The Essex, an American whaleship from Nantucket, sank when it was attacked by a sperm whale in the Pacific Ocean in November 1820. Having lost their ship, the crew of the Essex attempted to sail to South America in whaleboats. After suffering from starvation and dehydration, most of the crew died before the survivors were rescued in February 1821.
In retelling the story of the crew's ordeal, Philbrick utilizes an account written by Thomas Nickerson, who was a teenage cabin boy on board the Essex
and wrote about the experience in his old age; his account was lost
until 1960 but was not authenticated until 1980 before being published,
abridged, in 1984. The book also utilizes the better known account of Owen Chase, the ship's first mate, which was published soon after the ordeal.
Thursday, 1 October 2015
POINT BREAK
Johnny Utah is a former Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback and rookie FBI Agent. He is assigned to assist experienced agent and veteran,
Angelo Pappas, in investigating a string of bank robberies by the
"Ex-Presidents"; a gang of robbers that wear face-masks depicting former
US presidents Ronald Reagan, Richard Nixon, Lyndon B. Johnson, and Jimmy Carter
to disguise their true identities. They only raid the cash drawers in
the banks that they rob—never going for the vault—and are out within 90
seconds. Pursuing Pappas' theory that the criminals are surfers, Utah goes undercover to infiltrate the surfing community. He concocts a story to persuade orphaned
surfer Tyler Endicott to teach him to surf, she having saved him from
drowning. Through her he meets Bodhi, the charismatic leader of a gang
of surfers comprising Roach, Grommet, and Nathaniel. The group are
initially wary of Utah, but accept him when Bodhi recognizes him as the
former college football star. As he masters the art of surfing, Utah
finds himself increasingly drawn to the surfers' adrenaline-charged
lifestyle, Bodhi's philosophies, and Tyler. Following a clue retrieved
by analyzing toxins found in the hair of one of the bank robbers, Utah
and Pappas lead an FBI raid on another gang of surfers. Despite their
criminal records, these surfers turn out to not be the Ex-Presidents and
the raid inadvertently ruins a DEA undercover operation.
Watching Bodhi's group surfing, Utah begins to suspect that they are the "Ex-Presidents", noting how close a group they are and the way one of them moons everyone in the same manner one of the robbers does when leaving a bank. He tails Bodhi and his suspicions are confirmed when he sees Bodhi and Roach casing a bank. Utah and Pappas stake out the bank and the Ex-Presidents appear. Bodhi, wearing a Reagan mask, leads Utah on a furious foot chase through the neighborhood, which ends when Utah, by jumping into an aqueduct, causes the knee injury that ended his playing career to flare up again. Despite having a clear shot at Bodhi (locking eyes with him), Utah cannot bring himself to shoot—instead unloading his magazine into the sky in frustration—and Bodhi escapes.
At a camp-fire that night, it is confirmed that Bodhi and his gang are the Ex-Presidents. Their primary motivation is not profit, but rebelling against the system that "kills the human spirit". Knowing Utah's true identity, most of the gang want out, but Bodhi refuses to fold. The next morning, Tyler discovers Utah's secret and breaks-up with him. Shortly afterwards, Bodhi aggressively recruits Johnny into going skydiving with the group. Utah, still without proof of Bodhi's crimes, acquiesces. After the jump, Bodhi reveals that he knows Utah is an FBI agent and has arranged for his friend Rosie, a non-surfing thug, to hold Tyler hostage. Utah is thus blackmailed into participating in the Ex-Presidents last bank robbery of the summer. During the robbery, Bodhi breaks his own rule by going for the money in the vault, taking too much time. As a result, Grommet, along with an off-duty police officer and a security guard—who both try to stop the robbery—are killed. Angered by Grommet's death and by having to kill the police officer, Bodhi knocks Utah out and leaves him at the scene.
Defying their senior officer, Pappas and Utah go to the airport where Bodhi, Roach, and Nathaniel are about to leave for Mexico, where Rosie is awaiting them with Tyler. During a shoot-out, Pappas and Nathaniel are killed, and Roach is seriously wounded. The pilot reveals the group's destination within Utah's earshot, jeopardizing their escape plans. With Roach aboard, Bodhi forces Utah onto the plane at gunpoint. Once airborne and over their intended drop zone, Bodhi and Roach put on their parachutes and jump from the plane, leaving Utah to take the blame again. With no other parachutes available, Utah jumps from the plane with Bodhi's gun and intercepts him before he lands, but Bodhi forces Utah to drop the gun so he can open their parachute and land safely. Upon impact, Utah's knee gives out again, allowing Bodhi to escape Utah's grasp. Bodhi meets with Rosie and releases Tyler. Roach dies of his wounds and Bodhi and Rosie leave with the money.
Nine months later, a long-haired Utah, still surfing, tracks down Bodhi at Bells Beach in Victoria, Australia, where a record storm is producing lethal waves. This is an event Bodhi had talked about experiencing, calling it the "50-Year Storm". Utah attempts to bring Bodhi into custody, but Bodhi refuses. During a brawl in the surf, Utah manages to handcuff himself to Bodhi. Bodhi begs Utah to release him so he can ride the once-in-a-lifetime wave. Knowing Bodhi will not come back alive, Utah releases him, bids him farewell and sees him step towards the wave. While the authorities watch Bodhi surf to his death, Utah walks away, throwing his FBI badge into the ocean.
Watching Bodhi's group surfing, Utah begins to suspect that they are the "Ex-Presidents", noting how close a group they are and the way one of them moons everyone in the same manner one of the robbers does when leaving a bank. He tails Bodhi and his suspicions are confirmed when he sees Bodhi and Roach casing a bank. Utah and Pappas stake out the bank and the Ex-Presidents appear. Bodhi, wearing a Reagan mask, leads Utah on a furious foot chase through the neighborhood, which ends when Utah, by jumping into an aqueduct, causes the knee injury that ended his playing career to flare up again. Despite having a clear shot at Bodhi (locking eyes with him), Utah cannot bring himself to shoot—instead unloading his magazine into the sky in frustration—and Bodhi escapes.
At a camp-fire that night, it is confirmed that Bodhi and his gang are the Ex-Presidents. Their primary motivation is not profit, but rebelling against the system that "kills the human spirit". Knowing Utah's true identity, most of the gang want out, but Bodhi refuses to fold. The next morning, Tyler discovers Utah's secret and breaks-up with him. Shortly afterwards, Bodhi aggressively recruits Johnny into going skydiving with the group. Utah, still without proof of Bodhi's crimes, acquiesces. After the jump, Bodhi reveals that he knows Utah is an FBI agent and has arranged for his friend Rosie, a non-surfing thug, to hold Tyler hostage. Utah is thus blackmailed into participating in the Ex-Presidents last bank robbery of the summer. During the robbery, Bodhi breaks his own rule by going for the money in the vault, taking too much time. As a result, Grommet, along with an off-duty police officer and a security guard—who both try to stop the robbery—are killed. Angered by Grommet's death and by having to kill the police officer, Bodhi knocks Utah out and leaves him at the scene.
Defying their senior officer, Pappas and Utah go to the airport where Bodhi, Roach, and Nathaniel are about to leave for Mexico, where Rosie is awaiting them with Tyler. During a shoot-out, Pappas and Nathaniel are killed, and Roach is seriously wounded. The pilot reveals the group's destination within Utah's earshot, jeopardizing their escape plans. With Roach aboard, Bodhi forces Utah onto the plane at gunpoint. Once airborne and over their intended drop zone, Bodhi and Roach put on their parachutes and jump from the plane, leaving Utah to take the blame again. With no other parachutes available, Utah jumps from the plane with Bodhi's gun and intercepts him before he lands, but Bodhi forces Utah to drop the gun so he can open their parachute and land safely. Upon impact, Utah's knee gives out again, allowing Bodhi to escape Utah's grasp. Bodhi meets with Rosie and releases Tyler. Roach dies of his wounds and Bodhi and Rosie leave with the money.
Nine months later, a long-haired Utah, still surfing, tracks down Bodhi at Bells Beach in Victoria, Australia, where a record storm is producing lethal waves. This is an event Bodhi had talked about experiencing, calling it the "50-Year Storm". Utah attempts to bring Bodhi into custody, but Bodhi refuses. During a brawl in the surf, Utah manages to handcuff himself to Bodhi. Bodhi begs Utah to release him so he can ride the once-in-a-lifetime wave. Knowing Bodhi will not come back alive, Utah releases him, bids him farewell and sees him step towards the wave. While the authorities watch Bodhi surf to his death, Utah walks away, throwing his FBI badge into the ocean.
Saturday, 12 September 2015
Fantastic Four 2015
Fantastic Four is a 2015 superhero film based on the Marvel Comics superhero team of the same name. It is the third theatrical Fantastic Four film to be distributed by 20th Century Fox, and a reboot of the Fantastic Four film franchise. Directed by Josh Trank, with a screenplay by Jeremy Slater, Simon Kinberg and Trank, the film stars Miles Teller, Michael B. Jordan, Kate Mara, Jamie Bell, Toby Kebbell, Reg E. Cathey, and Tim Blake Nelson. In Fantastic Four, the team must learn to harness abilities gained from an alternate universe to save Earth from a friend turned enemy.
Development of the film begin in 2009, with principal photography going from May 2014 to August 2014. Fantastic Four was primarily shot in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Studio executives, concerned with Trank's footage, mandated reshoots, which took place in January 2015. Fantastic Four premiered in New York on August 4, 2015, and was released in the United States on August 7 the same year. The film was panned by critics and audiences alike and underperformed at the box office, earning $26.2 million in North America during its opening weekend. A sequel is scheduled for release on July 9, 2017.
Friends Reed Richards (Miles Teller) and Ben Grimm (Jamie Bell) have worked together on a prototype teleporter since childhood, eventually attracting the attention of Professor Franklin Storm (Reg E. Cathey), director of the Baxter Foundation, a government-sponsored research institute for young prodigies. Reed is recruited to join them and aid Storm's children, scientist Sue Storm (Kate Mara) and the somewhat reckless technician Johnny Storm (Michael B. Jordan), into completing a "Quantum Gate" designed by Storm's wayward protégé, Victor von Doom (Toby Kebbell), who begrudgingly agrees to help due to his unrequited feelings for Sue.
The experiment is successful, and the facility's supervisor, Dr. Allen (Tim Blake Nelson), plans to send a group from NASA to venture into a parallel dimension known as "Planet Zero". Disappointed at being denied the chance to join the expedition, Reed, Johnny, and Victor along with Ben use the Quantum Gate to embark on an unsanctioned voyage to Planet Zero, which they learn is a world filled with otherworldly substances. Victor attempts to touch the green-lava like substance, causing the surface they are in to collapse and the ground to erupt. Reed, Johnny, and Ben return to their shuttle just as Sue brings them back to Earth. Victor is left behind after he falls into the collapsing landscape. The machine explodes, altering Reed, Sue, Johnny, and Ben on a molecular-genetic level, affording them super-human conditions and abilities beyond their control: Reed can stretch like rubber, Sue can become invisible and generate force fields of energy, Johnny can engulf his entire body in flames and fly, and Ben becomes bigger and develops a rock-like hide which gives him enhanced strength and durability. They are then placed in government custody and confinement to be studied and have their conditions and abilities tested. Blaming himself for the accident, Reed escapes from the facility.
One year later, Reed, now a fugitive, is located in Central America by Sue and captured by Ben, who has become a military asset along with Johnny and Sue. Johnny and Sue have been outfitted with specialized suits, one of which Reed later receives, designed to keep up with their conditions and abilities and to help them stabilize, control, and contain their abilities. Reed is brought to Area 57, where Dr. Allen conscripts him to open another portal to Planet Zero in exchange for giving Reed the necessary resources to find a cure. Arriving in Planet Zero, Dr. Allen's explorers find Victor, who has been fused to his spacesuit and can now control the elements, as well as having telekinetic abilities, and bring him back to Earth. Believing the human race needs to be destroyed so he can rebuild Planet Zero in his image, Victor kills scientists and soldiers in the base including Dr. Allen and Professor Storm and returns to Planet Zero using the Quantum Gate, with Ben, Johnny, Reed, and Sue in pursuit.
Now dubbing himself "Doom", he activates a portal on Planet Zero using a structure he made while in the realm, that begins consuming the landscape of the Earth. He is confronted by the four and, after a destructive battle, Ben punches Doom into the portal's energy beam, disintegrating him, while Johnny closes the portal. Returning to Earth, the group is rewarded for their heroics by being given a new base of operations by the United States military. They decide to use their powers to help people and adopt the mantle of the "Fantastic Four".
Development of the film begin in 2009, with principal photography going from May 2014 to August 2014. Fantastic Four was primarily shot in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Studio executives, concerned with Trank's footage, mandated reshoots, which took place in January 2015. Fantastic Four premiered in New York on August 4, 2015, and was released in the United States on August 7 the same year. The film was panned by critics and audiences alike and underperformed at the box office, earning $26.2 million in North America during its opening weekend. A sequel is scheduled for release on July 9, 2017.
Friends Reed Richards (Miles Teller) and Ben Grimm (Jamie Bell) have worked together on a prototype teleporter since childhood, eventually attracting the attention of Professor Franklin Storm (Reg E. Cathey), director of the Baxter Foundation, a government-sponsored research institute for young prodigies. Reed is recruited to join them and aid Storm's children, scientist Sue Storm (Kate Mara) and the somewhat reckless technician Johnny Storm (Michael B. Jordan), into completing a "Quantum Gate" designed by Storm's wayward protégé, Victor von Doom (Toby Kebbell), who begrudgingly agrees to help due to his unrequited feelings for Sue.
The experiment is successful, and the facility's supervisor, Dr. Allen (Tim Blake Nelson), plans to send a group from NASA to venture into a parallel dimension known as "Planet Zero". Disappointed at being denied the chance to join the expedition, Reed, Johnny, and Victor along with Ben use the Quantum Gate to embark on an unsanctioned voyage to Planet Zero, which they learn is a world filled with otherworldly substances. Victor attempts to touch the green-lava like substance, causing the surface they are in to collapse and the ground to erupt. Reed, Johnny, and Ben return to their shuttle just as Sue brings them back to Earth. Victor is left behind after he falls into the collapsing landscape. The machine explodes, altering Reed, Sue, Johnny, and Ben on a molecular-genetic level, affording them super-human conditions and abilities beyond their control: Reed can stretch like rubber, Sue can become invisible and generate force fields of energy, Johnny can engulf his entire body in flames and fly, and Ben becomes bigger and develops a rock-like hide which gives him enhanced strength and durability. They are then placed in government custody and confinement to be studied and have their conditions and abilities tested. Blaming himself for the accident, Reed escapes from the facility.
One year later, Reed, now a fugitive, is located in Central America by Sue and captured by Ben, who has become a military asset along with Johnny and Sue. Johnny and Sue have been outfitted with specialized suits, one of which Reed later receives, designed to keep up with their conditions and abilities and to help them stabilize, control, and contain their abilities. Reed is brought to Area 57, where Dr. Allen conscripts him to open another portal to Planet Zero in exchange for giving Reed the necessary resources to find a cure. Arriving in Planet Zero, Dr. Allen's explorers find Victor, who has been fused to his spacesuit and can now control the elements, as well as having telekinetic abilities, and bring him back to Earth. Believing the human race needs to be destroyed so he can rebuild Planet Zero in his image, Victor kills scientists and soldiers in the base including Dr. Allen and Professor Storm and returns to Planet Zero using the Quantum Gate, with Ben, Johnny, Reed, and Sue in pursuit.
Now dubbing himself "Doom", he activates a portal on Planet Zero using a structure he made while in the realm, that begins consuming the landscape of the Earth. He is confronted by the four and, after a destructive battle, Ben punches Doom into the portal's energy beam, disintegrating him, while Johnny closes the portal. Returning to Earth, the group is rewarded for their heroics by being given a new base of operations by the United States military. They decide to use their powers to help people and adopt the mantle of the "Fantastic Four".
Friday, 11 September 2015
Our Brand Is Crisis
Our Brand Is Crisis is a 2005 documentary film by Rachel Boynton on American political campaign marketing tactics by Greenberg Carville Shrum (GCS) in the 2002 Bolivian presidential election. The election saw Gonzalo Sánchez de Lozada elected President of Bolivia ahead of Evo Morales.
The film is distributed by Koch-Lorber Films.
"This film is a cautionary tale which comes at a very timely moment," said Koch-Lorber Films president Richard Lorber in a statement to indieWIRE. "The parallels to the current U.S. administration's approach to selling the war in Iraq are staggering."
The film is distributed by Koch-Lorber Films.
"This film is a cautionary tale which comes at a very timely moment," said Koch-Lorber Films president Richard Lorber in a statement to indieWIRE. "The parallels to the current U.S. administration's approach to selling the war in Iraq are staggering."
Cast
- Mauricio Balcazar (Goni's Press Advisor)
- James Carville (GCS Strategist)
- Tad Devine (GCS Advertising Consultant)
- Mark Feierstein (GCS Pollster)
- Stan Greenberg (GCS Pollster)
- Carlos Mesa (VP Candidate)
- Evo Morales (Opposing Candidate)
- Jeremy Rosner (GCS Pollster)
- Gonzalo Sánchez de Lozada (aka "Goni"; Bolivia's Presidential Candidate)
- Robert Shrum
- Tal Silberstein (GCS Management Consultant)
- Manfred Reyes Villa (Opposing Candidate)
- Amy Webber (GCS Associate)
Best Paying Professions in Kenya
1. Engineering
Without a doubt, Engineering is a good profession to take up when you are qualified and looking forward to the handsome paycheck at the end of the month. With a Degree or Diploma in Electrical Engineering, you can earn up to KSh 80, 000 at entry level.
2. Accounting
The Accounting profession is getting popular in Kenya, there is a pool of people pursuing it and this is why. At entry level, you can easily earn KSh 60, 000 and as you go up the ladder you move to the 6 figure salary. A Degree in Accounting and 5 years experience will easily give you KSh 300,000.
3. IT
Don’t be surprised to find this in the list. If you find yourself running into positions with very low salaries in the IT field, then you are not looking in the right places. The average salary for a Java Developer is KSh 50, 000 and that is for both entry level and more experienced.
So, like any other profession, the more the experience the more the pay. A Degree in ICT related course and 3 years experience can get you earning over 100,000.
4. Procurement
Most people hear about taking on a procurement profession and they make a face. You need not to because it makes the list of best paying professions in Kenya. Just a Degree will guarantee you KSh 50, 000 and this is on the lower side, depending on the company.
5. Architecture
This list is not complete without the Architecture profession. With Have a Bachelors degree in either Regional planning, Urban or Town Planning and relevant experience, you can earn over KSh 150,000. A Diploma will get you at least KSh 30,000 for entry level.
Without a doubt, Engineering is a good profession to take up when you are qualified and looking forward to the handsome paycheck at the end of the month. With a Degree or Diploma in Electrical Engineering, you can earn up to KSh 80, 000 at entry level.
2. Accounting
The Accounting profession is getting popular in Kenya, there is a pool of people pursuing it and this is why. At entry level, you can easily earn KSh 60, 000 and as you go up the ladder you move to the 6 figure salary. A Degree in Accounting and 5 years experience will easily give you KSh 300,000.
3. IT
Don’t be surprised to find this in the list. If you find yourself running into positions with very low salaries in the IT field, then you are not looking in the right places. The average salary for a Java Developer is KSh 50, 000 and that is for both entry level and more experienced.
So, like any other profession, the more the experience the more the pay. A Degree in ICT related course and 3 years experience can get you earning over 100,000.
4. Procurement
Most people hear about taking on a procurement profession and they make a face. You need not to because it makes the list of best paying professions in Kenya. Just a Degree will guarantee you KSh 50, 000 and this is on the lower side, depending on the company.
5. Architecture
This list is not complete without the Architecture profession. With Have a Bachelors degree in either Regional planning, Urban or Town Planning and relevant experience, you can earn over KSh 150,000. A Diploma will get you at least KSh 30,000 for entry level.
Monday, 31 August 2015
How to Make Money Blogging
If you’ve ever wondered how to make money blogging, you’ve come to the right place. As an 11-year veteran blogger making a full-time income, my goal was to create a guide with up-to-date information about blogging for money.
Unlike many of the other categories, advertising is all about generating income directly from your blog, website or other digital asset(s).
Ads on your site are meant to complement your blog’s content, making them attractive and relevant to visitors. Advertisers hope that your visitors will then click on those images to explore and purchase the products or services they offer.
Display ads are often provided through ad networks. Ad networks are companies that pair advertisers with publishers (bloggers). Ad networks act as a middle man between advertisers and publishers, negotiating partnership details between the two. The ad network takes a cut from the partnership profit.
Ad networks are attractive to many bloggers because they take the hassle out of display advertising. Some ad networks, like Google Adsense, are relatively easy to get into and are easy to set up. Other ad networks, though, are selective in who they accept.
Examples of ad networks are Google Adsense, Blogads, BlogHer, Beacon Ads, Federated Media, Sovrn, (formerly Lijit), Media.net, Rivit, Sway. There are many more, so once you get involved in your niche’s community of bloggers, you’ll soon hear of others.
However, if you want to make really good money with Google AdSense, you either have to be in a unique niche in which advertisers will pay a lot of money for clicks on their ads (hard to find), or you have to have a lot of traffic (hard to get, especially for beginners). For these reasons, I don’t recommend AdSense (or display advertising in general) as the main pursuit for new bloggers.
Tips:
Initial contact can be made by the blogger or by the advertiser. Be clear on what’s expected by both parties.
Not sure what to charge? Look around to see what others in your niche charge. You can often find this information on their advertising pages or in media kits.
Don’t just throw up an advertising page and expect advertisers to come calling. Go to them. Not sure how to do that? Find other blogs like yours that are your size or slightly larger. See who is advertising on their site. Contact those companies and ask if they’d like to advertise on your site too. Create a pitch and make it a win-win.
Check out iHeartOrganizing‘s advertising page as an example.
Tip for private ads on your blog:
I list giveaways here because some bloggers charge to run giveaways in addition to the expected free product to keep for themselves.
There are varying opinions about whether or not one should be compensated for giveaways. As I see it, it largely depends on whether the product is for marketing purposes or for advertising purposes. Companies use marketing to spread the word about their product or service. With advertising, a company makes a deal with another party to help them spread the word. Companies expect to pay for advertising.
For example, a company may market their product by handing out free t-shirts. Because you like the t-shirt, you take it and wear it. You obviously wouldn’t charge the company when you wore their t-shirt.
But I think a giveaway on a blog would often fall in the category of advertising. Yes, the company you’re working with may give you a product to use (indeed, they should!).
However, they are also asking you to provide a service to them. After all, you are spending your valuable time to field their emails, communicate with them, write a post (or posts), follow up with giveaway entrants, etc. If there is nothing else you’re getting from the partnership except for the free product, this service should be compensated in my opinion.
Resource: Amy from Mom Advice wrote a post about reviews a few years back that still offers good tips.
Tips for reviews & giveaways:
Unlike many of the other categories, advertising is all about generating income directly from your blog, website or other digital asset(s).
Display Ads
Display ads are graphics or images similar to billboards or ads in a magazine. Typically they are positioned on your site in the sidebar, header, footer or within your content. Sometimes they are referred to as banner ads.Ads on your site are meant to complement your blog’s content, making them attractive and relevant to visitors. Advertisers hope that your visitors will then click on those images to explore and purchase the products or services they offer.
Display ads are often provided through ad networks. Ad networks are companies that pair advertisers with publishers (bloggers). Ad networks act as a middle man between advertisers and publishers, negotiating partnership details between the two. The ad network takes a cut from the partnership profit.
Ad networks are attractive to many bloggers because they take the hassle out of display advertising. Some ad networks, like Google Adsense, are relatively easy to get into and are easy to set up. Other ad networks, though, are selective in who they accept.
Examples of ad networks are Google Adsense, Blogads, BlogHer, Beacon Ads, Federated Media, Sovrn, (formerly Lijit), Media.net, Rivit, Sway. There are many more, so once you get involved in your niche’s community of bloggers, you’ll soon hear of others.
Can you really make money with Google AdSense?
This is a very popular question, and a good one. Google Adsense is probably the most popular ad network and a good place for beginning bloggers to start if they want to pursue display ads because it’s so easy to set up.However, if you want to make really good money with Google AdSense, you either have to be in a unique niche in which advertisers will pay a lot of money for clicks on their ads (hard to find), or you have to have a lot of traffic (hard to get, especially for beginners). For these reasons, I don’t recommend AdSense (or display advertising in general) as the main pursuit for new bloggers.
Tips:
- If you want to get an idea of pricing and traffic for popular blogs, sites like Beacon Ads and Federated Media are places you can do that.
- If you’re using CPC/PPC ads (cost per click/pay per click), check out Google’s recommendations for best ad placement on your site. It’s important that your content doesn’t get drowned out by ads. Google has indicated sites with too many ads above the fold may be penalized in search. If you’re not sure what above the fold is on your site, use this tool.
- As always, experiment. Experiment with ad placement to get the right combination on your site.
Private Ads
Private ads are similar to display ads in that they also come in the form of buttons or graphics and usually appear in the sidebars of blogs. They are unique in that there is no middle man (ad network) to negotiate the partnership. Partnerships are arranged directly between a blogger and an individual, small business or company.Initial contact can be made by the blogger or by the advertiser. Be clear on what’s expected by both parties.
Not sure what to charge? Look around to see what others in your niche charge. You can often find this information on their advertising pages or in media kits.
Don’t just throw up an advertising page and expect advertisers to come calling. Go to them. Not sure how to do that? Find other blogs like yours that are your size or slightly larger. See who is advertising on their site. Contact those companies and ask if they’d like to advertise on your site too. Create a pitch and make it a win-win.
Check out iHeartOrganizing‘s advertising page as an example.
Tip for private ads on your blog:
- If you have ads in your sidebar, keep them full. Instead of displaying a blank box with “Advertise here” fill it with an affiliate graphic (see Affiliate Marketing below for more). Crystal Paine puts it well when she says, “[Blank ad spots] scream, ‘My advertising space isn’t valuable enough for people to want to buy so I instead have this big blank box!'”
Giveaways & Reviews
If you’ve read blogs for any length of time, you’ve surely seen a review or giveaway and maybe participated yourself. A company supplies a product to a blogger to be reviewed and/or given away to readers. A word about giveaways…I list giveaways here because some bloggers charge to run giveaways in addition to the expected free product to keep for themselves.
There are varying opinions about whether or not one should be compensated for giveaways. As I see it, it largely depends on whether the product is for marketing purposes or for advertising purposes. Companies use marketing to spread the word about their product or service. With advertising, a company makes a deal with another party to help them spread the word. Companies expect to pay for advertising.
For example, a company may market their product by handing out free t-shirts. Because you like the t-shirt, you take it and wear it. You obviously wouldn’t charge the company when you wore their t-shirt.
But I think a giveaway on a blog would often fall in the category of advertising. Yes, the company you’re working with may give you a product to use (indeed, they should!).
However, they are also asking you to provide a service to them. After all, you are spending your valuable time to field their emails, communicate with them, write a post (or posts), follow up with giveaway entrants, etc. If there is nothing else you’re getting from the partnership except for the free product, this service should be compensated in my opinion.
Resource: Amy from Mom Advice wrote a post about reviews a few years back that still offers good tips.
Tips for reviews & giveaways:
- Products you receive for free need to be reported as income on your taxes so keep excellent records and make sure the products you are accepting for review are really ones you want to pay taxes on later.
- Don’t be afraid to negotiate. This is your blog. No need to just take what you’re offered on the first round. Make it a win-win for both.
- If you don’t want to do a review for a company, ask the company if they’d like to buy ad space instead. Mention that they’ll still get a spot in front of your readers.
HOW TO MAKE REAL MONEY BY BLOGGING
For awhile, it looked like blogging might be everyone's answer to the question: How can I become rich while working at home and focusing on a topic I enjoy?
Not that that isn't happening, but for those who are younger or who haven't been paying attention, about 10 years ago, blogging was just beginning to buzz. As Michael Liedtke of the Associated Press wrote in 2003, "The online diaries known as Weblogs or 'blogs' seemed like a lot of inconsequential chatter when they surfaced a few years ago. But ... what once seemed like a passing fancy has morphed into a cutting-edge phenomenon that may provide the platform for the Internet's next wave of innovation and moneymaking opportunities."
In the years since, some blogs have been sold to companies for millions of dollars – but most haven't. According to the Nielson Company, there were 181 million blogs at the end of 2011, which begins to explain why the country isn't full of multimillionaire bloggers.
"Bloggers usually underestimate how hard it is to make money from blogging because there are so many blogs out there ... They assume that just by putting the blog up, it will be enough. Kind of like the 'if you build it they will come' mentality. That's not likely to happen to most people, though," says Jacqueline Bodnar, a prolific blogger in Daytona Beach, Fla., and author of "Starting Your Career as a Professional Blogger."
So for bloggers who are trying to become filthy rich – or at least aim for a respectable middle-class income – here are some things to keep in mind.
Making a living won't come quickly. If you've lost your job and decide to start a blog to support yourself, good for you. But keep job-searching, especially if you don't have a spouse to bring in revenue – because odds are, this isn't going to work out.
But let's say it does. It may take months before money dribbles in from advertisers. Generally, bloggers set up ads on their site, frequently with mainstream ad players like Google AdSense, Amazon Associates and Pay-Per-Post, all of which are fairly user-friendly. But after finding the advertisers, you'll need to find readers – a lot of them.
A few years ago, the money for ads on blogs was "very, very high, at least for established blogs with large audiences," says Amy Corbett Storch, 35, who lives in Bethesda, Md., with her husband and three kids. She first began blogging in 2003, but then the economy tanked, and advertisers began to become more choosy with their dollars, and they still are.
Storch's blog, Amalah.com, which gets its name from a nickname given to Amy by a co-worker, was initially a humor-personal memoir blog. But since she had her first child in 2005, it's been considered a "mommy" blog, of which there are many.
In 2006, Storch quit her job as managing editor for a financial publishing company to be a full-time blogger working from home while raising a family. She also branched out beyond her own blog, and now blogs for sites including ClubMom, TheStir, Babble, AlphaMom and, in 2007, she co-founded Mamapop.com, an entertainment-culture site for parents.
Storch says the ads at the top of a blog or website – banner ads – are paid on a CPM basis (cost per thousand readers). "In the heyday, you might get [advertising] campaigns for $15 or $20 CPM," Storch says.
That can work out pretty well if you have an audience – Storch says Amalah.com has about 700,000 page views a month. But if you're only getting, say, 1,200 page views a month, you might only make enough to treat your family to a night out at McDonald's. Even if you're pulling in enough money to pay the mortgage, Storch says bloggers have to remember they're going to pay commission to their ad network, taxes on their blogging income, hosting and Internet fees, and she pays for childcare.
Not that that isn't happening, but for those who are younger or who haven't been paying attention, about 10 years ago, blogging was just beginning to buzz. As Michael Liedtke of the Associated Press wrote in 2003, "The online diaries known as Weblogs or 'blogs' seemed like a lot of inconsequential chatter when they surfaced a few years ago. But ... what once seemed like a passing fancy has morphed into a cutting-edge phenomenon that may provide the platform for the Internet's next wave of innovation and moneymaking opportunities."
In the years since, some blogs have been sold to companies for millions of dollars – but most haven't. According to the Nielson Company, there were 181 million blogs at the end of 2011, which begins to explain why the country isn't full of multimillionaire bloggers.
"Bloggers usually underestimate how hard it is to make money from blogging because there are so many blogs out there ... They assume that just by putting the blog up, it will be enough. Kind of like the 'if you build it they will come' mentality. That's not likely to happen to most people, though," says Jacqueline Bodnar, a prolific blogger in Daytona Beach, Fla., and author of "Starting Your Career as a Professional Blogger."
Making a living won't come quickly. If you've lost your job and decide to start a blog to support yourself, good for you. But keep job-searching, especially if you don't have a spouse to bring in revenue – because odds are, this isn't going to work out.
But let's say it does. It may take months before money dribbles in from advertisers. Generally, bloggers set up ads on their site, frequently with mainstream ad players like Google AdSense, Amazon Associates and Pay-Per-Post, all of which are fairly user-friendly. But after finding the advertisers, you'll need to find readers – a lot of them.
A few years ago, the money for ads on blogs was "very, very high, at least for established blogs with large audiences," says Amy Corbett Storch, 35, who lives in Bethesda, Md., with her husband and three kids. She first began blogging in 2003, but then the economy tanked, and advertisers began to become more choosy with their dollars, and they still are.
Storch's blog, Amalah.com, which gets its name from a nickname given to Amy by a co-worker, was initially a humor-personal memoir blog. But since she had her first child in 2005, it's been considered a "mommy" blog, of which there are many.
In 2006, Storch quit her job as managing editor for a financial publishing company to be a full-time blogger working from home while raising a family. She also branched out beyond her own blog, and now blogs for sites including ClubMom, TheStir, Babble, AlphaMom and, in 2007, she co-founded Mamapop.com, an entertainment-culture site for parents.
Storch says the ads at the top of a blog or website – banner ads – are paid on a CPM basis (cost per thousand readers). "In the heyday, you might get [advertising] campaigns for $15 or $20 CPM," Storch says.
That can work out pretty well if you have an audience – Storch says Amalah.com has about 700,000 page views a month. But if you're only getting, say, 1,200 page views a month, you might only make enough to treat your family to a night out at McDonald's. Even if you're pulling in enough money to pay the mortgage, Storch says bloggers have to remember they're going to pay commission to their ad network, taxes on their blogging income, hosting and Internet fees, and she pays for childcare.
Thursday, 27 August 2015
Tuesday, 18 August 2015
Chelsea Manning Found Guilty of Violating Prison Rules
Convicted national security leaker Chelsea Manning was found guilty Tuesday of violating prison rules and will receive three weeks of recreational restrictions at the Kansas military prison where she's serving her 35-year sentence, her attorney said.
The transgender Army private was accused of having a copy of Vanity Fair with Caitlyn Jenner on the cover and an expired tube of toothpaste, among other things. Her attorney, Chase Strangio of the American Civil Liberties Union, said in a news release that Manning was convicted of all charges after a closed four-hour disciplinary board hearing in which she had no counsel.
Manning received 21 days of recreational restrictions limiting access to the gym, library and outdoors. The maximum punishment she could have faced was indefinite solitary confinement.
The U.S. Army has declined to release any information on the results of the hearing, citing the Privacy Act of 1976. The military said in a statement last week that it is committed to "a fair and equitable process," and called such proceedings "a common practice in correctional systems to hold prisoners accountable to facility rules."
The prison infractions include possession of prohibited property in the form of books and magazines while under administrative segregation; medicine misuse over the toothpaste; disorderly conduct for sweeping food onto the floor; and disrespect. All relate to alleged misconduct on July 2 and 9.
"When I spoke to Chelsea earlier today she wanted to convey the message to supporters that she is so thankful for the thousands of people from around the world who let the government know that we are watching and scrutinizing what happens to her behind prison walls," Strangio said.
Strangio credited public support for keeping Manning out of solitary confinement. Petitions signed by 100,000 people were delivered Tuesday to the U.S. Army by digital rights group Fight for the Future and others.
In addition to the recreational restrictions, the convictions that are now on her record could be cited in future hearings concerning parole or clemency, which could delay her transition to a less restrictive custody status, Strangio said.
The intelligence analyst, formerly known as Bradley Manning, was convicted in 2013 of espionage and other offenses for sending more than 700,000 classified documents to WikiLeaks while working in Iraq. She is serving a 35-year sentence at Fort Leavenworth for leaking reams of war logs, diplomatic cables and battlefield video to the anti-secrecy website in 2010.
SAMSUNG GALAXY S6
| Network | Technology | GSM / HSPA / LTE | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2G bands | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 | ||
| 3G bands | HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1900 / 2100 | ||
| HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700 / 1900 / 2100 - G920T | |||
| - G920A | |||
| 4G bands | LTE band 1(2100), 2(1900), 3(1800), 4(1700/2100), 5(850), 7(2600), 8(900), 12(700), 17(700), 18(800), 19(800), 20(800), 26(850) - G920F | ||
| LTE band 1(2100), 2(1900), 3(1800), 4(1700/2100), 5(850), 7(2600), 8(900), 12(700), 17(700) - G920T | |||
| LTE band 1(2100), 2(1900), 3(1800), 4(1700/2100), 5(850), 7(2600), 8(900), 17(700), 20(800) - G920A | |||
| Speed | HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE Cat6 300/50 Mbps | ||
| GPRS | Yes | ||
| EDGE | Yes |
| Launch | Announced | 2015, March |
|---|---|---|
| Status | Available. Released 2015, April |
| Body | Dimensions | 143.4 x 70.5 x 6.8 mm (5.65 x 2.78 x 0.27 in) |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 138 g (4.87 oz) | |
| Build | Corning Gorilla Glass 4 back panel | |
| SIM | Nano-SIM | |
| - Fingerprint sensor (PayPal certified) - Samsung Pay (Visa, MasterCard certified) |
| Display | Type | Super AMOLED capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors |
|---|---|---|
| Size | 5.1 inches (~70.7% screen-to-body ratio) | |
| Resolution | 1440 x 2560 pixels (~577 ppi pixel density) | |
| Multitouch | Yes | |
| Protection | Corning Gorilla Glass 4 | |
| - TouchWiz UI |
| Platform | OS | Android OS, v5.0.2 (Lollipop), upgradable to v5.1.1 (Lollipop) |
|---|---|---|
| Chipset | Exynos 7420 | |
| CPU | Quad-core 1.5 GHz Cortex-A53 & Quad-core 2.1 GHz Cortex-A57 | |
| GPU | Mali-T760MP8 |
| Memory | Card slot | No |
|---|---|---|
| Internal | 32/64/128 GB, 3 GB RAM |
| Camera | Primary | 16 MP, 2988 x 5312 pixels, optical image stabilization, autofocus, LED flash, check quality |
|---|---|---|
| Features | Geo-tagging, touch focus, face detection, Auto HDR, panorama | |
| Video | 2160p@30fps, 1080p@60fps, 720p@120fps, HDR, dual-video rec., check quality | |
| Secondary | 5 MP, 1440p@30fps, dual video call, Auto HDR |
| Sound | Alert types | Vibration; MP3, WAV ringtones |
|---|---|---|
| Loudspeaker | Yes | |
| 3.5mm jack | Yes |
| Comms | WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct, hotspot |
|---|---|---|
| Bluetooth | v4.1, A2DP, LE, apt-X | |
| GPS | Yes, with A-GPS, GLONASS, Beidou | |
| NFC | Yes | |
| Infrared port | Yes | |
| Radio | No | |
| USB | microUSB v2.0, USB Host |
| Features | Sensors | Accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer, heart rate, SpO2 |
|---|---|---|
| Messaging | SMS(threaded view), MMS, Email, Push Mail, IM | |
| Browser | HTML5 | |
| Java | No | |
| - Wireless charging (Qi/PMA) - market dependent - ANT+ support - S-Voice natural language commands and dictation - Smart stay - OneDrive (115 GB cloud storage) - Active noise cancellation with dedicated mic - MP4/DivX/XviD/WMV/H.264 player - MP3/WAV/WMA/eAAC+/FLAC player - Photo/video editor - Document editor |
| Battery | Non-removable Li-Ion 2550 mAh battery | |
|---|---|---|
| Stand-by | ||
| Talk time | Up to 17 h (3G) | |
| Music play | Up to 49 h |
| Misc | Colors | White Pearl, Black Sapphire, Gold Platinum, Blue Topaz |
|---|---|---|
| SAR US | 1.15 W/kg (head) 1.16 W/kg (body) | |
| SAR EU | 0.38 W/kg (head) 0.50 W/kg (body) | |
| Price group | 9/10 |
| Tests | Performance | Basemark OS II: 1663 / Basemark OS II 2.0: 1641 Basemark X: 22752 |
|---|---|---|
| Display | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal), 4.124 (sunlight) | |
| Camera | Photo / Video | |
| Loudspeaker | Voice 68dB / Noise 66dB / Ring 73dB | |
| Audio quality | Noise -95.6dB / Crosstalk -94.5dB | |
| Battery life | Endurance rating 73h |
Sunday, 2 August 2015
EVERYTHING IS HERE: HTC Desire 610
EVERYTHING IS HERE: HTC Desire 610: NETWORK Technology GSM / HSPA / LTE 2G bands GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 - all versions 3G bands HSDPA 850 / 900 / 2100 - EU, EMEA ...
HTC Desire 610
NETWORK | Technology | GSM / HSPA / LTE |
|---|---|---|
| 2G bands | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 - all versions | |
| 3G bands | HSDPA 850 / 900 / 2100 - EU, EMEA | |
| HSDPA 850 / 1900 / 2100 - AT&T | ||
| 4G bands | LTE band 3(1800), 7(2600), 8(900), 20(800) - EU, EMEA | |
| LTE band 1(2100), 3(1800), 7(2600), 8(900), 28(700) - Asia | ||
| LTE band 2(1900), 4(1700/2100), 5(850), 17(700) - USA | ||
| Speed | HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE | |
| GPRS | Yes | |
| EDGE | Yes |
| LAUNCH | Announced | 2014, February |
|---|---|---|
| Status | Available. Released 2014, May |
| BODY | Dimensions | 143.1 x 70.5 x 9.6 mm (5.63 x 2.78 x 0.38 in) |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 143.5 g (5.04 oz) | |
| SIM | Nano-SIM |
| DISPLAY | Type | Capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors |
|---|---|---|
| Size | 4.7 inches (~60.4% screen-to-body ratio) | |
| Resolution | 540 x 960 pixels (~234 ppi pixel density) | |
| Multitouch | Yes | |
| - HTC Sense UI 5.5 |
| PLATFORM | OS | Android OS, v4.4.2 (KitKat) |
|---|---|---|
| Chipset | Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 | |
| CPU | Quad-core 1.2 GHz Cortex-A7 | |
| GPU | Adreno 305 |
| MEMORY | Card slot | microSD, up to 128 GB |
|---|---|---|
| Internal | 8 GB, 1 GB RAM |
| CAMERA | Primary | 8 MP, 3264 x 2448 pixels, autofocus, LED flash |
|---|---|---|
| Features | Geo-tagging, touch focus, face detection, simultaneous HD video and image recording, HDR | |
| Video | 1080p | |
| Secondary | 1.3 MP, 720p |
| SOUND | Alert types | Vibration; MP3, WAV ringtones |
|---|---|---|
| Loudspeaker | Yes, with stereo speakers | |
| 3.5mm jack | Yes |
| COMMS | WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, DLNA, hotspot |
|---|---|---|
| Bluetooth | v4.0, A2DP, apt-X | |
| GPS | Yes, with A-GPS, GLONASS | |
| NFC | Yes (market/operator dependent) | |
| Radio | FM radio | |
| USB | microUSB v2.0 |
| FEATURES | Sensors | Accelerometer, proximity |
|---|---|---|
| Messaging | SMS (threaded view), MMS, Email, Push Email | |
| Browser | HTML5 | |
| Java | No | |
| - Google Drive (100 GB cloud storage) - Active noise cancellation with dedicated mic - MP4/H.264/WMV player - MP3/eAAC+/WMA/WAV player - Document viewer - Photo viewer/editor - Voice memo/dial/commands |
| BATTERY | Non-removable Li-Po 2040 mAh battery | |
|---|---|---|
| Stand-by | Up to 650 h (3G) | |
| Talk time | Up to 16 h (3G) |
| MISC | Colors | Black, White, Red, Gray, Green |
|---|
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