Somebody watching you?

Facebook is currently the most popular social network on earth with millions of users and access to  there personal information.   Beginning with your name and email then on to  hobbies, likes, friends, pictures, relatives and so on.  Using the Open Graph API, will allow Facebook and participating website owners access to this information and use it for a more customize experience for the user.  Using the API allows you to safely import and export information from Facebook allowing relationships, connectivity and customization.  This is great for Brands because there is not a whole lot of social context available through Brand websites whether your a publisher or a product company, so by putting the Facebook Open Graph API on to your website you immediately add  social connection on your site without ever having to build everything out independently.

Marketing technology innovations have progressed from EMAIL to HTML to Google Adwords, Mobile and now the Facebook Open Graph is considered the most radical, ambitious and connecting tool for marketers.  However, it is not yet well understood how it’s underlying web/net can greatly help with connecting and building common relationships with precise targeting.

The Open Graph is really like indexing the web/net with Real People information, like a search engine say Yahoo or Google searching for particular keywords balanced with popularity.  What movie did you see?  What music do you like?  Whom are you related too?  So many connections and relationships.   Take the “Like” button for an example, a simple snippet of code that a website owner places on there website or even more targeted to a single product provides a world of information.  It’s like an underground popularity contest, a techno word of mouth marketing.  By the way, it is common knowledge that if you use Facebook most everything you do is public.

Have you seen? (“You probably know this guy. Why don’t you follow him too”)  Wow, you think.. how the *^%* do they know I know him!!  The more I learn about communication and information and how fast it travels I have come to realize that online privacy or users accepting the Lack of online privacy is becoming quite common.  People are getting use to the fact that now everything is public online, thanks to Facebook.  On the bright side, the Open Graph API I think provides  a more positive user website experience by providing the user with content/products that is of personal interest a branded experience rather then content/products of no interest to the user.

Sample Facebook Graph API in action:

As I was searching for information on this subject, I came across this video on Youtube that explains the API in more detail.

If you like this article pass it on.

Thanks

1LuckyPenny

©2012 Penny Reis. All Rights Reserved.

DIATOMACEOUS EARTH: A Non Toxic Pesticide

We have been having a major problem with cockroaches and with a new baby girl I am very apprehensive in using toxic pesticide.  So I had a “bright Idea” to do some cockroach research to find either another pet that eats roaches or something affective and safe.

I came across; The house centipede and wasps known as probably the most effective control agent of cockroaches.  Well these house centipedes evidently have a desire to conceal itself beneath women’s dresses, and thus not an option or the wasps.  LOL

Well, I came across this Diatomaceous Earth – Jackpot!  I was so excited on my founding, I had to share.

Probably the most affective naturally occurring protective powder is Diatomaceous Earth.  This is a geological deposit made up of the fossilized skeletons and tests of siliceous marine and fresh water organisms, particularly diatoms and other algae. These skeletons are made of hydrated amorphous silica or opal. When crushed, they break up into tiny pieces of glass” (so tiny that the material feels like talcum powder). This is easily picked up by the hairy bodies of most Insects. whereupon it scratches through their protective wax layers; and they also absorb some of this material. the result being that the insects lose water rapidly, dry up and die.

Further protection is provided by the powder’s property of repelling many insects.  A similar principle probably accounts for the fact that birds frequently take dust baths, presumably to rid themselves of parasites.

In homes it can be used effectively to prevent the entry of certain insects such as earwigs, ants, fleas, bed bugs, cockroaches and more.

cockroach

To control these and others that are present in cupboards containing food, carpets, basements, attics, window ledges, pet areas (for fleas), etc.  In all of these examples it is important to place a small amount of the powder in corners, cracks, crevices and other areas where insects might hide, keep all food away and everything moisture free.

Whereas with a contact pesticide the insect dies quite quickly, with Diatomaceous Earth control may take several days. The more important difference is that the effect of the protection provided by the chemical is short-lived. whereas Diatomaceous Earth will control the pests as long as the powder remains.

In this respect Diatomaceous Earth is an ideal pesticide; it is residual but nontoxic.

The only health precautions that need to be taken are that if large areas are being treated with a power duster, the applicator should wear a mask to prevent inhalation. Because Diatomaceous Earth is made of silica, people sometimes mistakenly think that Diatomaceous Earth causes silicosis.  However, pesticide quality Diatomaceous Earth is usually over 97 per cent amorphous silica, which does not cause silicosis, which is associated only with crystalline silica.  Indeed, inhalation of road dust and grain dust IS likely to be more harmful than Diatomaceous Earth, but always use precaution by wearing a mask and limit air circulation when dusting to avoid any access to your lungs, common sense applies.

Another use is in animal control of external parasites and flies. This is achieved by dusting the animals and the litter or bedding area.

It has also been included in the diet (two per cent in the grain ration) to control certain internal parasites, and this practice is said to result in lower fly populations in the resulting manure.

I bought some from Amazon at Diatomaceous Earth on Amazon

Thanks for reading,

1LuckyPenny

cited:

http://eap.mcgill.ca/publications/eap4.htm

Related articles

• Niban, homemade bait can weed out the cockroaches (sfgate.com)

©2012 Penny Reis. All Rights Reserved.

Simple jQuery Script

It’s a good thing, that this is just my home base blog to which I can say or write about anything I wish to.

For this week’s project, I had to modify an example jQuery script so I could  see the type of functionality and interactivity that jQuery can provide on web pages. We used the services of http://jsfiddle.net/.

Assignment: Delay = Change the text in the HTML from “test” to something else; change the background color in the CSS; change the delay to 3 seconds instead of 1 second (1000 milliseconds).

Below the following description is a link to my finished rusults.

jQuery Script; .delay( duration [, queueName] )

Description: Set a timer to delay execution of subsequent items in the queue.

It allows us to delay the execution of functions that follow it in the queue. It can be used with the standard effects queue or with a custom queue.

With my simple demonstration a timing delay of 3000 milliseconds before text appears.

Before and after:

The sample screen shot of delay

my sample jQuery delay

Link to my results: http://jsfiddle.net/pennyreis/r7MgY/11263/embedded/result/

Another Example would be to: Animate the hiding and showing of two divs, delaying the first before showing it.

Cited:

http://api.jquery.com/delay/

Remember; you were meant for great things, so learn as much as possible and always follow your dreams!

1LuckyPenny

©2012 Penny Reis. All Rights Reserved.

I was recently given this awesome charm bookmark by Ashley Rice, and I wanted to share;

Believe in Yourself – Ashley Rice

Believe in all you want to be.

Don’t let what other people say or do make you frown.  Laugh as much as possible.  Let in the good time and get through the bad.  Be happy with who and where you are.  You are in the right place, and your heart is leading you on the way to a great tomorrow.  When circumstances seem difficult, pull through them.  This will make you stronger than you think.  The longer you practice the habit of working toward your dreams, the easier the journey will become.

Your were meant for great things.

Learn as much as possible.  Always follow your Dreams.

- Ashley Rice

©2012 Penny Reis. All Rights Reserved.

Probably one of the biggest misconception about Successful People on the web is that there all spammers or scammers who make there money from selling porn, advertising bad info products or sending spam e-mail messages. Sure there are a whole lot of them online, however what most people don’t realize is that there is a complete other set of web millionaires that do it differently. They operate like a regular business as an Internet Business Model.
Anyone can do it without having a large marketing budget or a huge team of employees. Anyone living in the US today with access to internet can begin to learn first, then build an Internet Business Model that works for them.
Believe that it’s entirely possible for you to succeed in this new Information Era. If you are ready, willing and able to do what it takes, then you can’t fail.
The key to your success now is confidence, confidence in yourself, confidence in your ability to do whatever you really want to do. Through the power of your own mind, through the power of your thoughts, and what you tell yourself has an enormous impact on your life. What you tell yourself determines the health and well being of your mind and body. If you tell yourself you will fail or you are depressed, that’s how you will feel! Instead tell yourself that you are on the road to your success one step at a time.

So The Million Dollar Success Plan – How bad do you want it.
1. Do you have confidence in your ability to succeed?
2. Do you have that burning desire, the passion that say’s “I must move forward”
3. Do you have a plan with a deadline?
4. Do you have the Iron will determination to do what ever it takes?
5. Regardless of what others say or do you want to pursue a successful Internet Business.

I believe if you put your mind to it, and you really want it, you can achieve it, Whatever it is!!

So let’s make 2012 The Best Year Ever!

Me and my baby girl Jamie Lynne X-mas 2011

PennyandJamieLynne

©2012 Penny Reis. All Rights Reserved.

Roger McNamee’s hypotheses, “HTML5 is a Game Changer for Publishers”

Now we all have the opportunity to be market leaders, Creativity Rules and HTML5 will be the forefront.

HTML5 is not just a programming language; enables new models of web experiences, injecting new life into the web.

This is the era that people can create something new. HTML5 is going to revolutionize the communication channels and for those marketers that have a good understanding on how to maximize this new technology to provide some creative value to the consumer will certainly succeed.

HTML5 Allows easy integration of video, audio, animation and interactivity for content creators, web designers, advertisers and publishers.

I recently experienced while surfing on a Facebook partner site, a Pillsbury Ad with my personal photos from Facebook!

HTML5 in Action

Changes are being seen on web platforms daily:
From a recent post Revision3 bets on HTML5, drops Flash player development – Online Video News
Revision3 rolled out a new, HTML5-based video player Thursday to help standardize the video experience across web browsers online and those on new mobile and connected devices. At the same time, Revision3 made a strategic decision to phase out support of Flash and throw more development resources behind HTML5 instead.

Our goal was to keep the HTML5 viewing experience the same as the Flash viewing experience on Revision3.com, but we believe we’ve done better than that. Our new HTML5 player has broken new ground in HTML5 playback, including features like full screen mode, pop-outs, and segment jumps. Oh, and did we mention that it’s faster to load than our Flash player?

“Just assume the future will be different then the present”. Roger McNamee

Anon, FORA.tv – Elevation Partners Director and Co-Founder Roger McNamee. Available at: http://fora.tv/2011/06/28/Elevation_Partners_Director_and_Co-Founder_Roger_McNamee#fullprogram [Accessed December 8, 2011].

Lawler, R., 2011. Revision3 bets on HTML5, drops Flash player development. Available at: http://gigaom.com/video/revision3-html5/ [Accessed December 8, 2011].
Anon, Revision3 > Blog > Notes From the Engine Room: Improving the Experience. Available at: http://revision3.com/blog/2011/11/17/notes-from-the-engine-room-improving-the-experience/ [Accessed December 8, 2011].

©2012 Penny Reis. All Rights Reserved.

I this you? Discover Your Strengths!

I came across this book last night on the shelf called Strengths Finder 2.0 by #1 New York Times Bestselling Author Tom Rath.

I decided to take a peek and I opened the book to page 141 Positivity.  I wanted to share.

POSITIVITY

You are generous with praise, quick to smile, and always on the lookout for the positive in the situation.  Some call you light hearted.  Others just wish that their glass were as full as yours seem to be.  But either way, people want to be around you.  Their world looks better around you because your enthusiasm is contagious.  Lacking your energy and optimism, some find their world drab with repetition or, worse, heavy with pressure.  You seem to find a way to lighten their spirits.  You inject drama into every project.  You celebrate every achievement.  You find ways to make everything more exciting and more vital.  Some cynics may reject your energy, but you are rarely dragged down.  Your positivity won’t allow it.  Somehow you can’t quite escape your conviction that it is good to be alive, that work can be fun, and that no matter what the setbacks, one must never lose one’s sense of humor.

Positivity Sounds Like This:

Gerry L., Flight Attendant:  “There are so many people on an airplane that I have made it a point over the years to single out one or two on a flight and make it something special for them.  Certainly, I will be courteous to everybody and extend to them the kind of professionalism that I would like given to me, but over and about that I try to make one person or family or small group of people feel particularly special, with jokes and conversation and little games that I play.”

Andy B., Internet Marketing Executive: “I am one of those people who loves creating buzz.  I read magazines all the time, and I find something fun- some new stories, new lip gloss, whatever- I will charge around telling everyone about it. ‘Oh, you just have to try this new store.  It is so-o-o cool.  Look at these pictures.  Check them out. ‘I am so passionate when I talk about something that people just have to do what I say.  It’s not that I am a great salesperson.  I’m not in fact, I hate asking for the close, I hate bothering people.  It’s just that my passion about what I say makes people think, Gosh, it must be true.”

Sunny G., Communications Manager:  “I think the world is plagued with enough negative people.  We need more positive people – people who like to zero in on what is right with the world.  Negative people just make me feel heavy, In my last job, there was a guy who came into my office every morning just to unload on me .  I would purposely dodge him.  I’d see him coming, and I’d run to the bathroom or go some other place.  He made me feel as if the world was a miserable place, and I hated that.”

“Wow, this is me!

Ideas for Action

• You probably will excel in any role in which you are paid to highlight the positive.  A teaching role, a sales role, an entrepreneurial role, or a leadership role will make the most of your ability to make things dramatic.
• You tend to be more enthusiastic and energetic then most people.  When others become discouraged or are reluctant to take risks, your attitude will provide the impetus to keep them moving.  Over time, others will start to look to you for this “lift”.
• Plan highlight activities for your friends and colleagues.  For example, find ways to turn small achievements into events, plan regular celebrations that others can look forward to, or capitalize on the year’s holidays and festivals.
• Explain that your enthusiasm is not simple naivety.  You know that bad things can happen; you simply prefer to focus on the good things.
• You may get your greatest joy by encouraging people.  Freely show your appreciation of others, and make sure that the praise is not vague.  Consistently seek to translate your feelings in specific, tangible, and personal expressions of gratitude and recognition.
• As you share your Positivity talents, be sure to protect and nurture them.  As necessary, insulate yourself from chronic whiners and complainers, and intentionally spend time in highly positivity environments that will invigorate and feed your optimism.
• Don’t pretend that difficulties don’t concern you.  Other people need to know that while find the good in virtually every situation, you are not naïve.  Recognize challenges, and communicate the reasons for your optimism.  Your positive approach will be most powerful with others realize it is grounded reality.
• Because people will rely on you to help them rise above their daily frustration, arm yourself with good stories, jokes and sayings.  Never underestimate the effect that you can have on people.
• Avoid negative people.  They will bring you down.  Instead, seek people who find the same kind of drama and humor in the world that you do.  You will energize each other.
• Deliberately help others see the things that are well for them.  You can keep their eyes on the positive
• The Positive theme doesn’t imply that this person is always in a good mood.  But it does imply that through his humor and attitude, he can make people more excited about their work.

As I continued to skim through the book I realized that there were several “Strengths” traits that fit me.  Below is the list.  If you want the book, below is my *Affiliate Link to buy at Amazon.. I love Amazon!!

The 34 Themes and ideas for Action

Achiever, Activator, Adaptability, Analytical, Arranger, Belief, Command, Communication, Competition, Connectedness, Consistency, Context, Deliberative, Developer, Discipline, Empathy, Focus, Futuristic, Harmony, Ideation, Include, Include, Individualization, Input, Intellection, Learner, Maximizer, Positivity, Relator, Responsibility, Restorative, Self-Assurance, Significance, Strategic, Woo

WOO

Woo Stands for winning others over.  You enjoy the challenge of meeting new people and getting them to like you.  Strangers are rarely intimidating to you.  On the contrary, strangers can be energizing.  You are drawn to them.  You want to learn their names, ask them questions and find some area of common interest so that you can strike up a conversation and build rapport.  Some people shy away from starting up conversations because you derive satisfaction from breaking the ice and making a connection.  Once that connection is made, you are quite happy to wrap it up and move on.  There are new people to meet, new rooms to work, new crowds to mingle in.  In your world there are no strangers, only friends you haven’t met yet – lots of them.  WOOoo WEee!!!

Please feel free to Pay it Forward, Pass it on to someone you think is in the Positivity Theme.

Strengths Finder 2.0

Strengths Finder 2.0 Tom Rath

©2012 Penny Reis. All Rights Reserved.

School Assignment: Podcast review subject Google Plus

google_plus side bar picture

Technology and the web are ever-changing and it’s important to keep up with trends. Regularly listening to podcasts can be a great way to learn from industry leaders.

Think Vitamin Radio
Episode #29 Google Plus 07/14/11

Keir Whitaker, Ryan Carson and  Michael Coos chat about the recent launch of Google Plus.

Apparently Google Plus a new Social Network  is giving Facebook some competition.  The + one button is integrated like the like button for Facebook, however Google uses the information to evaluate page rank.
Per the speakers, Google Plus will be also integrating Gmail with the new social network in the future.

Friends are Circles on Google Plus and can be sorted in special groups.

Google Plus offers Stream – to share information to those in your circle, also has a place called Hangout were you can video hang out with those in your circle.  Also offers a variety of apps, Calendar, media sharing and much more.

One of the biggest differences is that Facebook is driven by a large group of people that do not give a hoot about SEO and therefore to get them to convert to a Google Plus is not likely to happen.

http://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/think-vitamin-radio/id351340191

©2012 Penny Reis. All Rights Reserved.

School assignment: Choose a leader from your industry that you have followed or would like to learn more about.

Michelle’s magic wand spreads solutions the virtual way…..

I chose Michelle Spalding aka The Virtual Fairy Godmother
Writer, Coach, Entrepreneur, Professional Speaker, Publisher.

How does the leader drive commitment through trust?
Michelle follows through and follows up on all request.  Michelle is dependable and is a sincere communicator in a down to earth manner.

How have they demonstrated to others both character (honesty and integrity) and ability (competence and experience)?
Michelle’s character comes through in her stories, her video’s and many communication tools she uses, furthermore, her competence and experience can be seen by her successful track record.  She also uses a branding strategy of the Virtual Fairy Godmother to illustrate to others her helping character.

Have they overcome any challenges that motivated them to achieve more?
She shares her story of a challenging startup.  She was told by her previous employer it was not the right time in the market and not a great idea.  However, this only challenged her more to evaluate herself, her abilities and desires which motivated her to focus on her end goals virtual freedom.

How do they find the right people for their teams?
This is Michelle’s specialty, she targets those who seek virtual solutions.  Today she has a virtual dream team supporting her and her goal is to teach others how to have a virtual solution.  She has an exceptional Virtual Team.

Do they lead by example? Why or why not?
Michelle walks the walk and talks the talk.   She often shares tools that have proven effective for her and she continuously communicates motivational stories, successes and challenges.

For Virtual Solutions: http://virtualfairygodmother.com/

©2012 Penny Reis. All Rights Reserved.

I couldn’t have said it better myself..think about your perception of your reality. Enjoy this poem by Charles Swindoll.

ATTITUDE

by Charles Swindoll

“The Longer I live the more I realize the impact of attitude on life.  Attitude, to me is more important than facts.  It is more important than the past, than failures, than successes, then what other people think or say or do.  It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill.  It will make or break a company…church…a home, the remarkable thing is we have a choice everyday regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day.  We cannot change our past, we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way.  We cannot change the inevitable.  The only thing we can do is play on the ONE string we have, and that is our ATTITUDE …I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it.  And so it is with you…we are in charge of your ATTITUDES.”

©2012 Penny Reis. All Rights Reserved.