How to Build a Lean but Effective Content Marketing Team ...

I?ve been speaking to a lot of people about content marketing lately.

A common theme I?m hearing is that folks have decided to execute on their content marketing goals, but they get stuck on the basic questions of how to start. Sometimes they?re not sure what the content should be, where to publish, or how often.

Solving those types of questions requires research into the size and nature of the opportunity, and the available budget.

Other times, they just don?t see how they?ll find the hours in the day to do the work. They have a subject matter expert (they may be that expert!) but the task seems insurmountable.

Today I?m going to provide 9 tips on how to build a lean content marketing team in a way that might just make the size of the task a lot more manageable.

Before we get into the 9 tips, let?s take care of a few critical beginning items ?

Determine the scope of the content marketing effort

Putting together a content marketing team requires an understanding of the size of the task you want the team to undertake. Some of the questions you need to answer are:

1. Will you have a blog on your own site?
2. How much high-end guest posting will you be doing?
3. What social media sites will you be active in?
4. How much effort will you put into social media vs. writing?
5. What role will giving interviews play in your strategy?
6. How many conferences / speaking engagements will you be involved in?
7. How much budget can you allocate to this effort?

These are all key questions, and the goal is to help you understand the size and nature of the work your team will have to do. You need a sense of the answer of these questions to ensure you build a robust enough team to execute the plan.

Who is your subject matter expert?

You must have a key internal person who leads the effort.

This person needs to be a subject matter expert (SME) on whatever your topic matter is ? passionate about it, and personable. Your content won?t sell without this.

In addition, they must be prepared to commit some of their time and effort to leading the content marketing team. You can?t build a serious content marketing effort with only external resources. Don?t start until you know who the internal owner of the effort will be.

Part of what this person must do is be social. Content marketing is about building an audience that builds your business, and people like to attach to a person, not an inanimate corporate blog. Your SME is critical to getting an identity out there, and therefore winning fans, friends, followers, etc.

The next major question is how much time will your SME have available for this team? I really believe that a serious content marketing strategy requires that they have an average of at least an hour a day. If they have more than that, great! I know people that spend 4 hours per day, and that level of effort can drive awesome results. But, we can still make one hour per day work, by building the right support team around your SME.

Building a support team

The entire purpose of building a support team is to create leverage for the SME.

This is the reason we defined the scope and the person who would be the expert and their availability up front. Of course, in reality, this is often an iterative process, but know that you need all 3 pieces for this to work.

So let?s get to it. The first six are the ones that are the simplest to implement, yet they really help ease the burden of creating great content on a consistent basis.

Here are nine recurring tasks a support team can do that will provide powerful leverage to your SME ?

1. Topic identification

You might think that this should be the sole domain of your SME, but if you are creating multiple articles per week ? or in extreme circumstances, multiple articles per day ? it is invaluable to have someone constantly researching the things taking place in your market. They need to find out what?s happening and what other industry people are writing about.

This research person can then suggest some things that your SME is qualified to write about that complement what is already out there.

Trust me, at times this can be a godsend. I?ve had mornings where I spent 2 hours trying to come up with a topic. Talk about feeling like your day got off to a slow start! Having some ideas sitting there waiting for me is invaluable.

2. Identify influencers

Having help identifying key people to develop relationships with is great too.

Your SME will already know many of the people of interest, but a researcher can help the SME understand the social opportunities in your market more completely.

In addition, they can determine how to contact the influencer (for when you are ready to do that) and monitor the content they put out and tip your expert off when there is something particularly interesting item to respond to or comment on.

3. Find guest posting opportunities

This is another area where your expert will already know some of the interesting places where you can guest post, but nobody can watch everything all the time, so some research help is often very useful.

When you first implement a content marketing strategy, it may not be easy to get published in the most high-end media sites, so hitting some targets one step down might be what you need to do first.

This can then give you the credibility needed to move up to the top rung. A skilled researcher can help map these opportunities for you and even review related articles published by target sites and suggest complementary article titles.

4. Graphic design

This item is pretty straightforward. Know that you need a picture of a cheering crowd with at least 20 people in it to include in your post? Have a designer or smart young intern go find it for you.

Have them find stock photos, create new images, put together appropriate screen shots so your SME does not have to.

5. Extract key points

I like to highlight key points from articles in pull quotes, a summary section at the start of the article, and in social media.

Your smart young intern can do the legwork of reading through the article and suggesting a dozen or so items that are worth the extra attention. This really helps promote the article.

For some practical help on this, study the art of writing bullet points that work.

6. Editorial review

Another braindead simple one.

Have someone else read your stuff. Great for finding typos and grammar problems, but also great to get someone else?s commentary if a particular point you are trying to make does not come across clearly.

This one?s not really a suggestion, it?s a requirement!

7. Drafting proposed social networking posts

Consider having an assistant send your expert a draft of suggested headlines for tweets, retweets, pins, and shares for their review.

The SME can then edit them as they see fit and have the assistant schedule those into a tool like Buffer.

8. Implementation of basic social networking activity

With some training you can get a smart marketing-oriented person to come up with suggested content to share, re-share, tweet, retweet, even without your review and input. This may sound risky, but it can be done quite safely if you set up the right parameters.

For example, is there a major influencer that you completely trust? Can you come up with some rules for how to make sure the content that someone might retweet for you is completely on point with your areas of interest?

For many, it is quite possible to do this. The key is to identify a short list of completely trusted people in your social networks and solid parameters for what you want to reshare. I know a lot of people do this on Twitter. The value is that the SME does not need to live on Twitter to provide real time response on everything they might want to re-share.

Obviously, do this with great care, and don?t let it become an artificial way of creating tweet/share volume. Make sure that the guidelines continue to reinforce the values and expertise of your SME.

9. Creation of draft posts (consider this one carefully)

You can also have your smart intern go ahead and draft actual posts for your SME.

To be clear, I am NOT a fan of pure ghost-written content. High-value, trusted relationships really are a result of exposing the heart and soul ? the passion ? of the SME. When an SME edits ghost-written content, you often lose that element of passion. The SME may make the content accurate, but it won?t be framed the way they would have done it.

This is more important than meets the eye.

Think about it for a minute. Facts are just facts, and anyone can assemble those. But knowing a set of facts is not what differentiates true industry leaders. Their differentiation comes from how they integrate and synthesize a collection of facts.

To do that, they need to truly own the content, not just provide expert editing of it.

Nonetheless, having your researcher dig up the article topics, drafting an article, finding interesting references and resources, and providing that to your expert can be a helpful head start. The SME should then ideally perform a substantial rewrite of what was provided to them. This allows their value to really come through.

This process will still simplify the task for the SME, as the initial draft will contain a lot of the raw information, and references to resources, that they need to pull together the post very quickly.

To sum it up ?

A serious content marketing effort takes a lot of ? well, effort.

You are not going to build a large, engaged audience without bring a lot of expertise and personality to the table. You need both. This is why your SME is a critical part of the picture.

However, you can support that person in a lot of different ways and provide tremendous leverage for that person while simultaneously expanding the reach of your efforts.

About the Author: Eric Enge is President of Stone Temple Consulting, a digital marketing and search engine optimization (SEO) firm. He is also a frequent speaker at industry conferences about SEO and Social Media. Get more from Eric on his blog, Twitter, or Google+.

Tweet

Source: http://www.copyblogger.com/lean-content-marketing-team/

ny giants brandon marshall ryder cup Kate Middleton Bottomless the Pirate Bay Hotel Transylvania looper

Of Poetry Movements | creative writing

by Giorgia (?14)

(Last year, when the class of ?14 were sophomores, CWI studied groups of Movements throughout history, and on top of writing responses to each Movement, reflected on each group?s causes, characteristics, and effects in the poetry of the modern world.)

In creative writing I find we often have a very narrow view of poetry, accepting it only as one type of writing that conveys a very limited message using constrained images and form. While most of the poetry we read and discussed from our anthology last week are not poems that resonate on a personal level with me, I found that they greatly broadened my appreciation for poetry as a massive body of work with many genres inside, rather than one genre in itself.

Especially with my group, the Vienna Group, I realized the incredibly fluid definition of poetry, and how tied it is to the language it is being written in and the language?s and region it is being written in?s dialects. One thing might resonate as the ?truest? words ever written with one person and it might seem contrived and shallow to another. That said, one does not have to speak the language or be a part of the culture in which a poem was written for it to resonate. This ties to the essay we also read last week in which the woman being interviewed discussed the idea of a collective consciousness?of poetry from one place reaching deep into the heart of a person from another; African women who had been forced to run away from their villages under fear of death marveled at a white American woman?s ability to communicate their own experiences, but her poem was a response to an entirely different experience and image, and yet, poetry tied the two of them together unconsciously.

This allows us to proceed to the idea of the ?musilanguage? discussed in that same essay?the idea that there was a language of sounds charged with emotions that existed before the concept of structured spoken language we have today, and grammar. The idea that one can glean emotion and meaning from something even if they do not understand what it says or if it has no words is derived from this. I can connect these ideas to those found in visual art and classical and instrumental music, as well as other languages the audience or ?experiencer? does not speak. For example, I attend capoeira and in the Rhoda we sing in Portuguese. I only understand a handful of words (mostly nouns) in Portuguese and yet I glean a particular meaning and resonance from these songs. Often when we discuss what they mean or their history, I will find my personal interpretations free from their literal, Portuguese-to-English translations will not be so different.

In my own writing however, I have found that the schools of poetry we studied and the essay did not have a great effect. They have effected my thinking and the way in which I see and read (which I?m sure indirectly effect my writing), but I have found that Thomas Hardy, a poet I have always carried close, whom I have chosen for the Ponder-a-Poet project and have been reading him intensely and exclusively, is having a profound effect on my writing. In the poems I wrote over the weekend and workshopped, I saw the way in which his work has enhanced my voice and effected my word choice and image refinement, allowing me to communicate ideas with a precision I never have before. It is, quite frankly, remarkable, and makes me glad I chose Hardy rather than any of the other poets I have been considering. The simplicity of his verse cuts deep into one?s own personal sentiments (some one might not even be aware of) and traverse his era in an astonishing way. This way I have connected (and learned by heart) several of his poems although they were written in the late nineteenth century goes back to the idea from the interview of a collected consciousness. It makes me ponder even further the idea of the musilanguage and consider something even beyond that. People often say psychic energy connects people, that animals have it, etc. that we are linked through the mind in channels of emotion, and reading something, pausing, and thinking ?How did they know?? just as the African woman asked of the white woman?s poem, demonstrates the fact that poetry is a basis of humanity, a language within a language that transverses what we identify as spoken word and encompasses both music and visual art and unifies us all, across culture, time, and place.

Like this:

Be the first to like this.

Source: http://sotacw.org/2012/10/30/of-poetry-movements/

hostess brands nh primary david crowder band natalie wood van halen annalynne mccord billy the kid

By Jes?s D?az THIS IS A SCANDAL!?Apparently the Kindle Fire HD...

By Jes?s D?az

THIS IS A SCANDAL!?Apparently the Kindle Fire HD versus iPad Mini comparative ad in Amazon?s front page has ?FLUNKED THE REALITY TEST?!?Stop the fucking presses! As?some astute [journalists/fanboys/amateur PR people] have discovered,?everything is correct except for the fact that the iPad has stereo speakers, not mono! Goddamn cheaters! I?m glad someone called this one out. Now the entire Eastern Seaboard can carry on and go buy their iPad minis on Friday without being afraid of being swindled. Thank God!

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/ovWRV59YoFk/34705583925

ufc 144 fight card ufc 144 results acura nsx all star weekend 2012 giada de laurentiis howard hughes nationwide race

Donnie Wahlberg Films Flooded Apartment, Celebrities React to Superstorm Sandy

Source:

ESPYs 2012 venus williams Freeh Report direct tv wimbledon ray allen Savages

Deal of the Day: Krusell ActionCover Case with Stand for Galaxy Note

The Oct. 30 ShopAndroid.com Deal of the Day is the Krusell ActionCover Case with Stand for Samsung Galaxy Note. Made from a hard, durable polycarbonate with a smooth finish the Krusell ActionCover Case combines protection, convenience and functionality all into one stylish case for your Galaxy Note. The case is extremely slim in design, making it easy to take in and out of your pocket, purse, or bag. Featured on the back is a retractable stand which is completely adjustable for whichever viewing angle suits you best. Comes in black and white.

The Krusell ActionCover Case with Stand is available for just $14.00 today only. That's over 50% off! Grab yours while supplies last.

Never miss a deal. Sign up for Daily Deal alerts!

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/androidcentral/~3/u6Frfang1b4/story01.htm

st. bonaventure ira glass march madness swain match day nene dark shadows trailer

Video: Hurricane Sandy keeps Obama, Romney off campaign trail

Sandy snarls flights: What you should know if you're traveling

If you had to define a travel nightmare, this would be it: Thousands of flights canceled, train service halted, public transit on pause and countless travelers going nowhere fast as Hurricane Sandy menaces the East Coast. ?There are travel messes and then there are travel messes,? said Rick Seaney, CEO of FareCompare.com.

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3036697/vp/49602074#49602074

apple dividend snow white and the huntsman snow white and the huntsman rupaul drag race walking dead comic kratom broncos

Trucker hours-of-service rules designed to reduce fatigued driving ...

Driving itself presents many dangerous opportunities. There's always the possibility of running off of the road, or hitting an object, person, or other car. An increasingly troublesome problem is the amount of time truckers are spending driving while they are tired. Fatigued driving creates dangerous opportunities for truck accidents and thus places others on the road at risk.

Federal Hours-of-Service Rules

Property-carrying drivers can drive for a maximum of 11 hours total after taking 10 consecutive total hours off of driving. Other drivers cannot go past 14 hours and must again take a 10-hour rest.

These rules greatly restrict the amount of time a driver has to get from point A to point B as compared to time allowed in the past. Because employers are trying to save money, they often put pressure on drivers to falsify their logs in order to show legal activity, while in fact, they are violating the federal law. According to the Driver Fatigue and Alertness Study, these drivers should be sleeping around seven consecutive hours, but are only sleeping for roughly five. Drivers (and humans in general) are also not very good at assessing their level of alertness, which makes fatigue particularly dangerous.

The Implications

When rules are broken there are, of course, consequences. A driver spending too much time behind the wheel may be caught by an officer and face legal consequences for their choices. Often, however, drivers put in the long hours because of a fear of losing their job. Employees put large amounts of pressure on drivers to get them to work longer without substantial pay. They may even threaten jobs if the drivers refuse.

Even worse consequences take place when a driver hits another on the road due to fatigue. When this happens, innocent people may lose their lives or become permanently disabled. None of these consequences are appealing, but become more and more likely as the number of sleepy drivers increases.

When an Accident Occurs

When a driver does not rest, as a reasonable person would, they ignore their instincts telling them what the right thing to do is. These truckers and/or their employers can be held accountable for their actions in a court of law.

Experienced personal injury lawyers will look for signs of negligence in given cases and help to ensure that injured parties receive all of the just compensation they deserve. Compensation may be granted for damages to vehicles, medical costs, missed time at work and pain and suffering. If you or a loved one has been involved in an accident with a fatigued trucker, it is advisable to contact an experienced attorney with any questions you may have.

Source: http://www.njpersonalinjuryblog.com/2012/10/trucker-hours-of-service-rules-designed-to-reduce-fatigued-driving.shtml

natalie wood van halen annalynne mccord billy the kid neville neville george lucas

Gmail composer goes to a simple pop-up, gives multitaskers freedom to fly

As much as Gmail shines when it's on the web, some of its most avid users stay in native apps for the multitasking; having to check a past message in the web client has usually meant putting the current draft on hold, or at least maintaining a near-photographic memory. Google wants to translate some of that desktop experience to the web through a new composition interface it's testing as of today. New messages start off in a shrinkable pop-up that lets us find old threads without having to put the new conversation on ice, even we're indecisive enough to leave multiple unfinished e-mail messages open. Other upgrades lurk in the background for the more focused among us, such as a pared-back composition interface, in-line photos and a reply box that dynamically adapts to the space it needs. Only those in the preview will see the Gmail update for now; Google is promising a wider launch in the months ahead that could save us all a few precious minutes each day.

Filed under: Internet, Google

Gmail composer goes to a simple pop-up, gives multitaskers freedom to fly originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 30 Oct 2012 12:44:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  Official Gmail Blog  | Email this | Comments

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/10/30/gmail-composer-goes-to-a-simple-pop-up/

joe pa joe paterno dead marist south carolina primary results betty white ed reed football schedule

Pressey factor looms large for 15th-ranked Tigers

COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) ? Unlike football, Missouri's transition to the SEC might not be so difficult when it comes to the other marquee sport.

Only two players are back from Frank Haith's 30-win debut season, and just one starter, but that's preseason SEC player of the year Phil Pressey. A third cog is back on the front line after a year lost to injury, and then there are all of those blue-chip pickups for the AP national coach of the year to put on the floor when he's ready.

After setting career highs with 10.3 points, 6.4 assists, 3.3 rebounds and 2.1 steals, Pressey spent his summer competing at the LeBron James, Chris Paul and Deron Williams elite camps. Fellow guard Michael Dixon was perhaps the nation's best sixth man with a 13.5-pint average last season, and is a second-team preseason all-conference choice.

Forward Laurence Bowers returns from a left knee injury for his senior season needing just 26 blocks to become No. 2 on the school career list and 126 points for 1,000.

Perhaps it's a team that could finally end Missouri's Final Four drought. Last spring, the Tigers won the Big 12 tournament and were a No. 2 seed in the West before getting upset by Norfolk State in their NCAA opener.

"I really think so," Bowers said. "From a talent standpoint, and just all the intangibles, we have a really good chance. Now, obviously, we've got to still work. You can have all the talent in the world, and if you don't have work ethic it doesn't matter."

There's already a bump in the road, with Dixon and freshman Dominique Bull suspended indefinitely for an undisclosed violation of team rules prior to the exhibition opener. There is still plenty of time to get everyone aboard before the SEC opener Jan. 8 at home against Alabama.

Missouri is loaded with experience, especially for a school that lost Marcus Denmon and Kim English to the NBA draft, plus center Ricardo Ratliffe. The transfer class of Keion Bell, Jabari Brown, Alex Oriakhi and Earnest Ross is considered among the best in history by one publication, and Bell, Oriakhi and Ross started the exhibition opener.

The 6-9 Oriakhi played on the 2011 national title team with Connecticut and has one year of eligibility remaining. Brown (Oregon) and Ross (Auburn) are 6-5 guards and Bell (Pepperdine) is 6-4. Ross has SEC experience and led the team in rebounding during its European tour in August.

Better still, Brown practiced with the team last year.

"It helped me a lot, because I wasn't as far in the dark in terms of what to expect, in terms of how Coach Haith does things," Brown said. "I got to see firsthand for all of last year, start of conference play."

There's no doubt about the focal point. It's the elusive, fearless Pressey.

Missouri always had the inside recruiting track, given Pressey began his college career playing for Mike Anderson, whom he grew up calling "Uncle Mike." Anderson was a college teammate of Pressey's father, former NBA star Paul Pressey. Now at Arkansas, Anderson knows all too well what he left behind.

"I've known him all his life," Anderson said. "Phil is the epitome of a point guard, he's like a coach on the floor. I think he's ahead of his time. Obviously, he's got to go out and play and prove it, but I think he'll be up to that challenge."

Pressey is a finalist for the Bob Cousy Award given to the nation's top point guard. Last year as a sophomore, he broke the school single-season record with 223 assists and his 74 steals is second-most. He is 158 assists and 61 steals shy of school career records.

Pressey and Dixon have piled up 569 assists as teammates and with 212 more will become the top assist tandem in school history in just three seasons.

"Only time can tell how good we can be," Pressey said. "We're going to work every day, and I think we can have a terrific season."

Missouri was the nation's top shooting team last season with 50 percent accuracy, and also was the best at assist/turnover ratio. The Tigers were in the top 10 in scoring (80.4 points), scoring margin (14.1 points), 3-point percentage (39.8 percent), turnovers (10.2) and turnover margin (4.1).

Haith's new team hit the ground running in the exhibition opener, going up 27-3 early against Division II Northwest Missouri State on Monday, and opens the regular season Nov. 10 at home against Southern Illinois-Edwardsville. There are games against NIT champion Stanford and either Louisville or Northern Iowa in the Battle 4 Atlantis Nov. 22-24 and with the other side of the draw including Duke.

The Tigers begin a home-and-home series with UCLA, playing on the road this year Dec. 28, and they have a three-game winning streak in the annual Braggin' Rights game against Illinois in St. Louis, with this year's matchup set for Dec. 22.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/pressey-factor-looms-large-15th-ranked-tigers-204556657--spt.html

Kirk Urso London 2012 Javelin roger federer Olga Korbut Usain Bolt 2012 Olympics Katie Ledecky Aaron Ross

Consumer spending rises in September

By NBC News staff and news wires

Shoppers spent more in September than they did in August, government data showed Monday, in another sign that the economy appears to be gathering some momentum, feeble though it is.

Consumer spending, which accounts for the lion's share of economic activity, rose a higher-than-expected 0.8 percent last month, the Commerce Department reported, versus an unrevised 0.5 percent increase in August. Income rose 0.4 percent in September versus a 0.1 percent rise in August.

Economists polled by Reuters had expected spending to rise 0.6 percent.

With only days left until the presidential election pitting incumbent President Barack Obama against the Republican former governor of Massachusetts Mitt Romney, the economy has been showing signs lately of improving. It remains to be seen whether the more positive data will help Obama win a second term or whether it has come too late to aid his chances.

Economic growth accelerated slightly in the third quarter, but fell short of what is needed to put a deep dent in the 7.8 percent jobless rate. Investors (and voters) will get a last glimpse of the employment picture on Friday, when the government releases the jobs report for October.

When adjusted for inflation, consumer spending increased 0.4 percent after edging up 0.1 percent the prior month.

October surprise: Americans feeling better about the economy

Financial markets showed little reaction to the data. U.S. stock markets will be closed on Monday, and possibly on Tuesday, as a mammoth storm threatens the U.S. East Coast.

The figures were incorporated in last Friday's third-quarter gross domestic product report. Consumer spending increased at a 2 percent annual pace in the third quarter after rising at a 1.5 percent pace the prior period.

The spurt in spending as the quarter ended, which was concentrated in long-lasting goods such as autos and Apple Inc's iPhone 5, suggests some of the momentum could carry through the remainder of the year. However, challenges remain.

While overall income last month grew 0.4 percent, the most since March and a step-up from August's 0.1 percent, the amount of money at the disposal of households after accounting for inflation and taxes was flat.

That meant households cut back on saving to fund purchases. This and sluggish job growth could hamper spending over the long-term. The saving rate slipped to 3.3 percent last month, the lowest since November 2011, from 3.7 percent the prior month.

"Households were only able to boost consumption in the third quarter by dipping into their savings," said Paul Dales, senior U.S. economist at Capital Economics. "Faced with the prospect of major tax hikes in the New Year, however, they will soon become more cautious."

Reuters contributed to this report.

More business news:

Follow NBCNews.com business on Twitter and Facebook

Kevin Ferry, Cronus Futures Management, has the latest numbers on the economy and its impact on the markets, with CNBC's Steve Liesman. Also, an update on the storm as it heads for lower Manhattan, from CNBC's Scott Cohn.

Source: http://economywatch.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/10/29/14779353-consumers-spend-more-than-expected-income-rises?lite

Arlen Specter dallas cowboys Winsor McCay ufc Amanda Todd washington nationals Gary Collins

Success Story: Luis Pedron, Filmmaker ? ASPIRE. MOTIVATE ...

?

By Alpha Miguel-Sanford

?

Someone mentioned to me a few years back that if you are an immigrant and you conquered New York City, (which means you?ve made yourself known in the industry you are in), then you are golden. That also means you have made yourself somewhat of a success. New York is a city where there are a lot of things going on. And, it is a destination of many people across the globe for something better. Thus, the competition in a given? field is huge. If you are talented and you have what it takes, you will still shine. You will carry on with your passion, your beliefs and your contribution to the community.

Luis Pedron, is not just another Filipino transplant in New York City. He is, along with a few of the people we have featured on AMSDaily Success Story, a Filipino in New York City who has made a name for himself; someone whose impact among his colleagues in the film making industry would make the Filipinos proud of him.

Luis is the co-founder of the International Film Festival in Manhattan, the co-founder and the producer of the Queens Asian Fest and the author of the e-book, ?50 Ways How to Get the Attention of a Film Festival Programmer.?

Although I am a Filipino-American residing in Boston, I know, somehow that my friend?s statement regarding New York is true for Luis Pedron.

This is his story:

?

AMS: ?Tell us about yourself. Your education, training and where you are currently involved in.

Luis: I have a degree in Filmmaking from the University of the Philippines Diliman and a degree in Acting (Meisner Technique) from the School for Film and Television (New York Conservatory for Dramatic Arts). I am currently the Co-Founder, Festival Director, Programmer of the International Film Festival Manhattan. I am also a professional actor, a member of SAG-AFTRA pursuing roles in NYC. I am also a film producer, my latest collaboration is ?The Solar Champion? (Dir: Gerry Balasta) a light hearted comedy about the invention called the solar bulb.

AMS: ?Tell us about how you become involved in your current project and its mission?

Luis: I was the Programmer of the Soho International Film Festival (2010-2011) and the Programmer of the Fanclubx.com Filmmaking Contest (2005-2006). In the midst of all the artistic projects I am involved, I figured I will jump in and go full time in programming thus, Co-Founding the International Film Festival Manhattan www.iffmnyc.webs.com. I serve as the Festival Director and Programmer. We did our inaugural festival last Nov 11-17, 2011 at the historic Quad Cinema in NYC and will be doing our next one this coming November 9-15, 2012 at the same venue.

Mission of International Film Festival Manhattan: ?International Film Festival Manhattan (IFFM) is a group visionaries who believes in the possibilities of New York, the greatest city in the world. We have seen how film, as a powerful medium can make a direct impact on lives or facilitate change. We also have seen the unique diversity of New York?s culture and its people. The city?s appreciation for film and ability to make things happen.?

AMS: ?What is your vision of these projects?

Luis: Vision of International Film Festival Manhattan ?Our vision is to create an opportunity for filmmakers to showcase their works in a movie house in New York and eventually on a tour within the US and around the world. We will support the filmmakers in finding their audiences and their voice.?

AMS: ?Who or what inspired you to be who you are? Have you always been involved in similar projects?

Luis: I have covered different film festivals including NY Film Festival, Tribeca Film Festival, Sundance Film Festival and Slamdance Film Festival for years as a red carpet interviewer and film reviewer. I was able to obeserve the need of the filmmaker to be in a film festival as part of his or her journey. I have seen the nitty gritty of how it is to run film festivals as well. I said to myself eventually I want to be a Festival Director/Programmer of my own fest.

The person who got me involved in attending film festivals is my Uncle Domingo Hornilla Jr, who worked as the Comptroller of the Film Society at the Lincoln Center NY. In the beginning he gave me passes to the NY Film Festival and he told me ?you have access to these films and directors, why don?t you write reviews about them.? After writing reviews for years, there was a clear calling for me to create my own film festival.

My business partner in IFFM is award winning director Gerry Balasta. He brings in his experience as a filmmaker in attending more than 20 film festival around the world for his film ?Mountain Thief.?

Regarding similar events I have produced, I also have been a co programmer for a short film fest in Brooklyn in 2011 with programmers: Frances Lozada (Cinema Nights) and Aaron Ingram (Act Now Foundation). I also co-produce the Queens Asian Fest.

AMS: ?What are some of the greatest achievement that you?ve had?

Luis: The greatest achievement I have is surviving in NYC. But of course, that?s through God?s help. He has made me find my purpose in life and that is to support the community through promoting artistic endeavors. God gave me opportunities to do important projects within the fields of entertainment and film ? in all aspects including PR/Publicity/Producing/Programming.

AMS: ?Who are/were your motivators?

Luis: God has guided me in a lot of things I have done in life. He keeps me grounded and motivated. I am inspired by: Rick Warren?s ?Purpose Driven Life.? I am blessed to have a supportive family especially my parents Louie and Flor Pedron. They have advised me with everything I do. AMS: ?If you were to tell us what are the most important skills that you need in order to be successful (in general) in life- what are they?

Luis: In filmmaking, I always remind everyone, filmmaking is 10% filmmaking and 90% marketing. It?s the same thing in all businesses. The 3 tips I have for everyone are:

1) Have the Attitude of Gratitude: Be thankful to everyone who has helped you. Say thank you immediately, both through email and through greeting cards. Thank God for all your blessings. Always say Thank you to your family, friends, business partners and customers. They also are the reason why you are successful.

2) Social Networking: Be sure you have a list: start building your Facebook friends and twitter following. Do not wait until you have a big project. Start now so when you are promoting your project, you will already have a captive audience.

3) No Man in an Island. Attend offline networking events, conferences, conventions, churches, clubs (ex Toastmaster, Lions, Rotary), organization parties, school reunions, film festivals, street fair, etc. Having a network online is not enough. You have to meet people live as well. Remember in finding collaborators, you need to check out their likeability factor. You only see this to meeting your prospects in person.

AMS: ?What are your next goals for yourself?

Luis: A book is in the plans, which will be release in October 2012. The e-book is for filmmakers: ?50 Ways How to Get the Attention of a Film Festival Programmer.? (please note this interview was completed in August 2012). I will be putting out a promo version e-book called ?8 Ways How to Get the Attention of a Film Festival Programmer? in late September 2012. This in preparation for a film seminar series that I want to do in film schools here in the US and in the Philippines in 2013.

After IFFM NY in Nov 2012, we will be doing IFFM goes to Manila in early 2013. Gerry Balasta and I (with our other collaborators) will be finishing our film ?The Solar Champion? http://www.facebook.com/#!/solarchampion. Our group (same as the IFFM) by the way had a successful Kickstarter campaign for our finishing funds werein we raised $15,000 online. http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1071073173/the-solar-champion-search-for-pacquiao-and-the-sol. (Historically, in Kickstarter only 41% gets funded) AMS: ?What is your definition of success?

Luis: ?Success does not equal only money. Success is when you have reached a point in your life wherein everything you do is what you were dreaming of when you were little. Success is when you can say you are happy with what you are doing. Success is when you can say you have a purpose in life.

My special quotable quote:

?Enjoy the Process.?

?

?

About the Author: Alpha Miguel-Sanford, is the founder and editor of Aspire.Motivate.Succeed. She is also the author of the book ?The Best Inspirational Storie I Ever Read: Guide to a Purposeful Life?.You can contact her at amsdaily@yahoo.com, follow and like her on Facebook Page AMSDaily and be friends with her on Twitter @identitysolved.

?

Source: http://amsdaily.net/2012/10/28/success-story-luis-pedron-filmmaker/

dog the bounty hunter tacoma narrows bridge weather nyc open marriage department of justice doj dept of justice

As U.S. States Look To Add Food Labels, Denmark Looks To Subtract Some

Just some of the food labels a Danish government group is evaluating.

forbrug.dk i

Just some of the food labels a Danish government group is evaluating.

forbrug.dk

Wherever you look these days, it seems labels that strive to send a message about our food are on the table. In California, there's a vote coming up on whether genetically modified foods should be labeled. A few weeks ago, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission updated its guidelines for "green" labeling. And now The New York Times food writer Mark Bittman has stepped into the fray with an op-ed outlining his suggestion for a multi-colored, multi-category "dream" food label that aims to convey how healthy, natural and humane a food is.

No question, as consumers have become more interested in the backstory of whatever they're tossing in the shopping cart, the proliferation of "pick me!" logos has become somewhat overwhelming. The international Ecolabel Index, for example, keeps tabs on no less than 432 marks administered by governments, NGOs and industry alliances (and those are just "green" labels, having nothing to do with nutrition).

The Index's Anastasia O'Rourke says this sea of stylized leaves and bean sprouts is confusing not only to individual consumers, but to major purchasers like universities trying hard to do the right thing.

Luckily for those of us who've experienced the tennis-spectator whiplash of too much time spent deciding between competing bags of do-gooder coffee, there's hope. O'Rourke can quickly tick off four major efforts working toward standardizing the whole labeling game. Some of the major players include the European Commission, United Nations and International Organization for Standardization.

Ok, so hope, but maybe not of the fleet-footed variety. As the magazine Der Spiegel points out, past efforts to pare the list have been less than successful.

Nonetheless, a few individual countries have begun trying to sort things out for themselves. One of those is Denmark, where the government and Consumer Council are currently working out an agreement to analyze some of the most common ecolabels, with an eye for accuracy and areas of overlap. The goal is then to "weed out" some of the labels (to the extent that's legally possible) and suggest tools that could make life easier for shoppers.

One option might be a mobile phone app that scans product labels to provide even more information about a product's history, a la the GoodGuide. Another might be a take-along program alerting consumers to which ecolabels cover the issues that matter to them most. The Danish Competition and Consumer Authority already has a nifty prototype for that one on its website, where shoppers can check categories like "organic," "animal welfare," or "Fair Trade" and see which labels pop up ? kind of an ecolabel whack-a-mole.

The tug of war between informing consumers and making them want to bury their heads in the sand is nothing new, says Jens Ring who's with the European Commission in Copenhagen and has been working in the consumer affairs arena for years. "Before, it was discussion about whether the letters on labels should be one millimeter tall or less. There's always a trade off. It's a constant discussion." And one that's not likely to be wrapping up soon.

Source: http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2012/10/29/163869580/as-u-s-states-look-to-add-food-labels-denmark-looks-to-subtract-some?ft=1&f=1007

joan crawford joan crawford john goodman kendall marshall whitney houston news sylvia plath whitney houston

NYC Hurricane Shelters Pet Friendly | Life With Cats

If New York City residents need to leave their homes for city shelters they will be allowed to bring their pets, but will be responsible for their care.

According to the city?s Office of Emergency Management, ?Legal pets with proper identification? will be admitted to shelters with their owners.

The city advises that pets be boarded or left with friends and family outside the city, but will accommodate them if they have nowhere else to go, or need to remain with their owners.

We add that, in the event of a natural disaster or other emergency, NY residents should do everything in their power to guarantee that their pets NOT end up loose or abandoned and in danger of ending up at the city?s ACC facilities.

?

From the New York City Office of Emergency Management:

Hurricane Shelters
If the mayor orders an evacuation of coastal areas, the City strongly recommends evacuees stay with friends or family outside evacuation zone boundaries. However, for those who have no alternative shelter, the City has identified hurricane shelters throughout the five boroughs.

All New Yorkers are welcome at NYC Evacuation Centers and Hurricane Shelters regardless of their immigration status. The shelters are secure facilities with public safety personnel on site. They are designed to accommodate people with disabilities and special needs.Please bring bedding, toiletries, medication, and other personal items for you and your loved ones traveling with you.

The NYC emergency sheltering system is friendly to all pets but you will be responsible for their care so please bring your pet?s food, leashes, cage, and medication.Service animals that assist people with disabilities are allowed in hurricane shelters. Ideally, you should arrange to shelter other pets at a kennel or with friends or relatives outside the evacuation area. Legal pets with proper identification will be admitted into shelters with their owners. Owners should bring cleaning and food supplies with them, as well as containers and leashes.
Learn more about the city?s recommendations for emergency preparedness for pets.

Officials will notify evacuees when and if it is safe to return to their homes. Since hurricanes are highly destructive, residents may not be able to return home for weeks.

Evacuation Centers

The City will ask all evacuees seeking public shelter to report to an evacuation center. These centers are located in all boroughs, are easily reached via public transportation. Some centers provide parking facilities.

Each evacuation center is associated with several hurricane shelters in what is known as its ?solar system.? There are currently 65 such systems in the City, each of which can accommodate an average of 10,000 people. Evacuation centers help ensure the number of people in each shelter is roughly the same to reduce overcrowding and underused facilities. At the evacuation center, evacuees will be assigned to a particular evacuation shelter and be transported by bus or van.

To find out the location of your nearest evacuation center, use OEM?s Hurricane Evacuation Zone Finder to locate your evacuation zone, and the system will direct you to the proper facility. During an emergency, you can also obtain this information by calling 311.

<via>

.

Source: http://www.lifewithcats.tv/2012/10/28/nyc-hurricane-shelters-pet-friendly/

colts big ten tournament 2012 dennis quaid bruce weber fired notorious big biggie smalls lyrics azores

HTC 8X review: Windows Phone 8's compact flagship

More Info

• Windows Phone 8X by HTC: 4.3-inch 720p display, LTE, dual-core S4, available this November
• Windows Phone 8X by HTC hands-on: Microsoft's modern mobile OS personified in polycarbonate
• Windows Phone 8 review

It feels like forever since Microsoft announced Windows Phone 8 back in June, but the mobile OS is finally here and with it comes the inaugural volley of compatible handsets. The first one to cross our desks is the global, unlocked version of HTC's Windows Phone 8X, a device we first saw in September. Unlike other current flagships, this phone breaks the bigger-is-better trend by providing a full set of high-end specs in a relatively compact package -- combining a 4.3-inch 720p Super LCD 2 display, Qualcomm dual-core Snapdragon S4 processor and NFC in a sleek and colorful package. Does the 8X have what it takes to carry the Windows Phone 8 torch? Is this a bona fide flagship despite its reduced footprint? Has HTC designed a better handset than its existing Android superphone, the One X? Find out in our review after the break.

Gallery: HTC Windows Phone 8X review

Continue reading HTC 8X review: Windows Phone 8's compact flagship

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Microsoft, HTC

HTC 8X review: Windows Phone 8's compact flagship originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 29 Oct 2012 14:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/10/29/htc-8x-review-windows-phone-8s-compact-flagship/

ohio state girl with the dragon tattoo ohio state basketball collateral dick cheney heart umf peter frampton

HBT: Can Cain close out another series?

Matt Cain started and won Game 5 of the NLDS against the Reds. He got the ball again in Game 7 of the NLCS versus the Cardinals. Now he?ll try to close out a third straight series for the Giants in Game 4 of the World Series on Sunday evening.

That Cain had to wait until Game 4 to face the Tigers was something of a surprise, and manager Bruce Bochy did indicate that fatigue played some role in his decision. Cain was one of the NL?s top five starters this year, and if he were still throwing like he did in September, there?s little doubt that the Giants would have lined him up to pitch Games 3 and 7 of the World Series.

Cain, though, hasn?t looked like a world beater in the postseason. While he?s come up with the two big wins, he?s lost his two other starts. In Game 7 against the Cardinals, Bochy made the call to remove him with a shutout intact in the sixth inning. In all, Cain has pitched 23 innings in his four starts and amassed a solid 3.52 ERA. However, it?s come with a decreased strikeout rate and four homers allowed. He allowed a homer every 10 innings during the regular season. In 2011, he allowed a homer every 25 innings.

On the plus side, Cain will get to face an ice cold Tigers offense in poor conditions for hitting. The temperature was 47?degrees?at the start of tonight?s game, and the forecast calls for a similar Sunday. Plus, he has a pretty rested bullpen behind him after Tim Lincecum took care of business tonight. One imagines the Giants will aim for six innings from Cain in Game 4, with Jeremy Affeldt, Santiago Casilla, Javier Lopez and Sergio Romo matching up from there. It?s been a winning recipe so far.

Source: http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/10/28/series-clincher-matt-cain-now-gets-go-for-the-big-one/related/

lsu football lsu football bcs jay z glory alabama crimson tide barry larkin jay z new song

Two dead as police clash with protesters in Peru's capital

LIMA (Reuters) - Two people died and 21 others were injured in Peru's capital on Saturday as protesters clashed with police trying to shut down a sprawling wholesale market, raising the death toll to four since street battles erupted at the site on Thursday.

The unrest in Lima's downtown has stunned residents and could hurt Mayor Susana Villaran's chances of winning a recall election in the chaotic city of 8 million. The date of the vote has not been set, but must occur within 40 days.

The skirmishes have also prompted criticism of President Ollanta Humala's interior minister, who is in charge of the police force that was caught off guard when protests broke out on Thursday. Two people were killed and dozens injured in those clashes.

Humala campaigned on promises to use mediation to defuse widespread social conflicts, but 23 people have died in confrontations with police since he took office in July 2011 - mostly in remote provinces.

Villaran, a reformer, wants to move the wholesale market - known as an easy place to buy contraband and stolen merchandise - to a modern facility she has built just a few blocks away.

She accused merchants opposed to the move of hiring criminals to brawl with police, paying them just 30 soles ($11.50) a day to throw rocks and clubs at riot police, who responded with tear gas, batons and pistols.

"Today, all the real merchants who don't rely on criminals have said they want to move to the new market," Villaran said on RPP radio. "We are regaining order and security in an area that has only been one of disorder, chaos, insecurity and filth."

Lima has been hit by a series of strikes over the past month as unions demand better pay and complain of being left behind by a decade of growth that saw the economy surge more than 6 percent a year.

Transport workers opposed to Villaran's push to overhaul Lima's bus system have gone on strike, while Humala struggled for weeks before persuading the national teachers' union and doctors in the country's public health system to end walkouts that shut schools and hospitals.

(Reporting By Omar Mariluz and Terry Wade; Editing by Peter Cooney)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/two-dead-police-clash-protesters-perus-capital-203913618.html

geithner gabrielle giffords juliette lewis chelsea handler mitch daniels shirataki noodles john kerry

Engadget Mobile Podcast 156 - 10.27.2012

O hai! Welcome to the 156th edition of the Engadget Mobile Podcast, where we've managed to rope in the elusive, globetrotting device-shaker Richard Lai for his opinions on all the hottest new PadFones in the multiverse. If you're in North America, beware: he sounds much smarter because he's British. Actual intelligence quotient of Richard Lai may vary from continent to continent.

Hosts: Myriam Joire (tnkgrl), Brad Molen
Guest: Richard Lai
Producer: Trent Wolbe
Music: Tycho - Coastal Brake (Ghostly International)

00:01:44 - ASUS PadFone 2 review: two times is a charm for this phone-in-tablet combo
00:33:45 - Huawei Ascend D1 Quad XL review
00:45:40 - Samsung Galaxy Note II for Verizon hands-on
00:55:50 - Galaxy Note 2 Tmo review. Not sure we want to cover this again? (maybe the price, which is ridiculous)
01:12:19 - Sony Xperia TL comes to AT&T on November 2 for $99 with a two-year contract

Hear the podcast

Subscribe to the podcast
[iTunes] Subscribe to the Podcast directly in iTunes
[RSS MP3] Add the Engadget Mobile Podcast feed (in MP3) to your RSS aggregator and have the show delivered automatically
[RSS AAC] Add the Engadget Mobile Podcast feed (in enhanced AAC) to your RSS aggregator
[Zune] Subscribe to the Podcast directly in the Zune Marketplace

Download the podcast
LISTEN (MP3)
LISTEN (AAC)

Contact the podcast
podcast (at) engadgetmobile (dot) com.

Follow us on Twitter
@tnkgrl @phonewisdom @engadgetmobile @richardlai

Filed under: Podcasts, Mobile

Engadget Mobile Podcast 156 - 10.27.2012 originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 27 Oct 2012 15:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/xyZ63rbLPE0/

Dictionary.com Chicago teachers strike yahoo finance september 11 2001 september 11 2001 dr oz serena williams

Kahakai Kitchen: Bread-Tomato-Garlic Soup: For Food &#39;n Flix: Attack ...

In about one third of the time that it will take you to watch the film Attack of the Killer Tomatoes, you can make this bowl of simple, hearty Bread-Tomato-Garlic Soup. And, I do recommend that's where you spend your time--the soup not the movie.?
Elizabeth at The Law Student's Cookbook selected this campy "horror" movie as our Food 'n Flix pick for October--a very fitting choice. Although I generally like B-rated cult-status films, I just couldn't quite get into it this round. Filmed in 1978, (I vaguely remember watching it as a child), the years have not been kind to this film--I think my only real laughs came from the clothing and bad low-budget special effects. Still, seemingly harmless tomatoes intent on taking over the world did inspire this delicious dish.?
This recipe comes from the Jill Dupleix cookbook of the same name, Bread Tomato Garlic--featuring recipes with three "main player" ingredients. The three are used beautifully here in a thick, velvety soup.?
Jill Dupleix says, "A soup that's really a salad: sourdough bread, rich, ripe tomatoes and your fruitiest olive oil."

Bread-Tomato-Garlic Soup?
Adapted from Bread Tomato Garlic by Jill Dupleix
(Serves 4)

Main Players:
12 oz stale sourdough bread
1 lb ripe tomatoes
2 garlic cloves, peeled (I used 3 cloves)

Supporting Cast:
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus extra to serve
5 cups chicken stock or veggie broth
1 small bunch basil
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Remove crusts from the bread, thickly slice and cut into 3/4-inch cubes. Coarsely chop the tomatoes, and smash the garlic with the side of a knife until flattened.

Heat the olive oil and garlic in a heavy saucepan. When hot, add the tomatoes and cook, stirring for 5 minutes.

Add the broth gradually, stirring, and bring to a boil. When the mixture is bubbling, add the stale bread cubes, salt and pepper, and cook, stirring, for another 5 minutes. Toss in a handful of fresh basil leave sand stir them through.

Cover and simmer over very low heat for 20-30 minutes. Stir every now and then, squashing some of the bread into the soup with a potato masher or the back of a wooden spoon.?

Remove from the heat and leave to cool for a while. Serve warm, drizzled with extra olive oil. ?

Notes/Results: So simple and good. The bread makes this soup thick and smooth. I added a little extra garlic to mine and put half of the basil in when the recipe called for it and the other half in at the end. Playing off of Dupleix comment that this is a soup that is really a salad, I topped mine with a little fresh mozzarella, making it Caprese-ish. This soup is pure comfort food and I would definitely make it again.?
Thanks to Elizabeth for picking a fun October film. She'll be rounding up the killer tomato-inspired dishes on her blog in the next few days. Have a hankering for films and food? Join us for the next Food 'n Flix pick, Julie and Julia hosted by La Cocina de Leslie.?
Now let's visit the Souper Sundays kitchen and see what dishes await.?

Foodycat has a new addiction--Nduja--rich, spicy, paste-like sausage from Calabria and used it to make this hearty Ndjua Meatball Minestrone Soup. She says, "The flavour of the pepper stuffing started me thinking of meatballs. And as the weather has turned distinctly autumnal, it led my thoughts towards soup. A big pot of minestrone, thick with stelline, beans and vegetables, with balls of 'nduja-and-sausagemeat poached gently in it. The chilli-warmth worked its way through the whole pot of broth."

Dave from Inspired by eRecipeCards joins us for the first time at Souper Sundays with two soupy bowls of goodness.? First is this Garlic Garlic Chicken and Dumplings. Dave says, "Not a typo, double Garlic. And as good as that sounds... It tasted better. ?In fact, I am out on a limb here, but I really think this is about the best thing I have ever made. ?A terrific garlic seasoned vegetable chicken soup, but on top are the most amazing garlic cheese dumplings. ?I cried just a bit when the leftovers were gone."

Next, Dave shares this Chicken, Kale, Sweet Potatoes in a Silky Butternut Squash Soup and says, "Today's soup wasn't waiting for Indian Summer, this beauty was made with a base of creamy silky butternut squash (thickened with a roux and pureed). ?The meat of the soup was cubes of fried Sweet Potatoes for texture (and health), some Kale for color. texture and even more health and some of my beloved store bought, fully cooked, fully seasoned Rotisserie Chicken..." Welcome to Souper Sundays Dave!

?
Joanne of Eats Well With Others created a fun soupy spin on a classic dish with her Lasagna Soup and says, "My grandmother didn't make lasagna. Perhaps that is why I've never felt that bad taking what should be tradition and transforming it into something totally unrecognizable.? Omitting key ingredients, adding in a rainbow of vegetables that wasn't there before, or saying "who needs an hour of baking or a tray of cheesy perfection...just throw it all on the stovetop and call it soup!" As it turns out, without a gold standard to compare it to, anything goes."
?
Janet of The Taste Space has two salads to share this week. First, this end-of-summer Flageolet Bean Salad with Roasted Tomatoes and Leeks. She says, "It is such a simple salad, but capitalizes on summer?s fresh bounty. You could even whip this one out in the middle of winter with green-house tomatoes and nobody would be the wiser. Roasting the tomatoes, leeks and garlic makes a delicious base for this salad. Coated in a touch of coconut oil, it permeates into the juicy tomatoes and silky leeks. I combined them with flageolet beans, perfect for salads with their creamy texture yet firm shape. No need for a dressing, the vegetable juices embrace the beans."?
Janet also made this pretty salad topped with Tomato-Pomegranate Vinaigrette and says, "I was initially perplexed by the recipe since it seemed to be a dressing infused with the flavours instead of being pureed directly into the dressing. So, I experimented. I made half of the recipe through the suggested (infused) method, and half of the dressing was simply pureed. The verdict? Both were good and more surprisingly to me, the blended dressing was creamier. I thought the pureed shallot and garlic would make this a scary dressing, but it wasn?t. It wasn?t as tart and acidic as the infused dressing. However, once mixed with my veggie medley, it was perfect. Both versions were nice."

Becky from veghotpot is back with a satisfying Vegan BLT (BBQ Tofu, Lettuce and Tomato) sandwich and says, "A BLT needs to be slightly smoky, slightly salty and a good contrast between crispy ?bacon?, crunchy lettuce and juicy tomatoes! ... What I liked about this sandwich was the fact that the tofu packed some great flavour but it also had a creamy subtleness which was delicious against the toasted bread. I actually left the tofu marinating for quite a while as we went to the pub and I can confirm that after a few cold pints of beer on a rainy day, this sandwich was perfect to come home to!"

Finally, Heather of girlichef made these fun Spiced Shawarma Chicken Wraps and says, "Can I just say how much I adore deceptively simple recipes? ?Deceptive in that, although fairly quick and definitely no-fuss, they are absolute crowd-pleasers. ?That would be exactly the case with the recipe... Everybody loved them exactly as-is. ?And me? ?Well, I stole away with the remaining garlic mayo all for myself. ?And a little bowl of Kalamata olives. ?Dip wrap in mayo, pop an olive in my mouth, take glorious free-will-melting bite. Repeat. ?Repeat. ?Repeat."

Wonderful dishes this week--thanks to everyone who joined in. If you have a soup, salad, or sandwich that you would like to share, just click on the Souper Sundays logo on my side bar for all of the details.

Have a happy, healthy week!
?

Source: http://kahakaikitchen.blogspot.com/2012/10/bread-tomato-garlic-soup-for-food-n.html

d t p zynga Tropical Storm Sandy W S

Tsunami warning in Hawaii downgraded to advisory

HONOLULU (AP) ? A Hawaii tsunami warning that spurred coastal evacuations statewide was downgraded to a tsunami advisory early Sunday, ending the threat of serious damage less than three hours after the first waves hit the islands.

Hawaii Gov. Neil Abercrombie said early Sunday that the Aloha State was lucky to avoid more severe surges after a powerful earthquake struck off the coast of Canada.

Abercrombie said beaches and harbors are still closed statewide.

"We're very, very grateful that we can go home tonight counting our blessings," Abercrombie said.

Meanwhile, the National Weather Service canceled tsunami advisories for Canada and Oregon, leaving northern California as the only spot in North America still under a tsunami advisory.

The first waves hitting Hawaii on Saturday night were smaller than expected.

Gerard Fryer, a geologist tracking the tsunami for the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center, said the largest wave in the first 45 minutes of the tsunami was measured in Maui at more than 5 feet, about 2 feet higher than normal sea levels.

No major damage was reported.

At first, officials said Hawaii wasn't in any danger of a tsunami after the 7.7-magnitude earthquake rattled the western coast of North America Saturday night, sparking tsunami warnings for southern Alaska and western Canada.

Later, officials issued a warning for Hawaii as well, saying there had been a change in sea readings. About the same time, a tsunami advisory was issued for a 450-mile stretch of U.S. coast running from north of San Francisco to central Oregon.

A small tsunami created by the quake was barely noticeable in Craig, Alaska, where the first wave or surge was recorded Saturday night.

Fryer said it could take several hours for the danger to pass in Hawaii, especially if the waves get bigger.

"It's beginning to look like the evacuation may not have been necessary," Fryer said.

The National Weather Service said there were reports of water quickly receding in bays, including Hilo Bay on the Big Island.

The warning in Hawaii spurred residents to stock up on essentials at gas stations and grocery stores and sent tourists in beachside hotels to higher floors in their buildings. Bus service into Waikiki was cut off an hour before the first waves, and police in downtown Honolulu shut down a Halloween block party.

Abercrombie proclaimed an emergency, mobilizing extra safety measures.

While television traffic cameras showed onlookers at the beach in Waikiki, Honolulu Mayor Peter Carlisle warned people to stay away from the surf for several days.

Carlisle ? who recommended people think about ditching their cars if they were in traffic ? said people should be cautious.

"There's no reason to panic but there's every reason to take all of the necessary precautions," he said.

Coast Guard officials closed all harbors in the state to incoming boats and urged vessels to leave and not return until an all-clear is given.

"We don't have any reports of any tsunami impacts at this time, but we caution mariners because the tsunami surges can continue for several hours," Chief Warrant Officer Gene Maestas said.

In Kauai, three schools used as evacuation centers quickly filled to capacity.

As many people along Hawaii's coasts rushed to higher ground, officials downgraded a tsunami warning to an advisory for southern Alaska and British Columbia. They also issued an advisory for areas of northern California and southern Oregon.

In Alaska, the wave or surge was recorded at 4 inches, much smaller than forecast, said Jeremy Zidek, a spokesman for the Alaska Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management.

The U.S. Geological Survey said the earthquake hit in the Queen Charlotte Islands area. The quake was felt in Craig and other southeast Alaska communities, but Zidek said there were no immediate reports of damage.

The West Coast and Alaska Tsunami Warning Center issued a warning for coastal areas of southeast Alaska, down the western Canadian coast to the tip of Vancouver Island.

Later Saturday evening, the warning for those areas was downgraded to an advisory, while a warning was issued for Hawaii.

In addition, officials issued an advisory for areas from Gualala Point, Calif., about 80 miles northwest of San Francisco, to the Douglas-Lane county line in Oregon, about 10 miles southwest of Florence.

The Del Norte County Sheriff's Department, based in Crescent City, Calif., near the Oregon line, said it hadn't heard of any problems as a result of the tsunami. Crescent City was one of the U.S. towns hit hardest by last year's tsunami from the Japan quake, with boats in the harbor suffering serious damage.

By early Sunday morning, all warnings and advisories for coastal areas of North American had been canceled, except for a stretch of California coast beginning 80 miles north of San Francisco and stretching to the Oregon line, which remained under an advisory.

A tsunami warning means an area is likely to be hit by a wave, while an advisory means there may be strong currents, but that widespread inundation is not expected to occur.

Fryer said it's not surprising that an earthquake so far away could generate dangerous waves in Hawaii.

"There is nothing between Canada and us that would scatter the energy, so once the beam is formed, it just points right at us," Fryer said.

The U.S. Coast Guard in Alaska said it was warning warn everyone with a boat on the water to prepare for a potential tsunami.

The first wave hit Craig about two hours after the earthquake.

"It started off where it might be a 3-foot wave, and it kept getting downgraded," Craig Mayor Dennis Watson said. "And the last time we heard, it was less than 1 foot."

It actually was recorded at 4 inches. Watson said he was downtown on the waterfront, and had his car lights shining on pylons.

"I didn't even see the surge. I watched the pylons. And the tides came in about four or five inches. The surge would leave a wet spot as it would go back out, and we never did see that," he said.

There could be subsequent waves in Craig, but an official with the tsunami warning center didn't think it would amount to much.

The first wave "typically is not the largest but nevertheless we don't expect the maximum wave height to be large," said Bill Knight.

The state Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management activated its emergency operations center and notified officials in southeast Alaska communities.

Lt. Bernard Auth of the Juneau Command Center said the Coast Guard was also working with local authorities to alert people in coastal towns to take precautions.

Lucy Jones, a USGS seismologist, said the earthquake likely would not generate a large tsunami.

"This isn't that big of an earthquake on tsunami scales," she said. "The really big tsunamis are usually up in the high 8s and 9s."

She said the earthquake occurred along a "fairly long" fault - "a plate 200 kilometers long" in a subduction zone, where one plate slips underneath another. Such quakes lift the sea floor and tend to cause tsunamis, she said.

In Craig, officials implement an emergency plan, and took fire trucks, ambulances and heavy equipment to higher ground.

"If nothing else it was a good exercise in determining how well our disaster plan works. I thought it came off quite well, really," he said.

Watson said he did receive calls from townspeople about the tsunami.

"There's supposed to be a big Halloween party downtown. People are calling, 'Did the wave hit yet so we can go to the party?'" he said.

___

Mark Thiessen reported from Anchorage, Alaska. AP reporter Chris Weber in Los Angeles contributed to this report. Oskar Garcia can be reached on Twitter at http://twitter.com/oskargarcia.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/tsunami-warning-hawaii-downgraded-advisory-112012089.html

jionni lavalle earthquake san francisco donald payne elizabeth berkley lenny dykstra jenelle evans jenelle evans