Benin for Obama

Simple SEO Tips For Your Search Engine Marketing

2011-07-25T05:49:00.001-07:00

You may remember a quote from a blockbuster movie that said "If you build it they will come". In fact that is how it was on the Internet several years ago, but definitely not any more. Those days are gone and these days if you want to get a good search engine placement, you have to have proper SEO.

In this article we are going to cover a few seo strategies that you really should use. And things are certainly not really that uncomplicated as you will find that there are two different sorts of SEO. There is on page Search engine optimization and off page Search engine optimization. On page optimization is exactly what it sounds like, it is how your page is optimized for the serps in order to get your site positioned high in the results pages. For example, if your page is about blackhead remover, you should include this keyword a couple of times or more on the page and also include related terms. Off page Search engine optimization is the process of building links on other sites that point back to your site. And the more backlinks you have for your specific keywords the higher your site will stand in the search engines for those key phrases.

When it comes to the on page search engine optimization, there are a number of things you have to do. You need to decide on the keywords and phrases you want your site to rank for. For this illustration we are going to pretend that you have a weight loss blog and your creating a new post and you want to rank for the term "Weight Loss Made Easy". The main thing to complete is to use this key phrase as the title for that page, the search engines like this. Now once you begin creating the subject material another thing you are going to wish to do is to use that expression in the first sentence of the page. In case for some reason the content will not read right with that phrase in the initial sentence, you will have to ensure that that the keyword phrase is anywhere at the beginning of the content. Thus, if your keyword is Head lice prevention, make sure you include it within the first two lines or sentences of your content.

Your keyword phrase should also be included inside every other paragraph of the post, don't fill all the subject material with the phrase as you can be penalized for search phrase stuffing. So if the page on its own has 7 or 8 paragraphs this expression should be in at least 4 paragraphs. You will furthermore want to make sure that the keyword phrase is also somewhere in the very last paragraph of the post.

OK now that the subject material is optimized it is time to accomplish your off page optimization. The time is right to start building backlinks for that page determined by the keyword phrases you need your page to rank for. So when individuals click on that phrase they are brought to your web site. When search engines like google see a lot of links pointing from many other websites to your site, and they are making use of targeted text links, the search engines finally end up providing you with better search positions for those keywords.

While there are loads of ways you can build these links, article marketing will be the best and easiest way to build lots of high quality backlinks to your website. All you do is to create a different article on the same topic and include a search phrase targeted link in the article. Once that part is done take the articles and submit all of them to article internet directories. Now your off page optimization is done because every single time someone publishes your article from the article websites you are getting a backlink.

The Significance of a Link Building Exercise

2011-07-19T19:23:00.001-07:00

The whole process of link building is considered an exhausting action and many individuals don't want to get engaged in the scheme. Instead, they select a link-building service that is capable to complete the system properly for the benefit of the website owner. Skilled agencies take up the task and select the technique of submitting content to internet directories.

You can also take up the process of submitting articles with free internet directories, which is a reliable way of creating valid backlinks for your business website. The only difficult part of the submission is the development of a unique content as article. If you can create such articles, it is the best way of link building process, otherwise find out a talented article writer for the job of writing articles for your website.

You can also get free-lance content writers and contact various other agencies, which are dedicated to writing profession. If you submit the article, you should provide effective focus to create the hyperlink in the content in the resource box effectively. The link development in the content guides the visitor to your website with relative anchor text, which is also the keyword that you're attempting to gain a ranking in major search engines.

It is fantastic if you're able to get in touch with proficient internet writers for the article writing requirement to generate articles on the identical specialized niche to ensure prestigious internet directories accept your articles effortlessly and you continue to acquire inbound links. There are various respected web directory websites which have high page ranks. If you can to acquire inbound links from them, your website obtains more quality by major search engines and you will anticipate to acquire higher rankings earlier. You will find inbound links from authority websites and robots will be able to detect your website regularly. It's a really practical technique of link building for the benefit of the site to get higher rankings in major search engines.

The perfect link building service can help you with every part and increases your website coverage. Your site will be well dealt with using the fantastic knowledge and can acquire rapid inbound links eventually. Since search engines hates spam and extremely fast link popularity, professionals will let you know about the basic tips for link popularity that are right for you business and don't belong to the group of scams.

The Options Provided by a Professional SEO Hosting Firm

2011-07-12T06:05:00.001-07:00

As you are looking for a SEO Hosting firm that can provide help to promote your website, you need to make your choice based on the features and utilities they'll provide. It isn't easy to climb the ranks of the major search engines nowadays, especially if your website is part of a very fashionable niche. Therefore, you will have all the help you will get, especially if your competitors have been in business for a long time. Engines like google reward the longevity of internet sites, thus your SEO Hosting firm needs to present your new website a preventing chance.

Any skilled SEO Hosting firm ought to provide its customers with a decent amount of virtual area with a purpose to account for everyone's needs. At the same time, you need to be capable to opt for a personalised package in order to pay just for the virtual area that you're using. Since online companies will need to set up completely different software program similar to mail servers with full options, MYSQL databases and a platform of your selection, the quantity of area is crucial. Moreover, the value you pay the SEO Hosting provider for the area should be taken into consideration if you need your business to be price-efficient.

If you want your backlinking to be environment friendly and rewarding, then you need to search for a SEO Hosting firm that gives Class C IPs. The benefit of this type of IPs is that they assist you to make your websites appear like they are based on any part of the world you choose. Therefore, if in case you have a wide range of web sites targeted on traveling, the various places that Class C IPs are in a position to simulate is your greatest guess for producing traffic. Furthermore, geographical diversity is also a good way to obtain a greater page ranking from the search engine itself. Therefore, you should not pass out on the chance to use Class C IPs and solely do business with a SEO Hosting firm that can give you this feature.

Furthermore, knowledgeable SEO Hosting firm ought to put the very best instruments for keyword researching on the disposal of their customers. Without utilizing the very best key phrases, you've little likelihood of dominating your niche. At the same time, you need to be capable to confirm your standings in numerous search engines at any given moment. This fashion you may see whether your present technique is working or you want a special approach. All these companies should be simply accessible by way of a comprehensible consumer interface offered by the SEO Hosting company.

Lastly, a very good SEO Hosting firm must offer you the chance to tap the complete potential of social community websites, similar to Twitter, My House or Facebook. Because the millions of those that use social networks are all potential customers, you simply cannot afford to disregard this market segment. At the same time, these networks are ranked highly by search engines, thus utilizing the appropriate backlinking instruments is also quite useful in your page rank. Therefore, when you find yourself looking for knowledgeable SEO Hosting firm, maintain these key elements in mind.

Be Unique, Be Your Self with Internet Marketing and You Will Win

2011-07-05T13:21:00.001-07:00

If you are about to get started with internet marketing (IM), then you can really increase your chances for success if you accept that you have to treat it like a real business - even if you have not made one thin dime of profit. A large part of success with web business marketing is knowledge, and here is a little more for you. That's the reason projects on Instant Affiliate Paydays Bonus have changed the way in which we think about things today.

As an Internet marketer you need to realize the importance of passing on the right message to your target audience. The communications you will need to employ have to be tailored to the specific vehicle they are attached to, and that will make all the difference. Unless your audience understands what you're trying to convey, they'll have a difficult time taking the required action.

Do not think that all you do or write is some form of direct selling because there are many different approaches when it comes to writing. What you can expect is if a person does not quite get your message, you have generally lost him or her because people on the net are terribly impatient. I have found these pointers to be beneficial before selecting items like Mobile Affiliate Profits Bonus. It is very easy to come across all kinds of methods that make bold promises of fast money, and the truth is that you need to be careful about those products. It's not because they lack the basic skills or don't have what it takes, it's just that they don't focus on having a long term vision to grow their Internet marketing business and take it to the next level. There will always be times when you have to choose between goals that are small and short term, and goals that are life-changing but would take time to achieve. Goals are an excellent idea for most people, if not all people, because they help your mind to become focused on what really needs to be done on any given day. So it's really necessary that you gain clarity when it comes to your vision because you will have many opportunities to grow.

Have purpose and work to create the type of personality that you want people to see, and do not be afraid of doing it, either. Everything that you do related to your online marketing business is in a way an extension of who you are, and your prospects/customers should be fully aware of your identity. Everything boils down to having a vision and goal, and that is what will be the driving force here. There will be times in the beginning when you might feel lost and dejected, especially when you're not seeing much progress, but this is when you need to pull your socks up and work on creating your identity in every possible way. Therefore, be sure you check out the following, Seonuking, prior to you making a proper decision. You can start out with what you have learned in this article about internet marketing and get off to a great start.

How to Get the Most From Your Link Building Efforts

2011-06-30T03:34:00.001-07:00

If there's any aspect of SEO that is indispensable it is getting links, or sometimes just called: backlinking. If you have any hope at all to be the recipient of organic search traffic, then that step cannot be ignored. You should be aware that the amount of competition only grows each day, so not only must you do this but you should do it properly. There are some categories of links that are not worth quite as much as others, and many beginners end-up going with the low quality variety. The cure for this is to become educated as much as possible, and then making a careful marketing campaign that includes SEO/backlinks. Most marketers are only concerned about the backlink, but if you get high quality backlinks you can get some traffic, too.

The evolution of SEO is such that one-way links are now greatly preferred by Google, and methods such as reciprocal backlinks don't carry the weight they used to. Here are some suggestions for building your links, and they are not rocket science either.

One of the elements that many webmasters ignore when building links is the content on their site. Sometimes you need to think beyond the link building methods and pay attention to the quality of the content you have on your site. If the content isn't really that relevant or quality, then you won't get much out of your link building efforts. Even if you end up getting traffic from the search engines, it would be of no use if no one stays on your website. Apart from that, the search engines won't really give much importance to those links that point to bad content. Also, you need to make sure that the pages you're linking to have good content and are relevant to your website's theme. If they're not relevant, then the search engines will definitely not be impressed.

One other method that has been around for a few years uses the Squidoo Lens which is just a third party platform for hosting content. If you ever hear of link wheels, building Squidoo lenses are almost always used and then become a part of the link wheel for backlinks. It's very easy to set-up a lens in less than half an hour, and the url name extension will be named after any available keyword phrase. The sweet part abuot them is you'll then populate it with links that have the anchor text of your choosing which will point back to your main money site.

Always start backlinking and just keep going until you are secured in a high position... then get more. You can't, or shouldn't, ever really stop getting them simply because of your competition.

Link building, then, is an important task that you have to work at consistently before it starts to pay off. You can't just do it for a day or two and then forget about it. If you do it consistently, you will eventually get the kind of traffic you want. This information was brought to you by http://all-about-contact-lenses.com/Soft-Contact-Lenses.html, your source for all things related on soft contact lenses.

Financial Planning - Obtain The Big Look At Your Finances

2011-06-23T02:26:00.001-07:00

So many people are adept at handling their daily finances. Paid the bank notes? Check. Shopped for the best deal on that new TV? Check.

But what are the results using the challenge? If you've ever a nagging feeling your hard earned money may very well be working harder and smarter, consider a little bit of financial planning.

The operation is like choosing a hike up a nearby mountain to discover the big view. It will take a serious amounts of some effort. But, using the landscape presented in front of you, it might be more readily found the most beneficial Get Motivated Seminars and way to any destination. Plus, you might see intriguing new areas to explore.

So how exactly does it work? Financial planning depends on choosing a holistic have a look at short and longer-term goals. Next, it's with making a operating plan to succeed in those goals. You could make your dollars match your values, and meet your entire needs. You most likely are surprised to get larger strategies you've overlooked.

Periodically you need to seek professional advice, but there is much you can do yourself. First, we'll explore actions you can take. Then we'll determine when it is wise to hire an expert.

"Do-it-yourself" financial planning

Listed below are some planning actions like Wealth Magazine Investor Education you'll be able to take.

1. Think of short and long-term goals. Exactly what your dreams? Do you need to purchase a home, have a college diploma, or travel the entire world? You could long to retire early. Find a notebook or online diary to record your goals.
2. Take inventory of in which you are now. The amount savings are there? The amount are you currently earning and spending? Exactly what your individual assets and debts? Record your expenses for not less than Three months to really experience an concept of where your hard earned money will go. You may use resources like Mint.com, Kiplinger's budget form, or programs like Quicken.
3. Talk about your basic needs, including risk management. Ensure you develop the right kinds of insurance for health, home and possessions. When you've got dependents, or own things, be sure to employ a will or trust so that you arrive at say what are the results after you're gone.
4. Decide on a goal and create an action plan. Let's imagine you should purchase a home, smaller develop the savings. It's suggested that monthly obligations along with housing expenses don't exceed 30% of your average income. Use this figure to check out ideal for afford, and what it is important to save for a advance payment. Visit Bankrate.com for calculators that can tell you how much time it'll take.
5. Review and revisit your goals and progress on a monthly basis.

When you hire a specialist planner--If you are organizing a sizable wedding or event, hiring a caterer could be smart. And the majority folks would head over to a health care professional for health conditions we could not understand. Likewise, consider hiring a competent financial planner when you're most of the following situations.

Information on Generating Long Term Traffic for Your Blog

2011-06-14T23:36:00.001-07:00

Every blog, no matter what it's about or why it was created, must have targeted visitors if it's to generate any interest or income at all. How, then, do you go about getting consistent traffic to your blog? That will be the focus of this article.I've discovered these tips to become beneficial before choosing things such as Ultimate Mass Traffic Review.

Effective On-page SEO: One of the most important things that you need to remember when aiming for long term traffic is doing effective SEO on your blog. Some bloggers think so much about getting backlinks that they neglect to pay attention to the on-page optimization of their blogs. Make sure your posts are optimized for targeted keywords that you want to get ranked for. Your blog posts should also make use of anchor text for your keywords in appropriate places. Also, create a strong internal linking structure by linking relevant posts to each other and by having "related posts" and "recommended posts" displayed on your blog. Internal linking of this kind is one way to improve the status of your blog in the eyes of the search engines. Your blog must be well optimized for the sort of on-page factors we've been discussing if you want to improve its search engine ranking.It is clear that promotions such as Big Affiliate Profits Bonus will take advantage of this sort of marketing.

Submit to Blog Carnivals: Finding new and easy ways to drive targeted traffic to your blog is part of your job as a blogger. Some methods can provide your blog with consistent traffic; submitting your articles to blog carnivals is one of them. Your articles will get posted most of the time, which allows you to generate a stream of relevant visitors for free. Many bloggers take advantage of blog carnivals and you have a good chance of converting these first time visitors into repeat ones because the traffic is targeted. One of your goals as a blogger is to get loyal readers and this method helps you gain a handful every time you post an article.I've discovered these pointers to be beneficial before selecting items like Wealthy Affiliate Bonus.

Build a Community: The more of a community you can build around your blog, the better you'll do with it. Getting your readers back to your blog should be your number one priority, and your readers are more likely to come back when they feel they're a part of your blog. The sense of being an important part of a community can prove to be a great pulling factor. While you can look at many factors that contribute to a blog's success, a genuine feeling of community should be near the top of the list. There are lots of ways to generate traffic to a blog, but if you want people to become regular visitors, you have to think of ways to create a community.

While we've covered some great ways to build traffic to your blog, these are certainly not the only ones. Once you start generating some momentum, you'll inevitably come up with some favorite techniques of your own to build even more traffic.

Tips on how to Construct a Giant MLM Enterprise Utilizing Voicemail

2011-06-08T04:24:00.001-07:00

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We have been utilizing the service for the past 7 years and we could not run our business with out it. We primarily use the service for advertising and for conserving in touch with our team. We think the most important advantage with the service is that you may contact all people in your group by making one telephone call. This is essential as you probably have important info to get to your group, you are positive that they may receive it in their mail box. We encourage all people that starts within the business to get on the system immediately as we consider that you just cannot construct a successful business with out it.

Gaining access to the MLM messaging service has completed a lot to assist enhance communications with our group. After we first started utilizing the MLM messaging service our business was quite small, but it enabled us to communicate with these new distributors joining our group, who we hadn't but met. So how does it benefit us.

Communication is all important with a network.

We are able to send messages every day, when the knowledge is news, and our complete group on the MLM messaging service receive it. Our Leaders talk their varied coaching events so everybody can take rapid advantage of all training. Many Distributors send messages of encouragement and success stories in order that brand new folks can discover inspiration in this.

Individuals may ask their upline questions and receive a direct reply on the voice mail, significantly when so many of us are out and about building the business. So, for example, ought to someone have a query at midnight they'll send a voice message to their upline, and the next morning, when the upline hears the message they reply with the reply.

Useful for group coaching and information.

For individual coaching and guidance.

Network speakers outside the group can talk an event and provide encouragement.

Messages can also be sent to individual groups
- i.e. Key Individuals, Individuals in Particular Areas or Regions, Upline & Downline Distributors.

The every day encouragement and knowledge is vital particularly to new distributors, and while a sponsor cannot be with a distributor 24 hours a day, the voicemail CAN. Giving recognition on the voicemail is also one other implausible alternative, and new distributors can hear of the excellent achievements - which in turn offers them extra confidence within the business.

The other great advantage is that each one our leads come via the voicemail, so the phone is rarely engaged when a prospect is making an enquiry. We pick up the message and immediately contact the prospect. That means we are in management and can deal with the calls in an expert method, and other members of the family cannot pick up the phone when prospects are calling. Prospects may name and go away their particulars 24 hours a day.

Irrespective of where we are on the planet, we will talk with our TEAM just by utilizing our MLM messaging system. We don't know how we would handle with out it.

In 2004 our group gained two of probably the most coveted trophies in our company. These accomplishments have been totally as a result of Teamwork. Communicating as a group has been made doable utilizing the MLM voicemail system. Once I joined this business I was advised that there's a simple system in place and in the event you follow that system then success is unavoidable, in order that's precisely what I have done. A vitally important part of the system is to be plugged into the assist instruments which can be in place to make sure success on this business. A kind of assist instruments is the MLM voicemail system. I started utilizing the voicemail when I joined this business and it has confirmed to be one of many key components for the success of our Crew to date. Everyone in our Crew who is successful is plugged into the voicemail due to its enormous benefits.

It allows us to have on the spot access to one another, permitting us to share stories and ideas. It offers new folks the opportunity to develop their communication expertise by sending messages out to the Team. It proved a huge benefit when I spent per week in Sydney Australia on a company conference. I was in a position to receive messages every day from the Crew, conserving me up to date on progress again dwelling and it enabled me to send common messages to the group in order that they may share within the superb experiences and company events. It allows everybody to maintain their focus and to share in each others successes thus creating real pleasure and fun. I consider that if you want to achieve the massive successes which can be accessible on this business, then the voicemail is a MUST!!!

We have been involved with Network Advertising for seven and a half years and we've used the MLM Messaging voicemail system for practically all of that time. Our upline advisable that we strive the service; because it was free to strive for a full month there was no motive not to.

The voicemail system is absolutely essential for anybody who is severe about building a business and growing a great income. It offers you the flexibility to listen to all types of useful ideas, advice and ideas and in addition makes light work of speaking along with your team. As your organisation grows you possibly can talk with many lots of of people simply by making one call. Voicemail saves a huge amount of money and time and joining it is without doubt one of the finest things you are able to do with the intention to become successful. In fact, it is a pre-requisite for anybody who joins our group who says that they are serious.

The voicemail system from MLM Messaging is a first-class service with firstclass support. It could be unattainable for us to run our business effectively with out it. We advocate this service to anybody who joins our group - how can you help someone who is just not prepared to communicate or to study from experienced distributors?

When you're nonetheless not sure, simply strive it for your self FREE FOR ONE MONTH! You can only benefit by doing so.

I have been utilizing the MLM messaging "Simply Textual content Service" since it was launched right here in Eire and discover it to be extraordinarily beneficial and a implausible lead generator.

We are one of many top international locations in Europe for sending texts, so we get a superb response by text. People who are reluctant to make a telephone name in response to an advertisement don't have any issue in sending a textual content!

One other advantage is we've a correct telephone no. to name again as generally we are given incorrect numbers purposely.

I also discover that this can be a very immediate service equipped by MLM Messaging when returning texts to prospects & then forwarding particulars to us.

I highly advocate this service as I have sponsored quite a couple of Distributors by utilizing it.

About The Author

Alethea has been writing articles online for practically 8 years now. Not only does this writer specialize in Network Marketing, you too can check out his newest web site on learn how to convert FLV to WMV with FLV to WMV converter which also helps people find the best FLV to WMV converter on the market.

Whitehat Link Building for Blogs Done the Right Way

2011-06-03T06:43:00.001-07:00

Link building is very important if you want your blog to rank with the top search engines and bring traffic to your website. But, tons of bloggers believe that in order to get good quality links back to your site, you have to resort to using blackhat strategies, but this is not true. In the follow article, we will look at some of the whitehat link building strategies that can be applied to your blog in the very near future.That is why projects on Income Entourage have changed the way we believe about things today.

Write Guest Posts: There a few online marketers that don't see writing guests posts for other blogs a viable method for building backlinks. However, they should not think this way. The reason why submitting guest posts should be seen as a good way to get backlinks is because of the results that are obtained in the end. If you decide upon the right blog to submit a guest post, then you will acquire a backlink that is much better than a regular one. Why is this the case? Basically, it is because the blog's subject is closely related to yours. Your post could possibly gain popularity. This will give it a higher boost. Every SEO marketer knows the value of having a backlink from a page that's relevant with a high PR. But, you will have to prepare in order to make sure that you receive the best results. Do not write a guest post for any blog that makes you an offer. Instead, seek out popular blogs to do guest posts for them.

Think about getting valuable reviews performed about your main blog, and that can be easily outsourced. Take a close look at where these links will be placed so you are comfortable with everything. Since you will not know the person, do not give them a large order the first time. Before you hire anyone to do this, it will obviously look a lot better if your blog has content on it, etc. After all, you would want to get the most out of your investment, right?This information will help you understand more about Cash Renegade Bonus.

Utilize Social Media Sites: There are a lot of social media sites that can aid you in building your backlinks to your site. First, you can submit your website to these sites in order to generate a backlink. Secondly, you can comment on the content that's posted on various social media site and add your link in the anchor text. Many of these sites have a high page rank. This means that you could improve your ranking if your make comments with the right sites.

All in all, the methods that we discussed above are not that difficult to apply. If you are going to do this right, then get it right from the beginning so you do not have to fix anything later. You do want to make your backlinking appear natural, and that is very important so you do not attract attention to your self. So it is rather simple and straightforward, if you want to get to the top, then you know what needs to be done.Individuals will hopefully learn more about 1 Click Cash Bot after reading this.

God's Politics: On President-Elect Barack Obama

2008-11-08T07:35:00.000-08:00

I found this post on a Christian blog a few moments ago that helps to confirm a belief that I had , which is that although in the past the GOP & Evangelical communities in America have enjoyed a relatively long but albeit at times rocky marriage a new is coming when others will do as I have done and re-evaluate whether this is God's mandate or whether it was simply our own.

What President-Elect Obama represents to me is the charitable side of God's love that cares for the least of these...Additionally, although from a biblical perspective I do not feel that abortion is what Jesus wants us to do in difficult situations it is clear to me that He is a God who loves us enough to give us the freedom to choose what to do in our lives. Moreover, providing the resources, education, and assistance to mothers in tough situations in such a way as to reduce the occurence of abortion is something that exhibits love and common ground.

Anyhow here is an excerpt from the post God's Politics: A Blog by Jim Wallis & Friends:

"Dear President-elect Obama,

First, congratulations on your election as our 44^th president. I hope you know that there are tens of millions of Americans who did not vote for you who are still very, very pleased that an African American has been elected President of the United States.

That fact that this could happen in a country with as tragic a racial past as America’s says something noble and fine about the American experiment. We as a nation have chosen together to live up to the promises of our founding document, the Declaration of Independence: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.”

We covenant to pray for you, your family, and your administration. We will pray that God will grant you godly wisdom in all your decision-making.

Mr. President-elect, Southern Baptists remain unalterably committed to the protection of unborn human life. The vast majority of Southern Baptists believe that a pre-born baby is a distinct human life, according to both science and the Bible.

You have said you want to unite us as a nation. An excellent place to work for such unity would be for you to put your full support behind the Democrats for Life initiative known as the Pregnant Women Support Act (its goal is to reduce abortion by 95 percent over a 10-year period).

This bill would:

• Establish a toll-free number to direct women to places that will provide support during and following their pregnancy.

• Provide child care to low-income and student parents.

• Provide parenting education in maternity group homes.

• Make the Adoption Tax Credits permanent..."

This to me was an eye opening post and again I think that it signals some major ideological changes that are taking place right now. Please stay tuned for more to come.

Now that we have done it in this Historic Election

2008-11-07T04:52:00.000-08:00

Ok, now that we have done it in this historic election and have elected President-Elect Barrack Obama I have been asking myself what to do with this blog.

My periodic perusal of neo conservative media tells me that this thing is only just beginning.

Now is the time when they are beginning to step up their scruitinization of every single move that President-Elect Obama makes and every move and word uttered by those closest to him. For this reason, I have decided to continue this blog-Benin for Obama. To act as a counter balancing platform for Obama.

Will will see how this goes. "Yes We Can"!

Yes We Did!!!!! Obama Elected President of the United States

2008-11-04T20:02:00.000-08:00

Senator Obama has just reached the magic 270 mark! It was a long and tough road, but we have finally done it. President Obama is the new President of the US.

Democrats start picking up House seats - CNN.com

2008-11-04T19:41:00.000-08:00

Democrats start picking up House seats - CNN.com: "Democrats, trying to pad the 36-seat U.S. House majority they had going into Election Day, appear to have knocked off at least two Republican incumbents, early returns show.

Democrat Jim Himes has defeated longtime Rep. Christopher Shays of Connecticut, and Democrat Suzanne Kosmas has beaten Rep. Tom Fenney of Florida, CNN has projected.

Heading into Tuesday, many analysts said the question for House Democrats was not whether they would add to their 235-199 majority, but by how much.

Races for 52 Republican-held seats were at least slightly competitive for Democrats two days before the election, whereas only 12 Democrat-occupied seats appeared to be so for the GOP, according to the nonpartisan Rothenberg Political Report.

The Democrats, whose net gain of 30 seats in the 2006 elections gave them control of the House after 12 years in the minority, could pad their majority by an additional 27 to 33 seats this year, according to the RPR, citing polling and other factors.

As of 10 p.m. ET, CNN projected Democrats won 125 seats of the House's 435 seats, with Republicans winning 78."

DAILY NATION - Victory prayer at Obama's ancestral home

2008-11-04T19:14:00.000-08:00

DAILY NATION - Victory prayer at Obama's ancestral home: "Kenyans in Barack Obama's ancestral homeland prayed for victory on Tuesday as he aimed to become the first African-American president of the United States.

The western town of Kisumu, on the shores of Lake Victoria, was in a frenzy of excitement as the country's favourite adopted son began the last leg of his race for the White House.

The Democratic candidate's late father hailed from the rural region, and exuberant Kenyans gave his Republican war hero rival John McCain little hope of making a comeback after lagging for weeks in the opinion polls."

RealClearPolitics - Politics - Nov 04, 2008 - Obama seizes command of race for the White House

2008-11-04T19:10:00.000-08:00

RealClearPolitics - Politics - Nov 04, 2008 - Obama seizes command of race for the White House: "Barack Obama has seized command of the race for the White House.

The Illinois senator has beaten John McCain in Ohio and is building a near insurmountable Electoral College advantage as he bids to become the first black president.

Fellow Democrats are gaining strength in both houses of Congress.

Obama's Ohio victory denied McCain particularly precious territory. No Republican has ever won the presidency without the state."

US 2008 Elections: Waiting on Florida, Virginia, and North Carolina

2008-11-04T18:39:00.000-08:00

Waiting on voting results from Florida, Virginia, and North Carolina is like the suspense of the year. So to pass time and to help turn the USA Obama blue I am simultaneously calling Nevada as we speak...

November 4, 2008 America Votes: Obama Wins Pennsylvania and Ohio

2008-11-04T18:34:00.000-08:00

CNN and MSNBC have both just called Pennsylvania and Ohio for Obama.

Democrats head for bigger House majority - Decision ’08 – House- msnbc.com

2008-11-04T18:11:00.000-08:00

Democrats head for bigger House majority - Decision ’08 – House- msnbc.com: "Democrats pushed toward ousting two Florida Republicans from the House on Tuesday and defended first-term incumbents once considered vulnerable as they hoped heavy voters turnouts at a time of economic anxiety might add more than 20 seats to their majority.

“It’s the night we have been waiting for,” said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif."

Obama-Biden 08'

2008-11-04T15:18:00.000-08:00

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HOPE

2008-11-04T15:14:00.000-08:00

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Wrapping up with canvass

2008-11-04T14:34:00.000-08:00

As we wrap up our canvass we found that the overwhelming number of addresses had voters that already voted for Obama.
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Canvassing for Change!

2008-11-04T13:42:00.000-08:00

We are now canvassing for change in residential communities!
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At an Obama phone bank

2008-11-04T12:24:00.000-08:00

I am presently sitting in an Obama phone bank in Marietta, Ga and the energy is amazing!
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Carson, California-America Votes 2008-Live from the Field

2008-11-04T10:37:00.000-08:00

Voting line in Carson, California on election day Tuesday November 4, 2008 at approx. 10 am Pacific Time. Yes We Can!
Hat tip to Amber for the photo!

The role of Social Media and Web 2.0 in the 2008 Elections

2008-11-04T07:31:00.001-08:00

In the 21 months since Senator Barrack Obama has been campaigning to become the next US President,much has been said about his campaigns web prowess. In the beginning his campaigns seamless combination of grassroots methods and internet tools got a lot of comparisons to current DNC Chairman Howard Dean, who ran for US President in 2004.

But I think that one of the things that has changed since then is the fluid merger that occurs on a daily basis between web 2.0 tools and the ordinary daily communication rituals of so many Americans and folks around the globe. I mean, it used to be that if you witnessed a newsworthy event, the next thing you did was get on the phone to try to contact someone from the local media to see if they were interested in doing a story. From there you went to your friends to drum up some buzz with them, as they passed the story around. And if you were really lucky the reporter that you contacted would have gotten back to you to do a story and after the story was run it promptly dropped off of the radar. But more than likely the final stop for your story was your friends. Do you remember those days? It was not so long ago and in fact, in 2004 when Howard Dean ran for President things were just beginning to shift from this old paradigm.

But today the ordinary passer by has more access to worldwide communication channels than ever before through tools like: Twitter, Facebook, Youtube, Shozu, Now Public, and the list just keeps growing by the day. If you happen to capture on your cell phone either a photo, a video, or even just a short eyewiteness account of a newsworthy event and use any of the Web 2.0 channels that I just mentioned your message can instantly be seen or heard by millions within a few minutes or hours. This is what not only Senator Obama has been tapping into, but even the voters ourselves are doing it too.

So this piece is actually about an email that I received today that pointed to an article written by Simon Owens referencing several Web 2.0 citizens media/social media tools that are already in heavy use in this election-as we speak. In Simon's PBS Media Shift article entitled, "Citizens, Media Use Social Media to Monitor Election" he mentions several tools that you can use from the field to let the world know (in realtime) about your experiences at the polls. Here are the one's that Simon mentions:

Video Your Vote

Twitter Voter Report

Video the Vote

Additionally, Simon also spoke with the creator of the Voter Suppression Wiki-Mr. Baratunde Thurston who is also Co-Founder of Jack and Jill Politics. Here is an excerpt that goes into more detail:

"Though many of these tools will be utilized in locating instances of election problems, Voter Suppression Wiki was created almost exclusively for that purpose. Baratunde Thurston, co-founder of the blog Jack and Jill Politics, came up with the idea after brainstorming with a number of bloggers and activists. (Another wiki, Election Protection, employs similar tools). Using the Wetpaint platform, Thurston hopes to tackle voter suppression in three parts.

"One is to define what voter suppression is," he said. "Whether it's false information, voter ID intimidation, allegations of fraud. And then we want to start tracking and reporting incidents of voter suppression; we have this form we put up where you enter where this happened, how many voters were affected, in what county did it occur. But most importantly was action. How to actually prevent or limit the amount of suppression."

Most of the battle in fighting voter suppression, Thurston argued, is empowering the voter before he or she heads to the polls. To that effect he's using the website to help promote a number of election protection phone numbers and resources. Thurston said that he hopes that the wiki can be used in real time; analyzing the data after the election can be useful in record keeping, but without quick and efficient action it will do little to protect the integrity of the election.

I asked Thurston about the nature of these election tools and whether they represent a new step in the utilization of online media in politics. In an election year when Barack Obama has been labeled by some to potentially be the "first Internet president" (much in the same way that FDR was the first radio president, and JFK was the first television president), have citizens created a new level of interactive politics?

"The long answer is that this effort, this project -- the Twitter project, the video project, and more -- are a kind of a next step in the evolution of online political participation," he replied. "Initially what you'd see on the web is a lot of opinion. 'I have a thought, I have an idea.' 'I disagree strongly with this policy.' Then you saw Howard Dean tap into donations, and now with Obama tapping into that as well -- the concept of the web as being a kind of ATM machine. But what we see now is collaboration and constructive confrontation."

I hope that you find this information useful. Oh...I just got some more info from Simon, here is another really handy election tool-http://www.anorangeamerica.com/-It aggregates tweets like Twitter Vote Report, but it creates a more abstract visualization of the aggregate conversation on Twitter showing frequency and context of election-related words.

Otherwise, my message to you is simple-please get out and vote or help someone to do it. And please also remember that if you see something fishy today, while out voting-do not just be silent about it. Please use one of the tools in this article to let people know about it. Thank you!