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I am a new resident to Northeast Florida. I recently bought a house where the former owner had apparently transplanted a wild banana tree from the woods near my home to my front yard. Then my family first moved in (MARCH) the Banana Tree looked like a shriveled brown fern stump. I argued with my wife on whether or not to pull it up. Since March, the tree has really taken off. It now stands over 8 ft tall and produces a new 1 ˝ ' X 3 ˝ ' leaf every 2-3 days. My wife and I both are quite proud of it even though we deserve none of the credit for its vigor. I have a few questions. 1. Should I be concerned with such rapid growth? Will it die as quickly as it grows? 2. I have been told that banana trees die soon after they produce fruit. Is this true??? If so how can keep it from fruiting, because I am really digging the shade this beautiful tree is providing? 3. Lots of sprouts are beginning at the base. These sprouts are becoming pretty fast growing trees too. Can I easily transplant these small trees to other parts of my yard without damaging the original plant? 4. I have found where the former owner of my property got the original wild tree. There is quite a prolific grove of banana trees there. Would it be easy to duplicate the former resident's transplant? I look forward to your responses. |
Follow-Up Postings:
- Posted by pitangadiego San Diego, CA (My Page) on Tue, Aug 14, 07 at 22:36
1. No. 2. Yes, it will die, and no, you cannot stop it. 3. Yes. 3. Yes. |
I guess it is obvious that I am not a native of Florida. My Neighbors say that while Banana Trees cast good shade that they are not generally used that way. One neighbor says that they are best as ornamental plants. He said that the fruit is not even that great. I have also come to understand that my Banana Trees will die back some in the winter months. 1. If the Main Tree dies soon after it fruits will at least the sprouts become as tall and full as the original plant? 2. How long does it usually take before a banana tree fruits? 3. Should I proactively trim back the tree before the onset of winter to preserve the plants energy in the roots? |
- Posted by pitangadiego San Diego, CA (My Page) on Wed, Aug 15, 07 at 23:56
1. Yes. 2. in San Diego, 2 to 2-1/2 years. 3. No. Never remove anything that is green. |
This thing about Banana dying after they fruit. I'd like to know more please ... Does the rhizome itself die? Or just the cane? Having the cane die away isn't such a bad deal. We just had a very hard freeze this last January and most Banana around town, here in BKF, looked hopeless. But those same plants today are 7 to 10+ feet tall and as vibrant as ever after having the dead canes cut away. |
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DosNotDead Tube is a Free YouTube™ player with hand-picked retro gaming videos. The list of videos updates regularly. You can view a video either by introducing its specific link or by searching its name in a given list. The games are ordered alphabetically- you pick a letter and then you click on the game from the displayed list.
Based on technology from the multi-award-winning Microphone Modeler plug-in, Tube is incredibly easy to use and so DSP efficient that even a modest native system will support dozens of tracks' worth. In addition to the tube models, Tube includes a unique OmniTube function. Without OmniTube engaged, Tube functions exactly like a tube preamp.
Shell-and-Tube Heat Exchanger- is a user friendly program which for a given heat exchanger initial conditions and geometry predicts outlet temperatures of both shell-side and tube-side fluids
The file that is being downloaded can be stopped, resumed or can be removed from the entry. The Add to Bookmark option allows us to bookmark You Tube video and FLV file in disk. One of most striking feature of this application is that, it enables us to watch many video clips simultaneously.
3D Galaxy Journey Screensaver brings the wonders of the Universe to your screen. You will be transported to the far away limits of the universe to visit the stellar objects that reside there. You will see different kinds of planets, stars, asteroids and even complete galaxies of different shapes, sometimes twirling around, others just shining tremendously.
Download videos and convert them to any format you desire. Download music tracks from any video and save them as mp3. Download videos from ANY tube site (yes, including adult sites!) . This version is fully functionable and allows you to download unlimited number of videos from all tube websites!
CnD is a software that is made to demonstrate thermal analysis and design calculations required for designing shell and tube condensers. This software can design, horizontal shell side condensers, horizontal tube side condensers, vertical shell side condensers, vertical tube side condensers and reflux condensers.
The TubeThumper YouTube Video Views Increaser will increase your YouTube Video Views and Channel Views. The software will aid in increasing your traffic and popularity of your videos through higher view count and You Tube and Google search rankings. Boost your You Tube Views to get more potential comments, honors, channel subscriptions and direct traffic to your website.
Tube Increaser is the #1 software for increasing YouTube video views! There is no need for long and frustrating hours of promoting your videos. Get famous by increasing your video views! The opportunities are endless! Increase your views and get more comments, honors, subscriptions AND much more!!
Today the computer stores a lot of important files, like documents, pictures and videos. These files have often an idealistic and commercial value. You can lose these files, if you are irretrievably delete it or the hard drive crashed. It will be better to create a backup with abylon BACKUP-TUBE to save an exact copy of files and directories.
"Mpeg/Mov/RMVB/DivX/AVI to DVD/VCD/SVCD Converter Pro" is easy to use and powerful for experts as well. It enables you to convert and burn any video file directly to VCD, DVD, SVCD, MPEG1 and MPEG2 format
Icy Tower is an arcade game where you will test your skills and reflexes. You goal is to climb to the top of a seemingly endless tower by jumping on icy platforms. The thing to remember is that your movement speed will influence the height of your jumps. Furthermore, you shouldn't forget that you are on slippery terrain so your character won't be able to stop exactly when you command it too.
Get inspired using sample videos. For download and use with Nero Vision only. Enhance photo and video slideshows, movies and disc menus with sophisticated backgrounds, clever transitions, intros, end credits and even audio-tracks with a variety of free ThemePacks for editing and authoring with a professional-style finish.
Max Payne is an action game in the third person with 3D environment and developed for PCs by Remedy Entertainment, produced by 3D Realms and published by Gathering of Developers The development of the gameplay is through levels or stages, with cinematic sequences interruptions in which the player does not intervene and just watches the action.
In addition to social sites, MyStart Toolbar offer great entertainment features such as WebTV, online games, shopping, coupons, and more apps from the MyStart Apps collection. Also, MyStart Toolbar allows users to navigate the Web safely by protecting them from "phishing sites" (copycats of legitimate sites that steal your personal info) or "malware sites" designed to harm your computer.
Golden Videos is a video capture tool for VHS tapes. If you can connect your aging VHS player to your computer, you can use this application to create digital copies of your VHS tapes. Golden Videos detects video capture devices installed on your system and it allows you to choose one of them to record your videos from.
Sopcast Toolbar is a great search engine that allows you to watch live channels. Also, with this toolbar you can watch videos on You Tube, Spike, Meta Cafe, Yahoo TV and more. You can choose to play games, such as: Chess, Insectia, Building Blocks, etc.
Free Videos To DVD is a video converter software to convert and burn your videos to DVD. Create your menu in just a few clicks, backup your videos to DVD playable on any home DVD player in just a few clicks and for FREE. Free Videos To DVD supports most popular formats like avi, divx, xvid, mpeg, mp4, vob, wmv, mts, m2ts, flv.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Test and Measurements |
Toolup.com carries a wide array of test and measurement tools and equipment. Here you can shop for circuit tracers, clamp meters, electrical testers, fiber optics, light meters. line locators, MegaOhmMeters, multimeter accessories, multimeters, phase testers, pressure gauge, stud finders, telecom, terature testers, thermal imaging, voltage ticks and fork meters. Choose from brands such as Bosch, Calculated Industries, Fluke, Greenlee, Ideal, Klein Milwaukee, Sperry and Zircon.


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The Maryland Humanities Council (MHC) joins the call for a renewed commitment to the humanities outlined in the national report, The Heart of the Matter: The Humanities and Social Sciences for a Vibrant, Competitive, and Secure Nation. The report was commissioned by a bipartisan group of legislators – Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-TN), Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA), Rep. Tom Petri (R-WI), and Rep. David Price (D-NC) – and prepared by the American Academy of Arts & Sciences (AAAS) Commission on the Humanities and Social Sciences.
Marylanders are invited to share their thoughts on our Facebook page or share their response via email.
Watch Commission member John Lithgow, actor and author, speaking at the University of Maryland's Worldwise Arts & Humanities Dean's Lecture Series.
The report argues that reinvigorating the humanities is essential to achieving three vital national goals:
The humanities promote these goals by cultivating critical reasoning, empathy, creativity, curiosity, flexibility, and knowledge of history, civics, languages, and other cultures, among others. Click here to read our latest press release about the report.


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Westcott, Woodward Repeat As First-Team All-Americans
June 17, 2014
Claremont, Calif. - Juniors Sarah Westcott and Alyssa Woodward earned first-team All-America honors from the Association of Collegiate Water Polo Coaches, while Alex Rodriguez was named the Division III Coach of the Year, it was announced today.
[read more]
Sagehens Come Up Just Short In NCAA Play-In
May 3, 2014
La Jolla, Calif. - The Pomona-Pitzer Women's Water Polo team kept it close with No. 13 UC San Diego throughout, but the Tritons pulled away in the fourth quarter for a 13-9 win in an NCAA Play-In game on Saturday afternoon.
[read more]
Westcott, Woodward Named First-Team All-SCIAC
April 30, 2014
Claremont, Calif. - Juniors Sarah Westcott and Alyssa Woodward were named first-team All-SCIAC in a vote of the league's coaches, it was announced today by the conference office.
[read more]
Walecka Named SCIAC Female Athlete Of Week
April 29, 2014
Claremont, Calif. - Junior Sallie Walecka was named the SCIAC Female Athlete of the Week (all sports) for events through April 27, it was announced today by the league office.
[read more]
Sagehens Draw UC San Diego In NCAA Play-In Match
April 29, 2014
Claremont, Calif. - The SCIAC Champion Pomona-Pitzer Women's Water Polo team will travel to UC San Diego for an NCAA Play-In match on Saturday.
[read more]
WWP Wins SCIAC Championship
April 28, 2014
Video of the final seconds of the Women's Water Polo team's SCIAC Championship win and the postgame celebration.


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Contains the keyword Deserts--Fiction
My colors, my world = Mis colores, mi mundo. San Francisco, Calif.: Children's Book Press; 2007.
English and Spanish on facing pages; Pura Belpré Honor Book
Toning the sweep (Y). New York: Scholastic, Inc.; 1994. Abstract
Lexile measure 760; ages 12-up; book level 4.7; realistic fiction
I'm in charge of celebrations. New York: Atheneum Books for Young Readers; 1986. Abstract
Lexile measure 700; Book level 3.9


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A Little Overclocking: Record Set for Phenom II under Linux
For real overclocking you need liquid nitrogen and helium. All you need to do in winter is open your window.
The Phenom II Z940 processor from AMD provides a maximum clock rate of 3 GHz out of the box. Now news from Slashdot.com reports that a group of overclockers has increased the rate to 6.5 GHz, an apparent new record. The trick was to get temperatures down to minus 232 degrees Celsius, close to absolute zero.
We didn't want to go to such extremes in our own testing, so we simply put the test system on the window sill at 5 degrees Celsius. We then did an overclocking, even though our mainboard was a bit old for the Phenom II.
The Asus M3A78-EM motherboard provides a few tuning possibilities, but the BIOS completely ignored the frequency multiplier setting. Instead we used one of the three available overclocking profiles for five, eight and 10 percent faster rates. We started the first test at 5%, but soon discovered to our surprise that /proc/cpuinfo showed a 3,000 MHz frequency even under load. The benchmark results then improved markedly.
As a control, we raised the Z940 to the maximum 3.3 GHz allowed by the overclocking profile and, alas, the benchmark results were even better. Power consumption was also higher, showing that the CPU was truly running at 3,000 MHz, even though it had little effect on the 64-bit openSUSE 11.1 kernel.
We then wanted to see how far we could go and raised the rate above the reference clock to 3.75 GHz. The result was a panic error from the openSUSE and Ubuntu 8.10 kernels and the CPU could no longer keep up. Running at 3.375 GHz was still OK for the Phenom II, but 3.5 and 3.6 GHz showed sporadic crashes. An even colder environment and better test technology might have pushed the Z940 a bit further.
A glance at the graph might prompt the reaction that the the Phenom II is eight times faster than the Atom. Not quite correct, because the graph shows only a single core. In actuality, the AMD CPU can convert four .wav files with a factor of 38 into Ogg Vorbis format, working at about double clock rate with a resulting factor of 30 faster than the Atom N270.
Naturally we also started a short test on the i7 system. Needless to say the AMD clearly beat the equally clocked quad processor from Intel. The i7 (without overclocking) reached a factor of 33. Our Ffmpeg benchmark, however, proved the Intel ahead by a nose because of its hyperthreading support, and the AMD CPU had to be clocked at about 3.8 GHz to achieve the same results.
No, I did not increase voltage yet, as the CPU is supposed to work for a longer time Actually the cooler we used is not designed for real overclocking, the Phenom II has much more to give, we know.
But perhaps you can post your settings, so other readers can test them as well. -
Voltage ?
Have you increased the voltage while OC ? I have the same processor and I could bum it to 3.8 with a little bump in voltage.. once can achieve 4ghz + @ increased voltage and with the help of a better cooler and cooling solution.. No Nitrogen and Helium needed
Issue 172/2015
Buy this issue as a PDF
Cisco Releases Annual Security Report
Spammers go low-volume, and 90% of IE browsers are unpatched.
Zero Day Exploits Target Flash
Adobe scrambles to release patches for vulnerable Flash Player.
Intel Unveils Compute Stick
Four-inch-long computer on a stick lets you boot a full Linux system from any HDMI display device.
Obama Proposes Personal Data Notification Law
New statute would require companies to report break-ins to consumers.
TGXf Project Warns of File Transfer through Screen Pixels
Weird data transfer technique avoids all standard security measures.
Industry Giants Announce a Fix for the Password Mess
FIDO alliance declares the beginning of the end for old-style login authentication.
Poll: Vote for the Best Open Source Software for Photographers
The Linux New Media Awards have honored the most significant products, projects, people, and organizations for open source/Linux every year since 2000.
Debian Gets Forked
Legendary Uber-distro splits over the systemd controversy.
Linux Mint Project Releases Mint 17.1
New LTS version offers many refinements for the Cinnamon and Mate desktops and significant improvement under the hood.
CeBIT Open Source Forum Call for Papers
One of CeBIT's most successful forums returns in 2015.


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The stand-up comic-actor, a part of the Sept. 1-2 A.C. Comedy Festival at Tropicana, on his new book, the Presidential election and the state of America.
When Bill Maher was asked to name the best guest he's ever had on either of his shows — Real Time With Bill Maher or Politically Incorrect — it didn't take the provocateur long to name D.L. Hughley.
"I've had a myriad of guests but D.L. is great," says Maher. "He's smart, funny and prepared."
That's why Hughley's live shows are so entertaining. The underheralded comic-actor, who will return to the East Coast for the Atlantic City Comedy Festival, is engaging, humorous and, perhaps best of all, unpredictable. You never know what type of unsparing political or social commentary Hughley will deliver when he hits the stage.
Hughley is ready to crack wise about the upcoming Presidential election.
"I noticed that they announced the [Mitt] Romney-[Paul] Ryan ticket while on a battleship in Virginia," says Hughley. "It's funny that the Republicans like to make their big announcements on battleships. Their last announcement [when President Bush declared 'mission accomplished' in 2003] on a battleship worked out really well. That was a little premature regarding the end of the Iraq war. This coming election is going to be very interesting since we have two contrasting visions."
The eloquent Hughley loves to get political and he does just that with his first book, I Want You to Shut the F#ck Up: How The Audacity of Dopes is Ruining America, which hit shelves three weeks ago.
Hughley, 49, offers both funny and serious views of how American culture is circling the drain. "We're like Rome when it was falling, but with Twitter," Hughley cracks. "We're like children who don't want to hear anything negative and our leaders are so distant and bellicose."
What makes the book so compelling is that Hughley has such an original voice.
"I'm my own person," Hughley tells Atlantic City Weekly. "But I have to say I had more fun than I ever thought I would have with the book. It was not like stand-up is for me. It's not a natural thing for me. I never had so much fun being uncomfortable."
The charismatic entertainer has experience dealing with uncomfortable environments. Hughley grew up on the hardscrabble streets of South-Central Los Angeles. He was part of the gang culture but somehow survived, worked as a sales rep at the Los Angeles Times while raising three young children and made a name for himself as a stand-up comic-actor.
One of the four comics featured in the Spike Lee film, The Original Kings of Comedy, Hughley has routinely done the right thing.
He was the star of the long-running ABC/UPN sitcom The Hughleys. He was also part of a pair of short-lived gems, co-starring in the exceptional Aaron Sorkin penned NBC series Studio 60 on The Sunset Strip and hosting CNN's D.L. Hughley Breaks The News.
Hughley has also been married to LaDonna Hughley for 26 years.
"You do what you have to do," Hughley says. "You do what's important. It's not all about being the biggest star."
That's evident as Hughley flies back to California to be with his wife and three grown children after his gigs.
"I have to go back since when I'm away, particularly on the East Coast, it drains my battery," Hughley says. "I need to go back."
You never know what Hughley, who has hosted a New York radio show and fills in for Meredith Vieira as host of the syndicated game show Who Wants To Be A Millionaire, will do next.
"I trust my swing," Hughley says. "I trust it like a golfer. I'm open. I think I've made some interesting choices. I'm always up for a challenge."
Plus, Stockton College's Two Fall Art Exhibitions, Garden Pier Re-Opens with a twist, and Drew Toonz.
When comedian and left-leaning political pundit Bill Maher brings his stand-up act to Caesars Atlantic City this weekend, his primary goal will be to make an audience of about 1,500 people laugh for 90 minutes.
"I'm just the way I am," Maher says. "It's not like I'm trying to be a certain way. I have a viewpoint and it's comedic. Regarding Religulous, I wanted to make a documentary that's funny. I wanted people who go to the multiplex say, 'What's the alternative to the new Owen Wilson film? What else here is funny?' I wanted to make a documentary that's enlightening and amusing."
"Last year was great, and from what I'm hearing the numbers we're doing now are even better this year," says Sommore, a New Jersey native who will open the festival Saturday (8pm) followed by Bruce Bruce, Arnez J, Tony Rock and Damon Williams.
The A.C. Comedy Festival is getting off to an impressive start with Friday's lineup of Mike Epps, EarthQuake, George Willborn, Don "DC" Curry and Mario Tory. Saturday's lineup features top comics Sommore, Bruce Bruce, D.L. Hughley, Gary Owen and TuRae.
By Lori Hoffman and Jeff Schwachter PHILLY FAVORITES DAVID Brenner and Dom Irrera will tie their fans in knots with laughter when they team up at Tropicana July 16 and 17. Although neither has lived in the city for a while, their comedy is an extension of their Philly roots. The two stand-up giants checked in from the road. AC Weekly: You are now a true legend of comedy. Other comics put on their credits that they've appeared with you. Dom Irrera: That I'm somebody's credit, that's nice. I don't know when it happened; first I was a young comedian, now I'm a legend. I think Rodney Dangerfield's a legend (Dangerfield gave Irrera his first big break on his HBO comedy specials). I'm a good comic ... make that a very good comic. ACW: Did you know David Brenner back in the Philly years? DI: Not really. I've worked with him before, yes. We worked together in Florida a couple years ago and had a lot of fun. I just think it's a good idea to have a Philly show. David and I are two of the only comedians out there that are in that [Philly] circle. It's neat because we have similar...
Borgata Winter Poker Open Jan 13-30
Happy Birthday Abby
The View From the Mayor's Desk
BH Media Group Acquires AC Weekly
The Snappiest Meat, The Happiest Drink
Grand Poker Series at Golden Nugget
Special Blend
Winter A&E Preview


text: The IRBV and the Biodiversity Centre have extensive laboratory facilities. Two well-equipped undergraduate teaching laboratories are reserved for the training and research needs of the next generation of scientists. Individual laboratories as well as research greenhouses are available for experimental research projects. Several highly-specialized, shared laboratories feature state-of-the-art technology and equipment.


text:
Un-sliced cake ready for any creative touch and serving possibilities.
Our thousand-layer spice cake stacks an amazing number of thin delicious layers all individually baked, resulting in a most unique blend of moist texture and decadent flavor. Euforia thousand-layer spice cake is made of simple, pure, and natural ingredients. Enjoy with your favorite tea, coffee, or even wine.
Eggs, butter, sugar, milk, fragrant spices/vanilla/lemon, salt, and citric acid (for lemon flavor only)


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Gin and Topics: It's Laura's Birthday and We're AlrightThe Spin Sucks Inquisition: Monica RodgersGin and Topics: The Brits Play Cards Against HumanityThe Spin Sucks Inquisition: Scott BaradellPR Writing: Seven AP Style Rules to KnowClient Service is in the DetailsBacklinks Matter: Take Control of ThemOffsite Content Marketing: Six Tactics to Reach New Audiences -
Is Blogging Dead or Are Companies Not Trying Hard Enough?
When I speak to CEO organizations, I typically run through a series of quick slides that show where technology is right at this moment.
For instance: There were 107 trillion emails sent last year, Facebook is at more than 900 million users, Pinterest is closing in on 15 million users, and there are three billion videos streamed on YouTube every day.
I do this to show how many people are using the web, to preempt the "My customer doesn't use the Internet" conversation (yes, I still hear that).
But the stat I want to talk about today is the number of blogs on the Internet. According to Technorati, there are 158 million blogs floating around, which is partly why I'm so surprised to keep reading that blogging is dead.
I get it. It's not an easy think to keep up. My guess is many people or companies say, "Let's start a blog!" and then do nothing with it after a month or two because it's so labor-intensive.
So, let's say for argument's sake, half of those blogs never see the light of day, either because they're abandoned or no one reads them because they're too self-promotional. That leaves us with 79 million blogs, which isn't a small number.
USA Today reported this morning that more companies are abandoning their blogs in favor of Facebook, Tumblr, and Twitter.
Add to that, the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth released a study earlier this year that says the percentage of companies that maintain blogs fell to 37% in 2011 from 50% in 2010, based on its survey of 500 fast-growing companies listed by Inc. magazine. Only 23% of Fortune 500 companies maintained a blog in 2011, flat from a year ago after rising for several years.
So, I see. Based on Wall Street and fast-growth companies, blogging is down, and now it's time to claim the whole blogosphere is dead.
Here's the thing, though. Those companies aren't blogging because it's hard. It's hard to generate good content even once a week. It's hard to cultivate a community. It's hard to grow traffic. It's a thankless job most days. So people throw something up there that talks about how great the company is, if only to check off "blog today" from their check list.
And the blog fails.
Hubspot recently took a look at how blogging affects leads. They found, for companies that do blog, their monthly leads increased by 67% (for B2B) and 88% (for B2C). The survey goes on to show that updating it just once a week increases your leads by 77%.
So, here I sit in front of my pretty pink MacBook Air, wondering why more companies aren't blogging. Yes, I know it's hard. I know it's time-intensive. I know you don't have immediate gratification. I know you can't think of anything of value to write. I know no one comments and you don't see a spike in traffic.
I promise you all of that changes if you're consistent, you provide good content, and you don't sell.
Wouldn't you rather do blogging the right way and generate leads than sit on the phone and make cold calls all day?
About Gini Dietrich
Gini Dietrich is the founder and CEO of Arment Dietrich, an integrated marketing communications firm. She is the author of Spin Sucks, co-author of Marketing in the Round, and co-host of Inside PR. She also is the lead blogger at Spin Sucks and is the founder of Spin Sucks Pro.
There's no way to say blogging is dead. Do agree with you Gini. It is not that you have contents on your blog even if everyday you have updated it. It doesn't end there. There are many things to consider before you get results with your blog. As they say content is King. Yes it is, as long as you produce quality contents, useful coupled with right practices - BLogging will surely bring wonders to you.
I agree with you that blogging is not dead. Yes it is labor intensive, but it does pay all. Not everyone uses Facebook or Twitter in business. I think it is harder to attract users to your site if you are business and you use Facebook. Corporate clients will read a blog before going to Facebook. Facebook is more interactive to one's personal posts.
@thomasoutt Beverly Sills said "There is no shortcut to success." That still applies, even to blogging. Blogging seems so easy, but it is a lot of work. Therein lies the rub.
Blogging isn't easy it also require time and planning like you have to do for a business.
RT @Soulati Is Blogging Dead or Are Companies Not Trying Hard Enough? http://t.co/JIPOavlR via @ginidietrich
"It's hard to generate good content even once a week" yet gurus teach to blog once or more a day everyday, probably because they want to kill the competition. Btw adding to that numbers the blogs opened everywhere in the world just to make money (which they don't) explains first why there are so many and second why so many close. So it's not always bad that many blogs close their doors.
Then for the theory that blogging is dead could be just a move to push FB, Twitter or Tumblr or where most of those "make money blogging" guys have moved. Or it's just sensationalism. ;)
Latest blog post: Use the Real Mediterranean Diet for a Healthy Weight
Great and timely post. After re-branding my company, I have started blogging over the last two months. I am definitely trying to put up great content and not sell. Mainly using a "case study" approach and providing food for thought. And, you are correct, it is difficult to continuously post great content. Insurance is not a sexy topic, but I'm trying! :-) Thanks Gini!
I'm not as consistent about my blogging as I could be. But I would never eliminate it from my strategy. That sounds insane to me. Whenever someone says "I closed my blog and I'm relying on Facebook, and Twitter instead." I hear "I closed my own store and hope that Walmart and Amazon will move my product and services for me."
Nice post @ginidietrich ! Keeping content flowing is tough, but new tools and new tactics like curation are making it easier to stay relevant and informative, even on those occasions when ideas or time are running short. I think the bogosphere is definitely evolving with more migration to what you could call social blogging.
ROI is such a lovely word. But sometimes, quite deceptive. Especially when it's used as a platitude. [grin]
I have observed that the ROI of traditional paid advertising and marketing campaigns can be equally (or more) difficult to prove than paid and earned online campaigns. Sometimes, it depends on the business or industry. Sometimes, location or region.
There are ten thousand platitudes and then there are results.
There's no better bon mot than, I have seen with my own eyes. I'm sure you have too.
My favorite anecdote is 100s of millions of dollars spent on tv advertising with a global, super agency, glowing polls, surveys and imaginary that gush about the ROI, and then a five year industry member conclusion that sales had not increased one cent for all that spend.
Mission, situation, market, budget, goals, short term results, and long term results - these are the plain-spoken terms that dictate strategy. Whether or not a blog fits into your strategy requires individual reflection. But I find it difficult to believe a blog can't deliver strategic, long term value to industry leaders.
Here's another view:
Spent a lot of this evening talking with someone on twitter on "mommy bloggers" after a local scandal (really bizarre stuff). I asked who actually reads these blogs, and the response was that it's mostly other bloggers trying to get themselves notices via comments so that people will visit them, etc. So the contention is that most blogging is nothing more than a sub-culture.
This makes sense to me, in large part because I never (and I do mean never) cross paths with any of the bloggers who talk about their personal lives (mommy or otherwise). People on the 'net who are "real" and are interested in, say, good conversation come from a very different place - and are much harder to find. Barataria has been around for 5 years and is now in a place where it has decent traffic - but is still soundly beaten by the online version of any newspaper, including the Bemidji Pioneer.
So if most blogging is just a sub-culture, it may well not be worth the time for most businesses. They'd have to break out of the usual BS and find their real customers and not the wannabee reality show contestants who think "blogging" is about their own narcissistic shortcomings.
Something to think about.
Blogging has to be done well to be effective, and that information is severely lacking. My gig (well, the best paying of the gigs I get) revolves around teaching people how to be as effective as possible with their time. My biggest problem is the deep and wide culture of mis-information about what blogging is all about and how to use social media. Most of my time is spent dispelling nonsense.
The problem is that a lot of charlatans have polluted the field and convinced people that the social media / blogging world is narcissistic crap that takes insane amounts of time. The people who have pushed this view are much louder than those of us who know what the Hell we are talking about - and tend to get the attention of legacy media such as teevee, etc.
If done properly, blogging should not take that much time and can, indeed, be farmed out pretty cheaply if necessary. It can and should be evaluated for its ROI, and my clients are all very happy on that score. But far too many people have been ripped off and have a bad attitude for a very good reason.
It crosses my mind that those companies should outsource their blogging to actual bloggers who know how to do it, and then run with the leads.
Mmmmm......blogging. An introverted extroverts dream. I would think the biggest issue corps would have is the almighty acronym.....ROI. Gasp! Guess that's the stats you cited. Ahem, 77% is more than a passing grade to me. I have no idea. I'm still just a spec on the wall of the big bad blog world. Scary stats tho.
@hollisthomases Couldn't agree more! And now if I can just focus on doing some posts of my own. LOL! Thanks for the RT!
Just my luck; just about the time I get the hang of this thing, that damn horse dies right out from under me.......I have a face for blogging though, so I hope it sticks around.
Where I have fallen woefully short is not supporting @LanierUpshaw's blog enough. You would think my tired ass could at least do one post a month, right? I keep telling myself I will do a better job, but it's kind of hard to support them when it's all about me, huh? I don't want them horning in on my popularity........sheeesh.........
One thing I have found through blogging is, I really do like to write. It has opened some doors for me to meet some incredibly talented people so that can only make me better I suppose.
I will not abandon Lanier's blog; going forward my commitment is to do at least one post a month. Of course, they might ask me to stop if the only thing I can write about is me so we'll have to see how that goes...........
Blogging is king, long live blogging..............
@rudee And...if Facebook dies, so does your community.
Latest blog post: Online Relationship Building and Offline Sales
@ThomasOutt Exactly! There is no overnight success. It all applies. Blogging IS a lot of work.
Latest blog post: RIP Google Reader: There are Other Options for You
@BSEindia Yes, it's definitely like a business. You have to have a vision and know what you're trying to achieve.
Latest blog post: Online Reputation Management: A How-to Guide
@CesLSU AND you're commenting, too! I'm so proud!!
Latest blog post: 10 Ways to Improve Landing Page Conversions
@Tinu HA! Great analogy!!
Latest blog post: 10 Ways to Improve Landing Page Conversions
@ChrisBradley Really great point about curation. If balanced with original content, it works really well.
Latest blog post: 10 Ways to Improve Landing Page Conversions
@Faryna That's the biggest thing that bugs me about the ROI discussion. It's now SO MUCH easier to measure our efforts, yet everyone claims it can't be done. I think that's just pure laziness. It can be done. And it's not hard.
Latest blog post: 10 Ways to Improve Landing Page Conversions
@wabbitoid You cross paths all the time with people who talk about their personal lives. You probably just aren't aware of it.
Latest blog post: The Most Frustrating Part Of Blogging
@wabbitoid It's definitely a subculture here in the comments. Everyone has personal jokes with one another, which I love. But comments account for less than one percent of our readers. We gain not only credibility and awareness from blogging, but also new clients.
Latest blog post: 10 Ways to Improve Landing Page Conversions
@wabbitoid I enjoy your quips, Wabbitoid. I don't always agree, but I do enjoy them. Cheers!
@wabbitoid I agree with you about all the noise and people talking about stuff they don't really know. BUT. It takes an inordinate amount of time to keep this blog going. I personally spend 10-15 hours a week on it and Lisa probably spend 20-25 hours. It's a full-time job. It's naive to think it doesn't take a lot of time.
Latest blog post: 10 Ways to Improve Landing Page Conversions
@wabbitoid I agree social is like a bazaar. You get all kinds. And the wild-eyed, fortune tellers tend to attract the lionshare of attention with their mumbo jumbo.
@Julie | A Clear Sign There are definitely pros and cons to that, as well. Not in the company's voice, who manages the community, etc. But I have no qualms writing blog posts for clients IF they approve them and add their own voice.
Latest blog post: 10 Ways to Improve Landing Page Conversions
@rdopping ROI is precisely the issue for most companies. Well made blogs do work, but they work very slowly. I've been at it a long time, and I pick up a lead here and there, but there are much more effective channels for lead generation. For instance, if I go to a cocktail party, I'm more likely to make a connection that generates work for me. No joke.
I recently wrote a piece about the ROI of blogging and why I am laying off AdPulp at this time, and focusing more on my company's blog instead.
@rdopping I also see you're hanging out around here today! And you're right...the mighty ROI. No one knows how to measure this stuff. It kind of makes me nuts.
Latest blog post: Saving the Millennial Workforce from Bad Perceptions
Latest blog post: Saving the Millennial Workforce from Bad Perceptions
@bdorman264 How are you deciding on topics for the Lanier Upshaw blog? I know with that sort of thing I find it helpful to decide on a monthly topic. That's my two cents...Feel free to throw them into the nearest pond or fountain. :)
Latest blog post: Six Things Readers Need: Facts
@ginidietrich I am going to do it on my husband's company website - interview him and get his thoughts and simply do the writing for him. He is a contractor and I am not - but I do hope it will create engagement and give him something important that he doesn't currently have. Of course, I have easy access to him so I can bug him for all of the right answers, so it's not quite the same thing :) I understand what you are saying about ownership and engagement in their own voice.
@David Burn You make some excellent points. I haven't been at blogging for more than a year so I don't consider myself qualified to comment but I can say this. I have been in the A+D business for 20yrs and it is quite clear to me that building relations opens doors.
Is that not what THIS is all about?
Yeah, I love it here. Soooooooo, much interesting stuff. Mitch Joel was wrong. IT IS fun to comment and engage.......
@ginidietrich Because it takes all my creative efforts, just to post twice a week. That's why I have such a difficult time even doing a guest post, which is somewhat akin to me writing for our corporate blog.
It's really a matter of commitment and priorities. With my blog, I know no heavy lifting is required and I don't have to give it too much thought. With the crop blog I have to pay attention a little bit more.
HOWEVER, and don't cast it in stone yet, but there is a good chance I will be over at the corp blog more than at my incredibly popular personal site in the near future. I don't know how well I can deal with the crickets though....:).
@ginidietrich @bdorman264 imagine having to suppress Bill's wit and self depreciating I mean deprecating humor for a blog. Seriously do you know what accountants find exciting? insurance.
@Erin F. Because insurance can be so convoluted and mysterious at times, I'm always interested to convey a message but keeping it simple so the average joe can understand what the heck we are talking about.
However, being a full lines agency and a with multitude of 'threats' to profitability for businesses; making the right hires for employee benefits; and proper insurance for all your toys, we have plenty of topics 'we' can touch on. My specialty is commercial property, liability, workers comp, cars, trucks but I 'know' stuff and can 'personalize' a message.
My next post will be about why insurance is actually a great career choice and we really need bright, young, sharp minds getting into the industry. Regardless of how the industry is perceived, EVERYBODY will buy insurance and there are a lot of 'people' parts that go along with that process, ie, many jobs available.
Most young people don't consider 'insurance' as a career choice. I didn't until after my junior year in college. When I found out how many different type of jobs are available in this industry, it blew me away.
@rdopping LOL!!! I'm printing this and handing it to him when I see him tomorrow.
Latest blog post: Saving the Millennial Workforce from Bad Perceptions
@bdorman264 There you go. A multi-purpose accountability partner.
Latest blog post: Six Things Readers Need: Voice
@Erin F. I do have an accountability partner; but it's more production related and not writing, maybe I'll get them to keep me on task with the writing for the LUI blog......
@bdorman264 Ha! It sounds as though some sort of schedule or accountability partner is in your future. :)
Do you know Mike Vardy's blog? He had a recent post about "time chunking." I like his phrasing for the concept.
Latest blog post: Six Things Readers Need: Respect
@Erin F. We do have monthly 'themes,' but I can typically pop something in whenever I want to. I just need to take the time to do it....
@bdorman264 I worked with an insurance broker for a while - as her blogger and e-letter person - so I have some idea of the range of topics. :) We sometimes tried to tie the topic into something having to do with the month. My favorite post was the one I wrote about life insurance for February. I played off the whole love languages thing.
Latest blog post: Six Things Readers Need: Facts
@bdorman264 @Erin F. and Insurance blog? Well I am going to create a Re-Insurance blog to insurance your poor judgement in insuring things like BP oil wells and the Rays against not making the playoffs.
SyracuseFirst | Blog says:
[…] morning, Gini took on the question of blogging and business. The premise: Is blogging dead or are businesses not trying hard enough. The (open-ended) answer: […]
[…] you have seen the many studies, articles and posts (see Gini's take) — including a couple on this blog — over the past few months about corporate […]
[…] Improve Landing Page Conversions Gini Dietrich | Email | No Comments We talked yesterday about whether or not blogging is dead and, in the comments, there was a good discussion about the big scary […]
[…] As both the Digett blog manager (read: she-beast) and owner of a personal blog, I understand the time blogging takes and the stress it can cause. But the results are worth it, and sometimes you just have to suck it up and try harder. […]
[…] to Gini Dietrich at Spinsucks, "Hubspot recently took a look at how blogging affects leads. They found, for companies that […]
[…] Almost every day, I see reports like this one wondering whether Facebook is on its way out or this one trying to figure out if blogging is dead. […]
[…] Back in 2009, the New York Times reported that 95% of blogs end up abandoned by their bloggers. Fast forward three years later, and Gini Dietrich is writing about how companies are abandoning their blogs. […]
[…] blogging is not easy. Blogging takes writing skills, creativity, and other centric behavior. It requires constant […]
[…] blogging is not easy. Blogging takes writing skills, creativity, and other centric behavior. It requires constant […]
[…] blogging is not easy. Blogging takes writing skills, creativity, and other centric behavior. It requires constant […]
[…] tactics to choose from, it seems off that more and more businesses elect to forgo blogging.No, blogging is not easy. Blogging takes writing skills, creativity, and other centric behavior. It requires constant […]
[…] blogging is not easy. Blogging takes writing skills, creativity, and other centric behavior. It requires constant […]
[…] blogging is not easy. Blogging takes writing skills, creativity, and other centric behavior. It requires constant […]
[…] blogging is dying and why, or why not, this might be happening. Gini Dietrich recently looked at the benefits of business blogging on SpinSucks and asked, very openly, whether companies are just being lazy. Geoff Livingston wrote […]
[…] Marketing in the Round: How to Develop an Integrated Marketing Campaign in the Digital Era, titled Is Blogging Dead or Are Companies Not Trying Hard Enough? Blogging is definitely not dead; it's more so the second half of her question. Enough […]
[…] Spinsucks. (2012). Is blogging dead or are companies not trying hard enough? Retrieved from http://spinsucks.com/social-media/is-blogging-dead-or-are-companies-not-trying-hard-enough/ […]
[…] 47. Today, there are more than 158 million blogs (though only about 70 million are active). (Spin Sucks) […]
[…] 47. Today, there are more than 158 million blogs (though only about 70 million are active). (Spin Sucks) […]
[…] Today, there are more than 158 million blogs (though only about 70 million are active). (Spin Sucks) […]
[…] Is blogging dead or are companies not trying hard enough? – Earlier this year, there was a story about how corporate blogs were decreasing dramatically in […]
[…] Dietrich, G. "Is Blogging Dead or Are Companies Not Trying Hard Enough?" From http://spinsucks.com/social-media/is-blogging-dead-or-are-companies-not-trying-hard-enough/ […]
[…] that's why you'll read blog posts ad nauseum about email being dead, or blogging, or whichever platform or technology we're talking about […]
Inside PR 3.96 with Gini Dietrich, Joe Thornley, and Martin Waxman


text:
Drag Cup Racers - How-To Month
Kindergarteners through fifth-graders, have you ever seen a race car built out of disposable coffee cups? Get ready to have some fun as we explore the differences between potential and kinetic energy. Preregistration will begin one month before the program. Preregistration required.
- Date:
- Location:
- North Ridgeville Branch Library
35700 Bainbridge Road
North Ridgeville, OH 44039
(440) 327-8326(440) 327-8326 - Openings:
- 17


text:
September 24, 2009
The organization helps underserved and uninsured locatities with health care including pre-screening and pre-natal and pregnancies and cancer by volunteering in communities on an as needed basis.
More feedback
What I've enjoyed the most about my experience with this nonprofit is...
Doctors give back to the community
How frequently have you been involved with the organization?
About every month
When was your last experience with this nonprofit?
Volunteer & I volunteered and observed work done by the organization and its members.


text:
I've been a big fan of Forever 21's plus size line since it was announced it'd be released.
I love the style, because it's modern, trendy and edgy.
However, more and more I've been starting to dislike the fit of these clothes.
It's a hit or miss.
My closest store that carries the plus line is about 45 min from where I live.
I don't always want to waste my gas and pay for parking in downtown just to be able to try on the clothing they have. I'd rather order online, which I usually just do now.
However, the sizing of Forever 21's plus size line has become so inconsistent that I'm beginning to lose my interest in even spending my money there.
I'm a solid 2X 18/20 size.
In Forever 21's plus size line, I can fit most knit tops in a 2X and woven tops in a 3X.
In pants, I fit either a 3X or 18.
Here's my concern.....
and I decided to bring all this up after my most recent order of this jacket that's on clearance:
South Bound Poncho Style Coat
I thought it looked comfy, trendy and perfect for work.
I was excited it arrived a day earlier than expected and instead of falling in love with it.
I tried it on and as soon as I put my arm through a sleeve, I was disappointed. The shoulder, arm area is extremely tight and ill fitting. I ordered this in a 3X and I can barely move my arms. In fact I tried to wear it around the house thinking, well maybe I just won't wear it out, since it doesn't "look" tight and after a while, my arms started feeling sore, that's how tight it was. The front was fine, loose like I expected. Fit around me fine.
This isn't the first time I've had an issue with Forever 21's plus size "jackets, coats, tops".
I ordered a faux leather bright blue jacket. Same issue, but it was also small around.
The main issue was the shoulder/arm area.
I ordered a knit top, a knit t shirt with studs on the shoulders.
Too tight in the arm and shoulder area, shoulder seams pulled forward and too short.
Woven collared blouse with studded shoulder.
Same issue, too tight in the shoulder/arm area.
Pants....I'm usually fine in their pants, but ordered two pairs of their colored skinnies.
Black ones fit fine, neon green fit large.
Here's the thing.
Forever 21 uses beautiful plus size models, however they're primarily pear shaped.
Usually narrow shoulders and upper torso with a larger hip area.
I'm a curvy hourglass figure.
I'm also a bit taller than your average woman and large busted and have long arms and broad shoulders.
I'm not a typical American plus sized woman.
Forever 21+ needs to figure it out.
If you're going to do plus size clothing, stay consistent with your sizing.
I'm probably going to let my mom, who's like a size Large, have this if it fits her.
I'm sure it will in the arms.
But seriously....this is starting to get to me.
I'm about to stop doing business with them.


text:
So it's still July. But there are still some mildly intriguing stories from the NFL world. Here's a look:
Vick: "There should have never been a party"
Am I the only one who thinks this whole Michael Vick thing has been blown just a tad out of proportion? I don't expect Vick to make great decisions — never did. However, it's looking as though he didn't break any laws in the recent incident that saw his former co-defendant take on gunfire.
Anyhow, Fox29 in Philadelphia got Vick outside of a courthouse Tuesday…
Word of advice: rent in Washington
That goes out to Rex Grossman, who apparently took a fairly major loss on his condo at Donald Trump's relatively new hotel and tower in Chicago. This comes from ChicagoBusiness.com:
"The losers include former Chicago Bears quarterback Rex Grossman, who paid $2.68 million for a 36th-floor two-bedroom condo in September 2008 but sold it in January for just $2 million, or 25% less."
Plus, they have to feed their families….
ESPN New York's Rich Cimini has an interesting take on why Darrelle Revis and several other Jets are pushing hard for as much long-term financial security as possible, as soon as possible: The Leon Factor.
"It's an image that still haunts Jets players, the sight of Leon Washington with blood stains on his right sock. It was last Oct. 25, the day the popular running back suffered a horrific leg injury that included two open fractures. Bone pierced the skin in two places that day in Oakland, and the first witnesses – the players on offense – were deeply impacted.
"Especially those seeking long-term contract extensions."
Revis also mentioned that Domenik Hixon's freak season-ending offseason workout injury further spooked him.
It's easy to rip on players who are already young and rich and want more, but if it's there to get, who are we to blame them? These guys risk their bodies every time they take the field, and their careers can end on any given Sunday.
Oh, and here's Washington's injury from last season (can't seem to find a replay)…
Quick and painless
They aren't taking their time obliterating the old Giants Stadium. Here it was on May 25, thanks to Getty Images…
And now, it's been reduced to this…
"Virtually no remnants" remain, according to NorthJersey.com.
Wake-up call
Cameron Wake will soon become the next former CFL star to take the NFL by storm, at least if you put stock into what former teammate Jason Taylor thinks.
"I think maybe five years from now, maybe one year from now, people in Miami will quickly forget about me and talk about Cameron Wake because I think he has that kind of talent."
Wake has the talent — it's hard not to see that. And this year, the onus will be primarily on him to keep the defence rolling. The presence of Brandon Marshall should make the offence solid. The 'D' is the question mark.
And now, about 600 plays involving Wake from last year…
Why NFL free agency rarely works
Andrew Brandt from the National Football Post sums it up perfectly…
"Football is about schemes, sets, body types, coaching philosophies, etc. Tony Dungy loved fast, small linebackers, Bill Parcells likes big, stout linebackers: the Redskins employed a 4-3 defense last year, a 3-4 this year, etc. Coaching staffs change; players that fit the previous scheme do not fit the present one. And, of course, football players are completely dependent on teammates; the best players play less than half the game.
"For these reasons, moving parts are not as seamless as in other sports. A player may look enticing on a board of players eligible for free agency (or the Draft, for that matter) but the question that has to be asked and answered is not how good the player is, but how good the player will be in our system?
"In baseball, players pitch, hit and field. In basketball, a couple of players may now change the landscape of the sport. There are no 3-4 defenses, no cover 2s, no west coast offenses, two tight end sets, etc. These sports put free agent players in better position to succeed than football. Football is the ultimate team sport, ironically a reason why free agency has less meaning.
"So as LeBron, Chris Bosh, Dwyane Wade and others decide on their free agency options, there is a much greater chance their salivating suitors will be happy with the acquisition and that it will not end up being a Haynesworth-sized disappointment. There are no Lebron-type free agents in football."


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Welcome to the Social Interest Group home page!
Social Interest Group
Mark Crawford (SAP) -- on hiatus
Ann Bassetti (Boeing) -- tentative new chair, with help from teammates
We are looking for at least one additional chair. If interested, please contact Mark Crawford or Harry Halpin
Staff Contact
Harry Halpin (W3C/MIT)
How to participate
To join this group, if you are affiliated with a W3C member organization:
- Have your AC representative nominate you using the form for joining this group
The chairs and staff may permit people to join as "invited experts"; to pursue this option, fill out the Invited Expert Application and the chairs will contact you in about a week. Send any questions about this process to Harry Halpin.
If you are officially in the group, you will automatically receive group email and your w3.org login and password will work on this wiki.
We currently use IRC, a mailing list, telecons, and face to face meetings for discussion.
- irc://irc.w3.org:6665/socialIG
- Or use web interface: http://irc.w3.org/?channels=socialIG
The IRC channel is logged on the publicly-visible URL above. You can bookmark the URL and it will redirect to the current day.
You can get your photo to appear next to your name in the logs by adding yourself to the IRC-people page.
- firstname.lastname@example.com
- Dedicated to Social Interest Group discussions. See public-social-interest archive. Please preface the subject of any emails with either #Admin, #(name of the TF), or #(Relevant topic keyword(s)) to help manage us manage the discussions.
Bi-Weekly telecons take place on alternate Wednesdays at 12 PM US/Eastern (18:00 CET, 9:00 AM US/Pacific. See [http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/converted.html?iso=20140826T13&p1=43&p2=224&p3=0&p4=195 time converter for more options).
Dial-in and Conference Code
- Dial-in 1-617-761-6200 SIP Instructions, Zakim Code "SOCIG" (76244#)
Note: Please join irc (#socialig) before dialing in. If dialing in via voip, please use the Zakim command to identify yourself.
For ad hoc conferences you can request it on irc with:
Zakim, room for <number of people> for <number> minutes?. If you don't specify the minutes you will get 60 minutes
Instructions for creating a one-time call bridge
- In IRC, type command: zakim, room for 8
- ... where "8" is the number of people you want to attend
- Zakim (the W3C telecom tool) should immediately respond with a phone number
Schedule in advance
- Send an e-mail request at least 48 hours in advance to: firstname.lastname@example.com
- Modify the following information within the quotations with your request.
- Day(s): Day of Week: "Thursday"
- Date(s): "2014-11-20"
- Time: from "12:00 to 16:00 EST (Boston Time)"
- One Time or Recurring: "One Time"
- Number of participants: Up to "8"
- Name of teleconference group (OR subgroup): "Social Interest Group Vocabulary Task Force"
- Preferred conference code (4 or 5 digits): "76244"
Next Meeting
2015-02-04 - regularly scheduled bi-weekly Social IG call
If this is your first W3C telecom, please join [[1]] and read about how to talk to Zakim, W3C's IRC bot that helps facilitate meetings using IRC in conjunction with the W3C's audio teleconference bridge.
- Connect Information (if needed): https://sap.na.pgiconnect.com/social_ig/
Note: If you have never attended an Adobe Connect meeting before: Test your connection: https://sap.na.pgiconnect.com/common/help/en/support/meeting_test.htm Get a quick overview: http://www.adobe.com/go/connectpro_overview
Face to Face Meetings
Past Telecons & Meetings
- 2014-05-14 - chairs meeting
- 2014-07-09 - chairs meeting
- 2014-08-06 - first semi-official; Meeting Slides
- 2014-08-20 - first official (forthcoming)
- 201409-03 Meeting Notes and Minutes
- 2014-09-17 Meeting Notes and Minutes
- 2014-10-01 Meeting Notes and Minutes
- 2014-10-22 Meeting Notes and Minutes
- 2014-11-12 Meeting Notes and Minutes
- 2014-12-03 Meeting Notes and Minutes
- 2014-12-17 Meeting Notes and Minutes
- Scribes list - who's next? If it's you, you may want to check Scribe 101 and Common Scribe Manual
Process will be in accordance with W3C Process.
The Social Web Interest Group will meet bi-weekly for coordination amongst the various Task Forces. Individual Task Forces will meet at the discretion of the TF as necessary to progress their work.
Issues and Actions related to this IG are managed via the W3C Tracker. See Social IG Tracker.
Task Forces
Four task forces have been established to focus on various aspects of the IG responsibilities. these are:
- Socialig/Use Case TF - Chair: Larry Hawes. Will define technical and business driven use cases around social
- Socialig/Architecture TF Chair: Mark Crawford. Will define a notional social architecture
- Socialig/Vocabulary TF Chair: Lloyd Fassett. Will identify social syntax/vocabularies and determine missing components.
- Socialig/Liaison TF Chair: James Snell. Will coordinate activities of the Social IG/WG with other W3C activities and external activities.
Please visit their respective pages to track their efforts and to provide relevant input (see Documentation)
To document proposals, ideas, even specifications that are social web related, please create pages for them from the relevant Task Force wiki if so related, otherwise create and link to them from here.
Social IG TPAC Update Presentation (PDF)
You may preface your page names with "socialig/" if you pick a particularly generic name and/or wish to indicate the scope in the name.
Related Organizations
The following organizations are also working on Social Web technologies:
- IndieWebCamp
- Social Business CG
- OpenSocial Foundation
- Open Mobile Alliance
- Federated Social Web CG - technical work has moved to Social Web WG and Social IG, but it promotes the theme "decentralized social networks" and can issue statements
- Redecentralize
Longer list available at Socialwg#Related_Organizations
Patent Policy
This Working Group operates under the W3C Patent Policy (5 February 2004 Version). To promote the widest adoption of Web standards, W3C seeks to issue Recommendations that can be implemented, according to this policy, on a Royalty-Free basis.
For more information about disclosure obligations for this group, please see the W3C Patent Policy Status Page.


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Hi, my fiancee and I have a house that has been in his family for over 100 yrs. We are the current owners and are trying to restore this farmhouse since its care was considerably lacking while his grandmother and grandfather fought many illnesses and were unable to maintain it properly. One thing they did to the house was put in drop ceilings in the main rooms they used to help heat it since it had no insulation. That being said, we have 3 rooms with the original fourteen foot ceilings and 4 rooms with the drop ceilings (none of which are the same height, but are pretty close to the same). I was wondering what we should do about this situation: should we bother with removing the drop ceilings since we will be adding insulation both in the roof and below the house, or should we leave it as is and work around what's already been done? Thanks for your help :) |
Follow-Up Postings:
I'd remove the dropped ceilings, especially if you are trying to restore the house. It will help in the summer if it's hot where you live. We just insulated our attic and it made a huge difference in the temperature in the house. |
- Posted by oldgardener_2009 (My Page) on Tue, Apr 19, 11 at 16:40
I'd remove the drop ceilings if insulation will be added. |
- Posted by moccasinlanding (My Page) on Wed, Apr 20, 11 at 23:07
What a fascinating old house to be a farmhouse with such high ceilings. Yes, rooms with all that height were wonderful for getting rid of the hot air in a long hot summer. I'd love to see what you do with this old place. If you take pictures, could you please consider uploading some and giving us a link to your album? |
- Posted by alishaandsam (My Page) on Thu, Apr 21, 11 at 1:25
@moccasinlanding: sure, i was planning on doing a before-during-after photo album anyway, so I'll just try to remember to post them on here as we go along. :) The majority of the exterior of the house has been redone, but we are somewhat lacking in the floral department, in my opinion. I intend to have a huge garden and waterfall setup before all is said and done. ;) |
- Posted by moccasinlanding (My Page) on Wed, May 4, 11 at 10:48
alisha, what I recommend to you is that you plan your garden in a general way and work toward that plan little by little. When I do my garden work, I will get the final look in my head, and then gradually plant the area. I start with the bigger plants that will take years to mature, and have them settled in a couple of years before I get the rest of the bed done. My shrubbery, in other words, has been in place for a long time now. This way, take advantage of sales during the year and plant them when the weather is hospitable to them. For instance, from now until late summer will be a very stressful time for any shrubbery planted. But early this year, I planted my pawpaw tree, two figs, and two satsuma trees, oh yes and 12 mature blueberry plants which have a light crop of blueberries if the drought does not dry them up. What I suggest is to pace yourself, because doing a garden perfectly all at once is a big exhausting project. And I know you want to enjoy looking at your garden from your windows as you work away inside the house. Be sure to keep us updated, we are still here and interested in your progress. Have a good summer. |
- Posted by alishaandsam (My Page) on Thu, May 19, 11 at 3:53
@moccasinlanding: we just tore down our small bathroom (and by we I mean me because my fiance had to work :) ) and are in the process of turning the tub into a tub/shower combo. Once we have the connections changed and the shower parts in place, we will set up the backer board and plastic wrapping to help waterproof it, add tile board and the beautiful tile he picked out, add a custom built cabinet in the space behind the tub and wah-lah! new tub/shower combo! :) Then all that will be left is to paint the other walls, add the new vanity and vessel bowl sink, hang the mirror and we'll be done. Now, if I can do it as easily as I can type it. I am working on posting some pics for you; most are on my phone's micro SD card and it seems to be acting up recently and won't recognize my laptop. As soon as I can I will add some for you. Thanks for your interest. :) |
- Posted by moccasinlanding (My Page) on Thu, May 19, 11 at 14:19
So cool that you are working away on your lovely farm house. If you cannot post to the forum, having a Photobucket or Tinypic.com album (both are for free) will do the trick, although you cannot make many comments with those albums. You can also get a free account with Webshots.com (which is where I have most of my photo albums). A bathroom redo is a big project. When we discovered that our original bath in this house was about to lose the toilet through the floor, no floor beneath the tub, and the water lines were leaking in the wall leading to mold and mildew, it started my demolition of really thick cement plaster walls and stucco exterior. But now we have our finished small bath, and a nice new master bath. We live in this house totally different from before. And it feels good. I know that you will feel the same way when you get your bath restored. Good luck. |
- Posted by alishaandsam (My Page) on Fri, Aug 5, 11 at 0:44
@moccasinlanding: I know it's been ages since I've been on here but between finishing up nursing school and the bathroom remodel I've barely found time to breathe, much less post anything. Turns out most of the bathroom floor was flooded and we had to replace all the flooring and some joists before moving forward. I have some links to share on fb if you have a fb acct you can ck it out by friending me or maybe this link will work for you. I have some other before pics but Idk where they are at right now. We had to redo the ceiling in the bathroom too so we decided to go ahead and keep the drop ceilings because it was more economical for now. I hope that in the future we will be able to restore the original ceilings but for now we have to keep them as is. Sigh. :/ How is everything out your way? http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.252647094763851.75493.100000556879896&type=1 |
- Posted by moccasinlanding (My Page) on Mon, Aug 8, 11 at 15:24
Alisha, I'm on FB, just returned after an absence of a year or so. I'll try to see about friending you there. Love your new old house. Congratulations on finishing nursing school, always nice to have new beginnings. You have much to look forward to. |
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Text: Sophie A. Gerlach
Translation: Brian Poole
Roaring and raging behind impenetrable fog, one can glimpse a place that just might be the origin of the world—a boundless breadth of nature in its most unsullied form.
The forces of nature, melancholy, and longing, and yet also a fine sensitivity to the uniqueness of nature, appear united in Clemens Tremmel's latest paintings. His journey to Iceland last year left a deep impression on the artist, the results of which can be seen during the exhibition "Ur" at the gallery Morgen Contemporary, running from the 5th of July 2014. The young artist uses the motifs and techniques of the old masters in his works, thereafter destroying parts of them in a conceptualist intervention. With impressive artistic maturity he extends his skilful hand to the forebears of the romantic period; yet he remains entirely contemporary in his intentions. At times subtly, at times empathically, the painter denounces the agitation of our modern world, while simultaneously indicating a metaphysical resolution in the path toward nature.
But in our contemporary world, such a return to a primordial origin is no longer attainable in any simplistic manner. The spectator is forced to search for what the painter has destroyed, and thus to listen to himself and to comprehend why the ideal of nature in its true form no longer, or just barely, exists. The small formats of these paintings function as a filter helping to tame the violent power of Iceland's natural landscapes; the large formats in the series, by contrast, are monumental in every respect.
The individual is cast back upon himself. As in works by the grand old master Caspar David Friedrich, the individual appears to be yielded up to the mercy of nature's expanse. Indeed, what began in the romantic period—the dissolution of the collective, the emergence of the individual's own consciousness with all its concomitant responsibility and the fatality of one's own actions—is also depicted here, and this couldn't be more topical.
At the same time, the pictures—once again, in Romanic manner—are mediators and windows to the infinite (Novalis). The interventions on the canvas occasionally seem to resemble dancing nature-spirits or spectra (Island 3 & 4), never entirely graspable, yet palpable. But precisely where Clemens Tremmel's conscious encroachment upon the unity of the images seems so furious and painful (Island 3 & 6), the observer is called upon to face the confrontation the artist has sought.
The fine balance between subtlety and brute force, between nature and artistry, between historicity and contemporary spirit, creates a fascinating allure that is not easy to resist.


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Thought you might find this interesting:
Thought you might find this interesting:
Thanks for sharing that link!
We've been shipping 15" MacBook Pro Checkpoint Flyer pre-orders this week.
As soon as the bags are officially in-stock, I plan to get one for myself to use as my everyday bag. I think the Checkpoint Flyer is one of Tom's best designs - ever. It's a truly handsome piece of work.
Current Carry: Skookum Dog Citizen Canine prototype, Founder's Briefcase (every day carry), Small Cafe Bag (every day carry), Shop Bags (groceries, extra random stuff), Aeronaut 45 (travel), Synapse 19 (day hikes), Smart Alec (longer day hikes), Skookum Dog Road Duffel (Medium) (travel), Clear Organizer Wallet, Travel Stuff Sacks, Organizer Cubes
I'm a regular over at Flyertalk and I'm always recommending Tom Bihn bags. :+>


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1 hour ago
Monday, July 5, 2010
1 comment:
- RedCedarJuly 5, 2010 at 3:56 PM
LOVE Evan Wadle!!
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Wellness Sponsored by
The best way to reap the health benefits of fruits and vegetables without exposing yourself to potentially harmful pesticides is to choose organic produce whenever possible, especially those varieties which are more likely to be contaminated. But if organic produce is cutting into your budget, it's okay to buy non-organic varieties of the fruits and vegetables listed below, which tend to contain the least amount of pesticides. However, make it a habit to wash them thoroughly before eating or cooking, to remove dirt and bacteria.
From Drweil.com


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RBFF set to debut Hispanic outreach campaign
Posted onThe Recreational Boating & Fishing Foundation will launch its campaign to engage Hispanics in boating and fishing on April 1.
A five-year outreach plan begins with a pilot in Florida and Texas that includes a new Spanish-language microsite; digital, social and traditional media; and 15 events.
To ensure stakeholders are benefiting from its work, the RBFF has produced a webinar, "Engaging the Hispanic Audience: Insights to Actions," that defines the Hispanic opportunity for the industry.
The RBFF said research has shown that the nation's 52 million Hispanics are under-represented as anglers, lack participation as boat owners and are generally unaware of aquatic conservation or preservation practices.
The RBFF also said:
• Hispanics represent 38 percent of the population under age 18 in the top 10 U.S. Designated Market Areas.
• Growth is now coming from births, not immigration; one of every four babies born in the United States is Hispanic.
• With an estimated $700 billion in shopping power, Hispanics are big business.
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Tag: joe suitor
Showing results 1-2 of 2
EXCLUSIVE PREVIEW: "Transformers: Sector 7" #3
Courtesy of IDW, CBR presents an exclusive preview of "Transformers: Sector 7" #3 by John Barber and Joe Suitor with a cover by Brian Rood. Robots in disguise meet Bonnie and Clyde Wednesday, November 24.
Brian Reed on "G.I. Joe Special: Helix"
"G.I. Joe Special: Helix" hit stores this week from IDW, featuring a new top-secret female operative working undercover to bring down Cobra's Tokyo crime ring. CBR spoke with writer Brian Reed about the one-shot.
Archives: All | Comic Books | TV/Film | Video Games | Web Comics


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Hockey's Back in the Big D!
Finally, the official start of the shortened 2012-2013 NHL Hockey Season begins Saturday, January 19th. Tune in to see newly named Captain Henrik Zetterberg lead the Wings as they take on the St. Louis Blues. So don your spirit wear and cheer when the puck drops at 8:00 PM.


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When you come to China, even if you know what kung fu is, you still need to know what chopsticks are and how to use them. Chopsticks were invented long before kung fu.
This section is formatted as a list because it is more straightforward. Ok, let's get started.
If you've never seen or used a pair of chopstick, then you should grab a pair of chopsticks (5 piece Crane Chopstick Set w/ Rests BLK) for yourself and practice using them. From where I am and wherever you are, thank you for visit!
<<< Chinese Culture
<<< Indian Culture
<<< Japanese Culture
<<< Vietnamese Culture


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Blog | Comments |
WoW | 7 Comments |
Recent Comments:
Breakfast Topic: What's the one class you just can't stand? {WoW}
May 20th 2011 9:10AM Hate playing the evil that is a warlock. ive playd a friends and can play one well enough but i just dont like doing it , makes me feel dirty.
Breakfast Topic: How would you change Cataclysm? {WoW}
Apr 16th 2011 8:34AM I wouldnt have tinkered with some of class mechanics (paladin in general, i feel they broke a fun class by turning them into rogues of light)
Subtlety could of been awesome, but they made it way too difficult
would of left tree form also but taken chicken and made that a CD (only thing keeping me from loving balance)
mastery sux (if you dont know what to do just get more mastery its taken over eveything and is just a lame gimmick)
Cataclysm was just a regurgitated formula by from blizz some kool ideas i like some remodels but in the end all they added was (go level some more, grind some new gear, till we make you do that again)
12 Days of Winter Veil Giveaway Day 4: Zotac GTX 480 graphics card {WoW}
Dec 25th 2010 9:30AM You mind if i take that i could use it... and i kinda just like how it looks.
The Queue: A rebuttal {WoW}
Apr 27th 2010 6:18AM Worgen Dk ... In the preview for catclysm it doesnt say after the events in wotlk, it says during the events deathwing took the opportunity to rise up. So cataclysm is kinda interloping on wotlk lore wise but, everything will have been said and done in northrend, kinda confusing, but not really
Breakfast Topic: Great big pointy teefs {WoW}
Apr 24th 2010 11:31AM WildHammer Dwarf, actually i just love the tatoo look, like the human DK with the red pattern on their face. I want war paint.
WoW Moviewatch: Hero {WoW}
Jan 5th 2010 12:27PM I loved it; classic story done well.
All the World's a Stage: Cataclysm's new race/class combinations {WoW}
Sep 6th 2009 8:26PM Why does everyone find it so hard for Dwarven Shamans to be playable? Dwarf Shamans have been in Warcraft since the First gryphon rider took flight. The Wild Hammer Clan has had Shamanism in it for awhile now.


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How to crack WPA WPA2 protected WIFI networks
Easy & fast
Use Wifite ! Wifite is a python script which automates the WEP and WPA cracking process.
What you need :
- A Linux OS (Backtrack recommended)
- Aircrack-ng suite (v1.1 is Preferred)
- Python >= 2.4.5
- Obviously a wifi card with up-to-date linux driver
How to use ?
Download here. Just type ./wifite.py and you will see that it automatically puts a wireless interface into monitor mode and starts scanning for the nearby wireless networks.
Note: As written on Wifite's homepage : "Don't be a script kiddie. Understand the process being WEP and WPA cracking."
I want to understand what I do
Great. As we will not copy/paste one's work, please read this tutorial. Also you will find several good tutorials on how getting WPA handshakes with your friend Google.
I'm done, I've a WPA capture file
You should have a *.cap or *.pcap file. The only thing to do to crack it (recover the password) is to upload your WPA capture here. We will crack it for you.


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Motorcycle Jackets
Leather & Textile Motorbike Jackets
Great jacket
Fantastic jacket I love it. Great fit, armour sturdy and you feel really protected. I have been out in minus 3 and in pouring rain, remained warm and dry. Nice high neck. If I have any points they are really minor. 1. Pop stud on neck would be useful. 2. Quite hard to get thick gloves on as cuffs quite tight.
Julie Williams - ColefordGood three season jacket
Got the 3XL and it's spot on for me (6ft 4in, 46-48 chest). Very nice quality and excellent value. Looks good and doesn't smell like a wax jacket. Very well finished with some nice touches. Purchased because it was the Ride Magazine Best Buy and they got it right with this one. The lining is in at the moment but will come out for Spring and Autumn. Can't see me wearing this much in the summer but for the rest of the year it is going to be used a lot and seen as how the summer is usually two days in July then that isn't a problem! Richa seem to be on top of their game at the moment and have a range of nice quality products at very affordable prices. Perhaps some of the other manufacturers should take note...
Behr Shitzinvuds - KrakowPerfect
Nice piece of kit, bought it to replace my twenty-odd year old Akito which will probably fall to pieces if I ever have an off while wearing it. Anyway the hide of the Rev'it is a bit stiff but a few treatments with Neat's foot oil and Renapur should have the jacket feeling glove-like. Bring on some slightly less slippery roads I say. Only real criticism would be of the front zip which seems a bit flimsy - only time will tell.
David Ball - Chesterfield


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Select () or exclude () categories to narrow your recipe search.
As you select categories, the number of matching recipes will update.
Find exactly what you're looking for with the web's most powerful recipe filtering tool.
Sort by: Date | Rating | Most Helpful
"I haven't tried this recipe yet, but over the weekend, we had a family gathering for Halloween and a cousin of mine made a delicious pumpkin dip. Instead of Apples she used cookie cutters and cut shapes out of pie dough. She brushed the dough with egg and sprinkled cinnamon and sugar on it. Just another option...."
"My husband made this for dinner one night and it was a huge hit! He said his mom made something similar when he was younger. I was a bit skeptical about the thousand island dressing until I tasted it- WOW! Thanks for posting!"
"I doubled this recipe and added some diced cooked chicken and sauteed portabello mushrooms with pasta. It was an absolute hit! The whole family loved it!"


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In the chapter on breathing in Walter Carrington's book "Thinking Aloud" he writes about the oral seal and indicates there is a lot to learn from the oral seal.
The oral seal is when you close off the oral cavity from the nasopharnyx. To make the seal touch the tip of your tongue against the back of your lower teeth. There should be no pressure against the teeth and jaw. Then let the back of your tongue come up to gently touch your soft palate (behind your back molars). Keep the tongue wide and soft as it contacts the soft palate. Allow the larynx to hang from that contact point. You will then be breathing in and out of your nose. It may feel at first as if you are "doing" something to keep the oral seal in place. This is most likely because you have been pulling your tongue down habitually. Play with this and see what happens. I think the natural and optimal tongue place is when the tongue is quite high and wide in the back.
The oral seal:
I finally looked throughness up in Google and found that it is actually a real word used in horseback riding. It is where the rider senses the ground through the horse. Wikipedia defines it as follows:
"In equestrianism, throughness is an absence of resistance in the horse to the rider's commands."
Click on this Wikipedia link to see how the lines of flow and energy go from the rider into the ground and back up again through the horse.
It is interesting that Alexander was such a horse person and was probably on a horse the day after he was born. He must have been aware of sensing through the horse, and I'm projecting a little bit, but I think he must have naturally sensed the same throughness in people when he started to put his hands on them during his teaching.
Finding the state of least resistance, the appropriate amount of force and pressure, easiness and an uninterrupted flow of energy, are elements we look for in our movement and activities. This applies to our thinking, internal movements and actions as they relate to our environment. Remember the lack of resistance doesn't mean to collapse or become limp like a noodle. We need to have the appropriate amount of tone to accomplish our activities. The issue is that most of us use too much force and pressure pursing a direction that isn't helpful. Thus, we miss the feeling of throughness which allows for amazing freedom of movement, flow, and direction.
The concept of "release into the direction" could also be "release into the throughness."
As you move through your day, discover your throughness by thinking of your body as a whole and allowing for less resistance. This is undoing and non-doing. The directions will support you.
The concept of inhibition is central to the Alexander work. Changing and undoing one's habitual pattern and response to a thought or action requires that one stops performing the habitual pattern or response so something else can happen. This is the process of inhibition.
I often say that one has to be "in front" of an action. Thinking and noticing how you respond prior to initiating an action builds the awareness one needs to change the habit. Then one can notice what happens when one first has the thought to do an action. Eventually, one can find ease BEFORE the thought even comes.
You can apply this principle to our voice work with the following process.
One way to work on your voice is to apply Alexander's idea of inhibition very directly to how you speak or sing.
Step 1: Find your best use in silence, allowing your breath to move in and out without resistance. Let your tongue go much as possible, so the tip of your tongue touches the back of the lower teeth and the back of your tongue is high and wide near the back molars.
Step 2: Begin to say something (start with one word that doesn't have any particular meaning to you). Go right up to the moment of phonation. And then…
Step 3: Pause and notice any tension that may have accumulated in any part of your body (especially your head, neck, tongue and jaw).
Step 4: Let the tension go out the top of your head and flow into the space all around you. In other words, release into your directions of lengthening and widening.
Step 5: Repeat this activity letting go earlier and earlier in the process of phonation. As you notice any tension building up, release it into your length and width.
Stay with easy words until you can have the thought to speak and arrive at the moment of phonation without any tension.
Step 6: Then you can start adding words with meaning and content. Go though the same process until you can speak or sing without any excess tension. (Remember letting go does not mean becoming a puddle or collapsing. You are releasing into your 3-dimensionsal directions.)
Working with this process alone will help you notice what you do when you begin to interact with people in a real conversation or with musical entrances, when you have to come in at a particular moment in the musical score.
More to come…
We've been busy with our winter/spring schedule and finding a new space, packing and then implementing a big buildout!
We had to leave our great space on Fulton St. on May 1 as the building, along with four adjacent buildings, was sold to make way for a big new 50 story high-rise.
After much searching and running around town, we found a fabulous space in Mid-town South just off Broadway on 28th St. (28th is the street with all the flower shops.)
We're already up and running with our full schedule, thanks in part to a wonderful contractor.
Come and visit!
Our new location is:
Balance Arts Center
34 W. 28th St., 3rd floor
Our new space has 4 beautiful studios.
Two of the larger studios are perfect for groups in the Alexander Technique, yoga, pilates mat, dance therapy, dance class, workshops, acting classes etc.
The two smaler studios are great for individual work in the Alexander Technique, massage, acupuncture, yoga or pilates, voice work individual or small group sessions etc.
Here are the pictures, rental rates and specifications:
Front Studio (26' X 21') $30/hr.
Back Studio (21' and 13' X 37' - The back space is an L-shaped studio with windows on two sides.) $35/hr.
Medium Studio (13' X 13') $20/hr.
Small Studio (13' X 10.5') $15/hr.
If you or someone you know is interested in renting space write to:
or call
More Balance Arts Center news soon!
This is the first of several postings on practicing. Many of us are working at refining something we already engage in or are learning something completely new and different. In either case the process probably involves practicing (of some sort). How one goes about getting better at something is an interesting topic. How and what one practices is very important to the outcome.
Geoff Colvin, in his recently published book "Talent is Overrated," says deliberate practice is needed to improve any activity and he goes so far as to say that if one doesn't continue to deliberately practice one can actually get worse at something rather than improve.
Sheer repetition of an activity is practicing of a sort but not deliberate practice. I had one singing student tell me she warmed up while watching TV. She thought that she just needed to put in the hours and she would improve. Such an extreme example makes it clear that she was just entrenching her habits into muscle memory without any consciousness or awareness of what she was doing.
In the Alexander Technique we learn exactly how to practice deliberately and what to practice. The Alexander Technique can address any activity at a very fundamental level. In fact, I think The Alexander Technique IS conscious deliberate practice. The Alexander Technique gives us a process to follow that will lead us as far as we can go with our skill in an activity. As you learn the AT you are learning to build conscious awareness of what/how you think while you are in activity. From this awareness you learn what it means to deliberately practice in a way that focuses on the process, (Alexander would have said "the means"), rather than only on the goal.
It is my belief the whole point of the Alexander Technique, conscious awareness, and deliberate practice is to take our thoughts and actions off automatic pilot mode. Only then we can bring our habits in to our conscious awareness and make choices about how we are accomplishing very critical and essential aspects of the task at hand.
It is a skill to be able to take an action and break it down into practicable segments that will have an important effect on the outcome of an activity. Colvin talks about deliberately practicing the parts of an activity rather than the whole activity itself. Then those parts in their "better" form will be available to you while you when you need them. A good Alexander Technique teacher will be able to help you discover the essential elements of any activity (singing, golf/tennis swing, jogging, typing, speaking) you wish to work on that will make the most difference to you. Even if the teacher isn't proficient at your specific task, they are trained to look at fundamental elements of how you are doing what you are doing and guide you to new concepts and choices for accomplishing your task.
Let's look at one fundamental aspect of speaking and singing: the inhale.
For the speaker or singer, the inhale, is critical to the vocal production. If one has not deliberately addressed the inhale; being able to take air in without sucking and pulling (either through the mouth or nose) and where the air is directed on the inhale, it will make some difference to one's singing if one focuses on pitch, consonants, vowel, and volume but probably won't create the full desired effect. The fundamental support and airflow have to come first before phonation.
Here are some other aspects of the inhale that can be deliberately practiced.
The first step is to do a good long exhale with your best use and then as you allow the inhale:
- Allow the sense of your body weight to go into the ground. This requires releasing your joints.
- Keep your full body length on the inhale (no shrinking -age on the inhale). In other words stay long while the air flows down into your body.
- Consciously direct the air in up behind your eyes and allow the air to inflate your body from the inside.
- Sense the movement from the effects of your inhale all the way to your fingertips and toes.
- Allow your tongue and jaw to be free and easy as you inhale. (Keep the root of the tongue easy too. Clue: The natural resting state of the tongue is higher than most people think.)
This is a good start for your inhale -- of course there are more aspects.
After you have deliberately practiced the parts of your own task, integrate the segments you practiced into your whole activity. Be conscious of allowing the whole to be different and informed by the practice you just performed.
Often students say, "this is much easier physically and much more difficult mentally." Ah – then they are paying attention. That is great. In the case of the speaker/singer, when the awareness is there, the sound is much freer, more resonant and easier to listen to.
]]>First, let's focus on the top end of the tube.
I've found that many students think the upper end of their "tube" or "column" is at the level of the bottom of the mouth, base of the tongue, or at the vocal folds.
The top end of the column through which your air flows extends up into your head, behind your tongue, into your soft palate and the arch formed by the bones of your skull, behind the hard palate. Notice the top of this arch is above where your skull balances on your spine. The top of this vault is just below the center of gravity of the head and behind part of your eye socket.
This means the air passes through your vocal fold, larynx, in the back of and behind the oral cavity on it's way to the top of the column. When the back of the tongue is free (and not pulling down) it helps form the front of the tube, directing the air up in to soft palate toward the vault.
To experience the full height of your air column, allow your tongue to be in it's natural position, (as in Alexander's "whispered ah") with the rounded tip of your tongue gently contacting the back of your lower teeth, and the back top corner of your tongue wide and high touching the soft palate along with the sides or back of the back upper molars.
This "oral seal" as it is called, divides your nasopharynx from your mouth creating a column of air back by your spine. You are now breathing in and out through your nose.
The column through which your air flows extends up behind the back of your tongue with the tongue in the oral seal and toward the top of your head.
While exhaling, direct your air up toward the top of your head. It will automatically go our your nose.
While inhaling, allow the air to come in to the top concha of your nose. This is way up nearly between your eyes.
(image used by permission; David Gorman, pg. 19.)
As you breath make sure there is no sucking, pushing or pulling the air in or out. Let yourself find the natural suspension as you move from exhale to inhale and then inhale to exhale. Leave your tongue alone.
Please Note:
There should be no sound/noise on the inhale breathe. If you are making sound you are constricting your throat somewhere.
The oral seal may be higher than you are used to if you habitually press our tongue down.
When you speak and sing well, this air gets caught up behind the back of the tongue, vibrates the skull and creates resonance.
Walter Carrington writes about the oral seal in his chapter on breathing on page 69 of "Thinking Aloud." At the end of his explaination he says: "So there's really a nice lot to work on." This is the beginning of what I understand the "nice lot" to be.
Begin facing your workstation with your feet flat on the floor, back long, elbows easy, and hands on your thighs. Allow yourself to sit on your chair without anticipating the work you will be doing during the day. Stay with yourself for a few minutes (or even a few moments) before beginning to interact with colleagues, the phone, and your computer.
As you work with these directions from the beginning of the day, you will develop a new habit of finding ease each time you sit down.
Allow the following instructions to guide you to ease and freedom of movement. As you release and let go, a sense of three-dimensionality will emerge. You will find a sense of your own body weight rebounding from the floor back up through your entire system. Allow for those directions to emerge and support you from the inside of your body. (This is to say that letting go is not collapsing, slouching, or slumping.)
Now you are ready to go into your day or work session. Notice how you can return to this state of ease between activities and each time you return to sitting at your desk or when you sit in a meeting. Notice what pulls you out of this state of ease and choose to return to this ease as often as you can.
Listen to the Balance Arts Center Podcast for "The Daily Preparation for Working at a Desk" (about 10 min).