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These Christmas Halloween poems are examples of Christmas poems about Halloween. These are the best examples of Christmas Halloween poems written by international PoetrySoup poets
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Have you ever written anything without sub combing to tears ?
My Family portrait in my mind , 2 older sisters , 2 brothers
My Mother caring about all five in different ways
Just with Mom & Dad there having the best of Holidays
My sisters laying out on the deck of river bank for 4th of July ~
Listening to " Honkey Chateau " and all by Elton John.
music a great memory ~Disco , Donna summer , Grease ~ Jaws !
Dad's records to Tony Bennett , Hank W Sr. , Count Basie & Louis Armstrong.
The music takes me home in a wagon filled with children and a dog "Lucky "
My Older brother , athletic , always fishing & hunting.
My younger , my Rock , Swimming and netting for fish,
feeding our Fat cat Perch off the rocks patiently awaits her food
the yelling , slamming of doors , tempers Flare , passion
Our Parents , passionate love yet passionate Hate .
After being a Family of Seven , Divorcing their fate ..
Why did that show " Dallas " bring out the Divorce in all ?
Scottish ~ Irish ~ French Iroquois ~ Cherokee
No matter what the mix ..Our curse Alcohol ~
the Screaming , Drinking , this memory I wish to shut the door on .
Going to A & W or making Cheerleading ,The Bears of course~
Excited in Chicago ! seeing Elton John in the Summer of 1976 ~
Cubs , museum of Wax , Museum of science & History , Pizza !
Expeditions of discovery ,little brother & I finding arrowheads on the Shore.
Our Grandparents Faithful Celebrations ! Chiffon cake , Apple strudel `
Our Cousins on Holidays , going for ice cream cones ,
scent of wet rain on oak leaves ~Before Halloween was bought in stores.
~ That is the Family I Love ,
that is the Family I choose to miss ~
Copyright © Shanity Rain | Year Posted 2013
Did you know that Santa always had a secret desire,
To explore and experience the holiday known as Halloween!
This jolly spirit whom brought the world of mankind such joy,
And wonder on the Twenty-five of every December, had a
Mischievous side, a childlike curiosity about this
Spookiest of Haunted holidays!
So when Mrs. Clause went to take care of her allying
Sister just before this mystical season, Old Chris Kringle,
Made up his mind to go forth unto the world of men
And see what this spooky hullabaloo was all about!
A magical being himself, he thought it best to appear
In a childlike form, dressed up of course as an elvish imp,
After all this whole experience was brand new to him,
He knew not if this costume, would help him to fit in,
Or not, but the excitement over rode judgement's
So Santa grabbed an old pillow case, put a sign
On his bedroom door, do not disturb getting some
Extra zzzz, while Mrs. Clause is gone on family business,
So in this way those nosie elves would not get curious!
Than sneaking out the back door, he loaded up a tiny sleigh,'
To one alone reign deer, and road off into the darkness
Ready to investigate this holiday known as Halloween!
The full moon above seemed to light up the dreary shadows
Below, as Santa landed in the village of sleepy Hallow,
A party was going on in a large manor house, what better
A place to begin Chris Kringle thought to himself!
All within were dressed in variations of costumes,
Laughing and singing, bobbing for apples and feasting,
What festive scene to behold Santa Clause decided!
Dark and devilish decorations, were hung from high to
Low, pumpkins all lit up with grinning smiles all carved
Out hallow glowed in a sinister fashion!
It Kinda of creeped the elderly gentlemen out to be
Honest, but he was going to investigate this dark
Legendary season no matter what, outside little
People came knocking at the door, dressed as vampires,
Werewolves, witches and more, forgetting he himself
Had changed his personal form, a large lady spoke
Excuse me little master, shouldn't be outside with the
Others, whoops Santa said your right, and he joined
With the others!
Every house on the lane, was all lit up aglow, with
Pumpkins, and dark macomb designs, grave stones
Marked RSVP, or black cat motifs what does this
All mean he thought, wired to say in the least!
He'd almost made up his mind to return home,
As fast as he could, when he heard the voices of
Children ring out, trick or treat and candy of all
Types poured outwards to these eager monstrous
Tike's, now I understand free goodies at any age
Is a wondrous thing?
At this point old Saint Nick was hooked, as the
Years of sneaking out to partake in this ghoulish
Holiday past, he learned that other things were
Involved in this spookiest of holidays, but the spoils
Of this sweet toothed holiday could not be denied, and the
Happiness of children's faces hiding beneath their sticky masks, made
It all worth it to Chris Kringle, this jolly fellow from up north.
What a Halloween jingle for old Santa Clause to speak,
Trick or treat, smell my feet, give me something good
To eat, but it is after all Halloween is it not, HO, HO, HO
Munching on his goodies treats, laughing all the way!
By Cheryl ANNA DUNN
Copyright © cherl dunn | Year Posted 2015
Don't sit inside and wear a frown,
go outside see what is found.
Gaurenteed you won't be bored,
the four seasons will be adored.
Winter for Christmas, Spring brings flowers,
all that grows loves warm showers.
Summer we swim and get lean,
fall brings a Boo on Halloween.
No matter what time of the year,
the four seasons are enjoying and dear.
So Winter, Spring, Summer and Fall,
these great seasons complete all.
Copyright © Diane Pennestri | Year Posted 2016
Tis October now and I
say; Trick or Treat?
And all that walking -
I'm now dead on my
I go in the shops - and
see signs of Christmas -
Someone please tell
me - it's too early for
St Nicholas?
Halloween is approaching,
that I do know -
Horrible goblins and
demons a-glow!
Bonfire night is all yet to
come -
When all around us - the
air is so numb.
It never should be like
this you know,
Both Christmas and
Halloween - together
in tow!
What has happened -
to all our seasons?
When we have both
Christmas together with
witches and demons?
I'm not a lover of this,
fake festive time -
It did used to be fun -
it was so sublime.
Maybe and angel will
change my views;
'But until that does
happen - It doesn't
Money and greed - is
what Christmas is,
The birth of Christ - is
it a mystery, I guess?!
Too commercial - as
every day life,
And all this festivity -
causes too much strife.
May the ghost be with
you every day -
Even when you're
unhappy - and when
you pray?
October is here - I now
shed a tear -
For Christmas time,
now - I just may shed
my fear.
Copyright © Darryl Ashton | Year Posted 2014
The music at Wal Mart drives me insane
Even employees, are known to complain
It seems very wrong
To play Christmas songs
At Halloween time! Now, who is to blame?
They take "Silent Night", and they turn it to noise
They run over Granny with a sleigh filled with toys
The beautiful sound
Of the season is ground
Into our brain, until good will is destroyed!
Why can't they save carols only for Christmas?
Do they think sooner will drum up their business?
I wonder what goons
Thought beloved bunny tunes
Should welcome our Easter, before Valentine kisses?
The whole world is rushing the holiday seasons
We seem to forget the meaning or reasons
We celebrate one before another is done
Please Mr. Wal Mart...play music to please us!
Copyright © Carrie Richards | Year Posted 2010
You used to laugh every time Charlie Brown fell for lucys same old trick you never said it but your brain smiled and told you what lucy would say next .football head .
You came to work with goggles a cape and slippers on your boss thought it a bit odd and said heros dont live here go home. You moped down the walk then snoopy and Woodstock appeared on your shoulder and you understood there language and what they wanted to take you for a ride.and they took you past the sky.
You cheered for linus in all his precious moments the day he became friends with a girl with cancer and even faithfully defend her from mean little chicks.the days he carried that blanket around like it was his soul and caused every little kid in the world to follow the leader and if mom stopped to wash it they all had a fit and the days of the great pumpkin were you told your mom to never plant a pumpkin in your backyard after watching it but secretly were saving seeds.
Your childhood you grew and your last Christmas as a child you still watched the peanut christmas special wether they were dirty or playing the piano or just a brave dog kissing lucy they were all there at Christmas giving you something to hold onto.
Copyright © tifarrah miller | Year Posted 2015
Twenty days plus one hour is what it takes
The October country requires no less
Halloween land is treacherous with black glass sharp
Slime covered dark rocks that cut
Green rain is acid, leaves everything deformed
Not far beyond this realm is snow and ice
Pure thoughts evolve there on the spot
Some call it the Arctic circle
When we see red and white spun on the pole
Going retrograde may not seem normal to the mind
It is imagination that defines the magnetic vortex turn
Christmas comes in a minute right on time
Sparks the Aurora Borealis
Packaged, warped, wrapped warm inside
Copyright © Earl Schumacker | Year Posted 2016
There is no greater pleasure than the mixture of fall and winter
We start with Halloween
The pumpkins, the sweets, the treats
Black and orange set the tone
The chill is just starting to hit your spine
You can smell it in the air
Feeling on edge
Waiting for the scare
BAM! It comes, it goes
The temperature drops
The turkeys better run
You better buy your elastic pants
And make room in your house for the whole family
The fire, the gathering, the attire
The smell of pumpkin floods your nostrils
You gain an internal warmth
Let us say a prayer for this meal
Look outside, winter is now here
The transition from fall has been made
Pull out the scarves and hats
And set out your Christmas mats
The fat man is coming to town
Put away your frown
This is a jolly season
Decorate the houses, prepare the tree, sip your cocoa
Mistletoe is in the air
And the sound of wrapping paper is in your ear
We're getting close
You better turn in your list or you're toast
Christmas eve
Sleep early, listen for the jingle bells
Christmas morning, looks like Santa stopped by
Welcome to winter
Say goodbye to Finter
Copyright © Alex Riker | Year Posted 2013
Goodbye Halloween it's Christmas time to tout.
We'll all be getting presents then.
We won't go door to door or dress up anymore.
Here Santa comes at Christmas when...
Midnight strokes of Christmas Eve.
Our stockings by the fire.
Wax candles on the mantelpiece,
spaced opposite to spire.
A Christmas Tree that's flickering
inside the corner full.
The star on top the treetop twig
as holy as it's pull.
A wrap in rust upon the couch
where mama hopes to sit.
Two tables at the sides that show
two lamps of oil lit.
One wooden reindeer on the floor
connected to a sleigh.
It's walnut wood to warm the heart
the Christmas spirits way.
A dim lit room to share the night.
A Christmas scene of lore.
The spirit of old Santa Claus
come Christmas time once more.
A clicking of the rooftop tar.
Eight reindeer or I'm told.
All harnessed to the fattest man
as jolly as is old.
His entrance fanning chimney air.
The fireplace leaping out.
His joyous laughter roaring on
spontaneous to his shout.
He quickly stuffs the stockings snug
and places all the gifts.
Then raises up his one small finger
from which his being lifts.
Once more inside his sleigh above;
a snap to crack the whip.
He nods aside the reindeer heads
and off they go a-rip.
The little sleigh going dangling on.
It sliding through the sky.
The far horizon beckoning him
as Santa waves on bye.
Copyright © Trevor McLeod | Year Posted 2016
When I Was but a Child
And Bedtime Stories Were Told
I'd Go to Sleep and Dream
Covered up Against the Cold
I Remember Fairy Tales
And Christmas Time Was Nice
When Everything Had a Blanket of Snow
And Dripping Water Turned to Ice
But the Stories I Remember Best
And like to Hear about
Were the Ghosts and Witches on Halloween
And How to Keep the Goblins out
Well, the Goblins Never Got Me
Not until I Was Grown
I'd Have Felt Much Safer as a Child
Had this Fact by Me Been Known
I Never Knew What Goblins Were
Except That They Would Get Me
But Now I'm Grown I Know
They're Big and Dark and Ugly
Lies and Broken Promises
Are What Feeds Them Everyday
They Steal in and Break Your Heart
Before They'll Go Away
So If You're Just a Child
You've Nothing to Worry about
It's When You Get All Grown up
The Goblins Will Get You....
If You Don't Watch out
Connie Moore
Copyright © Connie Moore | Year Posted 2013
Christmas b4 Thanksgiving
The madness goes on
Seems like the lyrics
To a bad song
Halloween comes earlier
The pranks are cheesier
Thanksgiving's next
The turkey's not the best
Then finally when
U have grown overweight
Your teeth fall out
From your Halloween date
Last comes Christmas
It seems to be the best
There's gifts and there's food
To help lift your mood
The New Years rolls around
Everyone's drunk in the town
They act like a clown
'Til the next day rolls around
Copyright © Jennifer Gibson | Year Posted 2015
Pumpkin patches and candied apples at the corn maze in the city,
a little boy dressed as a vampire and my daughter a princess so pretty-
Haunted houses and ghosts and goblins out for a night of fright,
HALLOWEEN has come again on this harvest moon filled night.
Then arrives the day of giving thanks for family to share. Memories of grandma's homemade pumpkin pie unravel in my mind and I am taken back to when I was just a child. Sitting around the dinner table set for twenty; saying a prayer of gratitude for all of the good health and happiness we have been given. Grandpapa held my hand as I listened to him speak of family and his love for the Lord. Those were the days. It wasn't until I got older that I realized how special those THANKSGIVING dinners were to me. This year we will sit at a table for eighteen as grandma and grandpapa are resting peacefully above. Even though they will not be with us, I still hold onto all the wonderful memories I had growing up.
day of giving thanks
loved ones gone, not forgotten
grateful to be loved
Christmas Eve we celebrate the coming of Jesus Christ's birth,
a night walking through the live nativity at our Church downtown-
It's the time of year when we should be filled with joy and self-worth,
I hear the melodies of Silent Night; the choir is definitely renown.
I embrace the night of angels flying and in its magic, I drown,
then CHRISTMAS Day arrives and it seems I know no stranger-
for on this day born Jesus Christ, a baby resting in a manger.
Cornucopia Contest
October 24, 2017
Copyright © Laura Loo | Year Posted 2017
If you want Christmas before Halloween, just go to the stores.
In Walmart you will find Christmas trees by the scores.
Why do we need Christmas in the Fall?
In October it is already Christmas at the mall!
By Christmas time we are all burned out,
Seeing decorations months in advance at the checkout.
I wish they would wait at least until November.
But it is the almighty dollar the retailers remember.
Rhyme Battle IX contest
Juli-Michelle sponsor
Copyright © Brenda McGrath | Year Posted 2017
A cornucopia of sweets
For those who trick or treat
An abundance of ghouls out there
To give us all a scare
Thanksgiving gives us feasts aplenty
With delicious ham and turkey
Christmas gifts abound
beneath the Christmas tree
Santa comes to town!
Copyright © Joseph May | Year Posted 2017


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Albert Wong and Valerie Belair-Gagnon
October 23, 2013
Since June 6, the world has been roiled by an ongoing series of disclosures based on Edward Snowden's document leaks, with coverage led by the Guardian and the Washington Post, about clandestine mass surveillance conducted, with little oversight, by the NSA and its international partners.
Public perceptions of these surveillance revelations are affected not only by the NSA's actual actions, but also by the news coverage of the government's spying programs. Previous studies have shown that the latter factor can have a profound effect on public opinion. Given the importance of this issue, we decided to analyze major US newspapers' "post-Snowden" coverage of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) and the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISC) to determine if there was an overall bias in either a pro- (traditionally conservative) or anti-surveillance (traditionally liberal) direction.
The results were unexpected, and quite remarkable.
Read more

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Full Sail Brewing Company
The recent revolution of American microbreweries has shifted the beer industry's interests to quality, not quantity. And if you're a beer lover, that's an amazing thing.
As of 2012, there were more than 2,300 operating craft breweries (those making fewer than 6 million barrels a year) in the U.S., according to the American Brewers Association— earning $12 billion in retail sales, the same size as the ultra-premium wine market.
Why do we love craft beer? It tastes great, packs a punch (sometimes up to 40 percent abv), and there are so many choices to choose from.
When attempting to define craft beer, each brew lover will most likely have his or her own personal interpretation to share, as each individual brand is truly one-of-a-kind. With hundreds of new operations firing up their fermenters each year, it's sometimes hard to settle on which beer you should be drinking. But, then again, that's part of the fun. The more options there are, the more beers we're obligated to sample.
Because, as you well know, life is too short to drink bad beer.


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Basic SEO Techniques Manor Park :
A few basic SEO techniques:
- View Google's cache to see your page the way a search engine sees it. If you can't see an element of the page in the cache, the search engines can't see it either! This means that content isn't gaining you any search traffic.
- Be sure your page is reachable. Crawlers don't perform searches, they travel by links. This means your page has to be viewable by clicking on a link on another page or crawlers won't see it and it won't be searchable.
- Be sure you don't have metaframes preventing your page from being crawled. Many Manor Park webmasters use metaframes to prevent rogue bots from crawling their page and don't realize that these metaframes will also prevent search bots from crawling their pages!
- Don't let your links get lost in a sea of links. Pages with hundreds or thousands of links may not get crawled thoroughly in order to prevent spam and skewed rankings.
- Use specific keywords. General keywords will have lots of competition. By using more specific keywords, a webmaster can reduce competition and increase rankings.
- Don't abuse keywords. Use your keywords in natural speech. Optimize your page for one or two specific keywords that searchers might use when looking for information available on your page. Be sure your keywords are relevant to your content.
- Don't use keywords in link anchor text pointing to other pages on your site. (This is known as commiting keyword cannibalization.)
- Be sure your keywords are plain text HTML. Add ALT text for images, transcripts for videos and audio clips, and put captions with java or flash plugins or images. Although crawlers are improving, many are unable to process anything besides plain text.
Be Aware of User Experience
Increasing the usability, accuracy, and visual design of the website will also increase your search metrics. Search engines use search metrics and backlinks to determine the popularity and user-friendliness of your page. These factors play an important role in SEO. Always seek to create content that is pleasing for your reader.
Search Engines use Engagement Metrics to determine user satisfaction. Time spent on a search result means the user found the result much more helpful than a user who immediately hits the back button to look for another search.
The Panda update allows google to use machine learning to rank websites on quality and user friendliness. In 2011, human evaluators ranked thousands of websites based on quality and then implemented machine learning that mimicked those evaluators. This update changed more than 20% of search results.
Selecting Keywords:
Things to consider when selecting keywords:
- The Keyword's relevance to your page. Will the people using that keyword in searches be satisfied with the content on your page?
- The Keyword's specificity. Would a narrower keyword or keyphrase attract an audience that is more interested in your content than the audience of the broader term? On the other hand, is your keyword so specific it won't be searched?
- The Competition on that keyword. Can you compete with the current top ranked websites for your keyword?
Where to Put Keywords:
- In the Title: as close to the beginning as you can put it
- At the Top of the Page
- Several times throughout the body of the page
- At least once in the ALT text
- In the URL
- In the Summary or Meta description tag
Optimizing Title Tags:
- Titles should be between 45 and 55 characters long. Titles that exceed 55 characters in length may not show properly in google searches.
- Keywords should be placed near the beginning of the title
- Consider putting your brandname at the end of the title
- Don't sacrifice readability and emotional impact for keyword optimization
Visit https://moz.com/learn/seo/title-tag to see how the title and summary of your page would show up in a google search.
Constructing URLS:
- Keep them short
- Be sure your reader has an idea of what he will find on the page when reads the URL
- Use plain text links
- Use hyphens to separate words
- Use keywords
How Links to your Page Effect your SEO
- Are a wide variety of websites created by a wide variety of webmasters on a wide variety of topics linking to your site?
- Are many sites on similar topics linking to your site?
- Are the ranking sites for your keywords linking to your site?
- Are sites linking to your page using your keywords in anchor text to link to your site? (Anchor text is the blue text that shows on a webpage instead of the URL to the link)
- Are you getting links from trusted sources?
- Have you refrained from linking to spammy or poor quality websites and websites that link to your page?
- Have you been accruing new links?
- Is your page being shared on social media?
If you can answer yes to the eight questions above, links to your content are doing their job and helping increase your rankings. If you can't answer yes to each question, devise strategies to remedy your answer.
Creating good, quality content that related pages will naturally link to is one of the best ways to get links. Another great way, is through Manual Outreach. Don't under estimate the traffic that a well placed link can generate itself. Target specific websites who cater to similar audiences, preferably websites with few links, high credibility and high rankings for your keywords, and invite them to link to your page. Be sure to explain how linking to your page is a benefit for them, and not just an act of charity for you. You may also use this tool to see your competitors' backlinks. Finding sites who have linked to the top ranked sites for your keyword gives you a list of sites that whose links would be of value to you. Avoid self-created links on lower quality websites. While they may help rankings a little bit, they may also hurt your rankings. If you pursue this option, proceed with caution.
Search Engine Webmaster SEO advice
SEO advice from the major search engine webmasters includes:
- Be sure all pages can be reached by static, plain-text links. (Links of the form: , as opposed to links buried in images, java or flash.) These links are easier for crawlers to find.
- Don't "cloak" your work, or try to present different content to the search engine than you present to the user. Make sure your page is optimized to be found by a search engine when a user searches a relevant query. Don't try to cheat the crawler's and their index.
- Use accurate, descriptive, clear language with appropriate keywords in your titles, subtitles and ALT text. (ALT text is text that appears when an image cannot be displayed.) On hubpages, photo captions are ALT text and are therefore an extremely important part of search engine optimization.
- Create content filled with relevant keywords.
Check for Errors
To check for crawl errors see Google's Webmaster Tools.
Search Engine Optimization SEO for Writers
It is easy for search marketers to get caught up in the wrong types of competitive analysis or interpret them the wrong way. The ultimate goal of a competitive analysis is not to follow what your competitors are doing, but rather to discover opportunities that competitors haven't yet found. Follow the steps below to find opportunities to outperform your competition using free analysis tools.
1. Define the nature and scope of your industry niche.
Any marketing department worth its salt has this information on file. However, these values can easily be lost if they're not kept in the front of marketers' minds. For example, examine that pet keyword ranking that a key executive insists on maintaining at position one. Is it really true to your purpose, or would another keyword generate more conversion-ready traffic? Creating an honest definition of your specific industry niche will provide the necessary information to determine what keywords you should really be chasing.
2. Determine who your real competitors are.
Forget traditional competitors or even the shop across the street. Your only competitors online are those who are digitally relevant to keywords and concepts within the nature and scope of your industry niche. If the business you've been competing with for the last 40 years isn't showing up in search, then they are not a competitor in the world of digital marketing.
So who are your digital competitors? Measure organic search visibility by searching phrases that fall in the categories that define your industry niche. What organizations consistently rank in the top 5-10 positions for these terms? These organizations are your true online competitors. The free and easy-to-use tool by Compete.com provides a good estimation of your top 5 online competitors. Spyfu also gives estimations of PPC spend for any given domain. The idea of an efficient market would suggest that a high spend for a keyword would generate a high return, so pay attention to high spend keywords. However, these organizations may not be the most efficient PPC spenders, so don't put too much weight on this information. Compare Spyfu information for your organization with your actual PPC spend to get a sense of the tool's accuracy in your market.
The best way to define competitors is through the hard work of analyzing digital relevance through observing which organizations dominate organic search visibility for topics that define your industry niche. A solid investment in this step is crucial to the structure and success of your digital marketing strategy.
3. Define your customers and their expectations.
Start with your customer personae and determine if this matches your target audience. Are your competitors attracting this target demographic? Use the free tool Quantcast to generate an audience demographic analysis. This tool is great for estimating not only the demographics of the audience that visits any given domain, but also the estimated traffic to the domain on a monthly basis.
Next, analyze the content on competitor websites that are successfully attracting your target demographic. Does this content serve the needs of your target demographic?
4. Clear out internal "competitors."
Internal competitors may include an uncooperative development team, a restrictive compliance department or departmental KPIs that aren't in line with real inbound marketing goals. These types of "competitors" tend to generate much heavier downward pressure on your success than any other outside organization could achieve. Consider these competitors to be as real as external competition when developing your strategy.
Combine the findings from each of the three steps to generate deep insights on opportunities within your industry. For example, combine a competitor's Quantcast demographics (Step 3) with their keyword portfolio (Step 1) to determine keyword value and to get a sense for conversions through demographical data. You may find that the top rankings your competitor holds may not be generating the right audience, which would be important information to consider before deciding to target the same keyword categories.
You also may consider taking Step 3 further by analyzing the content on your competitor's websites. Look for opportunities to offer resources that your competitors don't have in their content arsenal. Then use these ideas to generate value-add content that attracts visitors to your website. Finally, ensure that you are first to market by promoting your value-add content on social media platforms and industry websites.
Use these steps to generate a strong competitor analysis, but don't get caught up in worrying about your competitor's keywords, where they are getting links, or chasing their rankings. Focus on finding the areas of opportunity that fall in line with what your organization does best. Then crush your competition on these fronts!
SEO Is Dead. Audience Optimization Is Taking Its Place
A company blog can be a valuable asset, if done the right way. Not only does it provide more online content to increase search engine optimization, it provides fodder for your social media campaigns and can position your brand as an industry expert and resource. But readers won't just magically materialize. That's according to Gene Richardson, COO of Experts Exchange, an online community of 500,000 IT professionals where they can get online tech assistance from each other, hire freelancers and take online courses. Here are his words about how to be intentional with your blog strategy.
1. Use your community to source content.
Do you have an engaged, interactive community? Capitalize on this by sourcing user-generated content for your site. Foster relationships with your most engaged visitors, members, and consumers to encourage them to develop content, feature them in member or consumer spotlights, and use them as a sounding board to gauge what content is and isn't enticing readers. Involve your community in your content to make them feel even more invested in your brand or product, positioning your blog as a great place of reference for further information on the who, what, when, where, and why of your industry.
2. Give your company experts a voice.
Utilize the people on staff whose opinions matter to your audience. Don't just reference them in press or gated content. Move their voice into the company blog to make them an accessible reference.
3. Prioritize quality over quantity.
It's great if you can produce one blog post per day, but make sure to track whether or not those daily posts are receiving any traffic. Don't publish content for its own sake. Quality content that provides obvious and immediate value--not only to your target audience but to other consumers--will pay off in the long run.
4. Encourage engagement through targeted campaigns.
Drive traffic to your blog through social engagement tactics, such as polls, Q&As, and consumer interaction prompts. Ask readers to submit success stories, product reviews, or insights into best practices. People love the opportunity to be heard, so hear them out and give them a platform.
For this to be successful, you first need to understand where your audience lives online. Attempt social pushes through channels where your consumer base isn't engaged online and you'll see no improvement in traffic. These channels are also a great place for sourcing content if you don't have a community of your own.
5. Participate in a guest blog exchange.
Do you have a great rapport with an industry partner who has different or higher blog traffic than you? Establish a plan to provide them with a current, quality blog post on a relevant industry topic in exchange for them to post on your site. This exchange will mix up the authored content and subject matter on your blog to entice your readers to check out content by a well-known source, and your content on their blog will diversify your exposure and result in an influx of traffic.


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Three former employees of the $13.8 million Lynrocten Federal Credit Union have been accused of loan participation fraud in a $1.7 million civil lawsuit.
Culpeper, Va., credit union accuses staff of shuttered Lynchburg, Va., credit union of stealing loan sharing funds.
Fort Community CU in Wisconsin one of 20 institutions across the land participating.
In the search for the answer of how to reach Millennials, a good start may be to focus on the basics of being present, listening and customizing relevant solutions and experiences.
Former Chief Nathan Harper faces Feb. 25 sentencing for misapplying funds in department's credit union account.
Rhode Island credit union supervisor had turned herself in after unrelated bank robbery alarmed her, FBI says.
The fight between the City of Richmond, Calif. and 624 mortgage lenders continues, as the city attempts to obtain the loans through eminent domain.
Eminent domain plan wins Richmond City Council approval but remains in limbo in face of state law.
Linn Area CU gets plaudits from across the planet for reuniting youngster and his stuffed "Kathy."
Hapo gets his name after HAPO Community CU buys the German shepherd for Richland, Wash., police department.


text:
One of the best excuses any person can use to get out of a chore is, "I don't know how to do it." Over the years, I have mastered that slogan, but the days of excuses will soon be over. Self-help Youtube videos are nice, but Augmented Reality-type 3D tracking will revolutionize complicated and complex tasks.
Complex instruction guides will soon be replaced by downloadable 3D tutorials and specialized Apps through tablets and wearable technology.
Every conceivable industry will be transformed that can be tracked and instructional overlays can be utilized.
Say goodbye my friend!
"I can't fix the lawnmower." Excuse Eliminated
"I don't know how to change the oil in the car." Excuse Eliminated
"I have no idea how to assemble that new bicycle." Excuse Eliminated
"There is no way I could figure out how to change an electrical outlet." Excuse Eliminated
"Installing the TV wall mount is impossible." Excuse Eliminated
AR-Media (http://www.armedia.it/) recently released a video demonstrating the power of 3D tracking on a Ford motor vehicle. The video shows the latest 3D tracking technology for Augmented Reality by Inglobe Technologies in the context of an ordinary maintenance demo application.
Savor your excuses because they are disappearing as wearable technology becomes more prominent.


text: I live down near San Diego and one of the rock stations down here is having March Music Madness. It's like the tourney but with bands instead of teams. They have four regions: 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, and 2000s and then 16 teams in each region. they have an hour long match-up where they'll alternate playing two songs from each band. People can call in or place their votes online. I just caught the tail end of it but I have to say that I'm a fan. For those of you interested check it out: FM94/9 - March Music Madness


text:
Credits & Info
- Uploaded
- Jun 26, 2008 | 12:34 AM EDT
- File Info
- Song
- 46 sec
- Score
- 4.31 / 5.00
Related Content
Heard in 3 Entries!
View all submissions featuring this audio file.
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Licensing Terms
Please contact me if you would like to use this in a project. We can discuss the details.
- Score:
- Rated 4.31 / 5 stars
- Plays & Downloads:
- 23,681 Plays | 816 Downloads
- Share Links:
- Genres:
- Electronic - Dance
- None
Author Comments
Rated 5 / 5 stars
That's dawn good !
Still, I am waiting for the final version... :( Too bad this is a demo...
Well... it's difficult because I can only work on it at envy's house... I'm trying to get it done! :D
Rated 4 / 5 stars
Very nice :)
This is just awesome!
But it needs something but I am not sure what well...
1.I just can't wait for the real version to come out so minimum of 2 minutes please =P
2. It needs more instruments too it then it might sound better (I think)
Still awesome job!
Thank you! You actually gave me constructive criticism instead of telling me it was just "ok" or "not bad." I appreciate that greatly! I will help me out better than any unsupported negative comments! So again... thank you!
Rated 5 / 5 stars
finish fast u can
or i'll get my buddy's to shank ya...
ps my buddys are the mafia in 13 states, 4 countriew in europe, 2 in china, and 15 in india... good luck livin caust they all have about 2 mil sky miles...
seriously... finish it
Wow... hmm... I guess I have no choice now! :D
Rated 4.5 / 5 stars
Nice dance track
Very nice music for doing some shuffling,keep it up!
Thank you very much! I'll try!
Rated 5 / 5 stars
wow first? Lol
heard this in a clip like a few months ago from envy lol cool stuff really


text: We're headed to Eugene in early March to visit two nieces at U of O. We want to take them out to dinner and to brunch. We'll be @ The Best Western adjacent to campus but will have a car. There are no dietary restrictions as far as I know other than one niece is not a big fan of red meat.


text:
Sheng-Li Chen
Sheng-Li Chen, Ph.D. Professor Department of Chemical Engineering China University of Petroleum Changping, Beijing 102249 Room B219, Science Building Phone: 86-010-89733396 Fax: 86-10-69724721 E-mal: firstname.lastname@example.com, firstname.lastname@example.com B.S., Chemical Engineering, Huadong Institute of Petroleum, China, 1983 M.S., Chemical Engineering, China University of Petroleum, China, 1986 Ph.D., Chemical Engineering, China University of Petroleum, China, 1995 Postdoctoral Fellow, Chemical Engineering Department, Princeton University, USA, 2000 Senior Research Staff, IPST, Georgia Institute of Technology, USA, 2000~2002 Senior Research Staff, Chemistry Department, Princeton University, USA, 2002~2003 CONCURRENT UNIVERSITY APPOINTMENTS Professor, State Key Lab of Heavy Oil Processing. Head, Laboratory of Standard and Technology. RESEARCH INTERESTS Nan-technology; Catalyst synthesis and characterization; Catalytic reactions in hydrocarbon processing; Preparation and application of colloidal particles; Standard and technology; Fuel cells; Solar cells; Self-assembly of colloidal particles; Photo-catalytic reactions
Biography Updated on 19 June 2012


text: Emory & Henry students have access to more than100 study abroad programs in 45 countries. By offering a variety of meaningful learning and service experiences abroad, the International Education Program extends the College's mission of moving toward fulfilling every student's potential by preparing students for life in a rapidly changing global society. With an emphasis on active engagement, the program enhances global awareness through an understanding of cultural diversity and global interdependence.


text:
Pasta & Wine Special
Pasta & Wine Special
Location: Grad House Restaurant
Date and Time: March 15th, 5:00 - 8:30 pm
Join us Tuesdays for our Pasta & Wine specials!
From 5-8:30pm, enjoy an order delicious pasta with a glass of house red or white wine at bargain prices!
Only $10 (including tax!) for our pasta and vino combo! (Changes weekly, vegan option available).


text:
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save file in db with unique name or id with asp classic
I m new to asp my code is working absolutely fine, but i am facing two problems although these problems are not affecting the application. I just want to make good functionality to the application logically.
1) when i upload excel file, and if another file is already present with the same name, then new file overwrites it..
and if i manually change file name then file is saved with new name..
i am trying to save this new file with unique name or new name,, i dont know how to do this pls help..
2) and second problem is that i want to save this file in db with the corresponding login user (for future reference).. i hope
my problems will be solved. many thanks
this is the url from which I got help..
code is pasted for review...
'upload_excel.asp <form action="upload_excel_process.asp" method="post" enctype="multipart/form-data" name="frmMain" onSubmit="return checkData();"> <input name="file1" type="file"> <input type="submit" name="Submit" value="Submit"> <%mem_id=session("mem_id")%> <input type="hidden" name="client_id" value="<%=mem_id%>"> </form>
'upload_excel_process.asp <%client_id=session("mem_id")%> <% Dim xlApp,xlBook,xlSheet1,xlSheet2,OpenFile,i Dim Conn,strSQL,client_id,objExec Dim mySmartUpload Dim sFileName '*** Create Object ***' Set mySmartUpload = Server.CreateObject("aspSmartUpload.SmartUpload") '*** Upload Files ***' mySmartUpload.Upload '** Getfile Name ***' sFileName = mySmartUpload.Files("file1").FileName If sFileName <> "" Then mySmartUpload.Files("file1").SaveAs(Server.MapPath("excel/"&sFileName)) ' my ref..\excel\" & session("mem_id") & "\" & now() OpenFile = "excel/"&sFileName '*** Create Exce.Application ***' Set xlApp = Server.CreateObject("Excel.Application") Set xlBook = xlApp.Workbooks.Open(Server.MapPath(OpenFile)) Set xlSheet1 = xlBook.Worksheets(1) Set Conn = Server.Createobject("ADODB.Connection") Conn.Open "DRIVER=Microsoft Access Driver (*.mdb);DBQ=" & Server.MapPath("../db/database.mdb"),"" , "" For i = 2 To 5 If Trim(xlSheet1.Cells.Item(i,1)) <> "" Then strSQL = "" strSQL = strSQL &"INSERT INTO add_contacts " strSQL = strSQL &"(client_id,name_receiver,contact_person_receiver,street_receiver,city_receiver,tel_receiver,fax_receiver,country_receiver,zip_code_receiver) " ' i have added fields to the db for file (file_name and file_id) strSQL = strSQL &"VALUES " strSQL = strSQL &"('"&client_id&"', '"&xlSheet1.Cells.Item(i,1)&"','"&xlSheet1.Cells.Item(i,2)&"','"&xlSheet1.Cells.Item(i,3)&"'" strSQL = strSQL &",'"&xlSheet1.Cells.Item(i,4)&"','"&xlSheet1.Cells.Item(i,5)&"','"&xlSheet1.Cells.Item(i,6)&"','"&xlSheet1.Cells.Item(i,7)&"','"&xlSheet1.Cells.Item(i,8)&"')" Set objExec = Conn.Execute(strSQL) Set objExec = Nothing End IF Next xlApp.Application.Quit '*** Quit and Clear Object ***' Conn.Close() Set Conn = Nothing Set xlSheet1 = Nothing Set xlBook = Nothing Set xlApp = Nothing End If Set mySmartUpload = Nothing %>
One way you could save with a unique name would be to add the date and time that the file was uploaded to the end of the name.
sFileName = mySmartUpload.Files("file1").FileName when = Now() stamp = "-T" & ( Year(when) * 10000 + Month(when) * 100 + Day(when) ) _ & "-" & ( Hour(when) * 10000 + Minute(when) * 100 + Second(when) ) sFileName = Replace( ".xls", stamp & ".xls" )
So a file uploaded as "test.xls" would end up with a name such as "test-T20120116-131512.xls" on the server.Be yourself. No one else is as qualified.


text:
By Dan Jenkins
(97.1 The Ticket) — Regardless of how the rest of the season plays out, Dave Dombrowski and the Tigers organization is set to have some tough decisions to make during the offseason.
One of the team's top priorities, presumably, will be to resign 35-year-old designated hitter Victor Martinez, who is easily having the best season of his career. According to Bruce Levine of 670 The Score in Chicago, the White Sox will be among the teams making a push to sign the veteran switch hitter.
Martinez is battling for the American League batting title, hitting .328 with a career-high 26 home runs. Martinez has been with the Tigers since coming over from the Red Sox in 2011, but missed the entire 2012 season with a torn ACL.


text: The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) has thrown open the doors for entries to the 2001 BAFTA Interactive Entertainment Awards. The organization says publishers, developers, broadcasters and practitioners from the interactive industry are being encouraged to enter, it says. The awards, held in London in October, herald the best work in art installations, WAP, CDs, DVDs, console games, Web sites, and digital television. The organisation says it also recognizes the increasing trend towards digital convergence. This year there are 20 categories, says the organization, and are judged by a panel of industry professionals. Categories include interactive arts, online learning, networked games, best entertainment Web site, best interactive work aimed at children, and enhancement of linear media. The closing date for entries is July 31, 2001.


text:
Home > Eyeglasses > Flexon > WRIGHT 600 (033)
Size and availability
Free outbound and return shipping
30-day money-back guarantee
Low prices
Free outbound and return shipping
30-day money-back guarantee
Low prices
WRIGHT 600/033 Eyewear
As a customer of Edel-Optics, you are totally aware that eyewear can crown your style. This accessory makes you look very smart when you are out and about and convincing in the office and in your leisure time. The WRIGHT 600 is available in the Edel-Optics online shop in other styles from Flexon collections 2016 and 2017.
The frame is specially designed for men. Sporting clear lines, New School Cool meets traditional quality. Wearing classical semi-rim eyewear, your outfit is given ample space to achieve its effect, still leaving enough room for a stylish accent in your face. As a result, this type of frame is very versatile and combinable. Rectangular models are particularly suitable for round and oval faces. The rectangular shape also builds a bridge to corners and edges from an image aspect. Plastic is a very lightweight and flexible material. This ensures a long life and a high level of comfort. The metallic style is currently all the rage! With new eyeglasses in gunmetal look, you can't go wrong. They are both elegant and creative. Tortoise colour combinations are absolutely trendy. The muted colours simultaneously stand for timelessness and retro style.
With the help of our digital dispensing optician, your prescription lenses can be configured according to your own requirements. Anti-reflective and cleaning coatings, antistatic and lotus effect are included as standard for plastic lenses.
The model has already been ordered and will shortly be back in stock. If you order now, you will get the reduced price and once the goods arrive, we will send you your new Flexon on the same day. And because Edel-Optics is a paradise for bargain hunters, you can get this top model at an incredibly low price. What is labelled as "in the sale" at other online shops, is for us "all-day-everyday" prices.
New Releases
Need help?
Don't hesitate to call us at
payment methods
Master of the Glasses


text:
Confetti Experts!
Anniversaries are 68% More Memorable with Flutter FETTI
Wedding Confetti by Flutter FETTI® makes unique wedding decorations whether you're the bride or an event planner. Our unique Wedding Confetti creates wonderful memories for your guests and make a great alternative to rice and rose petals. Use these confetti sticks at bachelorette parties for an exciting twist and a preview of the Big Day!
Elegant yet festive, these ready to use tubes are filled with all-white Flutter FETTI® Confetti. With the simple "flick of the wrist," you will have a beautiful display of magic and fun fly out of the tube up to 12' high into the air for the ultimate display of imaginative wedding supplies. These tubes are designed to easily fit inside a purse or a man's jacket pocket and make delightful wedding decorations.
The Wedding Confetti tissue is flame-retardant and biodegradable. Our confetti for weddings, bachelor parties, and bachelorette parties works well in reception halls with low ceilings and at bachelorette parties in someone's home. These are lovely, exquisite wedding supplies your attendees will cherish.
Suggested Confetti Products For Weddings, Bachelorette Parties, & More:
All prices are in USD
Copyright 2017 Flutter FETTI Confetti & Streamers.
Note some confetti products are colored with dye that may stain if they come become damp or wet. Please remove wet confetti immediately upon discharge.


text:
Krejcir-linked suspects due in court
Two people linked to Czech fugitive Radovan Krejcir are expected to appear in the Alexandra Magistrate's Court on Monday.
The man (32) and woman (23) face charges of conspiracy to commit murder, theft and possession of a stolen vehicle.
On Thursday, two men and a woman were arrested in Sandton, Johannesburg, for allegedly plotting to kill forensic investigator Paul O'Sullivan and crime intelligence officer Colonel Nkosana "Killer" Ximba.
The three were arrested by a police task team investigating Krejcir.
The other man (33) was also being sought for the kidnapping and attempted murder case which Krejcir was being held for. He would appear in the Palm Ridge Magistrate's Court on Monday on kidnapping and attempted murder charges.
He would later be charged, along with the man and woman, with conspiracy to commit murder, theft and possession of a stolen vehicle, national police spokesperson Lieutenant General Solomon Makgale said on Saturday.
Charges of kidnapping
The kidnapping case involves Krejcir, Sandton businessperson? Desai Luphondo, and two members of the Hawks, Warrant Officers Samuel Modise Maropeng and George Jeff Nthoroane. They were arrested in November and face charges of kidnapping, assault and attempted murder.
In June they allegedly kidnapped and assaulted a man whose brother, known only as Doctor, disappeared with a 25kg shipment of tik he had been recruited to help smuggle through OR Tambo International Airport.
They allegedly kept the man at Krejcir's Money Point business in Bedfordview, Johannesburg, for four days, and assaulted him. – Sapa


text:
Monday, August 18, 2008
So you think you want to work at home
…Sue Shellenbarger writes about how Big Bro cannot leave home workers well enough alone (WSJ, July 30, 2008).
…Companies are hiring independent contractors, then stripping them of their independence by spying on them with webcams and keystroke counters.
…They take screen shots at random times (better not be the horoscope onscreen), count mouse clicks, and snap photos of the workers to see if they look alert.
…As gas gets more expensive, more poor fools will find themselves on an electronic leash.
…Can't go to the john without fear and guilt, how much coffee are you drinking?, why do you look pale, were you out late? This stuff is not healthful, either.
…A big culprit in the spy biz is oDesk, a bidding company in which freelancers are invited to ax each other and race to the bottom of the pay scale—only to be spied on.
…Supposedly oDesk workers put up with this because the company pays promptly. Freelancers are such a wretched lot—sell out for this!
…Other companies ask workers to schedule bathroom breaks—unpaid, of course—ahead of time.
…And if you are a customer service rep working from home, heaven forbid the boss tunes in and your dog barks.
..The dog is fired immediately.
…One woman's little pet knows that and clams up when she starts talking on the phone.
…It's a bitch.
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text:
Further volumes are being planned, including the cases of LOUISE MASSET, the first person executed in the 20th century, who murdered her three-year-old son and left his body at Dalston Junction railway station, and PERCY LEFROY MAPLETON, the infamous railway murderer of Mr Frederick Isaac Gold on the Brighton line in 1881,
Visit www.NotableBritishTrials.co.uk for further information.
Many copies of the original series are available for sale on the LayBooks website.
This 50-page hardback book, with Index, features a nostaligic look back at 'Jack's' East End as it was captured, in colour, in 1995 by enthusiastic photographer and Ripperologist, Ray Luff. Having recently acquired Ray's catalogue of over 430 photographs and with Adam Wood's expertise and in-depth knowledge of the East End, we are publishing the results with 87 carefully selected photographs to represent the area as it was 21 years ago, along with six rare black/white photographs taken in the mid-1960s.
The book's publication coincides with The Whitechapel Society's 21st anniversary (in 1995 it was known as The Cloak and Dagger Club) and is limited to 100 numbered copies - so don't delay in obtaining your copy.
Please contact me at : email@example.com to order your copy.
NOW IN STOCK - THE MASTER GHOST HUNTER A Life of Elliott O'Donnell BY RICHARD WHITTINGTON-EGAN. SIGNED. Illus. + Appendix (List of Stories by Elliott O'Donnell), Bibliography and Index. 312pp. 8vo h/back. With a SIGNED LABEL. Price £20 + postage at the local rate.
NOW IN STOCK - THE SINS OF JACK SAUL The true story of Dublin Jack and the Cleveland Street scandal. BY GLENN CHANDLER (creator and writer of 'Taggart'). SIGNED. Illus. + Index. 292pp. softcover. Price £12.00 + postage at the local rate.
NOW IN STOCK - THEY ALL LOVE JACK - BUSTING THE RIPPER BY BRUCE ROBINSON. Price £35 with a SIGNED LABEL, plus postage at the local rate. This is a heavy book (850pp. weighing 1.4kg with packaging) so will require additional postage.
NOW IN STOCK - PRISONER 4374 BY A.J. GRIFFITHS-JONES. Illus. 113pp. p/back. SIGNED COPIES £9 + postage at the local rate.
NOW IN STOCK - JACK THE RIPPER - CASE SOLVED 1891 BY J.J. HAINSWORTH. Price £30 with a SIGNED LABEL, plus postage at the local rate.
'MAKE ME AN OFFER'. If I have a higher priced title on the website which, in the current climate, is a little out of reach financially for you, please feel free to make contact via the link and, literally, make me an offer. I will consider all/any offers made and get back to you with a yes or no, or possibly negotiate. I will be listing the titles that are available over the next week or so, and will include any 'newly added' titles which fall into this category as I catalogue them.
Welcome to Loretta Lay Books website, which you will see caters for those interested in not just antiquarian and out-of-print true crime books, but also some of those elusive Jack the Ripper titles.
Payments can be made via PayPal, as well as by cheque (as long as it is in sterling on a British bank), or directly into my bank account (details will be provided upon request). Unfortunately I will no longer be processing credit cards myself - so apologies to those customers this is likely to affect, but it is very simple to sign-up with PayPal. I would actually recommend that you open an account with Loretta Lay Books via the website, for ease of transaction. All information provided is secure, and doesn't involve any credit card information.
The messageboard is available for those of you who need help with research, or want to promote a true crime book you have written, or for general messages including opinions on any true crime or associated subjects. Reviews of titles you have bought (not just from my site) are most welcome. They don't have to be new books, but anything you consider to be required reading. Having said that, I do prefer positives rather than negatives!
The site can only work successfully with your input - put www.laybooks.com into your 'Favourites' and if you like it, recommend it to your friends.
I hope you find the book you are looking for, but if it's not there, contact me and I'll try to find it for you.
Your comments would be appreciated, so that I can assess what works, and perhaps what doesn't.
Thank you for visiting my website, come back again soon.
Loretta Lay


text:
Great children's book ideas result from how you think about story
So many authors want to write children's books. What are you doing to set yourself apart?
Publishers aren't only looking for quality writing. They're looking for stories that scream,
"I'm unique!"
Are all the best children's book ideas already taken? Of course not. So how can you brainstorm a story that stands out?
I happen to know a little something about that.
Warning: At the bottom of this page, I'm going to try to sell you something. But on the way to the bottom, you're still going to learn a lot!
My name is Steve Barancik. (This is my site. That's not my picture.) I broke into film by writing a story with a twist. My main character was the villain. That's right. In story terms, she was the protagonist, instead of the antagonist.
That unusual choice was enough to get my story noticed. And produced. And the movie's success bought me a career.
That same type of creativity could help you get a children's book published.
Guess what? It's never too early to think about your query letter.
You know about query letters, right? Essentially, you have one short paragraph to persuade an agent, editor or publisher that your children's book ideas rock!
Dear Sir or Ma'am:
I've written a GREAT book about a little animal who loses its mommy...
Hello, wastebasket!
Editors sift through thousands of queries. The only way to make an impression with a query letter is to describe a children's book idea that sounds unique!
Let's say you're the editor. Do you read the children's book manuscript about the animal who lost its mommy...or the other one about the pigeon who wants to drive a bus?
Hmm. Score one for the pigeon.
(Mo Willems has the most unusual children's book ideas. And guess what? He wrote for Hollywood for a decade!)
What people call "writing" is actually two things: let's call them "plotting" and "penning." Penning is merely the ability to use prose to express thoughts.
Plotting is the ability to invent and structure a story. Plotting is the skill it takes to assemble something pleasing, complete, structurally sound and original from a lot of component parts.
Professional writers plot before they pen. (Do you???) I call this stage PREwriting.
I know a heck of a lot about prewriting. So keep reading! I want
this page to be the most important page you've ever read as a writer.
Let's consider a story's structure. Structure includes:
Now, most of these components of structure can be further broken down, and it is these pieces I like to call "story elements." For instance:
Setting - your story is likely made up of separate scenes, each in its own time and place
Character - your story has numerous characters, and each of these characters should have a number of identifiable character traits
Motivation and Objective - each character has his or her own reason for doing what he/she does
Plot - every twist and turn - every choice a character makes - is a story element
When you get right down to it, even a picture book can have hundreds of story elements. In other words, hundreds of children's book ideas that contribute to the whole.
These are the molecules from which you assemble a story!
And if you're choosing only the most common molecules - I mean, story elements - then you're going to have trouble getting a children's book published.
You won't stand out as unique.
The movie business is all about prewriting and rewriting. Before a screenwriter lands an assignment, he has to "pitch" his "take" on the material.
Pitching involves telling the bosses how you propose to arrange and rearrange all the story elements. Your "take" on the material is compared to the "takes" of all the other writers who have been invited to pitch.
The most clear and creative prewriting wins the assignment!
This process turns folks in Hollywood into experts in story structure. Even an executive who can't write any better than your six year old knows the most important skill in structuring a story:
"What if" means, "What if I change this or that story element?" "What if" is any writer's tool for generating new ideas.
What if I move my Western into outer space? What if the villain turns out to be my hero's father?
Time Out!
How am I doing?
This is supposed to be a "pitch page," the internet version of an infomercial. There's supposed to be lots of "Wow!" and "I can't believe it!!!" and crazy claims like, "I'll make you a published author in just seven minutes!" If I do it correctly, you almost expect a washed up celebrity to appear on your computer screen and tell you this is the most amazing thing they've ever seen!!!!!!
Well, if you've spent any time on this site, you know that's not me. It's not that I don't believe in what I'm about to pitch you; my writing package actually rocks. It'll give you the secrets to generating children's book ideas like never before. But it's just a tool, a one-of-a-kind tool. In the end, it's all up to you.
One other thing: the experts tell you never to put any actual information on the pitch page; save it all for the books. Well, you may have noticed I'm disobeying that rule too.
Don't tell anyone!!!!!
My time in Hollywood gave me something special to offer children's book authors in search of better children's book ideas.
My writer friends who didn't serve time in film often express awe when they ask me to critique their work. I start throwing out "What if's?" and their heads start spinning!
"That never occurred to me!" "Of course that'd fix the problem." And, "Why didn't I think of that?"
Why didn't they think of "that"? Probably because they never sat around a table with a director, a producer and two sheepish studio executives trying to figure out how to rewrite a story now that the studio head was insisting on a 22 year old female star instead of a 45 year old male one!
I find that when I consider a story, I think of many more
possibilities than the average writer. Am I more creative? No. I just
have different training.
Writer's Block is simply the condition of being blind to all the story elements that are available to you.
And even if you're not feeling blocked, you still might not be weaving the best story you could. There are probably opportunities for story improvement that aren't even occurring to you. Children's book ideas just waiting...for you to think of them!
The ideas that didn't occur to you can easily make the difference
between a children's book that gets published and one that doesn't. So
let me tell you how I can help. For starters...
Some people learn best by example. In 44 Ways to Fracture a Fairy Tale, I take one familiar fairy tale and present 44 different restructurings of it.
I decided the most effective way to share the skills I learned over a decade (from some of the most creative storytellers in the world) was to provide examples.
A lot of them.
And to make sure my examples were as clear and simple and familiar as possible, I decided my examples should be set in the world of fairy tales.
And just to be certain that you, the writer, can appreciate the power of this method...
I decided that my examples should all pertain to a single fairy tale. That way, you'll realize how many different ways a single, simple story can be told, retold and remade.
(Hover above a name for comments)
A real writer never stops brainstorming better solutions and more creative storytelling. That means questioning your assumptions.
Use the examples in my book to inspire you to a better sense of all the ways in which you can improve a story.
You'll have better children's book ideas. You'll have more children's book ideas.
44 Ways to Fracture a Fairy Tale
Everyone knows the tale of The Three Little Pigs and their encounter with the Big Bad Wolf. Most people think of the story as written in stone.
I see it as a lump of clay. You can too.
Are my ways the only 44 ways to alter The Three Little Pigs? Not even close. But my hunch is that 44 is enough to open your mind to a new and improved way of looking at story and generating children's book ideas. You'll spend less time blocked and more time writing...writing better.
I give each new imagining of the story its own title. Here's a taste:
But now, let's talk about the second book...
44 Ways to Fracture a Fairy Tale teaches by example. 22 Ways to Re-Think a Story teaches the principles of generating children's book ideas at the story element level.
You'll learn to tease new story options out of all your fiction by examining
Once you finish 22 Ways, you'll be a certified master of "What if"!
I want you to be equipped with these skills for life. So just to make sure you keep these tricks in your toolbox for the rest of your writing career, I've compiled a Story Element Checklist that you can keep at your side whenever you're writing.
The Story Element Checklist is the "What if" button you push to generate new children's book ideas almost automatically!
The checklist consists of each of the 22 Ways boiled down to a single sentence.
(And by the way: I lied. There are actually 28 Ways, but twenty-two sounds better.)
Print out multiple copies of the Story Element Checklist and keep them handy wherever you find yourself thinking about your writing!
And just to clarify...
All of the Ways will help you generate more children's book ideas, but each and every one of them can be applied to any kind of fiction...not just kids' stuff!
An embarrassing story
Early in my career, I had writer's block. I actually bought story software that promised to help me dream up new stories and improve old ones. It wouldn't be right for me to name the program (it's still being sold), but it cost me about $300 at the time!
Looking back, I realize that the software's only real value was in making me, the writer, appreciate all the various elements that comprise a well-written story...and how easily they can be changed to create something entirely new and improved.
Story Enhancement Software? Overkill. Use
...to open up a whole new world of possibility for your writing.
I have one more embarrassing story to tell...and a bonus to offer.
My writing career almost ended before it started. You see, I took a college workshop in short fiction writing...before I'd studied short fiction. I'm keeping the embarrassing details to myself, but suffice it to say I was shamed by the professor in front of the whole class.
My first short story? I thought I'd written a masterpiece; he thought it was the worst thing ever written.
He was right. And the experience turned me into a real writer.
Most of the unpublished children's book manuscripts I read are just as poorly written as my work was, and I feel awful for the writers. It's clear to me that they think a lifetime of reading qualifies them to be writers.
It doesn't. Reading is one thing. Studying is another.
Well, since most of us don't have the option of dropping everything to take a college course in children's literature, I'm going to provide the next best thing...
You're gonna love this.
I've taken the text of Beatrix Potter's classic The Tale of Peter Rabbit and analyzed the heck out of it! If you're new to writing children's books, this is essential information. If you've been writing children's books for awhile...
I'm confident you'll still find this to be an eye-opener.
Why a century old book? Well, for one thing, it's a classic. For another, its copyright has expired. I couldn't do this for you with a more recent book!
With a lengthy Overview and 45 footnotes, you'll get a real sense of the craft that goes into a publishable children's book. You'll also get my explanation of all the Essential Elements of Fiction and where they occur in Ms. Potter's work.
There you have it!
The price for my entire writing package is $12.99. That includes:
All products are delivered as PDF files. (If you don't have Adobe PDF software, you can download it for free.) You will be able to download the entire writing package as soon as you complete your purchase.
Now I'm supposed to put a big splashy graphic here with a button that says, "Buy now to make your life perfect!" or, "My children's book ideas are sure to make you the next Dr. Seuss!" But we're grown-ups, right? I think you can just click on a link.
Purchase Steve Barancik's creative writing package.
(And heck, if you aren't satisfied, write me back and I'll refund your money. For real.)
Open your story horizons. 3 books PLUS the checklist. Buy my children's book ideas package now.


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at South Coast Repertory
Reviewed by Scott Proudfit
The latest generation of Irish playwrights seems heartset on single-handedly stemming the tide of tourism to its native land. Martin McDonagh, in particular, with his award-winning trilogy of plays set in the country's west coast, paints the grimmest of portraits of the Emerald Isle. Yet, as realized by director Andrew J. Robinson and his talented cast at SCR, the strongest of these three works, The Beauty Queen of Leenane, is revealed as not only grim but downright scary, and heartbreaking as well. And just in time for St. Patrick's Day!
The theme of the piece is that the only true sin is holding on to something useful without ever intending to use it-whether it's a child's ball lost over a fence, a child herself, or one's sexuality. The focus of the play is the relationship between an embittered and crafty old woman, Mag (Anne Gee Byrd), and her caretaker daughter Maureen (Heather Ehlers), a 40-year-old virgin with a tenuous grip on reality. As the gray skies continually looming above their squalid home can attest, there is little hope for a ray of sunshine in this miserable place. And like the barren, wind-blasted countryside around this hovel, any hopes and dreams that her daughter may cultivate are ripped up by the conniving Mag before they can take root. Maureen's only ray of light comes in the form of a good-hearted neighbor on leave from his job in England, Pato (Tim Murphy), who believes that the not only is she far from useless-she is a beauty queen, no less, and a woman, more importantly.
Also like the skies above the house, McDonagh's palette is not comprised of black and white but shades of gray. What could have been merely the classic archetypal tragedy of a mother devouring her brood becomes much more in this play, as the abuser becomes the abused, and Mag's seeds of hatred grow strong in Maureen-the only things, it seems, that take root in this wasteland.
Ehlers is a wonder as Maureen. She stays true to McDonagh's intentions by revealing the character's pain and longing, her humanity, by degrees. Only at the end of Act One, in bra and slip, lording her sexuality over her "saintly" mother, does Ehlers' Maureen come to life. But even then, in the actress' eyes, we never lose the pathetic desperation behind this triumph. One can't imagine a more honest characterization, even from the lauded Broadway production. It's a difficult role at the heart of this difficult play, and Ehlers nails it.
Byrd as Mag is right on as well. She never succumbs to the crotchety and comic old lady stereotype. Nor does she become an evil cartoon, despite her blatantly theatrical plotting-the burning of a life-saving letter to the pining Maureen from her Pato, for instance, which is straight out of the melodrama tradition. Byrd gives us a straightforward and brutal depiction of a woman with whom we may never sympathize but in the end we understand.
Murphy, as the weak-willed but well-meaning Pato, is the perfect foil to these two women. His best work is in the aforementioned morning-after scene, in which he helplessly watches Maureen initially mock her offended mother, then ultimately cave in to her threats and her own insecurities. Rob King as Ray, Pato's frustrated and childish younger brother, hits the only wrong note in this otherwise flawless ensemble. His accent seems a bit off, which leads him to caricaturish readings that go for the joke and lack the depth of the other performances. Still, one can see what he's going for in his lively physicality-it's in the right direction. It's just too extreme a take on the role and seems appropriate for another show.
Director Robinson is apparently on a streak-his excellent Waiting for Godot is still up at the Matrix, proving that he is the go-to guy for difficult and important dramas. As with Godot, he pinpoints the strengths of the text, plays the charms as well, but makes the audience work for the real meat of the piece-never squandering the deep emotional resonance for easy surface histrionics. Scenic designer Michael Devine should also be credited for his distorted, symbolic set, which mirrors the heightened realities of the play, and for his appropriately threatening skies (lit ominously by Tom Ruzika), which indicate more than just atmosphere.
McDonagh may not paint a pretty picture of Leenane, but his devastating play demonstrates once more why Ireland is not just famous for its scenery, but for its literary tradition as well.
"The Beauty Queen of Leenane," presented by and at South Coast Repertory, 655 Town Center Dr., Costa Mesa. Tues.-Fri. 7:45 p.m., Sat.-Sun. 2 and 7:45 p.m. Mar. 7-Apr. 9. $26-45. (714) 708-5555.
at the Angus Bowmer Theatre
Reviewed by Judy Richter
Libby Appel, artistic director of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, considers her version of William Shakespeare's Henry V a "bare-bones" production. By this she means that it depends primarily upon the language and actors, rather than on William Bloodgood's backstage set design or David Murin's costumes, which are vaguely reminiscent of the early 15th century. Thus Appel puts the play in good hands, for Shakespeare wrote Henry V at the peak of his artistic powers (Hamlet came the following year), and her OSF acting company is superb.
Of course, one can't overlook Appel's creative contributions. Her blocking creates some memorable stage pictures. For example, five denizens of Eastcheap sadly discuss the death of Falstaff (not seen in this play) while they are arrayed along a set of moveable stairs: Mistress Quickly (Dee Maaske) at the top, the Boy (Robin Goodrin Nordli) at the bottom, the others between. These stage pictures are accented by Robert Peterson's dramatic lighting and Todd Barton's music.
Yet another ingenious stroke of staging is the climactic Battle of Agincourt, the mighty clash between the ragtag, outnumbered-but-victorious English army and the stronger French defenders. Appel, aided by fight choreographer and movement director John Sipes, stages much of the battle in slow motion in front of a wall of mirrors, creating the illusion of many more men onstage. Perhaps the most compelling vision Appel creates involves the Chorus (also Nordli), who presents the prologue with her "Muse of fire" speech and serves as narrator throughout the play. Appel keeps her onstage most of the time to bear witness to this exploration of kingship and power. Dressed in white shirt, vest, and overcoat with black pants, Nordli is stunning.
Also stunning is Dan Donohue as King Henry V. Donohue has played the character, starting as the carousing young Prince Hal in Henry IV, Part I in 1998, throughout OSF's current history cycle. What may seem especially striking to Ashland regulars is not only how the character matures but also how this fine actor has grown with the role. One can particularly see how Hal's escapades with the roguish Falstaff and other Eastcheap lowlifes have made him a shrewd judge of character. On the other hand, those experiences have not served him as well when it comes to instinctively knowing if he can rightfully claim France-nor have they schooled him in the art of wooing a woman of his own class, Princess Katherine (Susan Champion) of France. He's at a loss for words despite his two stirring battle orations, "Once more unto the breach, dear friends" and the St. Crispin's Day speech.
Among the other characters, David Kelly as Fluellen, the loyal Welsh captain; Ray Porter as Montjoy, the French envoy, and Bernard K. Addison as the Constable of France stand out in this large ensemble cast.
Overall, Appel and her team of actors and designers have created a muscular yet finely nuanced production that clearly delineates Shakespeare's masterful language, plot, and themes. As the opening production of OSF's 11-play season, it sets the tone for the next nine months and sends a clear message that the festival strives for and attains the highest standards.
"Henry V," presented by Oregon Shakespeare Festival at the Angus Bowmer Theatre, 15 S. Pioneer St., Ashland, Ore. Feb. 18-Oct. 29. (541) 482-4331.
at the Lucie Stern Theatre
Reviewed by Judy Richter
In setting out to chronicle 20th-century American black life through plays set in each decade, playwright August Wilson has become one of the foremost voices of American theatre. His writing is powerful and poetic, his characters memorable. These qualities come through beautifully in TheatreWorks' production of Fences (seen in its final preview), the 1985 work set in the late 1950s during the nascent civil rights movement.
Although the characters don't overtly acknowledge the civil rights movement, it's safe to assume that 53-year-old Troy Maxson (Anthony J. Haney), who works for the Pittsburgh garbage company, is promoted because of it. Otherwise, Troy, his family and his friends lead hardscrabble lives. Troy owns his house, humble though it may be, only because of the money his brother Gabriel (Colman Domingo) received when a combat wound left him mentally impaired.
Troy is a large, strong man who dominates his wife, Rose (Gloria Weinstock), and teenage son, Cory (Cyril Jamal Cooper). Coming home from work one afternoon, he and a friend, Jim Bono (James Brooks), seem like ordinary working men. They kid around good-naturedly, and Troy is playfully affectionate with Rose. As he drains his pint of gin, however, a more belligerent side emerges. Troy harbors bitterness over his inability to crack the color barrier and play on white baseball teams rather than in the Negro Leagues. Perhaps for that reason, he refuses to allow Cory to play college football. He says he doesn't want Cory to be disappointed as he was. Cory believes Troy doesn't want his son showing him up. Troy is imbued with a sense of responsibility to his family even though he feels fenced in by it-but not so fenced in that he doesn't father a child by another woman.
The climactic scene, in which he tells Rose about his dalliance, not only hurts her deeply but also reveals that she has been fenced in, too, subordinating her dreams to him and to their family's needs.
Director Harry Elam and his excellent cast have a clear sense of the play's emotional flow, allowing Wilson's themes and plot threads to emerge naturally. Haney captures the forces at work on Troy, making him a decent yet flawed man who can't overcome earlier traumas, such as father/son conflicts that compelled him to leave home when he was 14. Though Rose has long ago made peace with her choices, Weinstock gives her an inner strength that allows her to deal with Troy's transgressions. Cooper grows into his role as Cory as the youth finds the courage to stand up to his father, then the humility to accept his mother's sage advice in the moving final scene.
Brooks is likable and wise as Troy's friend. Domingo is sweetly daft as the mentally impaired Gabriel. Rounding out the cast, Peter J. Macon does well as Lyons, Troy's adult son from an earlier marriage, even though the role isn't well-developed. Rashida "Cocoa" Bryant, who alternates with Britnee Barnes, is appealing as Raynell, Troy's illegitimate daughter.
Production values are strong with Andrea Bechert's set, Allison Connor's costumes, Christopher Neumeyer's sound and Steven B. Mannshardt's lighting, es


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Useful's Desktop Multiplier
Get two computers for the space of one. If you're looking to add an additional desktop computer to your home, but don't have the room (or the money), Desktop Multiplier allows you to share one computer between two monitors. If you already have a dual screen setup, you won't need much more than an additional keyboard and mouse, and you'll have to switch over to Linux.
The software takes advantage of Linux's ability to handle simultaneous users. You are able to share one computer with up to ten machines, and Useful has a handy page that lets you see exactly what you need to get up and running. They also tout this setup as a "greener" choice, which is believable since you are only using power for one machine. The software is available as a free trial, but you'll have to contact them for purchase information.
Thanks blue gazelle for the photo!


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Myrtle Beach Golf Wizard package boasts dynamic foursome of Grand Strand courses for fall
It's prime fall time for golf in Myrtle Beach right now, and one golf package showcasing some of the area's better plays has caught my eye in particular.
The Myrtle Beach Golf Wizard three-night, four-round package includes a golf course condo and these four courses: Prestwick Country Club, Tradition Club, Founder's Club and World Tour Golf Links.
I especially like the foursome of courses because it includes two great, under-publicized golf courses in Myrtle Beach: Prestwick and Tradtion, while Founder's Club is a premium, new addition to the lowcountry courses of Pawleys Island. Prestwick is one of two Pete Dye-designed courses and keeps a lower profile than the Barefoot Resort's Dye course. The Tradition Club, which I've praised before, lies in the shadow in a neighborhood of nationally recognized plays.
To the north just over the Highway 501 bridge, World Tour's 27 holes round out the package, where you'll play some of the world's most famous golf holes from St. Andrews to Augusta National.
The package peaks at $459 for the fall and the price should drop further as we head into late November and the holiday season. Call (800) 391-1004 to book or click here.
These courses are all between the Central and South Strand. If you're interested in the South Strand and Pawleys Island on a budget, click here for my recent feature.
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"Extremely illuminating."
Directed by Koji Masutani
US, 2008, 80 min, Color/B&W, All Video Formats
At the heart of this essential documentary
is a critical and perennially relevant question:
Does it matter who is President
of the United States
when it comes to issues of war and peace?
"Fascinating." - Sara
Cardace, New York Magazine
"Captivating. Meticulous and wholly engrossing."
- Ted Fry, The Seattle Times
"Compelling. Insightful. Highly convincing."
– Frank Scheck, Hollywood Reporter
The film employs what Harvard historian Niall Ferguson calls "virtual
history" to investigate one of the most debated "what
if" scenarios in the history of U.S. foreign policy: What would
President John F. Kennedy have done in Vietnam if he had not been
assassinated in 1963 and was instead re-elected in 1964? The examples
- the Bay of Pigs debacle, the crisis in Laos, the erection of the
Berlin Wall, the Cuban Missile Crisis and two critical junctures
in managing Vietnam - are well known, as are Kennedy's actions and
what subsequently transpired under Kennedy's successor, Lyndon
B. Johnson.
Combining footage from numerous Kennedy press conferences, in-depth
interviews and a close reading of the documentary record, the film
argues that critical decisions about the use of restraint and coercive
diplomacy often require greater acts of courage than the use of
force. Meanwhile, Kennedy's dry wit and Masutani's judicious
editing make the film a compelling and surprisingly entertaining
Virtual JFK takes its inspiration from Kennedy's famous
statement that "we must never negotiate out of fear, but
we must never fear to negotiate". It resonates powerfully
with audiences who are invited to draw their own conclusions from
the documentary record.
"An extended glimpse into a bygone era
of statesmanship. In Masutani's selection of clips, watching Kennedy
field astute questions and scathing critiques with thoughtfulness
and wit proves extremely illuminating; his weighing of complex factors
in an international situation and consciousness of how much rides
on his decisions strikes a now unfamiliar note." -
Ronnie Scheib, Variety
"What emerges is a complex image of a
clever, sophisticated, disciplined man whose mind remains keen under
enormous stress." - Ted Fry, The Seattle Times
"A critical handbook for current and
aspiring world leaders."
- Sergei Khrushchev, Son of the Former Soviet Prime Minister,
Nikita Khrushchev
Director Koji Masutani is currently a Visiting Fellow at
the Watson Institute for International Studies at Brown University
and trained previously with cinematographer Christopher Doyle in
Hong Kong. Producer and narrator James Blight is a Professor of
International Studies at the Watson Institute for International
Studies and served as principal substantive adviser to Errol Morris
during the production of The Fog of War, winner of the 2004
Academy Award® for Best Documentary. A book of the same title,
written by the film's producers James Blight, Janet Lang and
David Welch was published by Rowman & Littlefield on January
28, 2009.
(c) 2005-2013 ws://design


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Russel Wright Snow Glass 5 in. Fruit Bowl
Sold for:
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- Sold Date:
- Source: eBay
This is a very rare Russel Wright 5in. Snow Glass fruit bowl. This glass proved to be fragile, it was made by Paden City and was made to go with the Highlight line of dinnerware. This piece is 5 in. in diameter and 2 in. high and is in excellent condition with no chipping to the edges. Snow glass is full of tiny bubbles that make it look almost like icey snow, it is very different and beautiful but had it's problems and it is hard to find pieces that are perfect, most display irregular dimples and internal fractures but this is all part of the manufacturing process. This is an excellent example. Winner pays with a money order for immediate shipping or with a personal check in which case I will hold item until check clears. Winner also pays 7.00 shipping.


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Download your PDF guide to Poza Rica
I've never seen anything like it in my life!! To see such clean pure water from its source was so impressive! I spent literally HOURS watching how it bubbled in the shape of an eye, in the background a small tide pool of crystal clear
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KAI RYSSDAL: The Dow Industrials closed the day at their umpteenth record high of the year. Nudging up against the 14,000 mark. Given the way things have been going on Wall Street the past few sessions, you'd be forgiven for thinking the good times are here again.
They may well be, but not everyone believes that. Specifically, investors in what're called the options market. Where there are some signs Wall Street's gone a little too far, too fast. We got economist Mark Zandi from Moody's Economy.com on the line to explain what exactly that means.
Mark, good to talk with you.
MARK ZANDI: It's good to be with you.
RYSSDAL: Let's make sure everybody knows exactly what we're talking about. What are these option indexes here?
ZANDI: These are options to purchase the S&P 500 index, or sell the S&P 500 index. It's really a bet on whether the market's going to rise or fall in the future.
RYSSDAL: And the numbers we were seeing this morning predicting a drop of 5 percent, 10 percent, as much as 19 percent in the S&P 500 in the next six months or so. How does that strike you?
ZANDI: Well, you know, 5-10 percent decline is in the realm of historical experience. That's a garden variety kind of correction, and we haven't had one of those in quite some time. So, if you told me there was going to be a correction like that in the next three, six, nine months, I don't think I'd be too surprised. Now, 19 percent, that's serious stuff. But 5-10 percent, that's pretty standard.
RYSSDAL: All right. But let me run this one by ya. I mean, we have been weathering in the stock market now the subprime fallout, private equity piling up loads of debt that it may or may not be able to pay back. Rising bond yields. Is there something you think that might trigger this fall?
ZANDI: Well, the market does seem a bit extended. Credit spreads are incredibly narrow by historical standards. Investors are taking lots or risk.
RYSSDAL: Define that term for us — credit spreads.
ZANDI: Yes, good point. If you look in the bond market and look at yields on risky bonds, junk bonds or subprime bonds — not subprime bonds now but junk bonds, emerging debt — the yields are very thin relative to risk-free interest rates, on Treasury bonds, for example. What that means is that investors aren't asking for too much compensation for all the risk that they're taking. And that compensation now is incredibly narrow by historical standards.
RYSSDAL: OK, so what other triggers might be out there in the market that we might look at?
ZANDI: Well, given this lack of concern about risk, any kind of risk that does appear is likely to spook investors. Obviously, the most pressing potential risk is what's going on in the housing and subprime mortgage market. That's still unraveling. I think mortgage quality will continue to weaken right through this year into next. So, that's a problem that's still yet to play out.
RYSSDAL: Let's just chat real briefly about one of the other things tjat people talk about when they talk about the markets: fundamentals. I mean, how do you feel now about some of the things underlying the market that may or may not influence the way it goes?
ZANDI: Well, I think the fundamentals are OK. The economy is expanding. We're almost six years into an economic expansion. And I think what's driven the market in the last few days, couple weeks, is the relief that the economy is going to be able to digest the housing downturn and the mortgage-market mess without falling into recession. I think there was a lot of concern about that. There's been a lot of stress. But I think people, investors are coming to the realization that this economy is resilient and it's going to make its way through without unraveling.
RYSSDAL: Mark Zandi's the chief economist at Moody's Economy.com. Mark, thanks a lot.
ZANDI: Thanks for having me.


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The heat will be on a few GMs at the deadline.
While there has been talk across the NHL about the future of the Senators Bryan Murray, he wont be the only one on the hotseat to make changes with the Feb. 28 trade deadline approaching.
Murray might have been the most vocal about trying to make moves, but theres a couple of other GMs who are in tenuous spots and need to make changes possibly to save their jobs.
Scott Howson, Columbus: The Jackets earned their first playoff berth under Howson in 2009, but they havent been able to get any further. The organization has taken a huge step back when it needs to start showing progress. Howsons moves havent worked; what he does at the deadline is pivotal.
Darcy Regier, Buffalo: While Regier signed a two-year extension in the off-season, theres a strong belief new owner Terry Pegula might clean house. He can afford to eat Regiers contract and bring in his own guy. That whats Tampa owner Jeff Vinik did when he hired Steve Yzerman.