Again, the creative team over at the Chicago web design firm, Headstand Media has produced another great WebSmart TV video answering the burning question, “What is SEO?“ These videos are meant to educate the average business person who hears terms like SEO, tagging, CSS, vlogs and many others tossed around, but really have no idea what they mean. The videos are about 1 minute long and are very easy to understand.
What is SEO?
Posted in Personal, Technology
Tagged search engines, SEO, video, Web Design, websmart tv
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Life in Stages
I have a friend named Lee Hoffner whose wife Anne has cancer. I met Lee back in the days of my involvement with The Association for Multimedia Communications (AMC). We are still both involved in the Internet/Web industry.
Lee and Anne live in Wheaton and attend College Church, where they met in the choir about 5-6 years ago. They have been married about 5 years now. They just left yesterday on a long road trip out west. I have helped them get a blog site set up to share their travel thoughts and experiences. I encourage anyone interested to check it out, and to pray for them on this journey.
Life In Stages
Posted in Personal
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Viral Video
Have you ever heard someone refer to a “viral video” in a conversation, or in an email or text message, or on Facebook or Twitter? Does “viral video” sound like a video that might give you a disease?
Or, have you ever been in a business meeting where people were throwing around these new Internet web terms, and you had no idea what they meant?
No need to wonder any longer! A plain answer is just about a minute away! Go visit WebSmart TV and view the lastest vlog (video blog) post called “What is Viral Video? Watch the video and read more about “viral video” there.
WebSmart TV – the basics of the web in about a minute.
Posted in Personal, Technology
Tagged communication, social media, video, vlog, websmart tv
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IndyMac Slap in Your Face!
A friend just sent me this link to a video and blog site (Think Big Work Small) that I found very informative. This video explains in plain, simple English how the government (FDIC) gave a sweetheart deal to a bank called OneWest Bank, owned by Steven Munchen and investors George Soros and John Paulson. They are profiting big time at tax payer expense.
IndyMac Slap in Your Face Video
This video explaining the taxpayer rip-off will feel like a slap in the face!
Tim Tebow Super Bowl Commercial
Well there it was, aired within the first quarter of the Super Bowl, the much discussed, much criticized and maligned Tim Tebow Super Bowl ad. As I watched it, I kept waiting for the hatred, the insensitivity, the objectionable content that so many said was offensive, outrageous and unacceptable for public viewing… especially during the Super Bowl.
I missed the offensive part!
All I heard and saw was 30 seconds of a Mom telling her story about her son and then a website URL to find out more about the story! CBS did the right thing to air the commercial, and to ignore the critics. It was entirely within the rights of Focus on the Family to negotiate the deal and then air the public service message they wanted to get out. They have a constitutional right to do that and to spend their money as they choose. It was entirely appropriate for the best college football player in history to use the platform that he has earned to get out a personal message in a manner of his choosing. No one coerced him into doing this.
The fact remains, that had Bob and Pam Tebow followed their doctor’s advice, the world would not have Tim Tebow today. That’s a sobering thought that cannot be denied. How many other exceptional people like Tim have been sacrificed since Roe v. Wade? Could one of them have already found a cure for cancer? Could one of them have become the President of the United States? Run the numbers. The statistics say that we have sacrificed a huge resource on the altar of self convenience and expediency.
FocusOnTheFamily.com
Celebrate Family. Celebrate Life.
I applaud Tim’s parents for the choice for life that they made. I applaud Tim for speaking up for what he believes is best, and for putting those beliefs into action. I applaud Focus on the Family for getting the Tebow story out in a sensitive, classy, positive manner.
Resources
- Tim Tebow Foundation – exists to bring faith, hope and love to those needing a brighter day in their darkest hour of need.
- Bob Tebow Evangelistic Association – serving the Philippines
- Focus on the Family – More about the Tim Tebow Story
Posted in Personal, Worldview
Tagged abortion, CBS, Commercial, football, Super Bowl, Tim Tebow
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Sprint HTC Hero on Android
Well, earlier this week I went to my local Sprint store, and upgraded from my Palm Centro (over 2 years) to a new HTC Hero running on Google’s “Android” operating system.
My new Sprint HTC Hero running on Google Android
This means that I no longer have a physical keyboard (the Centro’s was too small for my large hands anyway), and I no longer use a stylus for pointing and clicking. I now have a true “touch screen” instead. I am still getting used to the new operating system, locations of features, typing with my fingers — but so far I am very impressed and pleased with this phone.
New features that I did not have before include:
- GPS
- Wi-Fi
- A very robust Android Apps Store with thousands of applications, and more being developed all the time.
- Voice activated commands – even over Bluetooth, so I can control the phone while riding my motorcycle!
- Full integration and synchronization with all of Google’s web apps for business: calendar, email, documents, contacts, search, voice, maps, latitude, wave, chat, goggles, etc.
- Full control over and integration with social media sites such as WordPress, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, and many others.
- Zooming in and out on web page content.
- A 5 MegaPixel camera with flash
- A standard size headphone jack for listening to music.
- Standard USB connection cable for linking to my MacBook Pro or other computer devices for file transfers, etc.
- Personalization of the interface with my own backgrounds, layout of widgets and preferences.
It’s a great size and weight, fits in my hand and pocket very nicely and “looks cool” with that big bright screen. Being a person that needs bifocal corrective lenses, this larger screen is easier for me to read as well. I’ve noticed that the added features also drain the battery quicker than the Centro… but I think there are some power management apps that I can download to help me increase that time.
Some may be wondering why a long-time Mac guy like me (since 1987) went with this phone instead of the iPhone? It’s pretty simple. I don’t like limited choices. I refuse to be “forced” to use AT&T when other carriers are superior is service and price. I think that was a very bad decision on Apple’s part. I like Googles approach to supply a fantastic OS that is open and can be developed by a wider group and for a potentially larger audience, with a number of different carriers. I think the healthy competition in this space between Apple and Google will be good for everyone!
I’m doing my part!
Cast Your Vote
I got up and went to my polling place this morning on Oak Park, Illinois, and cast my votes in the Republican Primary. I used one of the newer “computer” voting machines. I was voter #1 on my machine, in my precinct. It felt good.
I urge you to go to your polling place and cast your vote today in either party. That’s how the system works, and it works best when all legal citizens participate.
Here is a final video from the candidate I supported for Illinois Governor – Dan Proft.
WebSmart TV
WebSmart TV - the basics of the web in about a minute.
Are you a regular person who is trying to make sense of all the new terms you hear being tossed around in conversations and in written messages such as: tweets, RSS, web 2.0, friend (used as a noun), blog, and many others? Does it make your brain hurt to think of figuring it all out? Well, Headstand Media has a new tool made to serve you! It’s called WebSmart TV and you can visit it online at http://websmart.tv
What is WebSmart TV?
Headstand Media (the Chicago web design company I founded in 2007) noticed a need in the marketplace for a resource that normal people (like you) could access to educate themselves about the web 2.0 world we now live in. Rather than provide a lot of long-winded, high fog-level technical articles (which you can certainly get elsewhere), we decided to create a video blog (vlog) of short one-minute videos that each explain one aspect of the web 2.0 world, in plain everyday language. Simply put, WebSmart TV offers the basics of the web in about a minute.
Who is WebSmart TV?
The Headstand Media team writes, acts and produces these videos ourselves using our own time, talents and “prosumer” level equipment. Taylor Birkey writes our scripts. Benjamin Nelson is our on-camera talent. Matt Ritsman does all the audio and video recording and production. Kyle Williams helps us get the site optimized for search engines and social media. We all contributed to the design of the site, but it was mostly Benjamin’s idea. We believe that if we can do this, then anyone can do it… including our clients!
So, I encourage you to check out the new site. We have launched it with 5 videos covering:
There is also a video explaining “What is WebSmart TV?” We plan to add a new video every week!
We’ve provided many ways for you to stay connected with WebSmart TV through: Twitter, Facebook, RSS feeds and our YouTube channel. If you like what you see, you can easily share the links with your friends and associates, and spread the word about this educational resource.
Posted in Personal, Technology, Web Design
Tagged blog, CSS, education, Facebook, RSS, social media, tv, Twitter, video, vlog, web, web 2.0, Web Design, websmart tv, YouTube
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House Churches are Isolationist and Cult-Like?
Question: Are house churches more likely than conventional churches to become isolationist and cult-like?
Apparently at least one blogger thinks so, and had the guts to quote George Barna’s research to support his assertion! Author and researcher George Barna responds to this assertion in a recent blog post of his own.
First, I found the alleged bloggers perspective offensive and mis-informed based upon personal experience.
Second, I find George’s response and perspective enlightening, especially as it relates to the potential of conventional churches to become “cult-like” – but in a different way than what many would admit is all too common.
I also appreciate George’s perspective on the tendency of people to see what they want to see in research data, and to manipulate it to support their view – as did the alleged blogger. I have read several of the books where Barna reports on his research related to house churches, and nowhere does his data suggest anything close to what this blogger alleges. In fact, just the opposite is the case, which perhaps explains why more and more Americans are finding their spiritual needs and Christian growth experience better met through smaller, in-home meetings or “house churches.” In my opinion, it is a trend that will increase if the conventional church continues to resist making the gospel relevant to a postmodern, post-Christian culture.
George Barna's Blog Website
Click on the banner above to read George Barna’s blog post on this topic.
Want to learn more about the history of the house church, its biblical basis in the New Testament and how it is a viable structure today? Visit The House Church Book website to learn more.
The House Church Book - Cover
Posted in Books & Culture, Christianity, Church Renewal, Personal
Tagged cult, george barna, house church
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Manhattan Declaration
If you are a Christian of any kind, flavor, brand, creed, persuasion, location, affiliation, category, group, school, society or denomination – then I encourage you to join me and thousands of others in signing the Manhattan Declaration:
The Manhattan Declaration