our number one runner in the conference meet. Like Katie, Ben is interested in one thing and that is running as fast as he can."
The Corsairs will continue to compete in track and field this weekend at the Harvard Open.


text:
Canalys has recently undergone a rebrand process in which the logo, website and marketing materials have changed. Please make sure that any logos that may been previously showcased on websites or marketing materials are removed and replaced by the new logo. Please adhere to brand guidelines at all times.
The logo is now availble for download:


text:
The Witch could be part of her own faction, or part of a peasant faction(yes, more peasants please). Basically I'll wait and see before deciding. I have had fun designing male and female spell users for the Undead faction so another witch would be ok.
Succubi? Although I've wished for them (for years on end) and other "demons" I seriously doubt LEGO will make that as a toy for kids. I remember my brother making the comment that LEGO should team up with D&D to make monsters and such but of course this never happened as some parents would try to burn LEGO "at the stake" as it will.
Elves should be a stand-alone faction so that there will be more sets in the range. They will come in their time so I'll spend more effort to enjoy the current sets as they will be gone too soon.


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Every Bluffton voter registered as of Dec. 21 can have a say Saturday in picking the Republican Party's nominee for president.
"Maximum voter turnout is encouraged," according to the Beaufort County Board of Elections and Registration. "The Presidential Primary is open to all registered South Carolina voters."
All precinct polling places will be open from 7 a.m.-7 p.m. Any voter in line at 7 p.m. will be allowed to vote.
South Carolina's "open" primary system means any eligible registered voter, regardless of party affiliation, can participate in the state's first-in-the South primary on the road to the Republican nominating convention.
By state law, voter eligibility includes registering at least 30 days before an election.
"Voters are reminded that there is no registration by party in South Carolina, and that there are no other party presidential preference primaries scheduled for this presidential election cycle. There is no requirement to be affiliated with the Republican Party to participate in this primary," says the board's website at bcgov.net/vote.
However, Democrats planning to attend precinct reorganization meetings might think twice before voting Saturday, since they'll be asked to sign statements they didn't vote in the Republican primary.
With Democratic President Barack Obama's bid for re-election on Nov. 6 unopposed in his party, voters have no need to choose between party primaries at the polls like in January 2008 when they were a week apart.
But the reorganization meetings, set for Jan. 28 in Beaufort County, will double for the Democratic Party's presidential primary and start the national convention delegate selection process, according to the party website at scdp.org.
"By attending the precinct reorganization meetings, you are voting for President Barack Obama since he is the only candidate on our ballot. Also, anyone who attends the meetings will be signing a statement that they did not take part in the Republican Presidential Primary," the S.C. Democratic Party website says.
The Republican ballot lists nine candidates, in alphabetical order, including four who have dropped out since filing.
The five active candidates, in alphabetical order, are Newt Gingrich, former U.S. House Speaker and Georgia congressman; Ron Paul, U.S. representative from Texas; Rick Perry, Texas governor; Mitt Romney, former Massachusetts governor; and Rick Santorum, former Pennsylvania senator.
The four ghost candidates are former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman, who ended his campaign on Monday; Minnesota U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann; businessman Herman Cain and Former New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson. In late December, Johnson left the Republican Party and joined the Libertarian Party.
In-person absentee voting continues through Friday and Monday at the county's two absentee voting precinct polls in registration offices. Hours are 9 a.m.-4 p.m. for the branch at 61-B Ulmer Road, Bluffton, and headquarters at 15 John Galt Road, Beaufort.
Tuesday was the deadline for election officials to receive requests for absentee ballot applications by mail.
Beaufort County's elections website also says:
• To be able to vote the polls, voters are required to show one of three items: A voter registration card, a driver's license or an ID card issued by the S.C. Department of Motor Vehicles. The U.S. Department of Justice rejected South Carolina's new voter photo identification law, so identification requirements remain unchanged.
• Write-in votes are not allowed in political party primaries or for president and vice-president.
• No candidates for other offices are on the ballot.
Voters may check their registration status online by going to www.bcgov.net/vote, scrolling to the bottom of the web page clicking on the "Vote" button.


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Career Tips >> Browse Articles >> Job Seekers: Resume, Interview and More
Career Tips >> Browse Articles >> Laid Off- The Survival Guide
Career Tips >> Browse Articles >> Returning to Work and Career Changers
Career Tips >> Browse Articles >> Work-Life Balance
Take a Break From Your Job Search
Steve Berman
5. Take a Nap
Searching for work when you're exhausted can actually be counterproductive. Sleep deprivation makes you more prone to make spelling and grammatical errors in the 20 different cover letters you planned to send out before the day's end, and hiring managers tend to find it annoying when it's clear you're yawning during that phone interview.
Whether you stayed up too late the night before or your job search has driven you to the point of exhaustion, a short nap is oftentimes a much better idea than trying to fight through feelings of fatigue. While too much daytime dozing can actually make you more tired or hinder your nighttime sleep cycle, "power naps" (about 20-minutes or so) will leave you refreshed and ready to look for work. You'll also be in good company with famous former and current nappers such as Eleanor Roosevelt, Albert Einstein and Bill Clinton.


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In my previous life as an educator, I realized the learning process never stops. Teaching involves just as much listening as it does speaking. Today I enjoy learning about buyer's needs and seller's goals to guide them through a successful transition in life. It requires asking the right questions and then actually listening!
Taking time to listen and learn about why you are embarking on buying or selling real estate is what allows me to develop client trust and loyalty. It allows me to share the decades worth of market knowledge and real estate experience as an endless resource. Those years of development have lead to proven marketing strategies, implementation of a team of industry partners and integrated detailed workflows.
The property information herein is derived from various sources that may not be limited to county records and the Multiple Listing Service and it may include approximations. Although the information is believed to be accurate, it is not warranted and you should not rely upon it without personal verification. Not intended as a solicitation if your property is already listed by another broker. Real estate agents affiliated with Coldwell Banker United, REALTORS® are independent contractor agents and are not employees of the Company. ©2015 Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC. Coldwell Banker is a registered service mark licensed to Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC. An Equal Opportunity Company. Equal Housing Opportunity. Operated by a subsidiary of NRT LLC.


text: Tom Elken wrote: >> On Behalf Of Christian Bell >> On Aug 12, 2009, at 11:14 AM, Bill Broadley wrote: >> >> >>> Is it really necessary for dynamic arrays >>> to be substantially slower than static? >>> >> Yes -- when pointers, the compiler assumes (by default) that the >> pointers can alias each other, which can prevent aggressive >> optimizations that are otherwise possible with arrays. >> > ... > >> I remember stacking half a dozen pragmas over a >> 3-line loop on a Cray C compiler years ago to ensure that accesses >> where suitably optimized (or in this case, vectorized). >> > > To add some details to what Christian says, the HPC Challenge version of STREAM uses dynamic arrays and is hard to optimize. I don't know what's best with current compiler versions, but you could try some of these that were used in past HPCC submissions with your program, Bill: > > PathScale 2.2.1 on Opteron: > Base OPT flags: -O3 -OPT:Ofast:fold_reassociate=0 > STREAMFLAGS=-O3 -OPT:Ofast:fold_reassociate=0 -OPT:alias=restrict:align_unsafe=on -CG:movnti=1 > > I hope people don't mind me replying specifically to this PathScale related stuff, but last publicly released version was 3.2 (and a follow-up 3.3-beta) If you're a PathScale customer and interested in this update please feel free to contact me off list. ./Christopher


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Funds that Focus on Buybacks
Brendan Conway explains the pros and cons of two ETFs that own companies that are reducing their share count, and therefore increasing earnings per share.
This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.
I ... the ... stock investors love share buybacks but they're not always what they're cracked up to be I'm Jack Otter Editor Barron's dot com ... under for an income when was our focus on funds bought ... seven and we all get excited when we hear that the companies are buying back shares especially in a slow growth market because you think while more earnings per share my stock certain go up but as you explain in your your plot posts ... it's not always exactly that simple ... yet you know J is the DVT I think it's a look at it from the supply and demand perspective ... and also look at how the buyback ... is fine it's because in theory ... take some shares out of the market and all else being equal the price of that share should writes because it's still the same underlying ... business ... but ... don't be Holdings P five hundred companies they're often not ... buying back their stock at the ideal time ... to drop and doing it for reasons other than whether it's a good idea to do that sometimes are just picking up the slack from ... new share issuance ... or from employee stock options of getting exercise goes there often pushing ... new stock owning the market at the same time that they now SOEs than that nothing beats and that nothing in some cases in ... those actions by the way are not getting press releases in fanfare ... but of course ... I stocks are IBM Companies are always tempted to buy the stock at the high price when in fact when times are tough in the stock is love that's when they should be fun ... that's right yet there there's a study last year that showed that some ... of for for about six or seven years ... during the last decade ... of one-third of all its pieces of the five hundred buybacks ... painted it as is the loss making transaction ... that tells you are right there ... no on this phenomenon does not come un noticed and there are some TT apps ... recognizing this problem are using active management to try to only buy the good buybacks ... yes and check the level of the key principles here is to look for ... net by taxi looking for companies that are systematically shrinking ... the number of shares outstanding their ... pick of ... the fund that focuses just on that ... that that that was of the TrimTabs float shrink ETF ... and that was up by let's check in the high twenties something percentage points this year sitting very well ... another one is the Cambria Shareholder Yield ETF ... this one takes more of a broader approach ... the net buyback ideas just part of what they see it and that was also nice is here that that was new and that was up by couple percentage points still being a sleepy ... very short lifetime ... ok so Ron and me having to do the research I can By Laurie ZTS get my diversification what's not to love ... the thing that's and that's a lovely thing to remember is that these are still kind of race lovers funds ... are a lot of small cap stocks in their three midcap stocks ... on the these are also new funds so they haven't really been tested with a ... sharp selloff ... my guess is that because of those smaller companies ... I think they would fall harder and faster than its peers selloff said he then went to the top performers I guess could just be the effect of the Russell two founders up a lot this year it may be ... thank so much attention ...


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of the American Society for Information Science and Technology Vol. 28, No. 2 December / January 2002
Editor's Note: Patrick G. Wilson, winner of the 2001 ASIST Award of Merit, was unable to attend the Annual Meeting in Washington, DC. His acceptance speech, reprinted here for the benefit of those members not in attendance at the Annual Meeting, was read by Howard White.
On Accepting the ASIST Award of Merit
by Patrick Wilson
I'm surprised and delighted to find myself the recipient of this award; I certainly had never anticipated anything of the sort. I'm especially pleased to receive it from the Society under its new name. I've been saying for years that the technical design work of information scientists is not science at all but rather engineering; retrieval system designers are people who try to make new things that work, as other engineers do. Addition of the word technology to the name of the Society is a big step toward recognizing this aspect of its work, and a great improvement, even though still likely to be misunderstood to mean only a concern with machinery, specifically with computers. Still, I like it. But I'm no engineer myself, and you might wonder what I think I've been doing all this time, other than pointing out to others that they are actually engineers.
I think of much of my work as related to information system design in the way the study of the properties of materials, materials science, is related to traditional branches of engineering. The structural engineer designing a bridge is very interested in the strength of materials, for the aim is to build something that won't fall down. Our materials are as different as possible from steel and concrete, and they are materials our systems are meant to store and deliver, not materials the systems are literally constructed from. Still, a system's success or failure is going to depend on the properties of the materials in the system as well as on the virtuosity of the system designers. Our version of materials science has to study problems in the description of content in terms of subject matter and form and function and relevance and utility to find out what can be done easily and what can't be done easily or at all. And there is even an analogue in our field to the strength of materials that plays such a big role in older branches of engineering. One of the most important properties I'm interested in when I'm looking for arguments or evidence or proofs or persuasive cases is strength and the ability to bear a lot of weight. Weak arguments are no good, evidence full of cracks and holes is dangerous to rely on you get the idea.
Now I claim that these are properties of a lot of the materials we deal with as information scientists: arguments, descriptions, proofs, evidence, are highly interesting from the point of view of the performance capabilities of retrieval systems. Concern with these things led me to explore cognitive authority, for it turns out that we mostly have to estimate the strength of an intellectual product from what we know about the producer. Study of the properties of the materials we are interested in leads directly into social epistemology, the social study of knowledge production and use. That should not be a big surprise; the materials we deal with are intellectual products, and it can hardly be news that such things reflect their social origins.
Strength is only one of these irreducibly social properties of our materials. There are plenty of others. Take stability, for instance. We used to take the stability of textual objects for granted, but in the online world we can no longer take stability for granted; stability becomes problematic. But stability of textual objects is not the only kind of stability that makes a difference to us: conceptual stability is another, and at the top of my list of things to do next was the problem of rapid conceptual change. Conceptual change has huge consequences for those attempting to organize knowledge for retrieval and use. Conceptual frameworks get outdated, relevance relations change unpredictably, things fall apart. So conceptual instability is a major problem for the information systems designer, as it is for the practical information professionals, much of whose time may have to be spent simply keeping up with the changing shape of the intellectual environments which they feel a responsibility to monitor.
Finally, when you see that you have to study knowledge production in order to understand the products, you are almost inevitably led on to ask about the extent to which knowledge is actually embodied in textual products and to pin down the actual roles of textual objects in the immense social process of the production, distribution and utilization of knowledge or information. You become just as interested in seeing where they fail to play a role or are easily avoided as where they are useful and necessary. So for me information science and technology has been a fascinating combination of engineering, an odd kind of materials science and social epistemology. Social epistemology with a focus on textual objects and with an eye on the actual and possible roles of information systems is a productive approach to our field. There is a huge and rich supply of real problems out there still awaiting exploration, of real importance and endless fascination, and I urge others to take them on.
Patrick Wilson is professor emeritus in the School of Information Management and Systems, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720. He can be reached by e-mail at email@example.com
Copyright © 2001, American Society for Information Science and Technology


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California Department of Transportation
Date: August 11, 2011
District: District 9
Contact: Florene Trainor
Phone: 760-872-0603
$2.2 Billion in New Funding Allocated to Transportation Projects to help drive State's Economic Growth
BISHOP – Continuing the push to rebuild California's infrastructure and spur job growth, the California Transportation Commission (CTC) has allocated $2.2 billion in new funding to 146 highway, transit, and rail projects statewide.
The funding included $863 million from Proposition 1B, a 2006 voter-approved transportation bond. To date, the state has allocated more than $9 billion in Proposition 1B funds.
"We are putting transportation dollars to work creating jobs and making transportation improvements that will benefit Californians now and for decades to come," said Acting Caltrans Director Malcolm Dougherty.
Highlights of the funding allocations include:
Inyo County - $111,000 for roadway improvements on Sneden Street, Bishop, Ca. This allocation is to repave over 2,000 linear feet of roadway with asphalt concrete, improve drainage facilities, and provide improved facilities for pedestrians and public transportation.
Inyo County - $100,000 to resurface 2.2 miles of pavement, extend pavement life, and improve safety in the town of Independence.
Mono County - $203,000 for the Airport Access Road in Mammoth Lakes. The outcome will be to provide better traffic circulation and emergency access to the airport to handle the higher traffic volume created by new commercial air service.
Mono County - $223,000 for Street rehabilitation in the Lee Vining community. This allocation is to rehabilitate and extend the pavement life of 1.6 miles of deteriorated roadway and provide continuous pedestrian facilities.
Mono County - $130,000 for Street rehabilitation in Bridgeport. Rehabilitate and extend the useful life of three miles of deteriorated roadway and provide continuous pedestrian facilities.
For information about all projects that received allocations please see: http://www.dot.ca.gov/docs/ctcprojectallocationsaugust2011.pdf
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Don't Let Your Reputation—or Your Wallet—Fall Prey to Scam Complaint SitePosted in Breaking News, Social Media, by Stacey Moncrieff on January 10, 2013
A Web site of suspicious origin is misusing the REALTOR® trademark in what seems to be an attempt to get money from real estate practitioners.
The site, Realtor-complaints.com, supposedly publishes consumer complaints about real estate agents. However, an investigation by the New Jersey association of REALTORS® showed a string of complaints against its members, all using similar phrasing. "This leads to suspicion that these are not all public-submitted complaints," says Lauren Castellano, director of communications for the New Jersey Association of REALTORS®.
Not only that, when agents who have been the subject of a complaint attempt to make contact, the site offers them the "opportunity" to pay to have the complaint and their name removed from the site, says Michael Thiel, an attorney for the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®. NAR legal staff checked the WHOIS record for the site and discovered it's hosted on servers located in the Seychelles. "It's recorded as having been initially registered on Jan. 1, 2013," Thiel says, "which makes the site's claim of having been around since 2002 very suspect."
Thiel's office has received a number of calls from members who've been informed, via e-mail, that their name is listed at the site. NAR attorneys are investigating and, if necessary, will take steps to have the site shut down. [Jan. 23 Update: Wendy Legerton below asks why NAR isn't taking more aggressive action. In response, NAR Associate General Counsel Ralph Holmen offers this: "This site does not have authority to use the term REALTOR®, and NAR has taken action to stop them from using it. That action does not (yet) involve litigation, but the possibility of initiating suit remains if our efforts are not successful."] But it's important to approach with caution any service that claims to either track or burnish your reputation. Online reputation management—and reputation trashing—is a growing enterprise, and there are simple steps you can take to manage your own reputation online:
- Make sure all of your profiles (on social media sites, at REALTOR.com, and so on) are complete, up to date, and consistent.
- Be proactive in asking customers for reviews in legitimate forums, such as Yelp and LinkedIn.
- Search Google and Yahoo for your name and your company's name. Save each search as a browser favorite and check them daily.
- Sign up for Google Alerts so that you're notified when your name appears in a search. Also set up alerts for variations of your name, your company name, and other keywords.
- Ask your customers where they've gone to search for information about real estate and other professionals.
- Correct errors quickly. Immediately contact the Web site and be willing to prove your case with information from your MLS or other sources. But don't be tempted to pay to have information removed. "It's hard to imagine a legitimate site requiring you to pay to take down false information," Thiel says.
Stacey Moncrieff
Stacey is vice president of business-to-business communications for the National Association of REALTORS®, overseeing the association's key communications with NAR members and REALTOR® association executives.
Related Posts
Kate koplinka
Thank you for letting us this information and REALTORS(R) are thankful for protecting our brand.
Thank you Stacey. Good tips to manage the online reputation.
It's always a tricky road to get yourself known as wide as possible and still be safe with so much information about oneself online.
And this is a more targeted scam compared to the long row of others, like the BBB scam mails about customer complaints or the "government" mails that my license is revoked, up to the "bank, paypal, credit card" mails bout the account being limited, closed, in danger, misused etc.
I understand that vulnerable people (like elderly) can fall for many scams, but an agent should be savvy enough to detect most of them easily.
And that you can "pay" to get a complaint against you nullified like in this case, should switch all "red lights" on.
Although, as soon as this becomes real, let me know asap (SMILE)
Alan Hall
The Scam Compaint Site continues to be up and running.
I found out this morning that I am a victim of this website! I was horrified! I hope that NAR can get to the bottom of it and that this website will be taken down. I would hate to see other real estate professionals become a victim of their vicious lies and accusations! It is so hurtful and to not be able to respond without paying a huge fee….makes me one angry agent! Go Get Them!
I received an email 2 day's ago from a person wanting me to list their home, however she wanted me to send her some referrals since she found a negative report about me on a web site and she sent me the link. I followed the link and sure enough – there it was and yes, all I had to do was pay $99 to have the comment and my name removed. I knew right then I was being scammed. If you click on the link today the web site can't be found – realtorcomplaints.com
Della Wallace
I got one of these a week ago. I contacted the Attorney General's office and my local board.
What is NAR doing to have this site taken down? I have looked through the "grading" system for local agents and it appears everyone has a D or F. It's obvious it is nothing more than a scam.
I was targeted by this exact scam just last week. Luckily, I was suspicious enough of the e-mail (though it seemed legit on first read) to check it out without clicking on the link provided. I called my designated broker about it and he reported it to SKCAR (Seattle King County Assn of Realtors). I've been signed up with Google Alerts for a couple of years and it did not give me any indication this bogus complaint was out there. Such a shame that we have to be on our guard for this kind of attempted extortion.
I Do not think I would use YELP… they offer to remove bad posts for $$… and offer to raise your rating with your membership $$
Use your realtor.com socio bios, your own website, linked in
this is second hand information, but from a reliable source.
Thanks Stacey fo rwatching out for all of us.
I got one of these emails and was shocked to see the "complaint" on their website which I knew was blatantly false. I looked through other complaints of agents in my market and there were many "complaints" against licensees who aren't even practicing salespeople. Then I noticed that many of the "complaints" had the exact same wording for different agents. This is so bogus and I hope that NAR is successful in getting them shut down. I work hard to keep up my reputation, both online and offline and it's frustrating that this is out there.
Thanks so much for letting fellow Realtors know about this scam. It happened to me recently and it certainly left me feeling completely not in control of my business. I immediately talked to my local and state association. They went right to work on getting to the bottom of this. Thanks HAR, MAR and NAR for getting the word out.
Thank you Leslie,
We Realtors are very fortunate to have such Tenaious Watchdogs looking after and protecting us from these less than scrupulous idiots trying to bring harm to Professionals and our Industry.
Brenda Lutes
I received the email from 'Sara Williams' whose unmasked email was firstname.lastname@example.com. When I looked up esystems online, I got a login screen for interspire email marketer. What a disgusting way to do business-trash reputations and trick people into providing email addresses in an attempt to rectify the trashing.
Bruce Maxson
Wow, just got an email from this site 2 days ago! They had my email and Broker's address! However from the wording of the complaint, I knew they were lying! I was extremely pissed! I tried to track and complain but to no avail! NAR… PLEASE take them down. Lawsuit for defamation! As a professional I will NOT write the words here that I have for these type of people. Track them. It is not that hard. WhoIs, PayPal! Give me a minute with them in a room with a baseball bat, haha! Biooooootchs!!
Bruce Maxson
Brandi, Realtor-Complaints.com is still up as of; 9:58pm 1/16/2013
Wendy Legerton
I guess I am confused as to why NAR did not file suit right away for illegal use of "Realtor". Do they have NAR permission to use Realtor. That right there should be reason. In addition, on the site itself, they state they talk to many "we are visited by over THREE MILLION people every month! We are by far the most popular and most trusted Realtor review website online since 2002." And we know this is not true. AND they have a tab to contact NAR, so why isn't NAR being a bit more aggressive?
NeighborCity.com / NeighborhoodCity.com is another real estate review website that continues to post negative stuff about me, though I have asked them repeatedly to take it down. They told me to respond to the comments, or pay up. Unfortunately, negative stuff sells, even if it's untrue. You can't believe everything that's posted on the internet, and there's not enough time in the day to check every website. It's just sad what this world is coming to, when you are in public service.
I had the same thing happen to me last week. My broker told me to change my email password as hackers amy be able to get into my email after clicking on link! Better safe than sorry! They need to shut this down!!!!!
The site is pretty weak looking but the ReMax ads give it a slight level of legitimacy. Perhaps ReMax should pursue this as well . . .
I had something similar happen to me except I received an email from the better business b this past year stating that a customer had filed a complaint against me and that I needed to "click a link" to open the report and to respond to it. I contacted the better business B and confirmed it was spam. It's my thought that if I was to click the link that I would have downloaded a virus to my computer.
Chris Nyman Weller
For those of you who are wondering "Where the hell is Seychelles?"… (I was) It's a tiny island in the Indian Ocean, off the east coast of Africa.
I, too, fell prey to this scam. They give you a chance to respond to the allegation but it is written by an "anonymous" accuser. I would never respond to an anonymous statement! If you don't immediately realize it is a scam,you are crushed. We work very hard to establish and maintain stellar reputations and something like this knocks the wind out of you! I was relieved and greatful to hear that it was not real.
Chris C.
The comment posted about me was a total fabricated lie. I tried to contact someone at Realtor-Complaint.com and they have no phone number. This is BLACKMAIL. You have to pay $99 to remove the comment from their website. I am now told by a google representative that this is a permanent record that cannot be erased. My name is now tarnished forever unless I spend $$$$ to correct. What BS!
This is a fairly common problem and one which the NAR and most US -based lawyers are clueless at what to do. It is common with businesses too. There are a number of them (rip-off repor/ pissed off consumer, etc) and the typical price to remove a known business from the list is around $25,000. I'm sure that this site is not so aggressive as it is dealing with indivduals. The cost of legal action from the US makes it prohibitively expensive to get these guys who all operate an off-shore server, but may themselves be US residents and usually are.
Best to ignore the complaint and if clients bring it up explain the issue to them that it is nothing more than extortion. These things will come up and one should not be surprised by them in this day and age. Just be prepared.
http://www.realtor-complaints.com has targeted me specifically by putting my name on the bottom of their footer on all their webpages – my name links to my fake complaint. I suppose they are firing back for my posts on Trulia and Zillow to warn Realtors out there about this extortion scheme. http://www.trulia.com/blog/BeachBrokerBill/2013/01/www_realtor_complaints_com_is_out_of_control_calling_on_nar_and_re_max_to_shut_them_down
I have now contacted Paypal to try to get their method of payment cut off. I am also pursuing discussions with NAR to better understand what they are doing to protect the Realtor trademark, the images on the http://www.realtor.org website, and its members. And lastly, I am in contact with an attorney who is also getting sucked into this mess.
I got 2 emails today from the http://www.realtor-complaints.com folks and one text. They must really like me!
When I received their scam email, I did some online research and found a site called Scambook.com that gave me the lowdown as posted by a couple of Realtors who had already researched it. But I filled out their comment form anyway, just to see what would happen. So far, nothing. The dead give away was the fact that I work in PA, yet Realtor-complaints.com had me listed as Union County, NJ. And I've never worked in Jersey. Not only that, they listed my agency as one I started with 8 years ago. So their data base isn't exactly up-to-date.
As of today, January 23, 2013, at 4:20 PM Pacific Standard Time, this is what the home page of the realtor-complaints.com website states: "ATTENTION VISITORS:
This website has been privately sold and is currently being held in escrow via http://www.Escrow.com. Be sure to bookmark this page and return on May 1st 2013 for the NEW & IMPROVED version of Realtor-Complaints.com".
Unfortunately, the search feature for names of realtors is still functional.
Whatever you're doing, NAR, it's not working!
Colleen Badagliacco
I googled myself and see that the realtor-complaints site came up under my name!
I have NO complaints, am an NAR Director, etc. When I went to the site I could not find the post that had mentioned my name. I have just read that the site has been taken down,but that does not seem to be the case. How do I connect with someone who can help with this? ( if possible!)
Frank Livingstone
If there's any correlation that I have discovered regarding real estate agents and poor service is the following.
If a realtor has hedged their entire career on a horrible and cheap $ 12 domain name. Assume their service is going to be as bad.
If you were not aware, you may want to know realtor-complaints.com is not the only site doing this. Another has popped up at http://www.agent-ratings.com When you search for an agent by city the first 4-5 come up with good reviews to make it appear legitimate but if you continue searching agents by city, the rest come up with negative comments and an "F" rating. I emailed the web site (in Panama) and asked them to produce proof that people I have actually worked with submitted reviews and I also demanded they remove my profile from their site. I followed up by contacting Texas Association of Realtors (TAR) and reported it to the legal hotline who said they also would take action and forward the info to NAR. I would suggest everyone who reads this go and do a search on agent-ratings.com to see if a profile has been set up for you and if so, you may want to contact your state association of Realtors. This is nothing short of extortion and maybe it is time for the FEDs to get involved.


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Jessica Nath
News Fellow
Jess is from Elizabeth Borough, PA and is a junior at Duquesne University with a double major in journalism and public relations. She was named as a fellow in the WESA newsroom in May 2013.
Her career goal is to work as a foreign news correspondent "hopefully in radio."
Fun fact: "Would love to travel internationally...starting in South Africa."