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Election Presedent of USA

2008-11-04T15:26:00.000-08:00

Obama Win Would Transform World's View of America

Großansicht des Bildes mit der Bildunterschrift: If elected, Barack Obama becomes the first black president of the United States of America

France's Dominique Moisi, one of Europe's leading geo-strategic thinkers, predicts a Democratic will win on Election Day. He told DW an Obama victory would restore the US' reputation as a land of hope and opportunity.

Dominique Moisi, 62, a founder of the French Institute for International Relations (IFRI) in Paris and visiting professor at Harvard University, is the author of the soon-to-be released book "The Geopolitics of Emotion: How Cultures of Fear, Humiliation, and Hope are Reshaping the World."

DW-WORLD.DE: Democratic candidate Barack Obama has a comfortable lead in the polls at the moment. What would it say about the USA, if Obama is elected?

Dominique Moisi: It would say above all that Americans are capable of reinventing themselves. It would say that they felt the need to turn the pages of the past several years, that they (woke up) to discover an exceptional man waiting in the wings and seized an opportunity that is rare in history to make this man their president.

What do you predict as the outcome of this election?

From the depths of my heart, I would consider two scenarios. The first is a close victory by Obama. The second is a landslide for Obama. But I exclude, maybe I'm wrong, the possibility of a surprise McCain victory. It's not only that Obama has been an exceptionally good (campaigner), but also that McCain ran a very bad campaign, and kept compounding his mistakes.

What message would an Obama victory send to the rest of the rest of the world?

Bildunterschrift: Großansicht des Bildes mit der Bildunterschrift: Moisi: America will reassert itself as the land of opportunity

The first message is that America, the beacon of hope, is back. The one country in the world that is carrying a universal message remains America.

There are other powers in our multi-polar world: China is important, Russia cannot be neglected. But neither of these countries carries a universal message. Only America does. China wants to be big and is going to be big, but it has rather selfish aims.

What makes a difference is that no one in the world dreams of becoming Chinese or becoming Russian. But millions of people in the world, even some Europeans, still dream of becoming American. And many more millions will dream of that if and when Obama is elected president of the United States, because America will reassert itself as the land of opportunity.

What is this universal American message?

It's the triumph of humanism, the idea that you are on Earth in order to improve the human condition.

If Europeans could vote, Obama would win by a landslide. Now it looks as if they’re getting what they want. Will Europe and America start to love each other now?

Well, a certain blatant form of anti-Americanism, as practiced in particular by the French, would be much, much more difficult with a President Obama.

One should be prudent though. Nothing is more dangerous than the realization of your dreams, because you're bound to be disappointed. The image of America would be dramatically transformed with the election of Obama, but that doesn't mean that conflicts between the US and Europe will miraculously disappear. For one, the Americans will ask more from the Europeans.

You mean that the Americans will be asking Europeans to do more of their fair share in Afghanistan, Iraq.

Bildunterschrift: Großansicht des Bildes mit der Bildunterschrift: Obama attracted huge crowds on a European tour in July

Definitely. Burden-sharing in terms of military and economic help, so America will turn to the rest of the world, in particular to her European allies, for help. Obama will say, "Well, you voted for me. I'm glad, and I need you. Now what can you do for me?"

You mean the US asking for more combat troops in the dangerous southern part of Afghanistan to fight Taliban insurgents, for example…

These (are the sorts of) problems that would be even more troubling with Obama as president. There is a huge difference between the symbolism of Obama's (expected) victory and the reality of an Obama victory. If he is going in the wrong policy direction, Europeans will be disappointed. But the disillusionment will come from what Obama does, not from what Obama represents.

Can Obama make a difference, compared to Bush and McCain, not because of his policy choices, but simply because of who he is?

Yes. Obama, the president immediately changes the world's image of America and that does make a big difference. But what I would warn Europeans is the following: Don't underestimate the revolutionary symbolic impact of an Obama winning the election, but do not overestimate the capabilities of an Obama administration to change the world.

Could it be then that someone like John McCain might in reality better for Europe, since expectations are low and some find it easier to be an adversary of a Republican president?

Bildunterschrift: Großansicht des Bildes mit der Bildunterschrift: Obama's multi-racial family adds to his appeal to some voters

A few people are saying that it is in Europe's real interest to have McCain as president, so that you can continue to oppose America, but this cynical vision represents a minority view and does not serve the long term interests of the West.

You've said that if Obama becomes president, the reputation of the US would be improved in the eyes of the world. Does this conversely diminish the power of Europe in representing the West?

This vision that the moment America goes up, Europe must go down, is deeply wrong. It's not Europe versus the United States. It's the West trying to improve the situation of the world through positive measures. In the world in which we live, more than half of humanity lives in Asia. The West exists not against the rest of the world, but as a bearer of certain universal values.

What message would Obama's election as the first black US president send to developing countries in Africa, Asia, and the rest of the world?

It's a huge message of hope. For Africa, it is a victory against humiliation. For Asia, it's puzzling to see to see a Western nation incarnated by a black or mixed race person, but it demonstrates the openness of the US. It gives the West an image of modernity by being post-racial and multi-cultural. And the first global man of the global age in the 21st century comes from the United States of America.

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2008-10-09T02:49:00.000-07:00

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Buy Samsung LN40A750 40-Inch 1080p DLNA LCD HDTV with Red Touch of Color

2008-10-08T02:28:00.000-07:00

Samsung LN40A750 40-Inch 1080p DLNA LCD HDTV with Red Touch of Color
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40" widescreen HDTV (16:9 aspect ratio) * Touch of Color high-gloss "rose black" finish * built-in digital (ATSC) and analog (NTSC) tuners for over-the-air TV broadcasts (antenna required) * built-in QAM cable TV tuner receives unscrambled programs without a set-top box (cable service required) * Ultra Clear LCD panel (1920 x 1080 pixels) *

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2008-10-04T14:42:00.000-07:00

Samsung LN26A450 26-Inch 720p LCD HDTV
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26" widescreen HDTV (16:9 aspect ratio) * high-gloss black finish * built-in digital (ATSC) and analog (NTSC) tuners for over-the-air TV broadcasts (antenna required) * built-in QAM cable TV tuner receives unscrambled programs without a set-top box (cable service required) * 1366 x 768 pixels *

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Amazon Sales Rank: #470 in Consumer Electronics
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Buy Samsung LN22A650 22-Inch 720p LCD HDTV with RED Touch of Color

2008-10-02T17:14:00.001-07:00

Samsung LN22A650 22-Inch 720p LCD HDTV with RED Touch of Color
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Add an extraordinary touch of class and beauty to your HDTV with our unique Touch of Color(TM) feature. The LN22A650 also features high-definition picture quality so you see more details, heightened clarity and brilliant color. Plus, a 3,000:1 contrast ratio delivers incredibly sharp images in very dark or light scenes. Youll never look at your TV the same way again.

Product Details

Amazon Sales Rank: #399 in Consumer Electronics
Color: Black
Brand: Samsung
Model: LN-22A650
Released on: 2008-05-18
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Samsung LN37A550 37-Inch 1080p LCD HDTV

2008-10-01T15:52:00.001-07:00

Samsung LN37A550 37-Inch 1080p LCD HDTV
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Once you experience the amazing picture quality that high definition offers, it'll be almost impossible for you to watch "normal" TV. The SAMSUNG LN37A550 is the perfect way to upgrade your home entertainment. With full 1080p resolution, images are sharper and more realistic. And a 15,000:1 contrast ratio delivers stunning contrast in dark or bright scenes. Full HD (1080p) contains 1.5 times more scanning lines than conventional HD TVs. That means more pixels, more details and a better picture. A resolution that is approximately twice as much as conventional HD TVs creates the most perfect picture imaginable. Contrast and brightness levels achieve new heights in this LCD TV. Watch movies and shows come to life with enhanced details in very dark or bright scenes. Enjoy a more realistic, sharper picture quality that's sure to catch your eye with 15,000:1 contrast ratio. One of the most important features for an LCD panel is the pixel response time. Response time refers to the amount of time it takes a pixel to "refresh" itself-to go from being active to being inactive, (ready to be re-activated). The lower the milliseconds, the faster the response time. A very fast 5ms response time virtually eliminates any blurring and gives you smooth-motion action scenes. The newest feature is the Wiselink USB Connection that easily hooks up your MP3 player or digital camera to your TV with the USB 2.0 connection. A simple user interface lets you scroll through and view play lists and pictures. You can zoom, rotate or play photo slide shows and even add music. With the SAMSUNG LN37A550 HDTV you really get the total package. 15,000 - 1 Dynamic Contrast Ratio 5ms Response Time 16 - 9 Aspect Ratio SRS TruSurround XT 10 W + 10 W Audio System Input Ports - 3 x HDMI (1 side, 2 rear), 2 x Component, 2 x A/V (1 side, 1 rear), 1x 15-pin VGA PC, 1 x S-Video (side), Wiselink (USB 2.0), RF antenna inputs, Headphone jack (side) A

Product Details

Amazon Sales Rank: #414 in Consumer Electronics
Brand: Samsung
Model: LN-37A550
Dimensions: 23.30" h x 3.60" w x 36.10" l, 32.40 pounds
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Samsung LN37A550 37-Inch 1080p LCD HDTV

2008-09-29T15:53:00.000-07:00

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Samsung LN52A550 52-Inch 1080p LCD HDTV

2008-09-28T16:07:00.001-07:00

Samsung LN52A550 52-Inch 1080p LCD HDTV
From Samsung

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52" widescreen HDTV (16:9 aspect ratio) * high-gloss black finish * built-in digital (ATSC) and analog (NTSC) tuners for over-the-air TV broadcasts (antenna required) * built-in QAM cable TV tuner receives unscrambled programs without a set-top box (cable service required) * 1920 x 1080 pixels *

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Amazon Sales Rank: #179 in Consumer Electronics
Color: Black
Brand: Samsung
Model: LN-52A550
Dimensions: 31.10" h x 4.30" w x 49.90" l, 59.30 pounds
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Samsung LN46A750 46-Inch 1080p DLNA LCD HDTV with RED Touch of Color

2008-09-27T16:56:00.000-07:00

Samsung LN46A750 46-Inch 1080p DLNA LCD HDTV with RED Touch of Color
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Enjoy pre-loaded HD content, including cooking, fitness, children's entertainment, and a photo gallery on the LN46A750 46" Full High Definition TV with 1080p Resolution. Full 1080p HD resolution and 50,000:1 dynamic-contrast ratio offer stunning image detail and vivid colors. Auto Motion Plus 120Hz and Ultra Clear Panel technology work together to offer the smoothest motion and boldest bright and dark tones. Stay connected to your home network via the DLNA networking feature. The InfoLink feature provides RSS web content from USA Today. The WiseLink USB 2.0 input and user-friendly interface gives you access to pictures and playlists from a specially designed Wheel Remote. Ultra clear panel allows you to enjoy crisp image details, natural skin tones, excellent shadow detail and vibrant colors. SRS TruSurround XT is a patented SRS technology that solves the problem of playing 5.1 multichannel content over two speakers. TruSurround delivers a compelling, virtual surround sound experience through any two-speaker playback system, including internal television speakers and headphones. It is fully compatible with all multichannel formats up to 5.1 channels. High-resolution HD-Grade 1920x1080 pixel resolution has built-in image scaler to handle inputs from a variety of digital and analog audio/video sources. Wide Color Enhancer optimizes a color's hue resulting in more natural colors. Fast 4ms response time minimizes blurring of moving video. Entertainment Mode allows customized picture settings, optimized for different content. SRS TruSurround XT Down firing speakers CATV/VHF/UFH 75-ohm, F-type Antenna Connections - 4 HDMI High Definition Multimedia Interface, 2 Component video inputs (rear), 1 S-video input (side), Side and Rear composite inputs, PC input (rear), Wiselink Pro (USB 2.0), RF antenna inputs, and Headphone Dimensions - 46.1 x 30.1 x 11.8 / 46.1 x 28.0 x 3.9 without stand Weight - 64.8 pounds /

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Amazon Sales Rank: #87 in Consumer Electronics
Color: Black
Brand: Samsung
Model: LN-46A750
Dimensions: 28.00" h x 3.90" w x 46.10" l, 52.70 pounds
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Samsung LN40A650 40-Inch 1080p 120Hz LCD HDTV with RED Touch of Color

2008-09-25T16:37:00.000-07:00

Samsung LN40A650 40-Inch 1080p 120Hz LCD HDTV with RED Touch of Color
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Peerless ST650P Tilting Wall Mount for 32" to 50" Flat Panel Displays (Black)

2008-09-25T08:16:00.000-07:00

Peerless ST650P Tilting Wall Mount for 32" to 50" Flat Panel Displays (Black)
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The SmartMount for 32" to 50" flat panel screens provides a versatile and secure solution for professional environments such as boardrooms, hotels and stadiums. This mount offers smooth, continuous one touch tilt, allowing for easy adjustment to achieve the perfect viewing angle without tools. The mount includes simple to align universal brackets and a unique wall plate that can be mounted to two wood studs up to 24" apart, or concrete. For easy installation the mount is preassembled and includes a Sorted-For-You baffle pack with all screen hardware and security fasteners.

Samsung LN52A750 52-Inch 1080p DLNA LCD HDTV with RED Touch of Color

2008-09-23T15:50:00.001-07:00

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2008-09-22T16:02:00.000-07:00

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2008-09-22T07:47:00.000-07:00

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From Samsung

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40" widescreen HDTV (16:9 aspect ratio) * high-gloss black finish * built-in digital (ATSC) and analog (NTSC) tuners for over-the-air TV broadcasts (antenna required) * built-in QAM cable TV tuner receives unscrambled programs without aset-top box (cable service required) * 1920 x 1080 pixels *

Samsung LN52A650 52-Inch 1080p 120Hz LCD HDTV with Red Touch of Color

2008-09-21T15:52:00.000-07:00

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Samsung LN46A650 46-Inch 1080p 120Hz LCD HDTV with RED Touch of Color

2008-09-21T03:14:00.000-07:00

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From Samsung

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Product Description

46" widescreen HDTV (16:9 aspect ratio) * Touch of Color high-gloss "rose black" finish * built-in digital (ATSC) and analog (NTSC) tuners for over-the-air TV broadcasts (antenna required) * built-in QAM cable TV tuner receives unscrambled programs without a set-top box (cable service required) * Ultra Clear LCD panel (1920 x 1080 pixels) *

Responsibility to Protect in the Real World: From Rwanda to Darfur to Kenya, Donald Steinberg

2008-08-02T09:21:00.000-07:00

Address by Donald Steinberg, Deputy President, International Crisis Group at the Cardozo Law School, Yeshiva University, New York, 10 March 2008

On January 2, a week after the failed Kenyan elections, I sent a message throughout the International Crisis Group network. It read in part:

For me, the burning of the church in Eldoret with three dozen Kikuyu inside; the history of violence in the Rift Valley; and the hate speech prevalent among Kikuyus, Kalenjins, and Luos takes the Kenyan crisis out of the context of usual post-electoral conflicts and puts it squarely into a pre-R2P stage.

While the parallels between Kenya and Rwanda can be easily overdrawn, the deterioration in other seemingly solid regional African countries such as Cote d’Ivoire and Zimbabwe could easily be repeated in Kenya to tragic effect. It’s time to sound the alarm bells.

Too frequently, faced with the daunting unfinished agenda ahead in consolidating the R2P norm and creating implementing mechanisms, we forget how much has been accomplished in the eight short years since the International Commission on Intervention and State Sovereignty.

Kenya: R2P By Any Other Name

The progress can be measured not just by the insertion of a couple of paragraphs into the World Summit Outcome document or the passage of a General Assembly resolution, but by the willingness of Kofi Annan, John Kufuor, Jikaya Kikwete, Graca Machel, Benjamin Mkapa, and Cyril Ramaphosa to challenge the false assertion of sovereignty by Mwai Kibaki and to bring about a power-sharing solution.

For those who suggest that R2P is a concept being thrust on the developing world by
the so-called global North, it’s instructive that those seizing the initiative and designing the outcome in Kenya were two Ghanaians, two South Africans, and two Tanzanians.

Their work was supported by the willingness of the United States and European Union to sanction those resisting a peaceful solution, by he expressions of concern and commitment by the United Nations Security Council and the UN Secretary General, and by the work of groups such as the UN Department of Political Affairs and the International Crisis Group to inform the dialogue and discussion.

Given the backsliding and buyer’s remorse in the international community regarding the R2P norm, it is perhaps fortunate that no one labeled this as an R2P situation. But the motivation, the early response, and the outcome are all straight from the R2P playbook.

Rwanda: A Cautionary Tale

For me, these actions were particularly welcome as a contrast to the U.S. response to Rwanda some 14 years before. In April 1994, I was President Clinton’s special assistant for Africa when the plane carrying the Presidents of Rwanda and Burundi was shot down outside Kigali, sparking the genocide that killed some 800,000 Rwandans. Within a few weeks it was clear that this was not a spontaneous blood-letting, but a planned, systematic exercise in extermination. I’ll always regret that I bought into the common wisdom that in the wake of the Blackhawk Down killings in Mogadishu, the American people would not abide sending US troops to another remote African location. Still, we could have done much short of sending US forces to help save lives.

We could have jammed the hate language on the radio station, Mille Collines. We could have reinforced Romeo Dallaire’s forces with equipment and other support. We could have pressed for new UN or African peacekeepers to save as many lives as possible. We could have immediately declared the situation to be genocide.

But each time some of us pushed for these steps, others would ask: “Where’s the legal basis for these actions? Where’s the public outcry, the hallelujah chorus of support? Where’s the evidence to show that these actions will end the killings?” Indeed, there were few voices in civil society, on college campuses, in the media, or in Congress calling for action beyond humanitarian relief. And there was little ground truth to inform our efforts.

The jamming the radio station was caught up in a discussion of whether it was legal under international communications law. The supply of 50 armored personnel carriers to Dallaire was fatally delayed by a debate over what color they should be painted to conform to international law.

Proposals to supply new peacekeepers were made moot not only by the lack of ready trained forces, especially from Africa, but also by disagreements over how we would pay for their deployment. And we avoided the term “genocide” for fear it would result in pressure on ourselves to take the forceful actions we weren’t prepared to take. Time and again, the voices of inaction triumphed until the genocide burned itself out.

Beyond Apologies to Action

Fortunately, the international community has gone beyond apologies and mea culpas for the failed response to Rwanda, as well as Somalia and Bosnia. Indeed, it was in these failures of will that the roots of responsibility to protect were formed.

Consider the changes. The international community has increasingly engaged in preventive actions to keep societies from falling apart – including the deployment of more than 100,000 military, police, and civilians personnel in UN peacekeeping operations. Eleven different countries each provide more than $100 million annually for these operations. Another 76,000 forces are deployed in non-UN peace operations.

Of course, you cannot measure the global commitment to R2P solely in terms of its willingness to engage militarily in situations of existing or potentials genocide or mass atrocities. Non-consensual military action is the last resort, following efforts at diplomacy, sanctions, humanitarian assistance, naming and shaming, and the like. Even then, military engagement could occur only under the strictest of tests to ensure that this doesn’t become an excuse for regime change under another nameStill, it is significant that in a preventative or responsive manner, country after country has stepped forward militarily in potential R2P situations, such as the South Africans in Burundi, the British in Sierra Leone, the French in Cote d’Ivoire, the African Union in Darfur, NATO in Kosovo, the Americans in Macedonia, and the Australians in East Timor.

Further, we have responded with institutional programs – such as the nascent Peacebuilding Commission -- to help societies to avoid falling into the genocide trap through preventive efforts and to emerge from conflict through recovery and reconstruction.

GCR2P: Taking R2P to the Next Level

Another step forward is the establishment at the Ralph Bunche Institute at CUNY of the Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect, and we’ll hear more tomorrow from that Centre’s Executive Director Andrew Knight and Program Director Nicole Deller. Under their leadership, I believe the Centre will be a catalyst and a resource for those within the UN, governments, NGOs, civil society, and regional organizations seeking to defend the R2P norm, prevent backsliding, determine how to operationalize it, put a fine edge on the question of when military intervention is justified and how it is to be mandated, and apply these principles to real world cases.

The Centre will also highlight the vital role that women have to play in pushing on R2P, not just as the primary victims of ethnic conflict and mass atrocities, but as a key to effective peace negotiations, post-conflict reconstruction, and rebuilding of civil society.

Darfur: The International Community Blinks Again

We have come a long way – but too many cases demonstrate how far we still have to go to bring R2P into the real world. In Darfur, the international community has blinked in the face of mass atrocities. We have tried to solve tragedy through half-measures and quick fixes.

• We declined to send a UN protection force to Darfur, and instead sent the African Union, knowing full well that they lacked the transport, logistics, command and control, and forceful mandate to stop the abuses. Despite their best efforts, these forces too frequently simply have a front-row seat to observe the killings.

• We forced the Government and rebels into negotiations, but then went for a quick-fix solution that neither addressed the complex governance issues at play nor enlisted the support of civil society. The Darfur Peace Agreement signed in Abuja in 2006 unraveled quickly and has actually hurt the cause of peace.

• At UN, we passed resolution after resolution through the Security Council authorizing tough sanctions, a no-fly zone, and ICC indictments, but we never imposed them. Khartoum’s objective remains a military solution in Darfur as a clear demonstration of the pain to be faced by others who might rebel in the Blue Nile region, the Nuba Mountains, Kordofan, and other regions.

• Most recently, UNSC passed resolution 1769 authorizing a powerful UN/AU force – UNAMID – to protect civilians and ensure humanitarian space, but we have failed to press Khartoum to accept the kind of deployment needed to ensure an effective force or to mobilize the needed equipment and personnel.

Similarly, the international community has been overly respectful of sovereignty in its response to Robert Mugabe’s war on his own people in Zimbabwe, to the junta in Myanmar that shoots monks in the streets, to the rapes and mass killings in the eastern DRC, to the renewed ethnic violence in Sri Lanka, and similar situations.

Reaffirming Our Determination

Even in Kenya, the international community must show the commitment to the long-term challenges present in the R2P rebuilding mandate. The recent political accord cannot be an elitist substitute for real actions needed to bring about a just and democratic society.

We must insist on constitutional and legal reform that reduce the power of the executive and overhaul the electoral framework; economic policies that ensure a more equitable distribution of land and income; a framework for addressing ethnic violence and humanitarian crises; engagement of civil society and the business community in governance issues; accountability for crimes committed in the post-election violence; and the dismantling of the ethnic militias.

These tough steps require a diligence, vision, and determination too often lacking in our common approach toward emerging crises. But the alternative – more Rwandas, Somalias, and Bosnias – is unthinkable. Thank you.

http://www.crisisgroup.org/home/index.cfm?id=5332&l=1

How can you help protect environment?

2008-07-24T06:35:00.000-07:00

Environment !!

We humans create such a lot of rubbish! Each household in Britain produces about 1 tonne of rubbish every year! Most of this is taken away by dustmen and buried in enormous landfill sites or burned in incinerators - both of these actions can be dangerous for the environment. Is all our rubbish really rubbish? If you think about it, much of what we throw away could be used again. It makes sense to recycle and not just to solve the problemof where to put the rubbish. Much of our waste is made up of glass, metal, plastic and paper. Our natural resources such as trees, oil, coal and aluminium are used up in enormous amounts to make these products and the resources will one day be compl etely used up. We must cut down on energy use.

Ideas to Help

* Sort out your rubbish. Organic matter e.g. potato peelings, left over food, tea leaves etc. can be transferred straight to a compost heap in the garde and used as a good, natural fertiliser for the plants. Aluminium cans, glass bottles and newspapers etc. can be taken to bottle and can banks and wastepaper skips. Find out where they are by asking your local council or library.
* Use recycled paper to help save trees. Everyone in Britain uses about 6 trees worth of paper every year.
Chlorine bleach is usually used to make newspapers and this pollutes rivers. Its better to use unbleached, recycled paper whenever you can.
* Take your old clothes to charity shops. Some are sold, others are returned to textile mills for recycling.
* Try to avoid buying plastic. It's hard to recycle. One way to cut down on plastic is to refuse to use carrier bags
offered by supermarkets and use strong, long lasting shopping bags instead, or re-use plastic bags over and over again, until they wear out.
* Don't buy over-packed goods. Many things we buy have unnecessary amounts of plastic and paper around them.

Rainforests

Rainforests are valuable habitats. About half of all the species of animals and plants in the world live in rainforests. Thousands of rainforest plants contain substances that can be used in medicines and the tribal people of the forests have great knowledge of them. Rainforests are being cut down to make way for 'civilised man', to grow crops and graze cattle, and provide timber. An area almost the size of Britain is burnt every year. Rainforests help to regulate the world's climate and atmosphere.

Ideas to Help

*
Never buy products made up of tropical hardwoods e.g. mahogany and teak. It is better to buy only pine, oak, ash or beech because they can be replaced.
*
Garden and flower shops sometimes sell
rainforest orchids that have been imported. If you buy an orchid, check that it has been grown in Britain.
*
Some parrots and macaws are unfortunately still
imported. If you want a parrot as a pet, make sure it has been hatched in Britain.
*
Eating a beefburger may be helping to destroy
the rainforest! Most burgers in Britain are made from European cattle. However, the cattle are often fed on soya bean and a lot of that comes from Brazil where large areas of forest have been destroyed to make soya fields. Before buying a burger, ask where the cattle came from and what they were fed on. Try a veggie burger for a change!

Pollution

The air, water and soil of habitats all over the world have been, and are still being,polluted in many different ways. This pollution affects the health of living things. Air is damaged by car and lorry fumes, and power stations create acid rain which destroys entire forests and lakes. When fossil fuels i.e. oil, gas and coal are burned to provide energy for lighting, cooking etc. they form polluting gases.

Oils spills pollute sea water and kill marine life; chemical waste from factories and sewage works, and artificial fertilisers from farmland, pollute river water, killing wildlife and spreading disease.

The careless or deliberate dumping of litter in the environment is not only unsightly but dangerous too.

Ideas to Help

* Use less energy by switching off lights when rooms are not in use, not wasting hot water, not overheating rooms and not boiling more water than necessary when making a cup of tea!
* Use a bicycle or walk instead of using a car for short trips.
* If you spot pollution, such as oil on the beach, report it to the local council. If you suspect a stream is polluted,
report it to the local Environmental Health Officer
* If you use chlorine-based bleach or detergents containing phosphates you are contributing to water pollution.
Try to buy 'environmentally-friendly' products.

The Ozone Layer

Fifteen to thirty miles above the Earth lies the stratosphere, a broad band of gases and one of these gases is ozone. It's only a small part of the stratosphere but very important because it prevents too many of the sun's ultra violet rays from reaching us. Too many ultra violet rays can give us skin cancer and destroy plankton, the important microscopic life in the sea. In the 1980s it was discovered that 'holes' were appearing in the ozone layer above the Antarctic and Arctic. CFCs, chlorofluorocarbons, gases used in the manufacture of aerosols and fridges, are believed to be responsible for destroying the ozone layer.

Ideas to Help

* Don't buy aerosols containing CFCs. Actually, it's not a good idea to buy any aerosols. Even 'ozone friendly' aerosols may contain harmful chemicals and spray cans are difficult to dispose of - they cannot be recycled. Pump-action sprays are a much better alternative.
* A lot of packaging e.g. fast-food cartons, are polystyrene 'blown' with CFCs. Try to avoid items packed with this
polystyrene.
* If you know of anyone getting rid of an old fridge, tell them that the CFCs can be drained out and recycled -
contact the local council and they will dispose of the fridge safely. New fridges can be bought with less CFCs in them.

Certain gases in the atmosphere, mainly carbon dioxide, methane and CFCs, act like the glass in a greenhouse, allowing sunlight through to heat the Earth's surface but trapping some of the heat as it radiates back into space. Without this the Earth would be frozen and lifeless. However, owing to Man's activities,'greenhouse gases' are building up in the atmosphere, causing a greater amount of heat to be reflected back to Earth. The result is an increase in average world temperatures and in the future this could lead to the flooding of cities world wide and more hurricanes etc.

Ideas to Help

* Don't waste electricity. Electricity is produced by burning coal, oil and gas and this action gives off carbon dioxide.
* Car fumes produce carbon dioxide and nitrogen oxide - so try to cut down on car journeys if possible. Use a bike
or walk - it's good exercise for you too!
* Recycle as much of your waste as you can. Methane, the most effective 'greenhouse gas', is released into the
air as the rubbish in landfill sites rots.

Endangered Habitats and their Wildlife

Wild habitats all over the world are fast disappearing. Forests are being cut down, rivers and seas polluted, heathlands built on, hedgerows pulled up, ponds filled in - the destruction seems endless. As the habitats decrease, so do their communities of animals and plants. Habitat destruction is one of the main reasons why many species face extinction. Other reasons include the hunting of animals and collection of plants.

There are now more than 5, 000 species of animal and about 25,000 species of plants threatened with extinction. During the last 200 years more than 200 species of mammals and birds have become extinct i.e. disappeared from the earth forever. It is possible that we are losing one species of animal or plant every day!

Ideas to Help

* In many countries souvenirs made from rare wildlife are available - never buy shells, coral or things made from elephant ivory, rhino horn or cat skin etc.
* Remember that British habitats and wildlife are under threat too. The destruction of wood land, pollution of rivers
and ponds, the use of pesticides and herbicides have all contributed to the reduction in the amount of wildlife in Britain. Many animals and plants are endangered e.g. red squirrels, otters, barn owls, golden eagles, natterjack toads, many species of butterflies and dragonflies, orchids - to name just a few. If you have a garden at home, you could transform it into a mini nature reserve for wildlife. The same could be done in your school grounds. Here are just a few ideas to create a wildlife garden:-

1. Make a pond. Even A small pond will attract frogs and toads etc.. Birds and foxes may use it for drinking.
2. Make a wildflower meadow. Wildflower plants and seeds may be bought from garden suppliers and, if planted correctly, a colourful meadow will result, attracting birds, butterflies and other insects.
3. Provide logs and stones and allow a few autumn leaves to remain lying around. These provide shelter for minibeasts and perhaps small mammals such as shrews and mice. An over-neat garden will not be attractive to wildlife.
4. Feed the birds during winter and put up nest boxes for robins and blue tits etc. to use in spring.
5. If your garden is big enough, you could plant a small wood. Always grow native trees such as oak, ash or birch - these attract more insects than foreign trees.
6. Hedgehogs are useful to have in the garden as they eat slugs. Encourage them to stay by providing them with tinned cat or dog meat, water and a safe place to hibernate in winter, such as a pile of logs, stuffed with hay and leaves.
7. Avoid using chemical sprays in the garden - some of these can be poisonous to wildlife. It's best to let the birds eat the cabbage-munching caterpillars, the hedgehogs and toads deal with the lettuce-loving slugs and the ladybirds dine on the rose-ravaging greenfly!

http://www.ypte.org.uk/environmental/environment-how-can-you-help-protect-it-/81

GreenWorks! Great Ideas

2008-07-20T07:52:00.000-07:00

GreenWorks! Great Ideas

Great ideas for GreenWorks! projects abound in every community. Here are a few that have worked well:

In Homer, Alaska, kindergarteners through 12th graders set up a recycling program at their school to collect materials from the village's 350 residents. Due to the school's remote location, collected materials are transported 30 miles each week to reach the Homer Baling Facility. Project partners: Homer Spit Campground, Ulmers Drugs and Hardware, Fritz Creek General Store, Home Run Oil, Homer Chapter of Alaska Youth for Environmental Action, Kachemak Bay Conservation Society, Voznesenka Parent Advisory Council.

In Selma, Alabama, 5th graders and gifted students became active participants in assisting Forest Service fire personnel in implementing and managing prescribed burns at Talladega National Forest. To determine when prescribed burns would be most favorable, students provided daily weather data to a dispatcher at the US Forest Service. The students' findings were included in US Forest Service press releases. Project partners: Talladega National Forest.

High school environmental science, physics, and calculus students in Washington, DC turned garbage found in the Potomac River Watershed into a "Green-Skate Laboratory." Designed by physics students, this laboratory is used as a physics classroom and community recreation site. Project partners: East Coast Round Wall, Ramptech, Inc, and Skateboard Community.

Fifth grade students in Meridian, Mississippi joined forces with marketing professionals, industries, government agencies, and Mississippi State University to educate the public about the need for timber reforestation through various forms of media.

An after school program for students in grades 6, 7, and 8 in Raleigh, North Carolina carried out three projects during the course of the year. First, students grew food in the school garden to donate to the North Carolina Food Bank. Second, students implemented a community recycling and hazardous waste collection program at their school. Third, students prepared educational activities for nearby elementary school students. Their actions benefited students, schools, and the community. Project partners: North Carolina Food Bank.

Elementary school students in Cavalier, North Dakota, created a tree-windbreak to lessen farmland erosion and pollution resulting from wind and snowdrifts. The trees also provided protection to businesses and roads on the outskirts of Cavalier and added beauty to an underdeveloped area. Project partners include: Neche Greenhouse and numerous city employees and community members.

Students 7 through 13 years of age grew flowers at the Frelinghuysen Arboretum in Morristown, New Jersey. The students arranged the flowers and donated them to a local nursing home. Students simultaneously learned about gardening, floriculture, flower arrangement, and brought pleasure to local residents. Project partners: Friends of the Frelinghuysen Arboretum, Morris County Park Commission, Morrisview Nursing Home, and Morristown Garden Club.

Middle and high school students from three schools in Bonita, East Lake, and Rancho del Rey, California re-established native vegetation on their school grounds and a preserve. Native trees, shrubs, and grasses were planted after introduced species were removed. The students then created a newsletter, video, and CD-ROM to educate parents, students, residents, news media, and the local government about the importance of native species. Project partners: Girl Scouts of America, San Diego County Department of Parks and Recreation, San Diego State University, Sweetwater Union High School District, and Kniffing's Discount Nurseries.

Various natural science classes at the University of Cebu in the Philippines held a tree festival and tree planting event to demonstrate the importance of trees and biodiversity. Project partners: University of Cebu: Community Extension Services Office, Chemistry Society, and natural, biological, and physical science departments.

http://www.plt.org/cms/pages/28_35_0.html

2008-06-30T07:06:00.000-07:00

Microsoft Office Professional 2007 Win32 SPANISH UPGRADE
From Microsoft Software

Price:	$329.95 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details

Price:

$329.95 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details

Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com

2008-06-30T07:00:00.000-07:00

Windows Vista Business SPANISH UPGRADE [DVD]

From Microsoft Software

List Price:	$199.95
Price:	$199.00 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details

Microsoft Office Home and Student 2007

2008-06-25T01:07:00.000-07:00

Microsoft Office Home and Student 2007
From Microsoft Software

Product Description

Microsoft Office Home and Student 2007 is the essential software suite for home computer users that enables you to quickly and easily create great-looking documents, spreadsheets, and presentations, and organize your notes and information in one place, making it easier and more enjoyable for you to get things done. The latest version features a new Microsoft Office Fluent user interface that exposes commonly used commands, enhanced graphics, and formatting capabilities that enable you to create high-quality documents, plus a powerful note and information organization tool, and more reliability and security with the Document Inspector tool and improved automatic document recovery. With these enhancements, Office Home and Student 2007 makes it easier and more enjoyable for you to get tasks done at home. Office Home and Student 2007 is the essential software suite that enables home computer users to quickly and easily create great-looking documents, spreadsheets, and presentations, and organize their notes and information in one place. With the new Office Fluent user interface, enhanced graphics and formatting, and more reliability and security, it will be easier and more enjoyable for home users to get things done. Document recovery tool - Retrieve Microsoft Office system documents after a system failure Document Themes make it easy for you to preserve a consistent look for tables and text across Word, Excel, and PowerPoint documents Publish to PDF or XPS format Office Online Help and How-to offers articles and training that can help you use Microsoft Office at home

Product Details

Amazon Sales Rank: #1 in Software
Brand: Microsoft
Model: 79G-00007
Released on: 2007-01-30
Platforms: Windows XP, Windows Vista
Format: CD
Dimensions: 19.68" h x 19.68" w x 19.68" l, 3.00 pounds

Features

Essential software suite for home computer users makes it a pleasure to complete schoolwork and other tasks
Includes 2007 versions of Excel, PowerPoint, Word, and OneNote
Intuitive user interface that exposes commonly used commands; updated graphics and formatting galleries help you to easily produce high-quality documents
Work with confidence and security thanks to the improved automatic Document Recovery tool and the Document Inspector tool, which removes personally identifiable information from your document
Enhanced Help system includes online tutorials with step-by-step instructions; includes OneNote, a digital notebook that helps you gather, organize, and search many types of information in one place

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
Microsoft Office Home and Student 2007 is the essential software suite for home computer users and includes 2007 versions of Excel, PowerPoint, Word, and OneNote. This system enables you to quickly and easily create great-looking documents, spreadsheets, and presentations, and organize your notes and information in one place, making it easier and more enjoyable for you to get things done.

The new streamlined workspace and easy-to-browse tabs make program features easier to find and use. View larger.

Insert graphics and charts such as these into your documents to make them more appealing. View larger.

Use the new diagram and improved charting tools to create rich and stunning visuals and charts. View larger.

Quick and easy-to-use table styles help your tables look great and consistent across Word documents, Excel spreadsheets, and PowerPoint presentations. View larger.

The Document Inspector helps find and remove potentially sensitive "hidden" information from your documents, presentations, and spreadsheets. View larger.

Office OneNote 2007 enables you to gather, organize, and search almost any type of information. The powerful search tool is shown here, with results highlighted in yellow. View larger.

This updated version features a new streamlined user interface that exposes commonly used commands, enhanced graphics, and formatting capabilities that let you create high-quality documents, plus a powerful note and information organization tool, and more reliability and security with the document inspector tool and improved automatic document recovery. With these enhancements, Home and Student 2007 makes it a pleasure to complete schoolwork and other tasks at home.

Which edition of Office is right for you? View a comparison of Microsoft Office 2007 editions.

Create High-Quality Documents
Home and Student 2007 gives you access to updated graphics, formatting galleries, and an intuitive user interface that exposes commonly used commands. These features enable you to easily produce high-quality documents that will make you proud. Improved picture, charting, and graphics tools help you produce better-looking documents, spreadsheets, and presentations more quickly, while a large library of standard charts, quick formatting tools, and SmartArt diagrams make it easy to include rich and stunning visuals and charts. The results-oriented user interface makes it easier for you to find and use product features so you can enhance your documents according to your specifications. More stable bullets and numbers, SmartArt diagrams, and graphics and charting galleries provide you with a wealth of other formatting choices. Meanwhile, document themes help ensure a consistent appearance among the documents you create in Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, to make working across the programs you use most more convenient. PowerPoint also features context-sensitive tabs and easy-to-use galleries that make it simple for you to include tables and other graphics in your documents.

Enhanced Reliability and Security Features
With an improved automatic Document Recovery tool and the new Document Inspector tool for removing personally identifiable information from your documents, Home and Student 2007 helps you work with more confidence and security. Thanks to these two features, you'll never have to worry about losing documents after a system failure or exposing your personal identification information or unwanted comments to others before sharing your documents.

Formatting galleries make it easier to find and apply formatting changes. View larger.

User-Friendly Operation
Packed with innovative features and improvements, Home and Student 2007 has a streamlined interface and an enhanced Help system, including online tutorials with step-by-step instructions, so you can quickly learn the product and find the answers to your questions. In addition, command tabs on the results-oriented Ribbon reveal commonly used commands that previously appeared only in lengthy drop-down menus. The Help system also offers a smooth transition between the Help menu in the Microsoft Office system and Help on the Internet (when connected). Larger, more informative ScreenTips provide help concerning commands, and the command tabs themselves are context-sensitive, changing automatically depending upon the task that you are trying to complete, so you won't waste time figuring out the appropriate command. When you need more guidance, online tutorials provide step-by-step instructions for common tasks.

Organize Notes and Information
Home and Student 2007 includes OneNote, a digital notebook that helps you gather, organize, and search many types of information in one place. This means you can consolidate typed text, images, audio and video recordings, digital handwritten notes, Web clippings, and more on the same page. OneNote also provides flexible note-taking tools to help you organize information the way you want. Categorize important projects or information in a way that makes sense to you, using an easy-to-use layout of notebooks, sections, and pages. Type or organize content anywhere on the page and track important items with customizable note tags. To help keep you on track, the powerful Instant Search feature helps you to find information you are looking for quickly. With it you can even search handwritten notes, the text in images and scanned documents, and spoken words in audio recordings.

Preview Changes and Spot Trends
Home and Student 2007 saves you time by making it easier to format your Office documents with Live Preview. This tool lets you quickly preview proposed changes to your document while you're working on it without having to repeatedly search through layers of menus. Taking a look at your proposed formatting before committing to it lets you experiment without risk and can help minimize future edits. Excel features highly visual conditional formatting with new data bars, more colorful gradients, and icons that you can use to format data based on specific rules, so you can more easily identify key data trends, which can help you study and prepare written papers or reports.

Create and Save Custom Slide Layouts
PowerPoint lets you create presentations with ease using prebuilt and user-defined custom slide layouts. With the custom layout feature you can quickly create the precise layout you envision without being bound by one of the prepackaged, standard layouts. You can then save your custom layout for use in future presentations.

Broader Distribution of Your Documents
Home and Student 2007's features aren't limited to the work you do at home; they extend to broader distribution of your documents and presentations. New support for Portable Document Format (PDF) and XML Paper Specification (XPS) file formats helps ensure increased distribution and sharing of your documents with users on any platform. This is particularly ideal for either sharing documents with friends and families, or for presenting information and assignments in a computer-integrated class.

From the Manufacturer
Microsoft Office Home and Student 2007 offers familiar programs with essential tools to create documents, spreadsheets, and presentations. The suite contains the following Microsoft Office programs: Word 2007; Excel 2007; PowerPoint 2007; OneNote 2007.

What's New?
The 2007 edition of this product includes many new features and benefits, including the ability to create great-looking documents faster. New graphics and visual galleries help you create more dynamic documents and presentations.

In addition, the suite enables you to find commands and help with ease. An improved user interface and help system make it easy to find the tools you need to get things done. Another key improvement is that you can now work more securely and confidently. An improved Document Inspector and automatic document recovery help to protect your work.

Familiar Programs, New Features
One of the many reasons to upgrade to the 2007 version of this suite is that you can format, present, communicate, gather, and organize your information in more dynamic ways with new versions of familiar Microsoft Office programs. Here's a preview of what each of these programs has to offer:

OneNote 2007
Gather nearly any type of information in one place and easily find the content you need.

Word 2007

Create great-looking documents with enhanced bullets, text effects, and visual galleries.
Access frequently used commands more easily with an improved user interface.

Excel 2007

Create eye-catching charts using 3-D, soft shadowing, and transparency.
Organize and analyze data with new tools such as Conditional Formatting for sorting and visualizing information.

PowerPoint 2007

Create dynamic presentations faster with new themes, layouts, and styles.
Add visual impact with new charts, SmartArt diagrams, and tables and quickly preview changes.

Customer Reviews

Microsoft sails again
After using previous versions of Microsoft Office I was pleasantly pleased the newest version continues to excel.

Great - once you get the hang of it
I have been using this (Word) for about 2 weeks now and am still getting used to it. The user interface is different from the XP version and there are some font inconsistencies between the two. However I am slowly getting the hang of it and am beginning to really like it. To maintain compatibility (I have an XP and a Vista networked at home), I save the file as a Word 2002-2003 document. I don't see any difference (except when I use fonts not available in the XP version), so I am guessing that I am not using any of the advanced features that this version has to offer.

Pro: Nice user interface (once you get the hang of it)
Con: Font inconsistencies with previous versions. It would be nice if Microsoft would add the missing fonts to the previous version.

I should soon begin using Excel and Powerpoint and just might update this review then.

Not what I expected.
This was not what I expected. The cd was not in the box. It had no certificate number. The label looked smeared. I do not recommend this seller.

10 Steps to Success on the ’Net Without SEO

2008-06-21T17:56:00.000-07:00

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) as we know and detest it is obsolete in this day and age. When some while ago Philipp asked me to write an article “How do I optimize websites” I couldn’t do it: The way SEO works in Germany on Google.de can not really work for international websites in English. Moreover nowadays you do not need conventional SEO tactics to have success on the Net or in Google. In order to make a site succeed in these times you have to forget everything you know about on page optimization and link building first.

Now we can start our ten step guide to Google and traffic heaven.

Discover your niche
Be different, choose a topic or product that not everybody else already covers or sells. Discovering it is not to be confused with “keyword research” as in conventional SEO. You try to introduce a new niche not just obeying the Google users demands. Try a different angle. Even a very crowded place like SEO itself does have new ones. I am indeed the first blogger to tackle mainly the SEO 2.0 topic.
Use Wordpress
Instead of “on page optimization” you can install Wordpress that is search engine friendly out of the box. Wordpress is not only a blog software, you can use it as small scale CMS and it will suffice for most average websites. Also “search engine submission” even with XML sitemaps is not needed anymore with Wordpress. It pings Google Blog Search automatically so your blog posts end up in the Google index just a few hours later.
Create a killer CSS design and submit it to CSS galleries
Traditional SEO is all about link building or getting links. Sites doing SEO often look crappy. These days people link web sites that look great just for the sake of the design. Unlike some years ago nowadays CSS and web standards are the best way to design a site. Now it is not difficult to create a great design, especially with Wordpress. Create a killer design for your blog and you will be linked everywhere. Just check out this list at CSS Juice.
Allow trackbacks, use dofollow
Blogs thrive in connection with each other. The best way of connecting blogs is the trackback function. Install the dofollow plugin in order not to treat other bloggers like spammers.
Socialize, write comments and link other blogs
Link and mention other blogs and bloggers in your posts. Also commenting in other blogs is much appreciated as blogging is not a monologue if it’s done right.
Include social media on your site, use social media yourself
Include buttons to your favorite social bookmarking services like del.icio.us or Stumple Upon. Be careful with social news sites like Digg or Reddit. They may crash your server and/or cost you lots of money by driving tons of useless traffic in short periods of time to your site.
Write your own content, say something new, express yourself
Write about stuff out of your niche that you know about. Write your own content, do not just post links to other sites. Say something new that wasn’t already said by everybody else. Express yourself, do not repeat yesterday’s news.
Compile what you know or what others said and publish it
If everything was said and done already in a particular case, compile it and create a list. Top list are the best solutions as a “200 Wordpress plugins” list is just too big. “10 indispensable Wordpress plugins” is far better.
Contribute to your favorite online publications
Do not just publish at your own blog or site. Contribute to other publications that cover your topic. Try your favorite ones first, as you probably know exactly what kind of topic they would like. Most publishers will link to your site
Add new content at least every second day
Add new content often enough to create a stable readership. People that visit your site once a month might forget about it. It’s not always necessary to post every day but if you write a real blog do it at least 3 times a week.

As you see most of it is not very spectacular and you probably already do some of it. Moreover no SEO as you know it is really involved until now. If you are not satisfied by now, you probably need some advanced SEO or SEO 2.0 as I call it.

http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=6800176729895267823

มาแนะนำตัว

2008-06-20T04:21:00.000-07:00

สวัสดีครับ
ผมพี่เลาะห์ จากตลาดทองครับ ตอนนี้ได้ทดลองมาทำบล็อก SEO ผมคิดว่า SEO พวกเราคงจะรู้จักกันดีแล้ว คงไม่ต้องอธิบาย ให้ยึดยาว เพียงแต่ว่า อยากจะมาเชิญชวนเพื่อน ๆ น้อง ๆ พี่ทั้ง ที่เป็น เทพ ด้านนี้ มาวาดลวดหลาย แชร์ประสบการณ์ของตนเอง ทั้งที่ประสบความสำเร็จ และประสบกับความหายนะ ซึ่งได้เป็นโรงเรีัยนชีวิตให้กับทุกท่านครับ

ขอบคุณ
พี่เลาะห์

The Computer Support Nightmare: Why Isn't My Computer Working?

2008-06-11T04:13:00.000-07:00

The Computer Support Nightmare: Why Isn't My Computer Working?
Danny Davids

More often than not, when I introduce myself to someone new and mention that I am a computer support guy, I get the response, "Really? I need to ask you something." And I groan inwardly. Now don't get me wrong. While I certainly don't mind sharing my knowledge, I can pretty much guarantee that the question will not be about a specific problem, but instead will be one of those all-encompassing queries that will require the better part of an evening to answer.

Like, "Why isn't my computer working?"

Or, "I just bought this [fill in high-tech device name]. How do I make it do [fill in desired function]?"

Why people automatically assume that computer people are an encyclopedia of everything technical is beyond me. It's not like we're wearing neon signs or have the words "I KNOW EVERYTHING" tattooed on our foreheads. (Those would be the politicians.)

Of course, being Mr. Nice Guy, I try to answer their questions politely. And because their question is so vague, my answer has to be equally noncommital. This doesn't make the questioner very happy, because it's obvious he or she wanted an instant solution to a problem that most likely has been building for a long time. Elphaba in "Wicked" got it absolutely right when she sang, "No good deed goes unpunished."

But even a polite, considerate, happy-go-lucky guy like me has his limits. One day somebody is going to catch me in a very, very bad mood. And when that happens, my answers will probably sound something like this:

First question: "Well, where would you like me to start? It could be any number of things. Maybe it's the fact that you indiscriminately download every infantile game, useless utility, and 'free junk' applet available on the Internet. When you do that, you also install adware, spyware, malware, and sometimes even viruses and Trojans that run in the background on your computer and bring your processor to a crawl. Perhaps it's those occasional visits to questionable sites that you don't want your boss or your spouse knowing about, sending pop-ups to your computer every time you turn the thing on. Oh, and when you get those illegal copies of games and software programs from your 'buddies', they're probably infecting you with all the viruses on their computers, too. In the event that you actually SPENT money on a LEGITIMATE game for your system, you probably have outdated hardware that it won't run on and need to spend considerable amounts of money to either upgrade the system or else just buy a new one--and no, I don't have any spare parts lying around that you can have, nor will I install for free anything you do happen to pick up at your local garage sale. But most likely you have a 'wetware' issue. You know, wetware--that brainy-looking thing that sits between the chair and the computer. You might consider getting some training to learn how to use your computer instead of just assuming that you can speak into the mouse like Scotty did in 'Star Trek IV' and the computer will automatically know what you want. Better yet, just get rid of the thing and join the 'Big Chief Brigade'--in other words, go back to using paper and pencil, since you obviously don't want to accept the responsibility of learning how to use the equipment you own!"

Second question: "Well, seeing as how I didn't design the item in question, write the software, do the Q & A testing, consult with a plethora of vendors on how to make it compatible with every other item on the market, or document the device, I couldn't answer that question. But hey, here's an idea! There's this little booklet that probably came with your device. It's called a 'manual'. Try reading it sometime. I'll bet you'll be amazed at just how much you can learn about your device!"

Don't I wish...!

But lucky me, I've discovered the magic phrase that eliminates the need to scour my memory banks for either an acceptable answer or a polite way of saying "I have no idea." It absolves me from all responsibility and practically guarantees the questioner won't bother me ever again. And lucky you, I'm willing to share this magic phrase for free. It could come in handy for you computer folk out there, and can probably be adapted to other fields of knowledge as well. And here it is:

"My going rate for consultations is $75 an hour. Now, what was your question again?"


	*Danny Davids* has worked in the computer industry for over 25 years. He has provided end-user support, training, and network administration services in arenas as diverse as the service bureau, health, education, communication, manufacturing, and consulting industries. He currently works as a network administrator for a government agency. He is married and has two adult children.

http://searchwarp.com/swa338429.htm

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