IT SMELLS SO GOOD!

EAT HEALTHY

OK... I am NOT a healthy eater. The pizza guy just left and as he pulled the pie out of the pouch the aroma hit me. And then the driver adds "I love delivering these... the smell always gets you".

SMELL-O-VISION

So here we are on the web. Reduced in our ability to sell the smell. Makes the job of a website so much more difficult...just words and pictures. We don't quite have Smell-O-Vision yet, but it would be nice. Instead here's what we have to do.

WRITING, WRITING, WRITING

Keywords are important, but what you're saying also needs to have well written content that enables the reader to visually "smell" the tamale cart, chlorine from your pool or the smell of fresh linens. It's an experience that YOU have to sell. Do you have to be Hemingway? It helps, but is not essential. Just write your web content based on the human experience. Do your best to describe what you may take for granted every day. Make your readers smell what you smell every single day.

EASY JOB?

Is it easy? No it is not. But just keep that goal in sight. In the meantime the smell of this pizza is overwhelming. Forgive me if my attention is diverted.

Covenant Medical Center - Lubbock, TX

I frequently blog about my hospital stays...I suppose due to the fact that I have plenty of time to kill while in a hospital bed.. Recently, I had the opportunity to stay in one of the finest medical institutions in which I have ever been a patient...Covenant Medical Center in Lubbock, Texas.

The staff is caring, capable, responsive and supportive. It is a great place to heal and learn about your condition. This medical center is to be commended on having a high level of concern and respect for their patients.

As in any organization, there is a staff member that contributes an added depth and color to make your stay more memorable. Perhaps that's a well developed sense of humor or a heightened sensitivity to your needs. Unfortunately at Covenant, Lubbock it's a staff member that considers personal whim over quality, patient centered care.

For the sake of argument let's call this staff member Kelly. I needed to learn how to give myself injections. At injection time, other staff members have gone out of their way to demonstrate the technique and encourage me to become confident in self administration. Kelly, for whatever reason wouldn't honor my request to let me practice and do it myself. Interesting.

When she was running substantially behind in delivering time sensitive prescribed medication I offered as I had done for other busy staff members to walk to the nurses' station for the meds to help lighten their load. She refused to let me help stating, "I only give the medication in the room because that's just the way I do it." I waited even longer.

I'm sure Kelly has exceptional nursing ability. She does have to work on her listening skills as well as being able to think through what is in her interest as opposed to what is in the patient's best interest.

Regardless of this isolated incident if you should ever require hospitalization in Lubbock, Covenant Health Center delivers the world class health care everyone desires.

Lincoln County Medical Center - Ruidoso, New Mexico

LCMC – Little Jewel In a Big Desert

Recently the plans for expansion of the Lincoln County Regional Medical Center have come into debate. Those questioning a plan to expand the LCMC Campus like Lincoln County Commissioner elect Kathryn Minter seems to be in lock step with budget control initiatives. But that is completely ignoring the final outcome.

OK, here's a complete shock for you. I've always been in favor of the county's support for the LCMC. Here's why. I've been a patient at a lot of hospitals in and out of the country. In reading the December 8, 2010 Ruidoso News story authored by reporter Diane Stallings the proximity of the Gerald Champion Center in Alamagordo was an example of alternative care. It's not.

After being a patient in both institutions, I can assure you the level of care is not equal in any reference. For a variety of reasons, most due to to patient-doctor-nurse-staff communications on the treatment parameters for my stay at Gerald Champion turned into a nightmare. I've been hospitalized twice at the LCMC. The level of caring, attention, responsiveness and overall performance has been second to none. Due to recurring health problems I've been in a lot of institutions. This leads me to a basic conclusion.

I'm not really sure how the expansion of the LCMC would be appropriate without further personal review. But let's just remove this from the “fiscal responsibility” argument and place it clearly where it belongs in the “quality of care” arena. You let the Lincoln County Commissioners dictate not just your mill increments of tax spending, but the quality of your health care? Are you really comfortable with that? Can they truly understand what you have? Are they willing to support it? Or do they want to take it away?

When I dial “911” I want to make sure it's a convenient response...and I'm taken to some place that will truly do their best to help me. If the LCMC expansion plans will support that level of service, fine. Don't let your legislators denigrate the level of care you receive to support any less than you currently enjoy. Don't fall for the guise of responsible “financial” initiatives in exchange for your families peace of mind. Isn't that worth it?

Welcome to Lincoln County, New Mexico. If you ever thought twice about the quality of care available during your visit to Lincoln County, rest easy.

World's Best Kept Internet Secrets Volume Four

Posting a Video To YouTube

As with websites, how you post to YouTube...title, keyword tags and other factors will influence how people find your video and ultimately, how many people view it. Let's take a quick look at how to take advantage of these opportunities.

Your Video Productions

The current maximum length YouTube accepts is approximately 15 minutes with a maximum file size of 2GB. You will not approach the 2GB limit unless your video is in high definition. Once posted, the view count starts immediately. Make very sure the video is in it's final form before posting. If you discover a change you'd like to make to a video posted previously and you correct it re-posting the video, the view count starts all over again.

Your Video Title

What's in a name? Plenty. As a default, YouTube takes the video file name you're uploading for the title. If that's “rudyvideotwo.mpg” that's the default name given to your video. Naturally, you want a much more descriptive title, involving your subject and topic. If you're posting a video on Billy the Kid, consider some of the possible searches that may occur. Folks might search for “wild west”, “outlaws”, “new mexico” or “lincoln county wars”. Covering some of these in the title would be beneficial, for instance consider “Billy the Kid, Wild West Outlaw Lincoln, New Mexico” as a good start.

YouTube Category

If we're posting our Billy The Kid video, the appropriate place could be travel and events. There are a variety of different categories. Make a well thought out assessment of where the piece that you're posting belongs.

YouTube Tags

Just like keywords for your website meta-tags YouTube tags help people find your video. YouTube suggests tags, which may or may not be relevant. I had posted a video that in addition to the tags I used YouTube suggested “new age”, “blues” and “jazz”. Since these were not related to the subject of the video, I was initially confused. Then I realized that YouTube had defined the style of music I used in the production of the video. Do your keyword research and use relevant tags. A good place to start is what you may have considered in formulating your title.

YouTube Description

YouTube allows you to post a keyword rich description of your video. The good, old fashioned journalistic style...the the most important material at the top...is just what the doctor ordered. YouTube displays only the first two or three lines of your description with the option to click and view the entire piece. Get the most important things you'd like to impart into your first several lines. They also allow a link to an external website in the your description. Just use the full URL (http://www.etc/...). Again, if the goal of your video is to have folks visit your website, get it right up front in your description.

YouTube Posting

If you pay close attention to your video, title, tags and description you'll accumulate many more video views. That translates into...PROFIT! Profit you might ask? Next time we'll explore some of the fine points in helping promote your video on the second largest search engine....YouTube.

World's best Kept Internet Secrets – Volume Three

YouTube Views, Likes, Dislikes, Comments, Channel Views, Friends and Subscriptions

Yes the title is a bit long, but these are very important concepts to grasp. Especially if you share to YouTube for shameless self promotion and eventual profit.

VIEWS

The concept of views is pretty much self explanatory. It's how many views your video receives. These can come in a variety of ways. Through watching on the actual YouTube video page, to embedded videos on other sites and of course your channel page. If you want to be on the front page of YouTube you need roughly 100,000 views within a certain period of time. That “period of time” is an enigmatic concept. The shorter the better (which would indicate a truly viral video) or longevity (a consistent performer) works also.

LIKES and DISLIKES

Every site has likes. We have Facebook to thank for the proliferation of little “thumbs up” buttons. But YouTube has “thumbs up” AND “thumbs down” buttons. Is this worrisome? Not in the slightest. Remember, YouTube is a very social medium. As the press agents used to say to fading motion picture stars, “Any publicity is good publicity!”, This has never been more true.

COMMENTS

YouTube comments are an extension of “Likes” and “Dislikes”. If the folks like you or hate you they may leave a comment. This is very good. As the channel owner, you can respond to these comments. Living in southern New Mexico, I have a video on YouTube that explores the Billy The Kid Scenic Byway.. This has for some reason attracted a good bit of international comment, either for or against the concept of an American “Hero” being an outlaw. Embrace and cherish your comments.

CHANNEL VIEWS

Even if you only post one video on YouTube, a “channel” is created for you. It is customizable and is a central “library” for all of your postings. If your have enough foresight, you can develop a following on YouTube through effectively promoting your videos AND channel page. Do not ignore the relationship between individual videos and your channel page.

FRIENDS

As in any social media, you will receive “Friend Requests”. It's always fun to see who considers you a friend. As with any social media, perform your due diligence in selecting people with whom you may be sharing personal information now, or in the future.

SUBSCRIPTIONS

If you intend to take full advantage of the power of YouTube, please note the importance of subscriptions to your channel page. People who subscribe to your channel want to see what you're up to on a regular basis. It's fairly polite to subscribe to their channel in return, as you share limited information, other than what's on your channel page. YouTube loves channel subscribers. As you see channels that interest you, subscribe! Frequently these folks will return the favor..

SUMMARY

Learn how to use all of these techniques to further your YouTube goals. Next time, we'll explore exactly why these tips can be very important to your video success.

Bob Huntington is founder of SEOTube.net and a partner in the media firm of Weasel Productions.

World's Best Kept Internet Secrets, Volume Two

The second largest search engine

Most people when asked “What's the second largest search engine?” will respond Yahoo or Bing. It's not. It's YouTube. YouTube is owned and operated by Google making them number one and two in search. If you want to succeed on the web you must embrace video at some point to become more visible in search than ever before.

The knee-jerk reaction is “I don't have a video. Doesn't that cost a lot of money?”. Of course it can, but it doesn't have to. The advent of low cost, HD capable camcorders like the Flip series puts video easily into the mix for the masses.

How you can use video

Spending as little as $200.00 will get you a pocket sized device that in some cases can shoot as high as 1080p, the highest resolution for HD video. Having the camera is only part of the battle. The footage you shoot needs to be smooth, free from bumps and shakes to be effective in delivering your message. Here's where the tried and true photography tips come into play.

Always use a tripod. This helps to steady the shot and make it look fluid...and professional. Make camera movements slow and deliberate.
Watch your framing. Try not to have a tree growing out of the subject's head.
Put the light behind the camera. There's nothing worse than shooting a subject in front of a window or other source of bright light. Put the light behind the camera and in front of them.
Plan as well as you can what you want to happen and show BEFORE you begin.
If you're using the built in mic on the camera, keep the subject speaking as close to the camera as possible. Keep the camera zoomed out and closer rather than zoomed in and further away.

You get the idea here. Make it look as polished as you can even before the final editing. Final editing?

Polish and finish your production

Once you've shot the video, you need to have it edited. While there are many software packages that will allow you to do this yourself, it can be quite time consuming and, well...technical. Frequently there are videographers and local production companies that can do this for you. An investment of just several hundred dollars can turn your sow's ear into a silk purse by adding titles, effects, color balance, audio enhancements or more. Look around, these services are readily available in your area.

Ready To Post

Now you've got a video search engine submission ready to help you gain exposure. Posting that piece on video sharing sites like YouTube requires just as much diligence as the content of your web page. Things like the title, description and keywords that you use when writing your video post are much more important than ever before. We'll explore the nuances of video optimization in our next installment. In the meantime, video is there for YOU...even on a budget. Cement your inclusion on all search engines and create links in the process. Enjoy the experience!

Next Time....Getting Your Video Seen

Bob Huntington is founder of SEOTube.net and a partner in the media firm of Weasel Productions.

World's Best Kept Internet Secrets Volume One

I first met Ken Gorman via email. Fortunately we were able to continue that relationship on a face to face basis. Ken is the apostle of RSS, not just outlining the technique but the benefits that follow. Read on and learn how to make the money you're spending for web design not just pretty, but effective!

Best Kept Secret About Displaying RSS Feeds On-Site - Javascript Vs PHP
By Ken Gorman

If you've gotten past the basics of what RSS feeds are about and how they can benefit you, then you are ready to learn one of the best-kept secrets about presenting your news feed on your website. It's not enough to simply install an orange RSS button for visitors to click, to see your feed or to fetch the feed address. To really bring benefit to your site, you should display some of the most recent items in your feed directly on your website, even if only a partial presentation of the item descriptions (aka articles).

But how? What code is used to display the news feed? After all, the feed is an XML file not suitable for direct human consumption. It needs to be translated into the HTML code that a browser understands and can present in human-readable form.

The good news is that there are websites out there that offer scripts to do that translation to human-readable text. You can locate them by doing google search on terms like "RSS feed translation". You will learn that there are basically two kinds of scripts that are up to the job: javascripts and PHP scripts. Think there's no big deal as to which you should use? Think again.

In making your decision as to using a javascript or a PHP script, keep in mind two important goals pertaining to use of your feed on site. First, search engines appreciate websites that have fresh content posted every so often. Not wholesale changes (that could actually penalize your site), but tidbits of new information, with such information being posted every few weeks. If your website offers fresh content, search engines will reward your site with higher Search Engine Results Page (SERP) placement, even though your page rank remains the same.

Second, if search engines can "see" your fresh content (in other words, if search engine spiders can crawl that content), and if that content is relevant to the theme of your website, you will be further rewarded with increased "importance" (aka page rank). That increased importance will also improve your SERP placement.

So, your opportunity is to display your news feed (say the first couple of most recent items) in a way that presents fresh content that is crawled by spiders. By simply posting a small article every few weeks, your web site will leap upwards on SERP.

Now let's take a close look at using javascript vs PHP scripts for the feed presentation. Here's the fundamental difference between the two -- and the critical reason for choosing PHP scripts. Javascripts are executed AFTER your webpage is presented to the browser for display to your site visitor. That means that spiders, visiting your site, see the javascript code, not the translated news feed! So, your site doesn't get credited for fresh content or the theme-relevant content of your feed.

On the other hand, PHP scripts are executed BEFORE the code is presented to your browser. PHP stands for "PHP Hypertext Pre-Processor". Note the word "Pre-Processor". This means that your PHP script is executed with your news feed being converted to HTML code before being presented. Spiders visiting your site will, therefore, see the result of script execution, i.e., the HTML code that is your translated news feed (having been translated from XML to HTML). And this means search engines will see your fresh and relevant content -- your news feed!

To understand and execute PHP scripts, note that website servers must support PHP. Most do, because PHP is an extremely popular language for website code generation. But if your server does not, ask your hosting organization to support PHP. They are likely to honor your request because of the improved competitive nature of their hosting service as a result.

To turn this into practice, check out the news feed publishing service at http://www.enfeedia.com If you publish your news feed with Enfeedia (by filling out forms), you will be given the PHP script code snippet to place on your site. Everything else is automatic. Whenever you post an item to your news feed, it appears on your website -- no coding necessary, no file uploading to do. You can see an example of on-site display of a news feed at http://www.runawaygetaway.com the Runaway GetAway Alliance.

Don't waste your news feed! Display even the first two or three most recent news items on your site and watch your SERP placement soar.

Ken Gorman is a developer and operator of numerous websites and an outspoken advocate of RSS New Feeds. He developed Enfeedia to bring RSS news feeds to the general public offering the same benefits from news feeds as enjoyed by major corporations.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?Best-Kept-Secret-About-Displaying-RSS-Feeds-On-Site---Javascript-Vs-PHP&id=1405260 Best Kept Secret About Displaying RSS Feeds On-Site - Javascript Vs PHP

Winter Is Near

Winter is on its way for the romantic community of Ruidoso, New Mexico. Nestled in the southern Rocky Mountains Ruidoso has an ideal year round climate. Not too hot...not too cold. This makes it the ideal haven for those escaping the heat or the many looking to play in the snow under blue skies and moderate temperatures.

Ski Apache, operated by the Mescalero Apache Nation, is perched atop 12,000 foot mount Sierra Blanca. It has the largest lift capacity in the state so less waiting and more skiing. While there is no lodging adjacent to the resort, there are many enchanting vacation rental cabins, hotels, bed and breakfasts and RV facilities.

Last year, record snows meant no snow making for the tribe and a spot on winter 2010 is forecast for the area. Never fear, make reservations with confidence. Either way, with advanced snow making capabilities you'll have the perfect ski vacation.

With an ample assortment of amenities at Ski Apache this year gets even better. The tribe has installed a slot machine pavilion at the resort which complements the array of fine dining, drink, casinos and shows operated at Ski Apache and the Inn of the Mountain Gods resort just minutes away.

So come, sip hot chocolate and enjoy winter as it was meant to be. Our thanks to John T. Soden for sharing the flavors of winter in Lincoln County, New Mexico. See more of his work here. See you on the mountain!

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