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I call them FB spamy/scams or Facebook Spamy scams. They look like this:

“With the new ‘FB timeline’ on its way this week for EVERYONE…please do both of us a favor: Hover over my name above. In a few seconds you’ll see a box that says “Subscribed.” Hover over that, then go to “Comments and Likes” and unclick it. That will stop my posts and yours to me from showing up on the side bar (ticker) for everyone to see, but MOST IMPORTANTLY it LIMITS HACKERS from invading our profiles. If you re-post this I will do the same for you. You’ll know I’ve acknowledged you because if you tell me that you’ve done it I’ll ‘like’ it. Thanks!”

Jeez, I hope you didn’t react to this and unsubscribe all your friends “likes” and “comments”!!!

Facebook has implemented two new features in the last few months (starting Sep 2011).

1st – Facebook Sidebar Ticker. (only Facebook user who have more than 100 or so friends and whose friends have a lot of “traffic” … comments, likes etc will actually see the sidebar ticker.) If you don’t have the ticker in your Facebook newsfeed, it’s probably because you don’t have the required minimum friends/traffic.

The Facebook “ticker” was created to give users a real time update of their friends comments and likes. For busy FB users who have hundreds of friends, “likes and comments” were getting lost in the clutter on their regular newsfeed page. A great feature for Facebook power users!

2nd – Facebook Timeline, beginning Dec 2011. Facebook has created a complete snap shot of every users posting history. It shows up on your proofile page should you choose to accept the new timeline feature.

So why do I call that that Facebook “excerpt” at the top of this article spamy/scam? Well, becasue they’re created by (I hope) well meaning people who don’t really understand Facebook, security settings and they seriously impact the content/user expereince of all Facebook users.

Here’s Why and How:

Lets start with accepting the original premise of Facebook, which  is “Social Networking“.  Therefore anything that restricts Social Networking  should be considered at best, out of context with the objective of Facebook and it’s users. Now I know that we all have our BFFs and BFs etc and that we sometimes want to only share certain things with only them. This is why Facebook gives you the ability to private message and to mark status updates with specific privacy settings.

In other words, the originator of a status controls wheter it’s “public”, “friends of friends”, “friends only” or a “custom list”. People who comment or like a status need to assume it’s “public”. In other words, as my mom use to say,  ”talk about other people like they’re in the room with you” . If you don’t live by this rule, including your Facebook life, then you’ll experience “Facebook DRAMA”. Always fun for the spectators, but not so much for those involved.

So lets get to the bottom line. Facebook did NOT change or remove any security settings when they implemented the Facebook sidebar ticker or the new timeline profile.  ”Hackers” (not even the right term is being used in the original spamy/scam – it should be “lurkers”) are NOT going to get you, if you fully subscribe to your friends profile. Yes, it’s possible that someone’s friend of a friend might see one of your comments or “likes”. This has always been this way … CONTROLLED by the original poster’s setting of who can see a post.

So … STOP being afraid of the new changes in Facebook. I control my friends list and people on my friends list are there because I WANT to interact with them. I fully subscribe to their content via the “subscribe” button on their profiles becasue I want to hear what’s going on in their lives. Isn’t that what a Social Network is about??

Don’t get sucked in by a Facebook Spamy/scam! If you need help with settings, email me or post a comment here. I try to answer all mail.

When it comes to doing business with someone, you want to make sure that you check credentials to ensure that they are a legit company. You need to do that with any type of business if you want to be successful. Even if it were a babysitting job, you would want to make sure that people check out first before just leaving your child with someone. So why should this be any different for your “baby”, your business? When it comes to your hard earned money you need to make sure that the benefits are going to outweigh the negatives.

One of the best things that you could ever do for the success of your business is to have a reliable SEO to help get you where you want to be. Going into it thinking that you have what it takes to make it on your own is not going to work. You will end up burning yourself out right from the beginning. When it comes to paving the way for you, it is very simple for these SEO’s.

A SEO has many resources that are going to be important for starting your business and keeping it on top; you would never be able to do this by yourself, it is very hard to start up a successful business, let alone keeping it going. These are the people with whom you want to do your business. People want to spend their money where they feel safe so why not make sure it’s your company?

If you would like to learn more about the services that we offer, please feel free to call us; your success is our business and we will help you to achieve the goals that you have set forth. When it comes to getting the job done right, they know what they are doing and will show results. They are the key to your success; without good optimization your business may not have a chance.

You may not get the opportunities that you think you would just because you live in a big city such as Los Angeles. You are going to need a trusted Los Angeles SEO to help you make your business as successful as you want it to be. They are the specialists who are going to make it possible to grow your business and make it profitable in the future.

We offers full service outsourced web marketing and search engine optimization services through SEO and more tips and advice at Los Angeles SEO.

By Claude D. Granville

Is your youngster a fan of snapping pictures? Right now you may possess photo albums brimming with pictures of your child that you have taken, but now they want a turn at taking pictures! Many kids like to mess around with their parent’s digital cameras. Your child’s creativity will increase when they take photos, and it may even be time to buy them their own personal camera if they enjoy taking pictures of everything they see, from friends to their feet. Thankfully for you there are several cameras for sale that can withstand the rough use that your youngster will give it, and which also won’t cost an outrageous amount.

Children develop on their own personal schedule, and some children are more naturally adept to photography than others. Regardless, kids are always fascinated by digital cameras, and they absolutely love taking pictures with them. You might be amazed when the shots your child ends up with are good enough quality to fill up those empty photo albums you have been storing away. The suggestions that follow will help you pick out the right digital camera for your child, based on the child’s age.

• Toddler through the early grades of grade school. When kids are at this age one of their favorite things to do is turn the camera off and on by themselves. They consistently find the result of their pressing the button fascinating, and they really enjoy looking at the glowing display screen. They also enjoy seeing photos of themselves and copying the things that their parents are doing, since they are the most important people in their lives. When kids are this age you are likely to end up with mainly pictures of objects like the floor and ceiling, or else other things the youngster likes such as a dog or their favorite toy. When selecting the right camera for this age group, the main thing you are looking for is a camera that is well made and sturdy. Don’t be surprised if the camera is tossed around like a stuffed toy, because that is essentially what it is to your child. All the things on the camera, such as the flash and the focus, should be completely automated, and the camera should be able to store a large quantity of pictures.

• Earlier grades of primary school through junior high school grades. Kids are a lot more advanced as far as technology goes when they are at this age. In fact, your child may know even more than you actually do at this age when it involves cameras. At this age, kids are interested in catching photos of their most loved people, places, and other things, and filling up photo albums which will preserve their memories forever. It is at this age that many kids begin to take digital photography seriously, and they might use the pictures that they take for scrapbooking, journals, and much more. Look for a digital camera that is for a child of this particular age that is durable but still inexpensive, in case it is damaged, stolen, or left behind somewhere. Look for a fashion-forward looking camera that the child would be proud to show off, and that has an automatic flash.

• Older kids including high school age. When a kid is getting up to high school age, they are just about ready to get a camera that is nearly as nice as their dad’s or mom’s, but that is still not too expensive. Teenagers are still forgetful, and many of them do not have the responsibility to care for a really expensive camera. But there are several very nice cameras out there which take some nice high quality shots but that cost under $100. Search for a digital camera for the older teen which has an expanding memory and that might look like something an adult would want.

Photography can be a wonderful creative outlet for your child, and by putting the right digital camera into your child’s hands, you encourage that creativity and help your child to excel.

Come have a look at our beautiful selection of family photo albums and other fine picture frames in many different shapes and sizes. Visit us online and see our selection frames and albums now or give us a call at 800-780-0699.

Preserving Today’s Experiences Now

A photo can mean a lot more than a little reminder of a nice memory. Your photos are invaluable in that they provide a connection between the past and what is to come. Saving your digital pictures will allow you to always have them and also assures you that your kids, grandchildren, and other relatives will be able to enjoy them after you have passed. Use these suggestions to protect your pictures from becoming misplaced, deleted, or damaged:

- Don’t count on your personal computer to keep your pictures safe. The typical lifespan of a personal computer’s hard drive (which is where your photos are stored on your PC) is only five brief years. Your computer can die all of a sudden and your photos will be lost forever. To prevent that from happening you need to make backup files of your pictures on a second hard drive, or a few CDs, or maybe memory cards or even a DVD. You can also upload your photos to an online photo storage service, which moreover makes it simple to order prints, enlargements, and other photo products.

- Stay up-to-date with current technology for preserving your digital photographs. Picture storing technology is always evolving and strengthening in the same way that digital camera technology is. Old technologies may become unreadable if they are outdated. For instance, a floppy disk which was great during the nineties will probably no longer work with modern computers. CDs and DVDs might also become damaged over time due to physical or chemical deterioration. Keep track of the updates in technology and support your files to work with the latest storage system.

- Figure out a plan for keeping your digital pictures and be consistent in your plan.

- Keep in mind that you’ll want to make your most loved pictures and old prints digital so you can preserve them with all the rest of your pictures. Your favorite pictures placed in picture frames all around your home may easily be destroyed in fire or a flood. Having your beloved pictures kept digitally will enable you to print your photo again if it is ruined. And while a copy is not as nice as the original, you will at least get to preserve the memory to some extent!

Your photograph collection is a heritage for your children and coming generations, and the actions that you make to store and protect your photos now will help to sustain your legacy for decades or longer.

Come see our beautiful selection of wood 11×14 picture frames in many different styles and colors. Shop online and see our single and hinged picture frames now or call us at 800-780-0699.

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Most of us have warts somewhere in our body at some point in our lives. It can be possible that we never have an idea that they are actually present, because some are barely noticeable and are not annoying. In fact, most warts do not pose any health risk at all. They just disappear on their own.

A wart, also known as verruca, is a kind of skin infection caused by a virus. It is made up of hardened skin with usually a bumpy surface and comes in many sizes, colors, and shapes. Warts are common and are caused by a virus, specifically by the human papilloma virus or HPV. This virus is usually found in warm, moist parts of the body such as the hands, feet and fingers. They can easily be passed on through skin contact with an infected person, or by touching anything someone with a wart has used.

Unfortunately, children are more likely to get warts than adults. Different kinds of warts grow on different areas of the body, caused by different infecting strains of the virus.

• Common warts appear as raised, dome-shaped, grayish-brown lesions that usually grow on the hands and feet. Common warts characterized by a rough surface with interior black dots, are generally caused by types 1, 2 and 3 strains of the HPV.

• Flat warts are smooth and not raised. They are small and about the size of a pinhead, usually found on the child’s face. But they also grow on the arms, knees or hands. Flat warts are caused by HPV type 1 strain.

• A plantar wart is the only painful type of wart. Found usually on pressure points of the sole of the foot, these warts grow as hard, oftentimes painful lumps, with few black specks on the center. Types 1 and 2 strains of the HPV are responsible for this.

• Filiform warts are flesh-colored with finger-like appearance, that usually grow on the eyes, nose, and mouth.

• Genital warts are mostly found in adults. They are caused by many different types of HPV strains, namely 6, 11, 16, 18, 30, 31, 33, 34, 35, 39, 40 and others. Genital warts are named such because they are found on the anal, penile, vaginal and cervical areas. It is the only type of wart that can be transmitted sexually. Additionally, HPV types 16 and 18 are also probable causes for cervical cancers in females.

Warts in children do not cause much treatment concerns unless it causes pain or discomfort in children. Your child’s health care provider can identify the warts and suggest possible treatment solutions. Plantar warts, for instance, are very hard to differentiate from corn and calluses. Treatment options include prescription medicine, cryosurgery, laser treatment, and surgical removal.

It is generally not necessary to have warts removed. Without treatment, they can go away in several months or even years. Wart removal is only warranted for painful warts, or if it causes too much discomfort. Also, some warts recur several months after removal.

Although children are not really free from acquiring warts because of the high communicability of the virus, it is still best to take preventive measures. Having the family develop the habit of frequently washing hands and skin is always a good idea. To protect against plantar wart and other infections, have them wear waterproof sandals or slippers in public showers, pools and locker rooms. It is also wise to make them aware to not use somebody else’s towels or touch anything that has been used by somebody with warts. For those who already has warts, avoid rubbing, scratching or picking at the lesions to avoid its spread in the body.

They say your kid is a reflection of you. Visit Gagazine.com to learn how to raise a better child by raising a better parent (YOU) first with Gagazine’s pregnancy advice and parenting tips.

Set Aside Time for Each Other

A lack of time is frequently one of the most common reasons why the lines of communication within a family break down. Family members are often so concerned about the things that they need to do that they really don’t even have any respect for anyone else’s schedule. When this takes place, it can be challenging to even find times where you are at the same place and at the same time with your family members, much less talk effectively with them. If you may, make an attempt to set up certain times when everyone keeps their schedule available. Make the very most of your time as a family by turning off the television set and radio. You might be pleasantly surprised when you find out how fun it can be to just talk to your family, even if you are simply catching up.

Begin Traditions in Your Family

Starting up some family customs and traditions can also be an excellent approach for improving interaction. Setting up a family night with a DVD, a certain time for a bedtime story, or maybe simply eating dinner as a family often helps to bring families closer together consistently. You might also want to plan a special outing for your family, such as organizing a fun trip for the weekend. Don’t forget to bring your camera with you since it’s likely that you will want to exhibit some of these pictures in picture frames around your house.

Establish a Schedule for You and Your Family

You can also keep tabs on what everybody is up to by writing down a routine for your family, or perhaps a calendar. If you have got a calendar to look at, it can make it easier to find out where all of your family members have open blocks in their schedule. If you print out whatever kind of agenda you have then it will be easier for everyone to look at it. Exhibiting the family schedule and calendar in picture frames up on the wall can be a wonderful way to stay abreast of everyone else’s schedule. Also make sure that you write any family time that you have scheduled on the calendar.

Spend Some One-on-One Time Together

While it is vital to spend time together as a whole family unit, it can also be great to spend some unique time together as individuals. Make some room in your schedule for special events with your kids, and schedule a weekly date night with your wife or husband. Dedicating special time to one another is a great way of demonstrating how important you are to each other. Even if it is something as simple as taking a child to the grocery store so they can pick out their favorite breakfast cereal, or grabbing a fast lunch with your teenage daughter, you’ll certainly be creating memories for the both of you. You should definitely take some snap shots on these fun dates. Then you may always remember those fun times when you hang the photos in picture frames on your walls.

So if you feel that your family communication skills are lacking, don’t worry. It will not take long at all to notice improvement after you make use of these tips.

Autumn Lockwood is a writer for Your Picture Frames. Our classic silver picture frames are ideal for displaying your favorite photos and artwork. Call 800-780-0699 or visit our website to see our nice photo frames today.

To get your “Friend Me” button back, just click on your Account Tab (Far top right in Facebook), then click on Privacy menu item, then “Edit Settings” beside “How You Connect” – change the drop down on “Who can send you friend requests?” to “Everyone” and click “Done”

Take a look at the screen snap shots below for a graphically view on the process.

We’ve had the car for 3 months now. Before writing this article, we wanted to really give it a good run over time so that we could evaluate everything about the car, purchase process and not be blinded by the blush of “new car” syndrome. Over the last months we’ve taken our Optima on a 4000 Km vacation as well as driving it extensively in day to day city driving.

Before reviewing the KIA Optima, let us share some of the the considerations the lead to choosing it over at least 20 other vehicles that we actually test drove and eliminated from our list of potential candidates.

We’re not in our 20′s, 30′s … OK even 40′s! Yes, we’re old enough to not care about birthdays AND not to mention our age . So, although the KIA Optima certainly has the sharp, cool, sophisticated look and power to attract the most discerning young person who wants to make a statement where ever they go, it’s only a bonus in the list of reasons that we chose it.

Access was a major factor in our vehicle top 10 needs. This factor is expressed in the height of the door sill. Do you have to pull yourself up into the car or lower yourself down into it? Do you have to pull your legs up over the sill and drop them down into the passenger floor well? How wide do the doors actually open? Do you bump your head on the door jam when you slide in?

The KIA Optima was a wonderful surprise in vehicle access. Just like the Goldilocks story, the height and sill are “just right”. In addition, KIA engineers have created doors in their products that almost open 90 degrees. That’s right! almost 90 degrees! Got kids, large packages or people with disabilities, then KIA is the “access” car for you!

Comfort was the next most important factor for us. Seats had to feel great and allow us to unfold ourselves out of the vehicle at the end of a 2 or 3 hour trip without the need of crowbars or other implements of torture. A large Interior passenger compartment without the large luxury corresponding V8 or V6 engines was also a must.

KIA Optima has room to spare and more. It even beats out it’s parent company’s best seller. I banged my head on the door jam every time I sat in “that” car … not in the Optima!  Every detail in the inside has been carefully considered and thought out to achieve maximum room in all directions and still maintain all controls within reach. Front leather seats, heated and cooled and back heated seats top off the comfort factors for the Optima. The French stitched leather and other details are added touches that  elevates the car into a class by itself. The dash board is a thing of beauty! Controls are easy to operate and find. Most are intuitive.

The 2.4 L 4 cylinder engine matched with a 6 speed auto transmission  gives the KIA Optima plenty of get up and go and still satisfies our need for fuel economy. Combined with the anti sway engineering, traction control, and the 18 inch low profile tires makes the KIA Optima a very fun car to drive. When I hit my 50′s, I was all for keeping car trips as short as possible. Not with the KIA, Optima. The longer the trips, the more fun they are now!

There’s lots more to say about the KIA Optima, but for the sake of article length we have to draw the line and leave you with a few final observations.

One of the most important aspects of the KIA Optima is the overall impression you get from the entire vehicle. Gone are the days when KIA cars were a choice only because of their economical price. Gone too are the days when you may have felt the KIA brand sacrificed quality. The KIA Optima breathes sophistication and elegance. It’s award winning exterior design doesn’t hide a decidedly European sweeping look to the Optima’s lines one bit. Pitted side by side with a Jaguar, and the Optima holds it’s own.

Best of all is the attention to quality through out the car. Body parts fit within thousands of an inch, with 100% consistency inside and out. The paint and workmanship is equal to cars selling for 10′s of thousands of dollars more.  You’ll want to drive this car because people WILL notice and you’ll want to polish it just because it’s that much more beautiful when you’re done.

Oh … did I mention the Infinity stereo system, heated steering wheel, power passenger front seat, double sun roof, memory driver seat position, and all wheel disc brakes??? That’s a short list of a whole bunch of other very cool extras that comes with the EX.

If you haven’t checked out the KIA Optima, you owe it to yourself to test drive one. Even if you don’t buy, you’ll be able to say you drove one and then every body at your next BBQ or party will want to hear what it was like!

We bought our KIA Optima from Graham KIA, Victoria. When you visit, tell them that Ron & Peggy sent you. You’ll get to read about our purchase experience at Graham KIA here in our next article. Stay tuned

Let us know what you think of the Optima. Post your comments.

Ron & Peggy

The search engine reads information on the web. It looks for these words on websites. The search engine produces a page of hits. It decides which sites and in what order to present them. The more that key word or phrase appears on that site, the higher it is on the list of results. Businesses employ a search engine optimization company to write articles for them. These businesses understand the SEO sensitivity concept. This type of service can be extremely beneficial to any business. The amount of traffic that visits a site is increased with the use of an SEO company. When a business website’s visitors are increased, so is the amount of customers. This means increased profit.

Different SEO companies offer different services and packages of those services. A few things are common. Communication is number one. After each step in the process, the company contacts the business. They report what steps have been taken up to this point. They also attempt to predict which steps should be taken next. A thorough explanation is provided for these suggestions. The company analyzes the client’s website thoroughly. This enables them to understand which web pages are most important. This also helps them understand the website’s structure.

The company will do a thorough key word analysis. The reason for this is to understand which key words attract the most traffic. A baseline report is what they do next. This is to find out what the current rank of the client’s website for particular key words and search engines is. An additional step to understanding the rank is to evaluate the current top five sites. The website’s structure and content are examined by the service. A rewrite of the website may be suggested. They read the pages in the same manner a search engine does.

This is to guarantee the search engine will find the same pages important that the client does. The links on the page will also be a consideration. The search engine determines significance by the contents within the links. The company will provide a detailed document with all of this information. It will contain what changes need to be made. The expected results of these changes are also specified. A search engine optimisation company has another important point which is monthly monitoring. People’s preferences and search engine rules can change. A monthly baseline report will be done by the company to determine where the website is currently ranked. At that time they will make additional suggestions. They may suggest the current structure is working well. The advice may be building onto this structure. The site may require a complete overhaul.

Remove Unnecessary Programs

Your PC might have programs that you don’t truly need at all. Obtaining rid of these programs or applications can totally free up some space of your PC. Once some precious space is obtainable, your PC can perform faster. You are able to get rid of unwanted programs from your PC via the following:

1. Select Start menu.

2. Select Control Panel. The Control Panel window displays.

3. In the Control Panel window, select Add or Remove Programs. The Add or Remove Programs window displays all the software applications installed in your PC.

4. Check which programs you don’t need anymore and select Remove.

Install an Up-to-date Anti-Virus Application

Connecting your PC to the web or any removable hard drives puts it at risk for virus infections. This can affect your computer’s performance and make it slower. You need to install reliable anti-virus software on your PC to prevent virus infections. Each and every time you connect a removable storage device to your PC, do not forget to scan it for any virus or malicious programs. Updating your anti-virus software from time to time is also essential to prevent advanced malicious programs from infecting your PC.

Upgrade Hardware Components

Some of the hardware components of your PC might also have to be upgraded to enhance your computer’s performance. These components consist of the graphics card and RAM. You need to change your graphics card particularly if your PC has the integrated graphics card only. Look for the latest graphics card in the market that is compatible with your PC. You are able to also try changing your RAM to either the 2GB or 4GB capacity to make your PC run faster.

There are lots of other things that will help you on how you can make your PC run faster. Check the web for much more info on these. For now, what’s essential is make certain you at least try these three steps to make your PC run faster.

Check out the best tips on how to make your computer faster and improve your computer’s performance.

Copyright © 2011 Andrew Scherer