Saturday, November 28, 2009

Top 10 Reasons Your My Best Friend





Top 10 Love Quotes and Quotations Lists

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If you like love quotes... if they make you feel all warm and fuzzy, or bring a perpetual smile to your face, you're in the right place!

Our collection of free love quotes will keep you happy, with toes a-tappin' and hearts a-beatin', as you go through your day.

Whether you like romantic love quotes or quotes about love and life, we've got them all for you right here. With words so sweet that you can set them to music and whistle a cheerful tune. Take this one from Franklin P. Jones, for example: "Love doesn't make the world go round. Love is what makes the ride worthwhile."

Famous love quotes have been written by poets and sung by musicians. As we all love, we all have something to say about love. One of our favorite quotes on love comes from Elizabeth Barrett Browning: "I love you not only for what you are, but for what I am when I am with you."

Love is a many-splendored thing, no doubt about it. Whether you're in love, or just love the thought of love, you'll love the daily dose of love quotes available in our...

'Top 10' List of Love Quotes and Quotations:

Favorite Love Quotes #1
Love doesn't make the world go round. Love is what makes the ride worthwhile.
Franklin P. Jones
Favorite Love Quotes #2
At the touch of love everyone becomes a poet.
Plato
Favorite Love Quotes #3
Love is an irresistible desire to be irresistibly desired.
Robert Frost
Favorite Love Quotes #4
If you have it [Love], you don't need to have anything else, and if you don't have it, it doesn't matter much what else you have.
Sir James M. Barrie
Favorite Love Quotes #5
Love is the triumph of imagination over intelligence.
Henry Louis Mencken
Favorite Love Quotes #6
Love is a friendship set to music.
E. Joseph Cossman
Favorite Love Quotes #7
True love comes quietly, without banners or flashing lights. If you hear bells, get your ears checked.
Erich Segal
Favorite Love Quotes #8
Love is a canvas furnished by Nature and embroidered by imagination.
Voltaire
Favorite Love Quotes #9
They do not love that do not show their love. The course of true love never did run smooth. Love is a familiar. Love is a devil. There is no evil angel but Love.
William Shakespeare
Favorite Love Quotes #10
Like the measles, love is most dangerous when it comes late in life.
Lord Byron




Friday, November 27, 2009

Gedung-gedung Unik di Dunia

Dalam artikel ini, saya akan menampilkan gedung – gedung yang unik dan menarik dari seluruh dunia. Gedung – gedung ini berfungsi antara lain sebagai gedung perkantoran, gedung perpustakaan, rumah ibadah (gereja) dan fungsi – fungsi lainnya. Citarasa seni tinggi yang dimiliki oleh pemilik dan perancang gedung ini, membuat hasil karyanya menjadi unik dan menarik, sekaligus inspiratif bagi penghuninya.

Berikut beberapa gedung yang unik dan menarik dari seluruh dunia.

GEDUNG KERANJANG DI AMERIKA SERIKAT


Dimulai dari mana mimpi seorang Dave Longaberger ? Sebagai pendiri perusahaan The Longaberger, dia membangun Pusat kantornya dalam bentuk Keranjang Rumah besar di wilayah perusahaannya. Dave percaya bahwa idenya adalah yang terbaik dan akan menambah lukisan kunjungan ke perusahaanya, yang kemudian bisa membantu untuk pembangunan Merek Burgernya. Walaupun begitu, dia menyatakan bahwa ide pembangunan pusat kantornya tersebut bukanlah untuk promosi, dan dia memang kebetulan sedang melatih rasa humornya di masyarakat pada saat itu.

Tidak sedikit para banker, arsitek-arsitek dan perusahaan Konstruksi tidak menanggapi ide Dave secara serius, begitupun juga dengan para pekerja yang bekerja pada perusahaan The Longaberger, akan tetapi Dave tetap tekun membangun. Dia memulai mimpinya pada tanggal 17 Desember 1997.

RUMAH DANSA DI REPUBLIK CEKO


The Dancing House (Rumah Berdansa) merupakan sebutan untuk bangunan kantor yang terletak di kota Prague, Republik Ceko. Didesain oleh arsitek kelahiran Kroasia, Vlado Milunic bekerja sama dengan arsitek dari Kanada Frank Gehry. Pembagunan gedung dimulai pada tahun 1994 dan baru selesai pada tahun 1996.

Desain gedung yang futuristik ini diharapkan bisa menjadi salah satu pusat kebudayaan di negara itu. Aslinya bernama ‘Fred and Ginger’ , dan berada di antara gedung Neo-Baroque, Neo-Gothic dan Art Nouveau yang sangat terkenal di Prague.



Di atap gedung terdapat restoran perancis. Beberapa waktu gedung ini digunakan untuk tempat perkantoran, bukan sebagai pusat kebudayaan seperti yang telah direncanakan sebelumnya, karena letaknya yang strategis untuk dunia bisnis.

RUMAH PIANO DI CHINA


Gedung berbentuk piano ini dibangun di propinsi An Hui, China. Terlihat di situ ada pula bagian berbentuk biola yang merupakan eskalator gedung. Gedung ini dibangun sebagai upaya untuk mengembangkan potensi wisata di daerah tersebut.

PERPUSTAKAAN KOTA KANSAS DI AMERIKA



Perpustakaan Kansas ini merupakan gedung dengan atap yang paling keren di kota itu. Sebelumnya para penduduk diminta untuk memilih buku² yang paling berpengaruh dan memiliki citra kota Kansas. Dan akhirnya buku-buku itu diwujudkan dalam bentuk atap gedung perpustakaan ini.

GEDUNG ROBOT DI THAILAND


Gedung Robot ini, terletak di pusat bisnis kota Sathorn di Bangkok, Thailand, yang digunakan oleh United Overseas Bank Bangkok. Dirancang untuk Bank of Asia oleh Sumet Jumsai untuk menggambarkan sistem komputerisasi bank tersebut.



Museum of Contemporary Art Niteroi - Rio de Janeiro - Brazil
Museum of Contemporary Art Niteroi - Rio de Janeiro - Brazil

Cathedral at brasilia
cathedral – brasilia

La Pedrera at Barcelona
http://z.about.com/d/gospain/1/0/D/8/-/-/LaPedrera.JPG

RUMAH CROOKED DI POLANDIA

Seorang arsitek Polandia yang bernama Szotynscy Zaleski, telah membangun Crooked House ini. Perancangan The Crooked House ini diinspirasikan oleh seorang ilustrator yang bernama Jan Marcin Szancer dan digambar oleh seorang artis seni Swedia yang bernama Per Dahlberg. Gambaran gedung ini memiliki ketinggian 4.000 meter, yang beralokasi di pusat perbelanjaan Rezydent di Kota Sopot, Polandia.

GEDUNG SAM KEE DI CANADA

Gedung Sam Kee terletak di daerah Pecinan, tepatnya di Kota Vancouver, Kanada.

GEDUNG ASTRA DI JERMAN

Gedung sekuat ini pernah terjadi di Jerman, tepatnya di kota Hamburg. Lantainya bisa naik turun di sekitar kulit gedungnya. Dan sekarang, Gedung unik ini telah dihancurkan. Salah satu perusahaan Bir terkenal membeli tanah dan Gedung ini, dan perusahaan Bir tersebut menamakan gedung ini adalah Astra.

Thursday, November 26, 2009

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

How to Greet a Girl

http://www.nouvellesimages.com/img_Girl-with-milkweed-pod-blowing-in-the-wind_Rachel-NEWCOMB_ref~RNW048_mode~zoom.jpg

Are you stuttering when you try to say a simple "hello" to a girl? Or do not know how to greet the girl who is your friend? If you want to seem confident and normal, read on.

Steps

  1. Decide which female you are approaching.
  2. Hug her. If she is close enough to you as a best friend perhaps, give her a warm hug as a greeting following with a "good morning" or "hello". If she is a classmate or someone you are not very close to, start with a regular "hello". Look at her in the eye and smile. Don't overdo it and practically yell "hello" in her face.
  3. Don't let people get the wrong message.
    • If the female friend (In step one) is not your best buddy or anything similar, it's best not to give her a hug. Her friends might think in an another way. Instead, give her a warm "hello" and give her a grin. She will respond by offering a "hello" in return with a smile. If this is the classmate girl or someone else, do not give her a over happy grin. Really over happy grins are scary. Also fake smiles. If you dislike this girl, don't be a jerk and start grunting and stop making eye contact.
  4. If you truly can not get along with her, just make a polite hello and get it over with.

Tips

  • Don't be a over friendly person saying hello to every girl. They'll think you're a player or a pervert. Just smile and say hello. Simple.
  • Don't start blabbering to the classmate after a hello.
  • If your close female friend hugs you, it can mean two things: She likes you, or she wants a hug back. Usually a hug back will be nice, just hope her friends aren't near by and they don't know if she has a crush on you or not.

Warnings

  • If you keep meeting new girls, it's fine, but if you get over friendly and start hugging all the girls, your time is up.

Things You'll Need

  • Confidence
  • A smile
  • Manners








How to Make Someone Happy

http://shanti.blogdetik.com/files/2008/11/happy_face.jpg

Just thought I’d give all of you a nice list of things to think about. This isn’t an in-depth post, but more of a thought for the day — is there someone you’d like to make happy today?

Making others happy is one of the best ways to have a great day yourself. It can brighten the world around you.

This list is just to spark some ideas, and please note that not every item on this list is appropriate for every person in your life. I trust you to figure out which actions go with which people.

Make someone happy today or Do you have a friend who is feeling sad? Here are a few ways to make someone happy!

Steps

  1. Smile at them. Learn how to have a real smile, and care about people. Learn how to feel compassion when regarding someone.
  2. Tell them a funny joke. Inside jokes work really well, especially if it is something only between the two of you. Learn how to make them laugh.
  3. Find something funny online that you know they'll like and send it to them in an email.
  4. Compliment them sincerely. Tell them something you love about them.
  5. Invite them to do something fun with you. Go bowling, swimming, or something else fun and active.
  6. Pick a dandelion or blade of grass and give it to them. Say things such as, “I got this especially for you!” or "I picked this weed just for you!" It is different and might make them laugh at your sillyness, make them smile at your sweet nature.
  7. Listen to them. Try to understand their thoughts and be in their shoes. This shows you care and love them, whether they may appreciate it or not. Be there. They will come to realize what a friend you've been.
  8. Try not to insult them with some of your 'compliments'. That could lead to more sadness.

Tips

  • Listen to what they have to say and let them know that you are there to help if needed.
  • Be happy yourself. You're saying, I know how to be happy - follow me! It can fade their sadness, getting in touch with their desire to enjoy themselves instead of shedding tears.
  • Do something that encourages sweating. Football, soccer, basketball, a jog with you two together, dancing, bowling, cleaning up the garage, etc.
  • Give your friend a hug! Tell them how you feel about them.
  • Take him/her to see animals, especially when he/she loves them!
  • Do something that is familiar and entertains him/her.
  • Let them know that you're comfortable with them around - say "Vera! I love you!", "I missed you!", "I love being around you!", "It's so nice to be here with you", etc. The other person would appreciate knowing that they're appreciated! Say anything sweet you truly mean, but have always kept on the inside. It'll make them smile physically and mentally, knowing that it came from the bottom of your heart.
  • Make sure they know that you'll be there for them no matter what

Warnings

  • If your friend wants to be alone, leave him or her alone, but let them know that if they change their mind and want to talk, you're willing to hear whatever they have to say.
  • If your friend is upset about someone, don't say bad things about that person, to make things worse. It'd just encourage negative feelings towards that someone he/she is thinking of.
  • Try to avoid making comments about how you pity him/her.
  • Don't try too hard to cheer this other person up, meaning trying for a long period of time without any success. If you do, they can start thinking that you can't make them happy.

Things You'll Need

  • A ready smile.
  • Patience
  • A few kind words.
  • Someone to make happy.




MY COUSIN MIKE

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

How Smaller Facebook Game Developers Can Compete With The Big Three

How Smaller Facebook Game Developers Can Compete With The Big Three

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Friday, November 20, 2009

How to Know if Someone Likes You Romantically

http://i.ytimg.com/vi/KMoCc3cgQ0Y/0.jpg

One of the hardest things in the world to do is figure out if someone likes you romantically. Many times you think you know or sensed some kind if spark but in the end, there really was not one at all. There are some ways to find out if a person is romantically interested in you or not, you just have to know the signs and look for them. Keeping reading below to learn a couple of ways to tell if someone is interested in you romantically. Sometimes the direct approach is best--just ask. But if that seems too bold for your liking, look for the following signs.

Instructions

    Behavior

  1. Pay attention to your conversations with the person in question. Does this person show a special interest in having a conversation with you and, once started, make an effort to keep that conversation going?

  2. Is this person "accidentally" running into you in places where he or she knows you will be, such as at your desk? At the Laundromat on Tuesdays? At your brother's birthday party?

  3. Make a note if he or she mentions future plans to spend time with you: "That band is coming to town soon. We should really get tickets."

  4. Spend time alone together. Canceling other plans in order to be with you longer, or not finding excuses to leave, could be a sign of interest.

  5. Has he or she been calling for random reasons, such as, "I was wondering if you knew what that pizza place down the street is called," followed by, "Are you hungry?"

  6. Has this person taken a sudden interest in your life and hobbies? This is a sure sign that he or she is interested in something - and it's probably not your stamp collection.

  7. Observe how the person acts around your friends - he or she might be extra friendly to your closest pals for a reason.

Body Language
  1. Sometimes seeing someone you have a crush on results in telltale physiological signs. Does the person in question blush when you look at him or her? His or her sympathetic nervous system is probably going into overdrive. Does he or she have trouble speaking, using jumbled words when talking to you?

  2. See if the person in question mirrors your motions: When you lean back, he or she leans back; when you put your elbows on the table, he or she does the same.

  3. Note whether this person sits or stands in the open position - that is, facing you with arms uncrossed. In addition, a woman tends to cross her legs in a man's direction.

  4. Does he or she move closer to you and/or touch you subtly, such as with a pat of your hand or a touch of your cheek?

  5. Other elements of body language include frequent eye contact, holding your gaze and looking down before looking away, energetic speech coupled with open hands, and flashing palms.

  6. Does the person you're wondering about just plain smile at you a lot?

7 Steps to Stop a Shopaholic

Stop a ShopaholicEven though the economy is still in turmoil, that doesn't stop some people from getting all the retail therapy they need. But when shopping becomes a problem--namely, if you fall into extreme debt as a result of it--there are a few things you can do to tame your inner shopaholic.

Everyone has one in their family. Whether it’s that grandmother who seems to buy everything for Christmas 10 months in advance on clearance, the friend who always insists on paying for everything, or the mother who you know to invite shopping with you because she’ll pay for everything just because she likes to spend money. We all know at least one. It can seem funny at first. We even make jokes about it now and then, but it eventually gets to a point where it’s no longer funny. In fact, we worry about them. We hope they’re not spending their retirement or all of their paycheck on clothes and home decor without paying their rent and phone bill.

But what can we do? It is nearly impossible to say something without them getting defensive or hurting their feelings. Many shopaholics don’t want to admit that they have any problem.

  1. Step 1

    Consider the Economy a Sign to Slow Down

    When the national economy reports are optimistic, it is easy to feel like you are serving your country by contributing to it. And you may feel like the economy needs you to help it thrive during the recession. Either way, shopping is not worth putting yourself into overwhelming debt, and there are ways to get what you need without going overboard.

    If you tend to overspend, remind yourself about the economy and the need to be conservative. After all, you never know when a source of income could be cut off--and if it is, you want to make sure that you have enough money for the basics.

  2. Identify Your Emotions

    Whether you are mad, excited, happy, or just plain bored--these are all emotions that can trigger you to overspend. Before you set out to shop, think about how you are feeling. Often times, you may still be able to enjoy shopping if you set a limit for yourself. You can also go without your wallet and make the drive back if you feel you really want something. Overshopping cannot fill an emotional hole, even though it may seem like it does at the time.

    Otherwise, avoid shopping due to these emotions, or you could be buying things you do not want, need--or even like!

  3. Think About Your Underlying Needs

    If you are lonely, you may go shopping just to be around other people--maybe even talking to the cashier helps. This is the type of underlying need, that if you can identify, you can satisfy in another way. Once you think about the reasons why you shop, you can likely find other ways to satisfy those needs. Or maybe you can reallot money and spend it more smartly; if you get frustrated at work, hit the gym afterward instead of the mall. It's much more beneficial!

  4. Get a productive hobby. Many people have creativity just stuffed away inside them waiting to get free. Finding shopaholics an outlet for these creative juices just might occupy their time enough to help them cut back on their overspending (making jewelery, sewing, woodwork, painting, etc).
  5. Utilize Alternatives

    Once you identify the reasons for your shopaholicism and recognize the underlying needs, it's time to start meeting those needs without a credit card. If you're angry, work off your anger or resolve the issue instead of hitting Macy's. If you are anxious, try taking a walk to calm down or do some journaling. These are wonderful alternatives that can help you break the overspending habit. You will be able to shop and regain your love of shopping--in a more healthy way--once you stop buying mindlessly.

  6. Connect With Others

    Plenty of people overshop--there are about 17 million Americans that cannot resist the urge, according to studies. Similarly, there are tons of resources to help you connect with others to find support and identify ways to curb your spending. Visit a site like stoppingovershopping.com to help resist the urge (see Resources below).

  7. Shopping for others and getting paid to do it. There are several career paths out there that involve spending other people’s money and getting paid to do it. A lot of these also don’t require a degree of any type if you are good at it. Interior designers and stylists both make money by helping other people spend their money. A large percentage of shopaholics are women and, in my experience, women generally have a keen eye for such artistic expenditures.



FROM THE OFFICE OF DAVID ALSTON

Thursday, November 19, 2009

MONSTROVILLE NEEDS HELP!


I'm putting out a call for my buddy Von Kreep at Cartoon Funland. He needs a hand to finish some wicked animation goodness. I've made an arrangement where if some Loogaroo Flash Animators help out on Monstroville "pro bono", he'll spread some of the love back on some paying gigs coming down the pipe.

I only mention this because I know there are some animators kickin around No Funswick that are bored and looking to work on something cool.

Any takers? Hit me up - gfowler@loogaroo.com

respect,

gene

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RockYou Raises A Whopper

RockYou Raises A Whopper – $50 Million In Venture Capital

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Stop Global Warming


http://images.cafepress.com/image/16361511_400x400.jpg

Top 50 Things To Do To Stop Global Warming

  1. Replace a regular incandescent light bulb with a compact fluorescent light bulb (cfl)
    CFLs use 60% less energy than a regular bulb. This simple switch will save about 300 pounds of carbon dioxide a year.
    We recommend you purchase your CFL bulbs at 1000bulbs.com, they have great deals on both screw-in and plug-in light bulbs.

  2. Install a programmable thermostat
    Programmable thermostats will automatically lower the heat or air conditioning at night and raise them again in the morning. They can save you $100 a year on your energy bill.

  3. Move your thermostat down 2° in winter and up 2° in summer
    Almost half of the energy we use in our homes goes to heating and cooling. You could save about 2,000 pounds of carbon dioxide a year with this simple adjustment.

  4. Clean or replace filters on your furnace and air conditioner
    Cleaning a dirty air filter can save 350 pounds of carbon dioxide a year.

  5. Choose energy efficient appliances when making new purchases
    Look for the Energy Star label on new appliances to choose the most energy efficient products available.

  6. Do not leave appliances on standby
    Use the "on/off" function on the machine itself. A TV set that's switched on for 3 hours a day (the average time Europeans spend watching TV) and in standby mode during the remaining 21 hours uses about 40% of its energy in standby mode.

  7. Wrap your water heater in an insulation blanket
    You’ll save 1,000 pounds of carbon dioxide a year with this simple action. You can save another 550 pounds per year by setting the thermostat no higher than 50°C.

  8. Move your fridge and freezer
    Placing them next to the cooker or boiler consumes much more energy than if they were standing on their own. For example, if you put them in a hot cellar room where the room temperature is 30-35ºC, energy use is almost double and causes an extra 160kg of CO2 emissions for fridges per year and 320kg for freezers.

  9. Defrost old fridges and freezers regularly
    Even better is to replace them with newer models, which all have automatic defrost cycles and are generally up to two times more energy-efficient than their predecessors.

  10. Don't let heat escape from your house over a long period
    When airing your house, open the windows for only a few minutes. If you leave a small opening all day long, the energy needed to keep it warm inside during six cold months (10ºC or less outside temperature) would result in almost 1 ton of CO2 emissions.

  11. Replace your old single-glazed windows with double-glazing
    This requires a bit of upfront investment, but will halve the energy lost through windows and pay off in the long term. If you go for the best the market has to offer (wooden-framed double-glazed units with low-emission glass and filled with argon gas), you can even save more than 70% of the energy lost.

  12. Get a home energy audit
    Many utilities offer free home energy audits to find where your home is poorly insulated or energy inefficient. You can save up to 30% off your energy bill and 1,000 pounds of carbon dioxide a year. Energy Star can help you find an energy specialist.

  13. Cover your pots while cooking
    Doing so can save a lot of the energy needed for preparing the dish. Even better are pressure cookers and steamers: they can save around 70%!

  14. Use the washing machine or dishwasher only when they are full
    If you need to use it when it is half full, then use the half-load or economy setting. There is also no need to set the temperatures high. Nowadays detergents are so efficient that they get your clothes and dishes clean at low temperatures.

  15. Take a shower instead of a bath
    A shower takes up to four times less energy than a bath. To maximize the energy saving, avoid power showers and use low-flow showerheads, which are cheap and provide the same comfort.

  16. Use less hot water
    It takes a lot of energy to heat water. You can use less hot water by installing a low flow showerhead (350 pounds of carbon dioxide saved per year) and washing your clothes in cold or warm water (500 pounds saved per year) instead of hot.

  17. Use a clothesline instead of a dryer whenever possible
    You can save 700 pounds of carbon dioxide when you air dry your clothes for 6 months out of the year.

  18. Insulate and weatherize your home
    Properly insulating your walls and ceilings can save 25% of your home heating bill and 2,000 pounds of carbon dioxide a year. Caulking and weather-stripping can save another 1,700 pounds per year. Energy Efficient has more information on how to better insulate your home.

  19. Be sure you’re recycling at home
    You can save 2,400 pounds of carbon dioxide a year by recycling half of the waste your household generates.

  20. Recycle your organic waste
    Around 3% of the greenhouse gas emissions through the methane is released by decomposing bio-degradable waste. By recycling organic waste or composting it if you have a garden, you can help eliminate this problem! Just make sure that you compost it properly, so it decomposes with sufficient oxygen, otherwise your compost will cause methane emissions and smell foul.

  21. Buy intelligently
    One bottle of 1.5l requires less energy and produces less waste than three bottles of 0.5l. As well, buy recycled paper products: it takes less 70 to 90% less energy to make recycled paper and it prevents the loss of forests worldwide.

  22. Choose products that come with little packaging and buy refills when you can
    You will also cut down on waste production and energy use... another help against global warming.

  23. Reuse your shopping bag
    When shopping, it saves energy and waste to use a reusable bag instead of accepting a disposable one in each shop. Waste not only discharges CO2 and methane into the atmosphere, it can also pollute the air, groundwater and soil.

  24. Reduce waste
    Most products we buy cause greenhouse gas emissions in one or another way, e.g. during production and distribution. By taking your lunch in a reusable lunch box instead of a disposable one, you save the energy needed to produce new lunch boxes.

  25. Plant a tree
    A single tree will absorb one ton of carbon dioxide over its lifetime. Shade provided by trees can also reduce your air conditioning bill by 10 to 15%. The Arbor Day Foundation has information on planting and provides trees you can plant with membership.

  26. Switch to green power
    In many areas, you can switch to energy generated by clean, renewable sources such as wind and solar. In some of these, you can even get refunds by government if you choose to switch to a clean energy producer, and you can also earn money by selling the energy you produce and don't use for yourself.

  27. Buy locally grown and produced foods
    The average meal in the United States travels 1,200 miles from the farm to your plate. Buying locally will save fuel and keep money in your community.

  28. Buy fresh foods instead of frozen
    Frozen food uses 10 times more energy to produce.

  29. Seek out and support local farmers markets
    They reduce the amount of energy required to grow and transport the food to you by one fifth. Seek farmer’s markets in your area, and go for them.

  30. Buy organic foods as much as possible
    Organic soils capture and store carbon dioxide at much higher levels than soils from conventional farms. If we grew all of our corn and soybeans organically, we’d remove 580 billion pounds of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere!

  31. Eat less meat
    Methane is the second most significant greenhouse gas and cows are one of the greatest methane emitters. Their grassy diet and multiple stomachs cause them to produce methane, which they exhale with every breath.

  32. Reduce the number of miles you drive by walking, biking, carpooling or taking mass transit wherever possible
    Avoiding just 10 miles of driving every week would eliminate about 500 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions a year! Look for transit options in your area.

  33. Start a carpool with your coworkers or classmates
    Sharing a ride with someone just 2 days a week will reduce your carbon dioxide emissions by 1,590 pounds a year. eRideShare.com runs a free service connecting north american commuters and travelers.

  34. Don't leave an empty roof rack on your car
    This can increase fuel consumption and CO2 emissions by up to 10% due to wind resistance and the extra weight - removing it is a better idea.

  35. Keep your car tuned up
    Regular maintenance helps improve fuel efficiency and reduces emissions. When just 1% of car owners properly maintain their cars, nearly a billion pounds of carbon dioxide are kept out of the atmosphere.

  36. Drive carefully and do not waste fuel
    You can reduce CO2 emissions by readjusting your driving style. Choose proper gears, do not abuse the gas pedal, use the engine brake instead of the pedal brake when possible and turn off your engine when your vehicle is motionless for more than one minute. By readjusting your driving style you can save money on both fuel and car mantainance.

  37. Check your tires weekly to make sure they’re properly inflated
    Proper tire inflation can improve gas mileage by more than 3%. Since every gallon of gasoline saved keeps 20 pounds of carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere, every increase in fuel efficiency makes a difference!

  38. When it is time for a new car, choose a more fuel efficient vehicle
    You can save 3,000 pounds of carbon dioxide every year if your new car gets only 3 miles per gallon more than your current one. You can get up to 60 miles per gallon with a hybrid! You can find information on fuel efficiency on FuelEconomy and on GreenCars websites.

  39. Try car sharing
    Need a car but don’t want to buy one? Community car sharing organizations provide access to a car and your membership fee covers gas, maintenance and insurance. Many companies – such as Flexcar - offer low emission or hybrid cars too! Also, see ZipCar.

  40. Try telecommuting from home
    Telecommuting can help you drastically reduce the number of miles you drive every week. For more information, check out the Telework Coalition.

  41. Fly less
    Air travel produces large amounts of emissions so reducing how much you fly by even one or two trips a year can reduce your emissions significantly. You can also offset your air travel carbon emissions by investingin renewable energy projects.

  42. Encourage your school or business to reduce emissions
    You can extend your positive influence on global warming well beyond your home by actively encouraging other to take action.

  43. Join the virtual march
    The Stop Global Warming Virtual March is a non-political effort to bring people concerned about global warming together in one place. Add your voice to the hundreds of thousands of other people urging action on this issue.

  44. Encourage the switch to renewable energy
    Successfully combating global warming requires a national transition to renewable energy sources such as solar, wind and biomass. These technologies are ready to be deployed more widely but there are regulatory barriers impeding them. U.S. citizens, take action to break down those barriers with Vote Solar.

  45. Protect and conserve forest worldwide
    Forests play a critical role in global warming: they store carbon. When forests are burned or cut down, their stored carbon is release into the atmosphere - deforestation now accounts for about 20% of carbon dioxide emissions each year. Conservation International has more information on saving forests from global warming.

  46. Consider the impact of your investments
    If you invest your money, you should consider the impact that your investments and savings will have on global warming. Check out SocialInvest and Ceres to can learn more about how to ensure your money is being invested in companies, products and projects that address issues related to climate change.

  47. Make your city cool
    Cities and states around the country have taken action to stop global warming by passing innovative transportation and energy saving legislation. If you're in the U.S., join the cool cities list.

  48. Tell Congress to act
    The McCain Lieberman Climate Stewardship and Innovation Act would set a firm limit on carbon dioxide emissions and then use free market incentives to lower costs, promote efficiency and spur innovation. Tell your representative to support it.

  49. Make sure your voice is heard!
    Americans must have a stronger commitment from their government in order to stop global warming and implement solutions and such a commitment won’t come without a dramatic increase in citizen lobbying for new laws with teeth. Get the facts about U.S. politicians and candidates at Project Vote Smart and The League of Conservation Voters. Make sure your voice is heard by voting!

  50. Share this list!
    Send this page via e-mail to your friends! Spread this list worldwide and help people doing their part: the more people you will manage to enlighten, the greater YOUR help to save the planet will be (but please take action on first person too)!

Mengapa Cincin Pernikahan Dipakai di Jari Manis

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Kenapa Cincin pernikahan selalu ada di jari manis, kok bukan di jari lain…
apakah hanya sebuah tradisi, ataukah ada arti di balik jari manis sehingga cincin pernikahan di pakai disitu?
Coba deh ikuti langkah berikut ini, kalian pasti takjub karena Tuhan benar-benar membuat keajaiban (ini berasal dari kutipan Cina):

1. Pertama, tunjukkan telapak tangan anda, jari tengah ditekuk ke dalam (lihat gambar).

2. Kemudian, 4 jari yang lain pertemukan ujungnya.

3. Permainan dimulai, 5 pasang jari tetapi hanya 1 pasang yang tidak terpisahkan.

4. Cobalah membuka ibu jari anda, ibu jari mewakili orang tua, ibu jari bisa dibuka karena semua manusia mengalami sakit dan mati. Dengan demikian orang tua kita akan meninggalkan kita suatu hari nanti.

5. Tutup kembali ibu jari anda, kemudian buka jari telunjuk anda, jari telunjuk mewakili kakak dan adik anda, mereke memiliki keluarga sendiri, sehingga mereka juga akan meninggalkan kita.

6. Sekarang tutup kembali jari telunjuk anda, buka jari kelingking, yang mewakili anak-anak. Cepat atau lambat anak-anak juga akan meninggalkan kita.

7. Selanjutnya, tutup jari kelingking anda, bukalah jari manis anda tempat dimana kita menaruh cincin perkimpoian anda, anda akan heran karena jari tersebut tidak akan bisa dibuka. Karena jari manis mewakili suami dan istri, selama hidup anda dan pasangan anda akan terus melekat satu sama lain.

Tips Untuk Memilih Gaun Pesta

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SELAIN menyesuaikan model gaun dengan bentuk badan, ada beberapa hal lain yang harus diperhatikan saat Anda membeli gaun. Berikut tip mudahnya:

- Cobalah duduk.
Layaknya memilih sepatu yang tepat, Anda harus mencoba memakainya untuk berjalan. Begitu juga dengan memilih gaun. Tidak cukup hanya mengenakannya di kamar pas dan melihat dari cermin. Anda harus mencoba untuk duduk. Dengan duduk di kursi atau sofa, Anda dapat segera menemukan kelemahan-kelemahan gaun yang dicoba. Misalnya; apakah menjadi terlalu sesak di bagian dada dan perut, apakah gaun tersebut menjadi terlalu mini atau terasa menggelembung karena terlalu banyak renda dan kain tulle.

- Berputarlah.
Dalam memilih gaun, tidak hanya kesempurnaan yang tercipta ketika Anda mengenakannya. Lagi-lagi keleluasaan menjadi hal yang perlu dicermati. Selain duduk, Anda mungkin akan berdansa atau paling tidak menyapa beberapa tamu selama pesta. Maka untuk menghindari kesulitan bergerak, cobalah berputar dan berjalan beberapa langkah untuk mengetahui apakah gaun tersebut layak dikenakan atau tidak.

- Gerakkan tangan ke atas dan ke samping
Saat mencoba gaun cobalah untuk gerakkan tangan. Potongan yang bagus belum tentu membuat tangan Anda bebas bergerak sehingga malah jadi penjara. Gerakkan pula tangan Anda ke atas dan pastikan bagian lengan masih bisa membuat leluasa bergerak.

- Cek fungsi dari elemen-elemen gaun
Hal penting lainnya yang harus diperhatikan adalah cek kelengkapan kancing atau apakah restleting pada gaun dapat berfungsi dengan baik. Selain itu perhatikan pula jahitan pada gaun adakah yang rusak atau perlu diperbaiki. Jangan malu untuk bertanya kepada pelayan toko, apakah memiliki jasa untuk memperbaiki gaun yang hendak dibeli.

Selamat memilih gaun dan tampil cantik di hari spesial Anda.

Selain itu, pilihlah gaun yang sesuai dengan bentuk tubuh Anda

Tipe Body

  • Pear shape
    Umumnya, tubuh pear shape memiliki bagian atas yang lebih kecil dan bagian bawah lebih besar. Bila anda tergolong memiliki tubuh seperti ini, anda harus memperhatikan dengan benar potongan pada bagian pinggul kebawah. Kalau salah memilih tubuh anda akan terlihat lebih bengkak dari seharusnya.
  • Apple shape
    Nah, kebanyakan tubuh Apple shape memiliki bagian pundak yang lebih lebar dari pinggul. Umumnya juga, pemilik tubuh ini memiliki leher yang pendek. Jadi, anda harus tahu betul kondisi tubuh dan jangan salah memilih potongan leher pada gaun anda.
  • Boyish/athletic shape
    Maksudnya, boyish adalah, tubuh anda tipe lurus. Biasanya, bagian atas dan bawah sama besar. Dan lingkaran pinggang tidak terlalu jauh dari lingkar dada. Nah, kebanyakan tipe ini hampir tidak mempunyai masalah. Tapi, bila anda salah bermain warna atau siluet hasilnya akan terlihat terlalu kurus.
  • Hourglass shape
  • Tubuh idaman semua orang adalah bentuk jam pasir atau body gitar. Nah, tubuh ini biasanya terlihat seksi dan curve atau berisi. Bila menggunakan potongan apapun, secara tidak langsung pemilik akan tetap menonjolkan kesan seksinya.

Tipe Dress

  • Pear shape
    Hindari gaun yang terlalu ketat. Bentuk gaun yang terkesan longgar dan jatuh ini akan meninggalkan kesan lebih halus pada bagian pinggul. Hasilnya, lekukan tubuh kamu terlihat tegas. Untuk mengakali agar terlihat lebih balance dan elegan. Bisa menambah asesoris kalung atau lebih banyak aksen pada bagian dada.
  • Apple shape
    Untuk tubuh apple shape, pilih ptongan yang memiliki detail menarik pada seputar garis leher. Ini akan membuat perhatian pindah kebagian area perut.
  • Botish shape
    Agar tubuh lebih terkesan penuh, kita boleh memilih pakaian yang memiliki banyak detail. Atau cari kesan ruffle atau bahan shiffon yang feminim tapi sedikit seksi.
  • Hourglass shape
    Thanks god! Kamu punya tubuh sempurna seperti ini. Bila kamu memiliki tubuh indah seperti ini, kamu bisa menggunakan bentuk gaun seperti apapun.




Sunday, November 15, 2009

Sorry, There's No Way To Save The TV Business




Henry Blodget|Jun. 12, 2009, 1:32 PM | 20,108 |96

The traditional TV industry--cablecompanies, networks, and broadcasters--is where the newspaper industry was about five years ago:

In denial.

There are murmurings on the edges about how longstanding business models will come under pressure as Internet distribution takes over. But, so far, the revenue and profits are hanging in there, so the big TV companies don't really care.

Specifically, the TV industry's attitude is the same as the newspaper industry's attitude was circa 2002-2003: Stop calling us dinosaurs: We get digital; We're growing our digital businesses; We're investing in digital platforms; People still recall ads even when they fast-foward through them on DVRs; There's no subtitute for TV ads. And traditional TV isn't going away: Just look at our revenue and profits!

After saying all this same stuff for years, the newspaper industry figured out the hard way that, eventually, reality intrudes, that you can't stuff the genie back in the bottle. And over the next 5-10 years, the TV industry will figure this out, too.

Here's the problem in a nutshell:

As with print-based media, Internet-based distribution generates only a tiny fraction of the revenue and profit that today's incumbent cable, broadcast, and satellite distribution models do. As Internet-based distribution gains steam, therefore, most TV industry incumbents will no longer be able to support their existing cost structures.

Specifically, TV business models for the past half-century, from broadcast to cable to satellite, have been built on the following foundation:

Not much else to do at home that's as simple and fun as TV
No way to get video content other than via TV
No options other than TV for advertisers who want to tell video stories
No options other than cable--and, more recently, satellite--to get TV
Tight choke-points in each market through which all video content has to flow (cable company, airwaves), which creates enormous value for the owners of those gates.
And now, slowly but surely, look what's happening:

Other simple and fun options emerging at home: Internet, video games, Facebook, IM, DVDs
New ways to get TV content other than traditional TV companies: Hulu, YouTube, iTunes, Netflix
Video-story options for advertisers beginning to emerge: Hulu shows, for example (But NBC, et al, making a lot less per viewer now than they do on TV)
More options for getting video content: telcos, cable cos, wireless cos (soon)
Fewer choke points in each market: With an Internet connection anywhere in the world, you will soon be able to get to almost anything. And not just to your computer--to your television.
Thus far, the TV industry has reacted to these changes the way most people would: By trying to port its existing model to the new world and maintain its hold on power and money. This is why we're getting so many ridiculous, consumer-unfriendly TV solutions, such as:

Market-based control over what you can and can't watch (thanks to contracts with local cable companies),
No live-streaming of lots of popular video content despite the fact that this would grow the audience (same reason),
Time-shifting of popular shows (don't want to cannibalize more profitable TV audience)
Hoarding of video libraries that could be easily available, watched, and monetized online
Single episode downloads that expire after 24 hours
$150/month "triple-play" solutions that come larded up with absurd taxes, fees, and service-charges, most of which go to pay for crap we don't want.
All these Band-Aid solutions will eventually fail. Why? Because eventually the cable-satellite-airwavemonopoly over TV content in local markets will be circumvented by simple, global Internet distribution.

You won't have 5 channels, or 50 channels, or 500 channels. You'll have millions of channels. You'll be able to watch anything you want, live or taped. You'll be able to watch it wherever you want--TV, computer, mobile device. You won't have to sorry about "slinging" video content around or programming your DVR. You'll just plug a pipe (Internet) into a box (device) and watch.

This is where the future is going. That's obvious. The only question is how long it takes us to get there--and who gets killed along the way.

A lot of this content, by the way, won't--and shouldn't--be free. But you won't have to pay your cable company for the dozens of channels you won't ever watch just get the ones you do. You may have to maintain subscriptions with several different content-aggregation companies (a pain) but this will be a lot better than paying for things you don't want. And whatever content you do pay for will--and should--cost a lot less than it does now.

And what will happen to the companies?

The best content creators will do just fine. Video storytelling won't go away. Compared to the people who produced Battlestar Galactica, the Sopranos, and West Wing, etc., the folks who post to YouTube generally suck at it. So great content creators won't have to worry about them.

The lousy content creators will disappear. No big loss. And no big change.

The cable companies will become dumb pipes, and they'll get disintermediated. We won't need Brian Roberts to negotiate a deal with the Tennis Channel for us (or, rather, to prevent us from getting the Tennis Channel because of some contract dispute). We'll just go direct.

The phone companies will remain dumb pipes.

The wireless companies will become dumber pipes.

The competition between the multiple dumb pipes will eventually, we pray, result in lower prices for consumers for the only thing we will really need: Ubiquitous high-speed Internet access.

Box and device companies will remain box and device companies. Unless Apple somehow creates a new global chokepoint via the iPhone.

Networks that produce live news, sports, and entertainment will offer the content direct to consumers. But they'll no longer get paid big carriage fees from cable companies.

A few clever online aggregators--YouTube? Hulu? Cable companies? Netflix?--will create nice video portals and build powerful new businesses. At these portals, you'll be able to sign up to watch anything in the world on any device you want. You'll be able choose among multiple subscription models (monthly, a la carte). You'll also have a basic "what's on" option in case you just want to watch TV.

When will this happen? Over the next 5-10 years. And it will leave today's TV industry looking like today's newspaper industry.

And from this TV consumer's perspective, it can't happen soon enough.

Friday, November 13, 2009

Maybe I've been wrong all this time?

It’s not clear that company blogs are a good idea, despite arguments for social media generally.

I’ll give you the bad news first, dispelling some common myths about what corporate blogs can achieve, but then I’ll show you how a corporate blog can significantly increase revenue, even without 10,000 RSS subscribers.

If you follow this kind of thing, you’re already familiar with the Oct ‘08 Forrester poll that measured how much people trust various types of media.

Specifically: Only 16 percent of respondents said they trust company blogs. In fact, blogs came in dead last

in the list of 18 types of corporate communication including print ads, direct mail, and radio, the average consumer is more likely to trust a random postcard or spam email than a blog! (Well, a corporate blog.)

So you have to ask, “What’s the point of a company blog that no one trusts?”

The traditional metric of marketing success is, “How many leads did we generate?” Branding is good and all, but at the end of the day revenue requires leads and sales. Does a company blog produce leads?

My experience is: Not usually.

At this point I’m supposed to trot out the usual examples of Joel Spolsky, Seth Godin, Bob Walsh, Jeff Atwood,Eric Sink, Dharmesh Shah, and even Moby, because, gosh darn, those blogs generate tons of leads and/or product sales and/or influence for their authors.

See?!? Yay blogs!!!

But these examples don’t prove corporate blogging is worthwhile for you.

Why not?

  • These bloggers produce outstanding, unique content, or at least they did as they rose to celebrity status. As Penelope points out so well, you’re not that good, not that consistent, and not that committed.
  • These blogs are venerable and had much less competition for attention when they were building readership. You’re competing in the modern, overcrowded blogosphere; you won’t have thousands of daily hits for a long time, if ever.
  • These blogs are written by one person with a voice, a personality, and a perspective, not by a “company” trying to sell something. Will your corporate blog have those properties? Can you resist the urge to sell?
  • In many cases the writers were already famous. Moby was famous before he started blogging. Seth Godin was a best-selling author first, then captured and recycled that audience through blogging. You and your company are not a best-selling authors or platinum recording artists.
  • For every success story there’s a hundred companies with blogs no one reads. The odds aren’t good. Blogs are too much work for this much uncertainty.

So again I ask you, ” What’s the point of a company blog?”

Actually, a corporate blog can significantly increase revenue, even without tens of thousands of subscribers, even without generating piles of new leads, even though strangers don’t trust them.

It’s all about cultivating your cheerleaders.

Your “cheerleaders” are those rare people who are not only fans of your company, but who put their own reputation on the line on your behalf. This is the guy who single-handedly convinced his boss to open her wallet during a recession. This is the woman who took it upon herself to install your software on every computer in the company. This is the woman who emails her friends every few weeks about how awesome your Web site is.

This is Tom. This is Carol.

My assertion is that one cheerleader is more valuable than thousands of leads. Here’s evidence; all of the following happens regularly at my company:

  • One cheerleader can get your software installed on 800 seats at a company that your advertising, marketing, and sales reps have never cracked.
  • One cheerleader can promote you 50 times in forums and blogs and Tweets and emails — and that’s word-of-mouth promotion, not advertisement, which that same Forrester study showed was by far the most trusted form of communication.
  • One cheerleader can change jobs every two years, purchasing your product everywhere he goes, leaving new cheerleaders in his wake.

Here’s where the blog comes in. What if the point of the corporate blog is to cultivate cheerleaders? Specifically:

  • Write convincing and insightful articles supporting what cheerleaders are telling their co-workers and friends. Help them
    “prove” their points. Help them be successful in spreading the word.
  • Write articles that could shift a person from being a “power-user” to being a “cheerleader.”
  • Highlight cheerleaders in posts. Show the Internet at large how insightful they were at implementing your product or service. Give them something they’re proud to put on their resume. This encourages others to go the extra mile so they too can be recognized.
  • Humanize the “corporation” so that people will want you to succeed. No one cares about some random, faceless company; cheerleaders fight for good, honest, smart people. Let your corporate culture shine through with stories, funny incidents, internal debates, philosophy, how you’ve dealt with failures, and highlight employees.
  • Track which articles are being spread by your readers and what commentary they add. Discover empirically which aspects of your philosophy, attitude, product features, and behavior motivate your cheerleaders; that in turn helps you recruit new ones.
  • Reference other blogs that support your views. Typically the authors of those blogs will start tracking yours and often will return
    the favor, sending a crop of potential new cheerleaders to your blog.
  • Include your cheerleaders in your corporate successes. Talk about how “we” won some award, where “we” means the cheerleaders, too. In fact, use this attitude to rally them to vote so you can win that award in the first place.

Any company can do this, even a one-person consulting shop, because:

  • You don’t need thousands of subscribers to cultivate 10 to 100 cheerleaders.
  • You don’t need to post daily. This isn’t a news feed, it’s sharing a common passion.
  • Your existing customer base contains most (all?) of your existing cheerleaders; getting them to subscribe to the blog is relatively easy.
  • You just need to be yourself and talk about what’s important to you personally, whether or not it relates directly to your company.
  • Who cares whether topics are “too general” or whether strangers will be drawn in. Your cheerleaders love you; just be honest with them and love them back!
  • Nothing prevents you from expanding the scope of the blog later. Of course, you can broaden your topics, write controversial link-bait posts, and appeal to strangers. Just don’t stress about it.

Is a corporate blog necessary for every company? No. There are other ways to cultivate your cheerleaders, but blogging is an easy path to a cheerleader support system.

This doesn’t mean you should stop advertising and otherwise get in front of new potential customers — of course you should! It just means that a blog, as one of your marketing tools, is better suited for cultivating cheerleaders than for generating vast numbers of new leads.

Those cheerleaders are worth the effort.

What do you think? Do you have more tips for corporate blogging? Leave a comment and join the conversation.

This post originally was published July 18, 2009, on Jason Cohen’s blog, “a smart bear.” Check there to see comments and more tips from his readers!



Jason Cohen founded Smart Bear Software, maker of Code Collaborator, a tool for peer code review and recent winner of the Jolt Award. He took Smart Bear from start to multiple millions in revenue and 50 percent profit margin without debt or VC, then sold it for cash. He also is a founding member of ITWatchdogs, another bootstrapped startup which became profitable and was sold. He’s also a mentor at Capital Factory (like TechStars or Y-Combinator in Austin). And, he’s the author of Best Kept Secrets of Peer Code Review, the most popular book (35,000 copies) on modern, lightweight methods for doing peer code review effectively without everyone hating life. He blogs at asmartbear Email him: jason (at) asmartbear (dot) com