5 Clever Ways Your Business Can Use Video to Drive Traffic ...

?My idea of good company is the company of clever, well-informed people who have a great deal of conversation; that is what I call good company.? -Jane Austen

Tired of hearing about how video increases conversions? Yeah me too.

And I live and breathe online video.

However, you?re a savvy marketer. You read the Unbounce blog and probably other popular marketing blogs, so you don?t need to be pounded over the head about the fact that you should be using video.

You already know that video increases conversions and you?ve probably read these great posts:

So, let?s take a different approach. Let?s explore some businesses that are using video in clever ways and in places you?ve never dreamt of.

Here are 5 clever ways businesses are using video to engage with their audiences and grow their traffic.

Go K-Pop

How do you capitalize on a wacky yet addictive music video that has become this year?s biggest internet sensation known as ?Gangnam Style??

Simple, you create your own version of a wacky, yet addictive music video and call it ?Inbound Style.?

If you?re an avid reader of Hubspot, like myself, then you love the marketing tips they provide. But you also love their not-so-serious approach to marketing.

Sure we?re geeky marketers who enjoy a dinner conversation about the latest conversion tactics and social media trends, but sometimes we all like (and need) to take our shoes off, take in a long breath of fresh air and enjoy a little comedy.

For all the great content that Hubspot creates, it?s refreshing to see a little personality so we, as their audience, can have a deeper connection with the brand.

THE Unsubscribe Video

What happens when you click unsubscribe on one of the daily emails you receive from Groupon?

Well, the quirky brand we all know and love uses video to re-engage users during this process.

The video allows you to ?punish? Derrick for sending an email that you found irrelevant. If you decide to click on the ?punish? button, another person comes over to yell at him and throws some water in his face.

At the end of the video, you are able to show some pity on Derrick and resubsribe to the emails.

Even though there?s no audio in the video, the concept is genius and the first time I saw it, I resubscribed immediately.

It?s an amazingly clever use of video and has led to many other blogs writing about this simple unsubscribe page.

Although Groupon has since switched over to a more conventional unsubscribe page where you can manage your email settings, the fact that Mike Arrington created a video about Groupon?s unsubscribe page made it still worth mentioning.

Video Twitter Replies

What typically happens when one of our followers ask us a question on Twitter? We write a reply back to them as fast as we can or link them to the right page with the answers. Works perfectly fine right?

But how do you go above and beyond the norm and truly connect with your audience? Jen Rubio, Social Media Manager for Warby Parker, uses social media in unexpected ways to double the response rate and truly connect with followers.

Most people generally think of Twitter as a text-based social platform, but one of the most successful things that Warby Parker does on Twitter is reply to people with video responses.

The companies? followers frequently ask questions about the color, size and/or shape of a particular frame, and instead of just responding to them with a tweet, she and her team creates a video that shows them the difference between two frames.

Keeping things visual captivates your audience and produces great content with little to no time or money.

Targeted Customer Testimonials

Full disclosure: Sharefile is a customer of SmartShoot.

How did Sharefile become one of the biggest file sending services on the net getting acquired by Citrix in October 2011?
They used SmartShoot, of course. J to the k.

On a serious note, Sharefile understood the power of video and instead of just creating one overarching testimonial video they created multiple testimonial videos targeted at key target markets.

By creating industry specific landing pages along with industry specific customer testimonials, they?ve boosted user signups to their subscription service.

Click for full-size image

Create Your Own Whiteboard Animation

Have a loooooong piece of video content that you can?t wait to share with the world? Consider using a whiteboard animation video.

The beauty of these videos is that everything moves at an engaging pace and allows you to create longer videos without the fear of losing your audience.

One of my ABSOLUTE favorites is Dan Pink?s talk about the hidden trusts behind what really motivates us at home and in the workplace.

Now if you?ve got the budget you can certainly get a whiteboard animation through the SmartShoot platform, however, you?re looking at a minimum of $2,000 for a 60 second video.

Pat Flynn, a popular blogger and internet marketer, has a fantastic video that teaches you how to create your own whiteboard animation for just a few hundred dollars.

Pat states that ?with YouTube, I can reach more people than I ever could by just sticking to written content on my blog.? His YouTube channel has over 13,000 subscribers and 1.8 million views.

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? Steve Young

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Source: http://unbounce.com/online-marketing/5-clever-ways-your-business-can-use-video-to-drive-traffic/

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Determining Short and Long Term Financial Goals | MoneySense

By Frances Nikki Reve M. Estorninos, CSS, RFP Candidate (Batch 21)

Mr. and Mrs. Bobby and Cara Alvarez, both 31 years old, are government employees. They receive a monthly net income of P14,000 each. They have a four-year-old daughter named Karen. Bobby?s tenure in office is permanent while his wife is a contractual worker. Although they can both avail of GSIS, SSS, and Philhealth benefits, the two have no other kinds of insurance or any active will.

The Alvarez?s short term goals include Cara stopping work for a few months so she can review for the Bar exam. Meanwhile, her family will provide financial support at par with Cara?s current compensation during the time of her review. Cara?s parents also pledged support for Karen?s preschool tuition fees.

Bobby plans to take the Bar after a year. He wants to secure funds first for Karen?s elementary education as Cara?s parents promised to take care of Karen?s Nursery II tuition fees. The Alvarez?s also want to buy a new car and weighing the following housing options: (1) buy a rent-to-own condo, (2) build a house on a lot that will be part of Bobby?s inheritance or (3) continue to stay in Bobby?s family?s home.

Their long term goals (in five years? time until they retire) include securing their daughter?s high school and college education. Bobby considers retiring at age 55 with a monthly income of P50,000 (in today?s money).

Current Financial Situation

Bobby and Cara were able to set aside some savings and invested them. Bobby?s cooperative in his government office has a strong and consistent record of dividend repayments to all members. The cooperative allows members to deposit a maximum of P5,000 monthly which earns 3% interest per month. At the end of each calendar year, all the members must withdraw the interest for the year. The Alvarez?s has also put up a P150,000 fund where they were able to receive P51,788 in December.

Their statement of assets and liabilities as of December is as follows:

ASSETS
Cash ATM	Bobby	P13,000
Cash ATM	Cara	P8,000
Cash	Cooperative (3% per month)	P150,000
Cash	Stocks	P165,000
TOTAL ASSETS		P336,000
TOTAL LIABILITIES		P0
NET WORTH		P336,000

Making Goals

1. Determine areas with potential

   Although the Alvarez?s have no current liabilities, most of their money was spent during the Christmas season for shopping and debt payment. The couple also has a history of extravagant shopping during holidays and even uses their bonuses to pay for things. These need to be adjusted so they can get nearer their goals. It is wise though that they have not applied for a credit card to avoid possible impulsive buying and were able to pay all their liabilities (e.g. personal loans) the past year.

   Bobby started contributing to the cooperative fund with Karen?s education in mind. If he can consistently contribute P5,000 monthly, there will be dividends of P77,588.95 for this year. However, this needs to be evaluated if the fund will be enough for the child?s tuition fees. Nevertheless, the consistent 3% monthly return is unparalleled in other investment instruments. It is important though for the couple to learn how to diversify their investment basket for the family?s welfare.

2. Determine if the support pledged by Cara?s parents will be enough for the family?s needs

   Bobby and Cara both earn compensation so their taxes are withheld and they need not pay additional taxes when their Income Tax Returns are filed. At the moment, the couple and their daughter live in the home of Bobby?s father. For the past months, the Alvarez patriarch has been paying for the household utilities,

   Karen?s milk and part of the groceries, totaling P6,850 per month. Since Cara?s parents pledged support, projections of projected cash needs of the household were made assuming a monthly P14,000 allowance throughout her review. With this, all the basic necessities can be covered and the P5,000 a month coop contribution can be continued. The latter is necessary to better prepare the family?s finances when Bobby also starts reviewing for the Bar next year.

   Almost 94% of the family?s expenses are non-discretionary thus, their regular weekend mall outings must be adjusted and a minimal monthly allocation of P1,500 for leisure is recommended instead. The savings can be channeled for Karen?s clothing needs as well as P3000 monthly allowance for the child?s schooling, school projects, and transportation fees.

3. Anticipate major income and expense changes that may happen

   Bobby?s intention to take the Bar will coincide with a paid study leave for two months. He has requested that his current income be used as the basis. If Cara passes the Bar, the current family income will significantly increase. By then, a comprehensive review of this financial plan is suggested.

   Using a 5% inflation rate in computing for expenses, all the projected dividends from the cooperative in the next twelve months amounting to P77,588.95 will be used to cover the needs of the following year, including Karen?s tuition fee. In addition, a P30,000 per semester subsidy from Cara?s parents is also expected. However, this financial plan will have to be revised if another child is conceived.

4. Determine emergency funds needed

   Based on the Alvarez?s cash flow statement, the family?s average monthly expenses roughly comes to P40,000. With the available funds in their ATM savings accounts intended for the needs of the family for the year, it is suggested that Bobby and Cara set aside P120,000 of stocks fund as their contingency to be kept in a money market fund.

5. Determine if current employment conditions can sustain the family after the Bar exams

   Based on projections, the Alvarez?s will live with ease for the most part of the year. However, they may need to tap their emergency fund come November which can be replenished by December. Their current annual income only totals P534,000 while expenses are at P631,020 when Karen?s tuition fees will no longer be subsidized by relatives.

   Thus, the couple?s income must increase by at least 20% in three years? time and at least 5% annually onwards to cover for inflation, else the dividends from the coop will not be enough for its intended use which is to pay for Karen?s schooling.

Recommendations on educational planning

Karen?s preschool education is projected to cost around P70,000 annually while elementary, high school, and college education will cost P100,000 yearly in today?s value. Even if she is enrolled in a state university for college, the fees may still increase by 10% each year.

The couple is encouraged to consistently add P5,000 to their coop fund. Dividends in December 2013 must automatically be set aside for the tuition fees in June and November 2014. Fees for Nursery I and II will be subsidized by Karen?s parents in consideration of her Bar examinations. Dividends for December 2012 will be used to cover for other expenses in 2013. Starting 2015, excess funds can be re-invested in other instruments that pay 15% per annum return, which can be used for the family?s other goals.

Recommendations on retirement planning

Bobby and Cara want to retire by age 55 with a monthly income of P50,000 (in today?s value). Assuming an inflation rate of 5%, they will need P161,255 per month by that time. They both expect to live up to their 80s, with the assumption that all assets have been disposed by then. Returns during retirement will average 8% per annum as compared to the current expected rate until retirement of 15%.

As their current investments in stocks were reduced to P45,000 to give way to an emergency fund, this will translate to only P1,288,132.93 in Year 24. They also have set their contributions to the cooperative for retirement, provided that they consistently add P5,000 monthly to it until then. This will total to P1,650,000 by Year 24 and leave a lump sum gap of P34,989,896.45. This can be attained by saving at least an additional P15,823.43 per month earning 15% per year for the next 24 years.

If the couple?s retirement age will be adjusted to 60 (29 years from now), required monthly savings needed until Year 29 is P8,498.39. This can be further halved if the retirement age will be adjusted to 65 (34 years from now), which only entails P4,293.45 in monthly savings.

Considering the family?s current situation that they will need support from Cara?s family to weather through the BAR exam reviews, even an additional P4,293.45 to be allotted for retirement savings will result in negative cashflows for 2012 and 2013. Thus, it is advised that they start adding investments for retirement right after their respective BAR exams. This will mean that if they start saving for retirement two years from now, they will have to set aside P19240.87, P10314.27 and P5248.04 to retire comfortably by 55, 60 or 65, respectively.

Another potential source of retirement savings is the excess funds generated from the coop deposits which shall be invested in instruments that pay 15% per annum return. This way, the required savings needed for retirement will be lighter.

Bobby and Cara are also advised to resume pooling funds for retirement after their BAR exams at age 33. This plan reinvests the excess dividends from their coop deposits in investment funds earning 15% per annum. They will only need to save P12,062.46 to retire at 55 or P433.47 at 60. The option to retire at 65 does not require additional savings for retirement and even yields excess funds of P36,195,025.05 at Year 64 or 2045. Among the choices, the best plan is to target age 60 for retirement so that they can still enjoy their retirement benefits.

Another scenario is to (1) adjust the monthly retirement income making it only P45,000 from their desired P50,000 and (2) instead of allotting all excess coop dividends for retirement, only half will be invested while the rest will be spent for the family?s special needs. The latter will result to a P14.5 M projected amount by retirement year, which will help lower the lump sum gap.

If the retirement plan monthly income is reduced to P45,000, it will only require a P4904.19 monthly savings for the couple which will start two years from now, when it is assumed the family?s finances will be more stable after they have both taken the Bar exams. This retirement plan is best recommended for the couple.

Recommendations on special needs planning

Based on the current state of the family?s finances, the decision to buy a condo or build a house on a lot that Bobby will inherit eventually, will postpone their retirement goals if they will seek to pay for mortgage using the excess dividends (amount left from the tuition allotment) from the coop. Unless the family?s income will be augmented, the family may not yet be ready for these goals in five (5) years.

Five years from now, by 2016, only P14,801.87 will be available if the excess dividends in 2015 and 2016 can generate 15% interest when invested. Thus, this fund may not be ready for purchase of house or car by 2016, but it can supplement their budget if substantial increases in their income happen.

Recommendations on insurance planning

The protection needs of the family must also be considered should untimely demise happen. This will be best prepared for through life insurance. To compute for Bobby?s and Cara?s coverage necessitates the following steps:

1. Determine the immediate cash needs for living expenses ? Immediate cash needs cover expenses up to six (6) months after death with the assumption that the widow(er) will resume work afterwards.
2. Determine the present value needed for education fund ? The family must have P907,460.28 invested today at 15% per year to cover for Karen?s education.
3. Determine funeral expenses, medical expenses (net of Philhealth), emergency fund, present value of the retirement shortfall needed and insurance coverage needed ? insurance coverage for Bobby should be P2,086,825.36; while, Cara needs P1,932,134.4. It is recommended that they subscribe to Permanent Insurance Life Policies with the respective face amount. These have cash values that can supplement their retirement income needs. They can choose to pay for it for a fixed number of years. This is the best way to protect their family?s welfare.

This financial plan is to be implemented effective January 1, 2012.

Source: http://moneysense.com.ph/planning/determining-short-and-long-term-financial-goals/

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Matching Google Algorithm to Your Traffic Loss - WordStream

When website traffic drops, and it?s clear that you were not the cause of it, it?s time to point your finger at Google, rant, and maybe even cut down that 6000 word rant into an informative 3700 word blog post. This SEO is spending Christmas Eve with Google so hopefully you won?t have to.

This is the type of early Christmas card you would not want from Google.
?

?It?s probably that darn Google Panda,?

?I feel like it?s Penguin and negative SEO!?

or

?It might be those directory submissions/paid links that so-and-so did in the past?

Before you go on a zealous ?Google is evil? blame rampage, I understand that there?s a ton of ways to blame Google (or someone else) without proof. However, empty accusations will not get you your traffic back. Attributing traffic loss to a Google algorithm update is no easy task. In this post, I?ll outline a bunch of tools, resources, methodologies, and know-how you can use to evaluate potential Google algorithm updates and refreshes* that could be responsible for your sudden loss of traffic.

Warning: To make this post digestible, I?ve excluded things that I consider ?features? of Google Search. When Google updates these features, you could either gain or lose traffic as well.

Table of Contents:

Step 1: Gathering News on Google SERP Volatility

• Tools:
  • MozCast
  • SERPmetrics
  • SERPS.com
• News Sources:
  • Authoritative search engine marketing news websites
  • Webmaster World discussions
  • From Google

Step 2: Picking the Right Dates to Analyze

• The art of framing the question and measuring the right stuff

Step 3: Identifying Your Most Impacted URLS

• How to export, list, and rank landing pages with significant traffic loss

Step 4:? Match Your Landing Page to That Google Algorithm

• Algorithm Updates:
  • Google Panda
  • Penguin
  • Exact Domain Match Update
  • Pirate Update
  • ?Top-Heavy? Update
  • 7 SERPS Update
  • Vince Change
  • Brandy Update
  • Unknown Updates/Changes
• Google Features
  • Expanded Sitelinks
  • Universal Search
  • Personalized Search
  • Google Instant
  • Freshness Update (AKA Caffeine)
  • Real-time Search
  • Knowledge Graph
  • Google Authorship
  • Social Signals
• Local
  • Venice Update
  • Google Places
  • Negative Reviews
  • Google Mobile Search

Step 5: Don?t just Blame Google, Do Something!

• Prepare your content for the next Google Search trends.

Step 6: Diversification is the Best Long Term Solution

• Non-Google traffic alternatives

TLDR; If you have the SEO ninja powers to understand or foresee what Google update you have been hit by, you can remedy or set long-term plans where you won?t be affected by Google?s periodic whims!

Tis The Season to Chase Google Algorithm Updates

While the holiday season is notorious for seasonal SEO traffic changes for B2B and B2C keywords alike, I was seeing unusual traffic changes that started on December 5^th, and continued on the 10^th and 13th. This was odd, since it wasn?t just the traditional week before Christmas where vacation days aren?t uncommon.

12/18/2012 Update: A Google spokesperson says there was no Google Algorithm ?update? on the 13^th. The rest of us are certain that there was some kind of change or a series of changes ? this wouldn?t be the first time we?re having trouble interpreting Googlespeak. For example, what SEO?s named the ?Vince Update,? Googlers would simply consider a small change to the overall algorithm. Personally, I think Google?s either making a series of changes (they make over 500 a year) or running tests (on any given search query from an average user, there may be 10 elements being tested).

One may be a fluke,
Two is a trend,
Three means we better figure out what?s going on.
-Wise Words of Larry Kim

Now without further ado, let?s dig into the analysis. You will need:

- A website whose organic traffic just recently declined
- A browser capable of private/incognito/InPrivate/anonymous search. The latest editions of Firefox, Chrome, and Internet Explorer all allow you to browse the web anonymously.
- A Google Analytics account correctly linked to said website

Optional: A backlink tool such as Google Webmaster Tools, Majestic SEO?s Site Explorer or SEOMoz?s Open Site Explorer.

If there truly is a Google algorithm update or change, chances are you?re not the only one with altered search engine results pages (SERPs). Here are the places I checked to see if I?m just being the boy who cried wolf:

MozCast

SEOMoz?s handy-dandy MozCast tool tracks the SERPs on over 1,000 hand-picked, non-local keywords and displays ranking volatility through cute-looking weather forecasts. The more search results are changing, the hotter the weather forecast becomes. Search enthusiasts, I encourage you to understand the source of this data, and familiarize yourself with the other concepts such as SERP count, EMD and PMD tools offered.

December 10^th just so happens to be one of those stormy days - check.

SERPmetrics

SERPmetrics uses a different scoring system to calculate what they call ?flux,? which is the average of all SERP movement they track over their last period, weighed towards the top end. Slightly different methodology than the MozCast, but same concept, AND we?re seeing the same trends.

After December 10th, SERP flux goes upwards - Double checked.

SERPs Volatility Index

SERPS.com creates their own SERPs Volatility Index with their own sample of 1000+ websites, as opposed to hand-picked keywords from select industries. What?s nice is that there?s even an average volatility to help you gauge whether a trend appears significant. Special thanks to Scott Krager for spending some time explaining how the index works.

After December 10th, SERP volatility trends upwards beyond the average date ? Ding ding ding!

Webmaster World Forums

Leave it to the webmasters of the world to tell you if they?re also freaking out. The Google SEO News and Discussion section in Webmaster World Forums is a goldmine for news and insights. If you would like to comment and add to the discussion, please remember to stick to the facts and not your emotions.

70-90% drop in traffic? WordStream must be incredibly lucky! I?m not the only webmaster freaking out? Looks like this will make a nice story.

Search Marketing News Sources: SEL, SEW, SEJ, SERoundtable, and Google

When it comes to confirming a Google algorithm update, these news sites are usually the first to comment on the impact. However, note that their specialty is in news reporting, not speculation ? so it?s nice to get to the source ? Google. If you?re not already following A Googler or Matt Cutts on Twitter, it?s a smart idea to subscribe to Google?s search blog.

@Google is Google?s official Twitter account.

The distinguished Google Engineer Matt Cutts is well known for his webmaster videos on YouTube and answering the question of website owners.

Google has become increasingly transparent about the changes they make in their search algorithm. The only problem is that many of them are cryptically named updates like Porky Pig, smoothieking, and old possum.

Important Disclaimer: Just because it?s not on the news, it doesn?t mean that one of Google?s many search algorithm improvements didn?t impact your web traffic ? even if your overall organic traffic stays constant, it?s very likely that huge SERP movements will negatively impact some of your content while helping others. Step one is purely exploratory to help you test the waters.

Comparing the traffic change date ranges correctly to a good benchmark is practically half of this exercise. With experience, you?ll get a sense of how you?ll want to analyze your data.

1.?????? Because our organic traffic follows a weekly cycle, I could compare the current traffic drop to the same date the prior week, or two weeks prior (use your judgment here).

2.?????? I always want the highest precision possible to minimize data sampling error.

Pro Tip: Always be weary of year-over-year trends (i.e. comparing a non-holiday to a holiday range) and one-time special events (presidential election) from your results. Use your judgment on what makes sense ? a bad range will show misleading results.

For my own analysis on what happened on December 10^th, I used the traffic data two weeks prior to the suspected algorithm changes. I had reason to believe that something fishy may?ve occurred on the 5^th, so I did not want to analyze traffic changes that could?ve been caused by multiple updates. There is no perfect or best date ranges to analyze, but there certainly are darn good ones with good reasoning behind them and this is one of them.

Ever since SEOMoz, Raventools, and even Ahrefs have been getting slapped by Google?s API legal terms enforcement team, many of us have lost faith in rank-checking tools. Time to go back to checking good-ol? traffic folks via Google!

1. Log onto your Google Analytics

2. Dig into your Standard Reporting with Content ? Site Content ? Landing Pages and adjust the dates and rows shown (I like to maximize it to 500). Also make sure you have the Advanced Segment ?Non-paid Search Traffic? highlighted.

3. Export the data into an editing friendly format. Excel users, I recommend using the file types .csv and .xlsx. Hipsters, you?re free to use Google Spreadsheets.

4. Find the traffic lost between the period where you believe there?s an algorithm update to the benchmark period prior for each landing page.

4a. Curse at how unfriendly the data format is to do this.

5. Rank the landing pages by the total traffic lost!

5a. Curse more if you?re not very good at Excel?s List and Filter function.

Here are the top 10 landing pages that were impacted by December 10^th:

6. Group similar pages together and make a hypothesis. Seeing that five out of ten of our top traffic loss landing pages was related to our infographics ? content that accrued a large number of anchor-text optimized links in a short amount of time ? I first suspected that this was a Google update on links, anchor text and/or semantically related keywords.

This is where SEOs pats themselves on the back and remember why we love our job. Tracking Google algorithm updates to website traffic is like playing detective searching for clues that point to the culprit. Usually it makes sense to start with your hypothesis (you want to hone your SEO senses) but let?s start with the most popular suspects.

These Google updates are the most like culprits for the traffic loss. (If you need more technical SEO interview questions, any of these algorithms are fair questions to ask an SEO!)

Google Panda Update

Google Panda defined: Google?s Panda algorithm cracks down on thin content/shallow content, sites with high ad-to-content ratios, and other signals that indicate low web content quality. To date, Panda has been updated over 20 times, and cumulatively impacted over 20% of all English queries.

Why so many updates? Googler Navneet Panda didn?t just build an algorithm ? it was a machine learning system. Panda is an algorithm with an AI that improves over time. The scariest thing of course, is that Panda is a site-wide penalty.

One of the few Google algorithms you can put a face to.

Algorithm assessment: The easiest way to check for a Panda update is to see if all of your web pages are seeing significant traffic decline. The next step is to assess just how useful your website content is. The WordStream landing pages affected are all long, in-depth articles with original perspective. We were not hit by Panda.

Pro Tip: Article submission websites, which were once touted as an SEO best practice, were negatively impacted by the Google Panda update. These websites were rarely ever visited by real people, and were essentially just a web content and links middleman intended to manipulate Google search engine rankings. Keep your web content unique, useful, and thoughtful and you?ll be clear off the path of the Panda?s wrath.

Google Penguin Update

Google Penguin defined: The Google Penguin algorithm (AKA Webspam Update) is notorious for the heavy crack-down it does on websites engaging in linking practices intended to manipulate search engine rankings, but also includes SEO techniques that violate Google?s Webmaster Guidelines. These techniques include keyword stuffing, cloaking, sneaky redirects/doorway pages, purposeful duplicate content, and others. Like Panda, Penguin rolls out in iterations, and I believe the penalty is site-wide as well, but it has not been confirmed by Google.

Algorithm assessment: First, I looked to see if these landing pages are somehow getting linked by websites from bad neighborhoods (e.g. porn/gambling sites). To do this, I logged into Google Webmaster Tools/Open Site Explorer/Majestic SEO and delved into each page?s link profile. Actually visit the sites that are linking to the page if you don?t know them, and then look for patterns. It?s not always the latest links that occur that bring down your traffic ? old links are sometimes lost, broken, or hacked into doing something else.

Seeing that all 10 landing pages were getting URLS from different, trustworthy domains (with a mix of ugly scraper sites in each) and generally had healthy links (e.g. links from the New York Times), I knew we were not being subjected to spammy link practices.

Pro Tip: Link tracking tools are necessary to find out if your website has been participating in spammy link practices in the past, or has been the target of a negative SEO attack. The more advanced user will also look at the ratio of varying anchor texts that lead to your landing pages. Visit Google Webmaster Tools, Open Site Explorer, and Majestic SEO to learn more about them.

If you?ve knowingly attempted to manipulate search engine rankings through other means that are in Google?s Webmaster Guidelines? grey or red zones, this tutorial is simply too basic for you ;)

Exact Match Domain Update

Exact Match Domain defined: The Exact Match Domain (EMD) algorithm update was created to prevent SERP domination from domains that are exact matches to the keywords they were targeting. Typically, domains struck by this update have thin content that?s considered low-quality. The EMD update also rolls out periodically like Penguin.

Algorithm assessment: I started by using Google Search with a browser in private browsing mode. If you search for the main keyword variations that are driving traffic to your landing pages and you see competitors with exact match domains beating you in the SERPS, you?ll know that they?ve either improved their page or Google made an exact match domain algorithm change. From my perspective, it looks like an exact match domain algorithm refresh since their website content seems unchanged.

Unfortunately for us, googlekeywordtool.com is a no-nonsense navigational toolbox which people continue to use in order to access Google?s AdWords Keyword Tool ? we?ve been head to head with this URL for a while.

Pro tip: Be extra careful with typing in your query, as Google results are known to change as you retype mistakes. (Yes Google is that darn smart when it comes to personalization) and note that this method isn?t perfect as it is still being adjusted for your connection geography. If any of your links show up as purple (clicked in the past) you?re doing it wrong!

Pirate Update (DMCA Warnings)

Google Pirate defined: When Google receives a Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) take-down notice from a copyright owner on some questionable content hosted on Google, Google listens in two ways. First, copyrighted content is removed at the copyright owner?s demands if there?s a clear violation. Then, if a website accumulates an unhealthy number of DMCA take-down requests, the Pirate Update penalizes the whole website from ranking well on Google.

Algorithm assessment: Unless you?re a black hat spammer stealing someone else?s content as your own, running a file-sharing site without copyright enforcement, or some other internet crime syndication platform, I wouldn?t worry about Pirate. For most of us out there, before you make the mistake of grabbing ?free? images on the web, it?s a good idea to check to see if it has some sort of licensing.

Pro tip: If you can?t find the source, use a reverse image search tool to help you make informed decisions without getting in trouble with the law. If you plan on optimizing images for image search, it?s best to own unique images.

?Top Heavy? Update

Top Heavy defined: The Top Heavy Google update penalizes websites with too many ads being shown to a user when they first enter their website. There have been reports of regaining rankings when excessive ads were removed and the website was revisited by the top heavy algorithm. Like the EMD algorithm update, Top Heavy also periodically refreshes.

Here?s a layout of a top-heavy website.

Algorithm assessment: Unfortunately, WordStream is not involved in affiliate advertising to comment on this update.

We?ll welcome the expert bloggers of our site to comment on their experiences with the Top Heavy update.

7-Result SERP Update

7 SERP defined: The 7-Results SERP algorithm update isn?t a penalty per se, but a new feature Google uses to present information to the searcher. Typically, the usual page with 10 search results gets truncated to 6-9 results on the first page (7 is the most common occurrence) and the top SERP is a Google sitelink. If you need another reason why rank-checking for SEO should die, here you go. However, the topic of rank-checking is another debate for another informative post!

Algorithm assessment: Of the landing pages impacted, only our /google-adwords page has been impacted by the 7-Results SERPs, and it pre-dates December 10^th.

However, a quick check reveals our Google AdWords page has two new competitors ? the New York Times and Search Engine Land? fishy!

Pro Tip: Generally speaking, 7-Results SERPs occur on navigational queries which have a result with expanded sitelinks. If you?re competing on a branded terms, this would be an update to keep an eye on.

Vince Change

Vince Change defined: Also known as the ?Google favors brands? update, back in 2009, a Googler named Vince factored in more trust (quality, PageRank, reputation, authority, and other metrics) into the algorithm for general queries. As a result, webmasters were seeing big brands gain a lot more ground than small brands in the SERPs. Note that Vince does not impact long-tail queries.

Case study analysis: The keyword ?Google AdWords? is a prime example of how different brands have different strengths when viewed from a Vince perspective. The New York Times was able to penetrate the SERPs of an already heavily branded keyword due to having great online authority (PR9, quality news, and many trustworthy authors) and break through Google?s branded AdWords wall of defense. WordStream is definitely seeing something that suggests a Vince-like update, since most of the pages updated target ?Google? or ?AdWords? keywords.

Pro tip: Big brands can easily bully you out for generic keywords. Either build your brand and become one of them, or focus on the long-tail. To become a big brand on the internet, you?ll need to build amazing backlinks.

Brandy Update

Brandy Update defined: Going even further back to 2004, this update gives additional weight to keyword synonyms and other semantically related keywords. This was also when anchor text variations and the ?neighborhood? of pages with inbound links started being considered as important ranking factors.

Case study analysis: If you?ve looked for the big Penguin in terms of link neighborhoods and webspam such as keyword stuffing, Brandy will remind you that semantics are important on your website content, internal links, and even the anchor text of other websites linking to your content. Having used infographics as a means to garner links and co-citations from news sites, I knew that the embed codes of our Infographics could be creating an unnatural looking backlink profile. However, this doesn?t rule out the possibility that less weight may be given to links acquired through infographics. Anchor text distribution was a legitimate area of concern for us.

If the main keyword you?re targeting is ?Google AdWords? but a lot of incoming anchor text links say ?adwords grader? instead, it made sense as to why we were losing ground on Google AdWords.

A natural link profile will have branded hyperlinks, full urls, missing anchor text, and sometimes even misspellings. A ?normal? link profile will vary by the competition in a particular keyword space.

The charts above was created with Open Site Explorer data. If you?re looking for free tools, I?d recommend a simple ahrefs account. All of their features should be fully functional till mid-January, which is when Google will force them to comply with the newest API guidelines. Alternatively, backlinkwatch.com is also an option ? it?s slower than a paid tool, filled with annoying ads, but it?s hard to beat free.

Pro tip: If you?re budget strapped, brain dead or don?t have top-notch keyword research skills, you can always use Google?s Related searches tool as a crux. Otherwise, use WordStream?s Keyword Tool to find semantically related keywords. Before you start stuffing these keywords into your article, please hire a writer to do it in a manner that is natural and elegant.

Unknown Updates/Changes

I?m sorry, but Google is a black box and we can?t know everything about Google. There are plenty of algorithmic reasons as to why you may have lost website traffic that I haven?t described here, and only Google knows. Sometimes it?s suspected that there is more emphasis on trust signals like AuthorRank, other times it?s a focus on keyword semantics or the incorporation of social signals ? it?s impossible to pinpoint exactly what is going on by yourself, so make sure you analyze, test, and cross-check with webmasters around the world.

I hope you now have a better idea of a few parts that goes into Google?s algorithm, and how to attribute the traffic loss your top pages are experiencing. However, don?t just stop there ? you weren?t hired to whine!

At WordStream, we?ve already found ways to diversify incoming link anchor texts, create better lists of semantic keywords to our content writers, and shift our content focus away from infographics in preparation of Google?s current and future algorithm shift.

If it all works out, we?ll have recovered and bested Google?s algorithm for the long run!

If Google pulls a quick one on your organic traffic, is your business dead? For the long run, Google?s bound to make algorithmic updates that will cause your traffic will fall whether you like it or not.

To minimize the impact of this loss, it?s a great idea to invest in social media marketing for a steady stream of referral traffic, e-mail marketing for direct traffic to your website, or God forbid you forget PPC for a steady stream of qualified leads.

Online marketing is a marathon, and I sincerely thank you for running with us.?

?

Source: http://www.wordstream.com/blog/ws/2012/12/24/google-algorithm-update-changes

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Home Explosion Case: Monserrate Shirley, Mark And Bob Leonard Due In Indianapolis Court

INDIANAPOLIS -- Three people charged in a gas explosion that devastated an Indianapolis neighborhood, killing a couple, are set to appear before a judge.

Homeowner Monserrate Shirley, her boyfriend Mark Leonard and his brother, Bob Leonard, face initial court appearances set for Monday morning.

The three were arrested Friday on charges of murder, arson and other counts following the Nov. 10 blast that killed a couple living next to Shirley's home. The explosion destroyed Shirley's house and four others and damaged dozens more.

Investigators say the three planned the explosion for an insurance payout. Court documents say Shirley was facing $63,000 in credit card debt and bankruptcy proceedings. Prosecutors say Mark Leonard recently lost $10,000 at a casino.

An attorney for Shirley and Mark Leonard told The Associated Press they maintain innocence.

Also on HuffPost:

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/24/monserrate-shirley-indianapolis-home-explosion_n_2358738.html

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Self Improvement Times: Best Tips On Improving Self Esteem ...

Improving ones self esteem is in many people's mind. There are two main factors on improving your self esteem, it's either you actively pursuing it or you subconsciously working on it. You may first want to identify what makes you feel awkward or shy when you are interacting with people.

Improving self esteem is easier when you have a subliminal audio to listen to. There are subliminal messages hidden underneath relaxing music and the messages are contained with positive affirmations that only your subconscious mind can understand. So, while you are physically working on your self esteem, your subconscious mind is also helping you at the same time.

Here are some easy ways on improving your self esteem:

1. Set a viable goal for yourself. Visualize how you want to feel and start acting like that when you are interacting with people. Try to think that you are the person that you are interacting with. Can you picture an interesting person? Set a believable goal for yourself, for example: within the next two weeks, when you interact with people you feel like you are a good conversationalist.

2. Be positive. When you want to practice your self esteem, begin the conversation. If you are in a crowd like a party, begin introducing yourself to a person who is alone. This is a way to slowly improve your self esteem and you won't feel that you are left behind. Now, prepare for your meeting. Take a deep breath and stand with a good posture so you feel more confident. If you have difficulty approaching people, you may use subliminal messages with positive affirmations. These positive affirmations will make you feel important and that you are a good person in general. When you give importance to yourself then improving you self esteem will be easier.

3. Extend a firm handshake and look directly in the eyes of the person. The firm handshake and the direct eye contact signify self esteem. Your handshake should say that you are really glad meeting that person and your eye contact should say that you are interested meeting that person. Approach the person by saying something positive to her like "I love your earrings".

4. Always listen. Listen to your conversation and respond visibly. If you are in the process of improving your self esteem then you could practice in the mirror so you know how you look when you are actually meeting a person. Again, clear your mind before creating a conversation so you could have more space for listening. You can clear your mind more effectively if you use the subliminal audio that has subliminal messages for mind clarity.

5. Respond. Visibly respond to the person like nodding or smiling, this way you can create good aura for the both of you. If you respond, you may begin in "I agree" or "I have the same experience". You can get a more positive response through subliminal messages' that release self esteem messages to your subconscious mind.

6. Feel good about yourself. Always feel that you are important, value yourself. A subliminal audio that imparts positive affirmations can always help you on improving your self esteem. When you feel good about yourself then people will see you as a happy person and they will be more interested in you.

----------------------------------------------------
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Source: http://selfimprovementtimes.blogspot.com/2012/12/best-tips-on-improving-self-esteem.html

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Source: http://lntufyvyo.posterous.com/self-improvement-times-best-tips-on-improving

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Ministry & Rigor Mortis Guitarist Mike Scaccia Dies On Stage At 47

Ministry & Rigor Mortis Guitarist Mike Scaccia Dies On Stage At 47

Mike Scaccia, the guitarist for Ministry, Rigor Mortis, and The Revolting Co*ks has passed away at the age of 47 after suffering a seizure on stage. Rigor Mortis was performing at the Rail Club in Fort Worth, Texas on Saturday night when Scaccia collapsed. The heavy metal band was performing as part of Bruce Corbitt’s ...

Ministry & Rigor Mortis Guitarist Mike Scaccia Dies On Stage At 47 Stupid Celebrities Gossip Stupid Celebrities Gossip News

Source: http://stupidcelebrities.net/2012/12/ministry-rigor-mortis-guitarist-mike-scaccia-dies-on-stage-at-47/

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Christmas is magical at a national park lodge

1 hr.

A. Pawlowski , NBC News contributor

Built smack in the middle of some of the most gorgeous, pristine scenery in America; warmed by crackling fireplaces and full of rustic charm, there?s something special about spending Christmas at a grand National Park lodge.

Besieged by tourists in the summer, they?re calmer, quieter and decked out for the season in the wintertime.

The weather outside may be frightful, but these historic lodges ? with log-beamed ceilings, grand lobbies and scrumptious holiday feasts ? promise warm Christmas memories.

Old Faithful Snow Lodge, Yellowstone National Park
Carolers may sing about walking in?a winter wonderland, but visitors who come to Yellowstone when it is covered in snow get to experience the real thing.

?It?s gorgeous,? said park spokeswoman Amy Bartlett. ?It?s a whole different world here in the wintertime versus the summertime.?

The Old Faithful Snow Lodge is one of two inns catering to guests who want to stay inside Yellowstone when the weather gets cold, and its 100 rooms and 30 cabins usually fill to capacity during the week between Christmas and New Year?s, said Rick Hoeninghausen, a spokesman for Xanterra, which runs the park?s accommodations.

The lodge is in a festive mood for the holidays, with a big Christmas tree and live music in the evening for guests who want to sing Christmas standards. A special dinner will be served to mark the big day.

But the main attraction, as always, are the park?s geysers, steam vents and hot springs, made more dramatic by the freezing temperatures.

?In a geyser basin, it just becomes otherworldly because of the play of the steam and the cold,? Hoeninghausen said.

Many guests also enjoy the scenery at night, fascinated by the starry sky that can only be visible away from city lights.

?People think we have more stars here because you see them more. If you let your eyes adjust, you can actually see star shadows ? the shadow on the white snow just from star light,? Hoeninghausen said.

Wondering how to ring in Jan. 1 in Yellowstone? Visitors mark the occasion by watching the first eruption of Old Faithful in the New Year.

The Ahwahnee, Yosemite National Park
With spectacular views of Half Dome, Yosemite Falls and Glacier Point at Yosemite National Park, this grand lodge fills up quickly during the summer, but also lures visitors with its cozy atmosphere in the winter.

??It?s a really popular time of year at The Ahwanee,? said Lisa Cesaro, a spokeswoman for DNC Parks & Resorts, which manages lodging at Yosemite. ?It?s just really festive and wonderful.?

The heart of the hotel is the Great Lounge with its 24-foot-high ceilings and a massive stone fireplace. This is where guests tend to congregate, drinking hot cocoa, playing games and feeling as though they were in their own living room, Cesaro said.

But perhaps the best-known Ahwahnee Christmas tradition is the Bracebridge Dinner, which the hotel describes as ?a four-hour pageant of classic carols, Renaissance rituals and entertainment of the Middle Ages.?

First held in 1927 when the hotel opened, the event was meant to encourage people to come visit Yosemite in the winter, Cesaro said. Today, it?s so popular that there are eight Bracebridge Dinner performances. Guests are served a seven-course meal in the elegant Ahwahnee Dining Room during the production.

Don?t want to splurge on the dinner, which starts at $299 for adults? The Ahwahnee hosts concerts in the Great Lounge throughout the season, which are complimentary and open to the public.

For New Year?s, guests can dress up for the ?Black and White Ball? dinner dance celebration.

El Tovar, Grand Canyon National Park
A Grand Canyon vacation usually guarantees two things: hordes of tourists and sweltering heat. Visit the park during the holidays, however, and it?s a whole different experience.

?It?s a quiet getaway ? the park is not crowded. Often it has snow and that adds to the romance,? said Bruce Brossman, a spokesman for Xanterra, which runs the park?s accommodations.

With a prime location on the Canyon rim, the El Tovar Hotel is even more stunning for the holidays, with a 15-foot Christmas tree in the main lobby and poinsettias adding a bright touch to the wood d?cor.

It?s been snowing steadily at the Grand Canyon, so visitors will experience a white Christmas, a time of year that?s so popular at the lodge that the hotel usually sells out, Brossman said, adding that shouldn't stop people from dropping by.

?You don?t have to sleep at El Tovar to enjoy El Tovar. We can?t accommodate all the people who actually want to stay there, but the lobby and the lounge and the dining room and the porches are all public spaces,? he said.

The hotel hosts special dinners on Christmas and New Year?s, though there are no official parties scheduled.

"It?s just a very peaceful, quiet place to spend the holidays,"?Brossman said.?"And, of course, when it does snow, walking along the rim is just spectacular."

Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/travel/itineraries/christmas-magical-national-park-lodge-1C7661428

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Selecting Asp Internet Hosting | MustReads.Info

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Source: http://www.mustreads.info/selecting-asp-internet-hosting/

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Boehner on averting fiscal cliff: 'God only knows'

Majority Leader Eric Cantor from Virginia, center, departs after a House Republicans meeting on Capitol Hill, Thursday, Dec. 20, 2012 in Washington. Confronted with a revolt among the rank and file, House Republicans abruptly put off a vote Thursday night on legislation allowing tax rates to rise for households earning $1 million and up.(AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Majority Leader Eric Cantor from Virginia, center, departs after a House Republicans meeting on Capitol Hill, Thursday, Dec. 20, 2012 in Washington. Confronted with a revolt among the rank and file, House Republicans abruptly put off a vote Thursday night on legislation allowing tax rates to rise for households earning $1 million and up.(AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Speaker John Boehner of Ohio, center, departs after a House Republicans meeting on Capitol Hill, Thursday, Dec. 20, 2012 in Washington. Confronted with a revolt among the rank and file, House Republicans abruptly put off a vote Thursday night on legislation allowing tax rates to rise for households earning $1 million and up.(AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Speaker John Boehner of Ohio, center, departs, with reporters nearby after a House Republicans meeting on Capitol Hill, Thursday, Dec. 20, 2012 in Washington. Confronted with a revolt among the rank and file, House Republicans abruptly put off a vote Thursday night on legislation allowing tax rates to rise for households earning $1 million and up.(AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

WASHINGTON (AP) ? House Speaker John Boehner signaled on Friday he's still open to negotiations with President Barack Obama on avoiding across-the-board tax increases set to hit taxpayers Jan. 1, but sounded pessimistic about reaching a grand deal with the president.

"How we get there, God only knows," Boehner told a Capitol Hill news conference just hours after his rank-and-file handed him a stunning tactical defeat.

The Republican leader spoke the morning after he was forced by his members to abandon legislation that would have raised taxes on incomes above $1 million. "We didn't have the votes to pass it," Boehner said glumly.

In the aftermath, Boehner said any deal with the president to avoid the looming "fiscal cliff" would require more compromise by Obama and greater involvement of Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., and the minority leader, Mitch McConnell, R-Ky.

"I'm interested in solving the major problems that face our country," Boehner said. "And that means House leaders, Senate leaders and the president are going to continue to have to work together to address those concerns."

House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, R-Va., who stood by Boehner's side, said, "We stand ready to continue in dialogue with this president to actually fix the problem."

Boehner dismissed suggestions that the embarrassment late Thursday night over the legislation would cost him his speakership, second in line to the presidency.

"While we may have not been able to get the votes last night to avert 99.81 percent of the tax increases, I don't think ? they weren't taking that out on me," he said. "They were dealing with the perception that somebody might accuse them of raising taxes."

Obama has said he will press ahead with Congress in search of a deal and that the two sides are relatively close to a long-sought budget bargain. But Boehner on Friday depicted an impasse.

"I told the president on Monday these were my bottom lines," Boehner said. "The president told me that his numbers ? the $1.3 trillion in new revenues, $850 billion in spending cuts ? was his bottom line, that he couldn't go any further." Boehner and the White House differ on how to classify key elements of Obama's latest offer, particularly whether to count interest savings on the national debt as a spending cut. The White House says Obama offered $1.2 trillion in spending cuts, matched by $1.2 trillion in higher taxes.

White House Press Secretary Jay Carney said on Thursday that Obama has "never said either in private or in public that this was his final offer. He understands that to reach a deal it would require some further negotiation. There is not much further he could go, because after all, unlike his counterparts in this negotiation, he has already gone halfway on both sides of the equation."

Boehner's attempt to retreat from a longstanding promise to maintain Bush-era tax rates for all was designed to gain at least some leverage against Obama and Senate Democrats in the fiscal cliff endgame. Thursday's drama was a major personal defeat for the speaker, who retains the respect and affection of his tea party-infused conference, but sometimes has great difficulty getting them to follow his leadership.

What Boehner called his "Plan B" was crafted to prevent tax increases set to kick in Jan. 1 on virtually every taxpayer. But it also would have provisions that would have let rates rise for those at the upper income range ? a violation of long-standing Republican orthodoxy that triggered opposition inside the party.

The hope was that successful House action on the measure would force Senate Democrats to respond. But Reid made clear that Plan B would have been dead on arrival in the Senate.

The latest events leave little time for Obama and bruised lawmakers to prevent across-the-board tax increases and deep spending cuts from taking effect with the new year. Economists say the combination threatens a return to recession for an economy that has been recovering slowly from the last one.

The House will not meet again until after Christmas, if then, and the Senate is expected to meet briefly on Friday, then not reconvene until next Thursday.

In arguing for legislation with a million-dollar threshold for higher tax rates, Boehner said the president has called for protecting 98 percent of people from a tax increase. His bill would "protect 99.81 percent of the American people from an increase in taxes."

A companion bill that was meant to build GOP support for the tax legislation called for elimination of an estimated $97 billion in cuts to the Pentagon and certain domestic programs over a decade. It cleared the House on a partisan vote of 215-209 and is an updated version of legislation that passed a little more than six months ago.

Those cuts would be replaced with savings totaling $314 billion, achieved through increases in the amount federal employees contribute toward their pensions and through cuts in social programs such as food stamps and the health care law that Obama signed earlier in his term.

Earlier in the week, Boehner and Obama had significantly narrowed their differences on a compromise to avoid the fiscal cliff.

But Republican officials said members of the GOP leadership had balked at the terms that were emerging. Democrats said Boehner's abrupt decision to shift to his Plan B ? legislation drafted unilaterally by Republicans ? reflected a calculation that he lacked support from his own members to win the votes needed for the type of agreement he was negotiating with the president.

By any measure, the two bills in the House were far removed from the latest offers that officials said Obama and Boehner had tendered. The two men don't seem to be that far apart.

Obama is now seeking $1.2 trillion in higher tax revenue, down from the $1.6 trillion he initially sought. He also has softened his demand for higher tax rates on household incomes so they would apply to incomes over $400,000 instead of the $250,000 he cited during his successful campaign for a new term.

He also has offered more than $800 billion in spending cuts over a decade, half of it from Medicare and Medicaid, $200 billion from farm and other benefit programs, $100 billion from defense and $100 billion from a broad swath of government accounts ranging from parks to transportation to education. In a key concession to Republicans, the president also has agreed to slow the rise in cost-of-living increases in Social Security and other benefit programs, at a savings estimated at about $130 billion over a decade.

By contrast, Boehner's most recent offer allowed for about $940 billion in higher taxes over a decade, with higher rates for annual incomes over $1 million.

___

Associated Press writer Donna Cassata contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2012-12-21-Fiscal%20Cliff/id-5bb8e4eb914040439bea3389473c1c13

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Regional leaders demand CAR rebels pull back

N'DJAMENA (Reuters) - Regional African heads of state demanded on Friday that rebels in the Central African Republic, who have seized several town in the past week, pull back their forces to original positions and accept peace talks with the government.

The rebels of the Seleka alliance, complaining that President Francois Bozize had failed to honour the terms of a 2007 peace deal, launched a lightning attack which has brought them to about 300 km (186 miles) from the capital Bangui.

The heads of state including Ali Bongo of Gabon, Denis Sassou N'guesso of Congo Republic, Idriss Deby of Chad and representatives from Cameroon and Equatorial Guinea, gave the rebels a week to pull back to their original positions.

"The heads of state and delegations agreed to exclude any military option as a solution to the crisis in the Central African Republic. They called for an immediate cessation of hostilities," a statement after the meeting said.

The statement from leaders of the Central African regional bloc, did not say what would happen if the rebels failed to withdraw.

It said negotiations between the rebels and the government will be held as soon as possible in Libreville, Gabon, on an unspecified date to revisit the terms of the previous peace accords.

"If there is a resurgence of violence in the Central African Republic, it is because the previous agreements did not work well," Chadian President Deby said after the meeting.

"This is why the opposition, the rebels and the government must go back figure out what did not work and find a way to make it work," Deby, who hosted the emergency regional summit, added.

The rebels, who decided on Thursday to halt their advance on the capital ahead of the N'Djamena meeting, were not immediately available to comment.

The Seleka alliance had said it was open to peace talks but would remain in the territory it has secured during a two-week advance, rejecting an appeal from the United Nations Security Council to withdraw from captured towns.

Several thousand people protested in the streets of Bangui on Friday afternoon over the rebel advance.

Since independence in 1960 from France, the Central African Republic has endured decades of instability caused by a mix of rebellions, banditry, ethnic tensions and the spill-over of conflicts in neighbouring Chad, Sudan and Democratic Republic of Congo.

As a result, major investment in its timber, gold, uranium and diamond deposits have been discouraged. Some of the diamond deposits are now in rebel-held territory.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/regional-leaders-demand-car-rebels-pull-back-083532429.html

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Movie review: Laughing through the years in 'This Is 40' | The Salt ...

This publicity film image released by Universal Pictures shows Paul Rudd, left, and Leslie Mann in a scene from the film, "This is 40." (AP Photo/Universal Pictures, Suzanne Hanover)

Judd Apatow?s new comedy "This Is 40" is all over the place ? rambunctious and messy, constantly going off on odd tangents, with more supporting players than one can keep straight, and veering crazily from laughter to tears and back again.

In other words, it?s a lot like life for a generation of 40-somethings, which is what makes it a joy to watch.

?

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?This Is 40?

Judd Apatow explores marriage, parenthood and other perils of growing up in this sharp, sweet comedy.

Where ? Theaters everywhere.

When ? Opens Friday, Dec. 21.

Rating ? R for sexual content, crude humor, pervasive language and some drug material.

Running time ? 134 minutes.

Apatow reunites audiences with Pete (Paul Rudd) and Debbie (Leslie Mann), the married-with-kids couple who were side characters in Apatow?s 2007 comedy "Knocked Up." This time, Pete and Debbie are center-stage, about to mark their 40th birthdays.

Pete will mark his with a big party, while Debbie is lying about her age to the point where their kids, Sadie and Charlotte (played by Mann?s and Apatow?s real-life children, Maude and Iris Apatow), put a "38" on her birthday cake. But the big four-oh is prompting them to make some big changes.

Debbie wants the family to live healthier, which means she has to quit sneaking cigarettes, Pete must give up cupcakes, and Sadie is forced to surrender her electronics ? which prompts loud objections from the hormonal Sadie, who?s experiencing her first period and is obsessed with watching every episode of "Lost." There also are financial concerns, as Pete struggles to keep his indie record label afloat while Debbie tries to figure out which employee, sexy Desi (Megan Fox) or oddball Jody (Charlyne Yi), is stealing cash from her boutique.

Pete and Debbie have daddy issues. Pete?s father, Larry (Albert Brooks), is a mooch with a second wife (Lisa Darr) and 5-year-old triplets. Debbie?s father, Oliver (John Lithgow), has been absent from her life for seven years, and she makes a concerted effort to change that.

Apatow?s loosey-goosey script leaves plenty of room for discussions of the vagaries of turning 40, from Viagra to hemorrhoids. ("I?d like to keep a small shred of mystery in our relationship," Debbie tells Pete when she finds him attempting to examine his own butt.) Moments of knowing humor ? like Pete?s bathroom breaks to play Scrabble on his iPad ? are interspersed with hard-edged anger, as Pete and Debbie argue, make up, argue some more and work to reconcile the romance of their younger selves with the realities of age and circumstances.

Apatow is a generous host, giving his sprawling cast ample opportunities to insert their own weird humor to the proceedings. These include "Bridesmaids" co-stars Melissa McCarthy and Chris O?Dowd, Jason Segel (Rudd?s "I Love You, Man" co-star) and Lena Dunham (from the Apatow-produced "Girls").

But for all the strong comic performances ? particularly by Rudd and Brooks ? Apatow gives the best bits to his family. Maude Apatow, now 15, is emerging as a gifted comedian with a keen grasp of real-life teen angst. And Mann gives one of the sharpest performances of the year, baring her soul (and the occasional nipple) to capture Debbie?s ambivalence toward aging and her fierce determination to keep her family together and her sanity intact.

Through broad and sometimes foul-mouthed humor, "This Is 40" manages to be more accurately observant of the ups and downs of adulthood than more serious filmmakers have been. The jokes are funnier, and more biting, because they?re true.

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Copyright 2012 The Salt Lake Tribune. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Source: http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/entertainment2/55489552-223/apatow-debbie-pete-comedy.html.csp

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THE INVESTING JOYS IN SOMALILAND!, By: Abdi-shotaly ...

Mr Yusef says potential profits are higher in Somaliland than London
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?How are you going to make money in a country that doesn?t even exist?? That was probably the question that many people had at the back of their minds when Mohammed Yusef told them he would invest in Somaliland.

Others perhaps did not even know Somaliland had declared independence from Somalia in 1991 and that, in spite of not having been recognised internationally, it does have ? unlike Somalia ? a working political system and a strong business sector.

Mr Yusef of course knew. Although he now manages a very successful investment firm in the United Kingdom, Invicta Capital Limited, he has always kept in touch with the land where he was born six decades ago, while it still was a British protectorate.

?If what my parents say is true, I always had a mentality for trade, for business, and it?s not inconsistent with the family history because the family originated from a fishing village on the Gulf of Aden,? he told the BBC?s series African Dream.

?My great-grandfather was one of those people that would trade with Aden.?

Mr Yusef was educated in the UK where he trained as a solicitor and practiced as a commercial lawyer before starting his own law practice specializing in commercial law, copyright and media law in London.

In 1999 he founded Invicta, a private equity firm providing finance for the media, commercial property and renewable energy sectors which, according to its website, has raised over ?1.4bn ($2.3bn) of investment capital.

Minding the gap

His Somaliland business is handled through a company called Prime Resources which has a staff of nine people in Hargeisa, the capital.

Continue reading the main story

Mohammed Yusef

Age: 60
First business venture: buying and selling a film library
Trained as a solicitor
Practiced as a commercial lawyer before founding his own law practice in London
Founded Invicta Capital in 1999
His Somaliland business is handled through a company called Prime Resources
Prime has a staff of nine people in Hargeisa

Somaliland profile
Oil exploration starts in Somalia

According to him, the firm has invested in mining, and oil and gas exploration and is about to embark on a $40m exploration programme. It is also evaluating business opportunities in Somalia in the agricultural and property sectors.

?When I first started looking at investment in Somaliland even my professional colleagues would say: ?You?re mad. This doesn?t make any sense?,? he remembers.

?Not only did they confuse Somaliland with Somalia but it does have the problem of being an unrecognised country,? he told the BBC?s Mary Harper.

?But actually nobody ever made money from following the herd and the most money is often to be made where there is a mismatch between what people perceive to be the place and the reality of what it is, and Somaliland is exactly in those kinds of circumstances where there is a huge gap between the reality and the perception.?

?So actually there is a method to my madness and it isn?t inconsistent with the basic principles of business: Go find yourself a situation that nobody else has spotted and be prepared to hang on in there while everybody else catches up.?

?There is no inconsistency between what we look for when we invest in an opportunity here [in London] and what we look for over there, except that the potential rewards in Somaliland are far greater, ironically.?

The Hollywood connection

Mr Yusef?s first business venture was buying and selling a film library.

?I was lucky in that I knew who my buyer was going to be, so it was one of those crazy situations where I knew I could buy for X and sell for Y,? he said.

?In many ways, it?s the worst first lesson to have in business because you run away with the idea that business is actually quite easy.?

However, this experience was probably helpful to him when, later, he decided to specialise in structured film financing.

Invicta has been involved in the financial side of many successful film projects, including Wallace & Grommit: Curse of the Were-Rabbit, Da Vinci Code and James Bond?s Casino Royale.

Although now he manages big money, Mr Yusef says that he started with very little.

?I had enough capital to pay the rent of an office for six months. I think it was enough to pay the secretary and assistant. That was it.

?But it didn?t take much. It never takes much. Not having money is never really the obstacle, it?s the excuse.?

?Fascinating people?

Mr Yusef says that for him one of the most exciting things about his business is meeting people.

?You meet fantastic people, even the ones you don?t like. They?re fascinating?.

Continue reading the main story

?Start Quote

The biggest driver for people in business, if you look at it, is the creative drive, to create something from nothing and step back and say: ?That was nothing then, look at it now??

He believes that it is often easier to get to know others in stressful situations because they cannot ?keep their pretences up for very long?.

He also takes delight in the intellectual challenges offered by his job.

?Every situation is different from the last. And the mistake often made is to assume ?Oh, I know how that story is going to end?. So there?s always that tension ? positive stress is what I call it ? that keeps one going,? he says.

?After a while, it may sound a bit glib to say this, the money motive isn?t the main driver. Once you?ve reached a certain level of security ? you?ve paid the mortgage if you still had one and taken care of the basics of life, and you can afford one or two luxuries ? people who accumulate businesses and business interests just to make more money are a little bit unwell, I think.

?The biggest driver for people in business, if you look at it, is the creative drive, to create something from nothing and step back and say: ?That was nothing then, look at it now?. I?m sure that?s the key motivator for most people who are successful in business.?

And what advice would he give to someone who wants to start in business?

?Control your fear and never give up because you will fail more than you succeed, and I think that?s the thing that my father taught me more than anything else, and that?s that ultimately you will prevail if you take your losses as well as your successes and learn from the losses. We learn nothing from success and everything from failure.

?I think the thing that separates the natural businessman and, let?s say, a business consultant, is the tenacity that is required. Many people give up on their dreams and their ideas faster than they should, and even when they do fail, they should figure out why they failed and then look for the next opportunity.?

* N.B ?Control your fears and never give up your hopes?

? ?Abdi-shotaly,

Source: http://oodweynenews.com/2012/12/the-investing-joys-in-somaliland-by-abdi-shotaly/

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