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• Bear and wolf, friends for life [video]

  Holy Kaw!

  9 Feb 2012 | 2:12 pm

  All too often we lose track of our friends from childhood, but this bear and wolf appear to be BFFs despite the differences. Full story at YouTube via io9. Can’t we all just get along? Permalink | Leave a comment  »

• 17 Most-Popular Photos From Flickr Commons

  Mashable!

  Zoe Fox

  9 Feb 2012 | 3:36 pm

  Female Aircraft Worker "Woman aircraft worker, Vega Aircraft Corporation, Burbank, Calif. Shown checking electrical assemblies." Image courtesy of The Library of Congress, Flickr.Click here to view this gallery.Flickr Commons, a collaboration between the photo-sharing site and the Library of Congress that began in 2008, has released 17 of its most-popular photos to celebrate its fourth anniversary. The project began as an effort to increase exposure to some of the world’s historic photographic treasures and to crowdsource public knowledge about the archives. The Commons has a “no…

• Vosges Unwraps Chocolate's Wild Side

  Fast Company

  David D. Burstein

  9 Feb 2012 | 2:31 pm

  With Valentine's Day just around the corner, chocolate lovers across the land are anticipating heart-shaped boxes of Russell Stover, Godiva, or See's chocolates. But those whose tastes run a bit more to the wild side are really in luck. There's a delicious new world of innovative, artisanal chocolates out there creating new tastes, experiences, and sensory perceptions. And among the new generation of chocolatiers, few are as consistently daring and innovative as Katrina Markoff, the founder of the exotic luxury chocolate line Vosges. Markoff studied in Paris at Le Cordon Bleu and later…

• The Weird interview

  Seth's Blog

  Seth Godin

  9 Feb 2012 | 12:06 pm

  To celebrate the launch of Squidoo's new UpMarket magazine, we got permission to post an audio interview I recently did with Darren Hardy of Success. You can find it here. Thanks for listening.

• LinkedIn Will Introduce Ads To Mobile Apps

  TechCrunch

  Anthony Ha

  9 Feb 2012 | 3:03 pm

  Facebook isn’t the only social network getting ready to monetize its mobile app with advertising. During today’s analyst call to discuss its fourth quarter earnings, LinkedIn executives said they will also be introducing advertising to their mobile apps. There weren’t many details offered — LinkedIn CEO Jeff Weiner said only that the company has been putting the infrastructure in place, and now it’s ready to “start to introduce advertising in our mobile solutions.” Even though ads were only mentioned briefly, mobile was definitely a big theme on the call.

• 

  Holy Kaw!

• Bear and wolf, friends for life [video]

  9 Feb 2012 | 2:12 pm

  All too often we lose track of our friends from childhood, but this bear and wolf appear to be BFFs despite the differences. Full story at YouTube via io9. Can’t we all just get along? Permalink | Leave a comment  »

• Can dessert for breakfast help you lose weight?

  9 Feb 2012 | 1:39 pm

  New research suggests that, in the early morning, you can have your cake and shed pounds too A new study from Tel Aviv University finds that eating a small dessert as part of a balanced breakfast can actually help you shed unwanted pounds. Staying skinny and eating chocolate? Here, a brief guide to what sounds, frankly, impossible: Full story at The Week. Photo: CC by ::paqman:: All the top stories from The Week. Permalink | Leave a comment  »

• Romance survey [infographic]

  9 Feb 2012 | 12:02 pm

  Via Hotels.com. Infographics to put you in the mood. Permalink | Leave a comment  »

• Do aliens go invisible by 'going green'?

  9 Feb 2012 | 11:24 am

  As we discover more and more planets around other stars, the Fermi Paradox is becoming, well, more paradoxical. The Fermi Paradox simply asks the question "where are they?" Our Milky Way galaxy is so big and so old -- and we are estimated to be accompanied by at least 100 billion planets -- that aliens should have visited us by now. Instead, when we peruse the heavens, we are faced with the Great Silence, which is one of the biggest challenges to modern astronomy. Full story at Discovery News. More news from Discovery Communications. Photo credit: Fotolia Permalink | Leave a…

• Mysterious sounds reported around the world

  9 Feb 2012 | 11:23 am

  People around the world have reported hearing strange sounds from the skies over the past month. Sometimes they describe it as a hum or low rumble; other times it’s a whine, thump, or even a melody. Often the sounds have been recorded and posted online, fueling rumors and conspiracy theories. One blogger wrote, "either the world is ending, aliens are landing or everyone is getting hoaxed. Or, possibly, there’s an actual scientific explanation for the mass amount of YouTube videos capturing bizarre sounds that are being heard around the globe. Are we witnessing the beginning of a…

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  Mashable!

• 17 Most-Popular Photos From Flickr Commons

  Zoe Fox

  9 Feb 2012 | 3:36 pm

  Female Aircraft Worker "Woman aircraft worker, Vega Aircraft Corporation, Burbank, Calif. Shown checking electrical assemblies." Image courtesy of The Library of Congress, Flickr.Click here to view this gallery.Flickr Commons, a collaboration between the photo-sharing site and the Library of Congress that began in 2008, has released 17 of its most-popular photos to celebrate its fourth anniversary. The project began as an effort to increase exposure to some of the world’s historic photographic treasures and to crowdsource public knowledge about the archives. The Commons has a “no…

• How Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson Lays the Smackdown on Social Media

  Sam Laird

  9 Feb 2012 | 3:04 pm

  “Can you smelllllll….What the The Rock! Is cooking?!?” That became a ubiquitous catchphrase when Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson was a Worldwide Wrestling Federation megastar around the turn of the millennium. Unlike most wrestling-ring bruisers, however, Johnson has done a lot more than just “lay the smack down” on hapless “jabronis,” as he was fond of saying. He won a college football national championship as a hard-hitting defender at the University of Miami in 1991. He’s become a bona fide movie star too, appearing in action hits such…

• Type This Into Google for a Valentine’s Day Surprise

  Samantha Murphy

  9 Feb 2012 | 2:25 pm

  Romantic math geeks, your moment has arrived. In the spirit of Valentine’s Day, go ahead and type (or paste) this into Google search: sqrt(cos(x))*cos(300x)+sqrt(abs(x))-0.7)*(4-x*x)^0.01, sqrt(6-x^2), -sqrt(6-x^2) from -4.5 to 4.5 Twitter user @Huckberry tipped us off to the fact that typing in the algebraic equation plots several different functions on a graph that forms the shape of a heart. The series includes various square roots, absolute values and cosine functions — mathematical functions often taught in high school math courses. The plotted lines change direction due to…

• Microsoft: You’ll Never Turn Off Devices Running Windows on ARM

  Peter Pachal

  9 Feb 2012 | 2:02 pm

  Microsoft described in detail Thursday exactly how Windows will work on ARM devices. The new strain of Windows, retooled from the ground up for low-power devices like tablets, will be identical to the regular desktop version in many ways, and Microsoft says it’ll ship some test units to developers by the end of February. Actual products are planned for the general release of Windows 8. In a departure from traditional Windows machines, ARM-based devices running Windows will be complete “end-to-end” products, meaning you won’t be able to buy Windows as a piece of…

• When Should You Go All-In on Your Startup? [VIDEO]

  Mashable Video

  9 Feb 2012 | 1:47 pm

  From bootstrapping his company, to raising a seed round last year, to his company’s recent $8 million A round, Neil Capel exemplifies the grit and hustle typical in successful entrepreneurs. Capel founded Sailthru, an enterprise software-as-a-service company that uses clickstream data to individually tailor marketing emails to each user, which Capel says will exponentially increase the lifetime value of a customer email address. Check out our interview with Capel to find out how he went from a consultant at Morgan Stanley to founding a company that will soon be expanding globally and…

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  Fast Company

• Vosges Unwraps Chocolate's Wild Side

  David D. Burstein

  9 Feb 2012 | 2:31 pm

  With Valentine's Day just around the corner, chocolate lovers across the land are anticipating heart-shaped boxes of Russell Stover, Godiva, or See's chocolates. But those whose tastes run a bit more to the wild side are really in luck. There's a delicious new world of innovative, artisanal chocolates out there creating new tastes, experiences, and sensory perceptions. And among the new generation of chocolatiers, few are as consistently daring and innovative as Katrina Markoff, the founder of the exotic luxury chocolate line Vosges. Markoff studied in Paris at Le Cordon Bleu and later…

• "Words With Friends" Board Game Coming From The Makers Of Scrabble?

  Kevin Ohannessian

  9 Feb 2012 | 1:14 pm

  Hasbro and Zynga announced today that they have entered into a global partnership. With this license, Hasbro will be making a variety of toys and board games using Zynga's brands, with the first products expected to be released in the coming Fall. There will also be co-branded merchandise. "It's exciting to partner with Hasbro as we share a common vision for play and a mission to connect the world through games," said Zynga CEO Mark Pincus in a statement--funny, since much of Zynga's success has come from Words With Friends, a game that incorporated changes to scoring, a heavy social aspect…

• The Google Wallet Hack Is Not The End Of The World (Or Even NFC) As We Know It [Update: Google Reacts]

  Kit Eaton

  9 Feb 2012 | 11:30 am

  Stay calm and carry on, people: It's way too soon to say that NFC should stand for Now Fatally Corrupted. Yes, Google's breakthrough NFC payments app Wallet is being mentioned all over the news thanks to a flaw--it's vulnerable to a hack that gives nefarious types access to your secure PIN number. But don't believe any doomsayers or fearmongering that you may encounter on this matter; it's not as evil as it seems and, believe it or not, it's actually a sign that the future of wireless mobile payments is probably more secure than your current credit card. As reported over at the blog of…

• Ford's Nancy Lee Gioia On Leading Where The Rubber Meets The Road

  Lydia Dishman

  9 Feb 2012 | 8:05 am

  In her 30 years with Ford Motor Company, Nancy Lee Gioia’s learned a thing or two about teamwork, sparking innovation, and being a driving force in what was once considered a man's industry. Nancy Lee Gioia’s been with Ford Motor Company since 1982, when she was hired as a graduate trainee in the electronics division. In the 30 years that followed, she’s held a variety of positions in electronics architecture, manufacturing, and engineering in different divisions.Now, as the company’s director of Global Electrification, Gioia drives strategy and planning for the next generation of…

• Fast Talk: How This Bartender Is Rebooting The Condom

  David Zax

  9 Feb 2012 | 7:41 am

  Meet Richard Pessall, a 20-year-old British entrepreneur who wants to take the condom where no man has gone before (no, not space).Richard Pessall, 20, lives and works as bartender in Shropshire, England. He spent nine years living in the United States, but when he ran out of money to pay for college in North Carolina, he was unable to renew his visa and was forced to return to the U.K. He’s decided to make his fortune before attempting to return stateside. His big idea? Reboot the condom. Forplay, the condom company he's been bootstrapping with his barman’s earnings, has grown to a staff…

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  Seth's Blog

• The Weird interview

  Seth Godin

  9 Feb 2012 | 12:06 pm

  To celebrate the launch of Squidoo's new UpMarket magazine, we got permission to post an audio interview I recently did with Darren Hardy of Success. You can find it here. Thanks for listening.

• Inaccurate labels and why we need them (and need to improve them)

  Seth Godin

  9 Feb 2012 | 2:46 am

  If I tell you, "I'm going to the baseball game," it seems as though you're likely to understand what I mean. Of course, you won't. When George Will goes to a baseball game, it's a religious experience. Me, I don't even like baseball. Or maybe it's my nephew's ball game (the playoffs), or maybe going to the game causes me to miss an important event, and on and on. We label the experience with just two words, and two words can't possibly capture the emotions and circumstance surrounding an event. The same thing is true with brands. If I tell you that a new business was funded by USV, that might…

• How do they know you're not a flake?

  Seth Godin

  8 Feb 2012 | 2:43 am

  Before your link gets clicked or your proposal gets read, a busy person is going to triage it to find out if it's even worth glancing at. Since everyone is now connected, the new permeability has created a deluge of noise, and just about everyone worth contacting is taking defensive measures. Do I know this person? Did someone I trust send them over? Where does she work? (Ideo? the FDA? The New York Times?) Has she won an award? Is she famous? Are there typos and is the design sloppy? Are they pestering me? Do I already follow this person online? Does music play when I visit the website? Will…

• Horizontal marketing isn't a new idea

  Seth Godin

  7 Feb 2012 | 2:09 am

  But it is the new reality for just about every organization. Vertical marketing means the marketer (the one with money) is in charge. Vertical marketing starts at the top and involves running ads, sending out direct mail and pushing hype through the media. Your money, your plans, your control. It might not work, but generally the worst outcome is that you will be ignored and need to spend more money. Horizonal marketing, on the other hand, means creating a remarkable product and story and setting it up to spread from person to person. It's out of your control, because all the interactions are…

• Who is your customer?

  Seth Godin

  6 Feb 2012 | 2:26 am

  Rule one: You can build a business on the foundation of great customer service. Rule two: The only way to do great customer service is to treat different customers differently. The question: Who is your customer? It's not obvious. Zappos is a classic customer service company, and their customer is the person who buys the shoes. Nike, on the other hand, doesn't care very much at all about the people who buy the shoes, or even the retailers. They care about the athletes (often famous) that wear the shoes, sometimes for money. They name buildings after these athletes, court them, erect…

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  TechCrunch

• LinkedIn Will Introduce Ads To Mobile Apps

  Anthony Ha

  9 Feb 2012 | 3:03 pm

  Facebook isn’t the only social network getting ready to monetize its mobile app with advertising. During today’s analyst call to discuss its fourth quarter earnings, LinkedIn executives said they will also be introducing advertising to their mobile apps. There weren’t many details offered — LinkedIn CEO Jeff Weiner said only that the company has been putting the infrastructure in place, and now it’s ready to “start to introduce advertising in our mobile solutions.” Even though ads were only mentioned briefly, mobile was definitely a big theme on the call.

• Is Google Hard At Work On New Home Entertainment System?

  Chris Velazco

  9 Feb 2012 | 2:43 pm

  It was just a few days ago that news of a mysterious home-oriented Google device was being prepped for testing in the homes of 252 company employees, but the associated FCC filing left most of the specifics up in the air. Now, if a new report from the Wall Street Journal holds true, Google’s next foray into the hardware space could be all about pumping up those jams. According to WSJ’s sources, the device in development is a “home entertainment system” that can wirelessly stream music throughout users’ homes. Google has attempted to make inroads into the living room before with…

• New Kickstarter Record Set As Double Fine Game Hits $400K In 8 Hours, $900K In 16

  Devin Coldewey

  9 Feb 2012 | 1:50 pm

  If you played PC games in the 90s, chances are you played some of Tim Schafer’s work. He worked on the Monkey Island Series and Day of the Tentacle, later going on to create such classics as Grim Fandango and Psychonauts. He recently took to Kickstarter to try and score some funding for a new point-and-click adventure game, as most publishers would consider the genre more or less untouchable these days. He figured there were enough people out there who wanted a new adventure game that they could scrape together $400,000. That was last night. They hit their goal in 8 hours, and are…

• Instagram Founder’s Girlfriend Learns How To Code For V-Day, Builds Lovestagram

  Alexia Tsotsis

  9 Feb 2012 | 1:41 pm

  This might just be the sweetest Valentine’s Day story I’ve ever heard. It’s definitely the sweetest Valentine’s Day story I’ve ever written. Kaitlyn Trigger is a marketing director at Rally.org. She also happens to be Instagram co-founder Mike Krieger’s girlfriend of two and a half years (The 26 year old Krieger and 27 year old Trigger met at a friend’s house in October of 2009 and moved in together in October 2010). And my hero. Last December, Trigger decided she wanted to be able to talk to her boyfriend in depth about the stuff he was working on.

• LinkedIn Beats The Street, Q4 Revenue Up 105 Percent To $167.7M

  Leena Rao

  9 Feb 2012 | 1:12 pm

  Professional social network LinkedIn just reported stronger than expected fourth quarter 2011 earnings today. Earnings came in at $0.12 per share. Revenue for the fourth quarter was $167.7 million, an increase of 105% compared to $81.7 million for the fourth quarter of 2010. Net income for the fourth quarter was $6.9 million, compared to net income of $5.3 million for the fourth quarter of 2010. Analysts expected the company to earn $0.07 per share on revenues of $159.72 million. Non-GAAP net income for the fourth quarter was $13.3 million, compared to $5.2 million for the fourth quarter of…

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  @ProBlogger

• Is Perfectionism Stalling Your Productivity?

  Darren Rowse

  9 Feb 2012 | 12:04 pm

  We’ve all been there … You sit down to write a post. You get the opening line down, but half-way through the second sentence, you go back to tweak the first. A bit further on, you decide to chop up the paragraphs you’ve done so far and rearrange them … but on second thought, is that really the better option? In two minds, you “finish” the post, then spend a half-hour writing and rewriting the “ideal” headline. Finally, happy(ish!) your cursor hovers over the Publish button … but you just can’t press it. You decide to give it some…

• 6 Powerful Guest Post Tactics that No One’s Talking About

  Guest Blogger

  9 Feb 2012 | 6:05 am

  This guest post is by Tom Ewer of Leaving Work Behind. Guest posting is a hot topic amongst startup bloggers. It is one of the most widely-adopted blog promotion strategies in existence, and has been made perhaps even more popular by the success of “serial” guest posters such as Danny Iny of Firepole Marketing. His “blitzkrieg” strategy may come across to some as a triumph of quantity over strategy, but nothing could be further from the truth. He understands the key concepts that we will be exploring in this post, and executes them in a highly effective manner. Whilst…

• How to Succinctly Report a Blog Issue to Tech Support

  Guest Blogger

  8 Feb 2012 | 6:07 am

  This guest post is by Matthew Setter of Malt Blue. How often do you find it happening to you? You discover an issue with your site, or one of your community members emails you to tell you about it, and soon you start to see tweets about it too. Maybe it’s as simple as an error message that detracts from the professional appearance of your site. Perhaps the contact form doesn’t send messages to your contact email address. Or is it that the whole site just displays as a blank page, otherwise known as the white page of death? You’re not a programmer, a software engineer or a seasoned…

• Make Your Blog Load Faster than ProBlogger: Part 2

  Guest Blogger

  7 Feb 2012 | 12:05 pm

  This guest post is by Devesh of WP Kube. A few months ago, I wrote a guest post here called How to Make Your Blog Load Faster than ProBlogger. Today, I’ll go into some more detailed advice to help you speed up your site even more. If you’re a blogger, you already know about the importance of blog loading speed, and the role it plays in search engine rank and marketing your blog. But if this is new territory for you, here are three quick reasons why you need to speed up your blog: Google includes website loading speed as an important metric in their ranking algorithm. If you want…

• How I Beat my Best Month Ever by Doing Something Good, Better [Case Study]

  Darren Rowse

  7 Feb 2012 | 6:04 am

  Mid-December 2010: on my photography site, we launched a new campaign—our first ever 12 Days of Christmas promotion. The result was my biggest month of earnings ever up to that point. The idea was simple: offer discounts on 12 products over the 12 days leading up to Christmas. I used a mix of my own ebooks and products from other photography sites with affiliate commissions. The result was massive. Not only did we see some great revenue generated, it created some lovely buzz on the site. Due to the success of the 2010 campaign, in mid-December 2011 we launched our second 12 Days of…

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  Smashing Magazine Feed

• Smashing Special: WordPress Theme Trends For 2012

  Siobhan McKeown

  9 Feb 2012 | 5:25 am

     This special is the first in our series of Smashing Specials — extended articles and studies dedicated to a specific topic. The special features current WordPress theme trends for 2012, covering past trends, new developments in theme design and trends in the theme development. 2011 was a great year for WordPress, with some excellent new updates that saw the introduction of a drag-and-drop uploader, distraction-free writing, the HTML5 Twenty Eleven theme, and movement towards a fully responsive dashboard. As well as changes to WordPress core, theme development continued to…

• A Craft Of Consequences: Reader, Writer And Emotional Design

  Robin Rendle

  8 Feb 2012 | 8:06 am

     Before the very first page of a book has been read, you’ve already analyzed it in countless ways without even noticing. The paper stock, the thickness of the binding, the aroma, the color of the type and even the texture of the cover; the very character of the book is being dissected by the hand and eye at every moment. In this brief second there is a dialogue between the reader and the object. This conversation is subtle and complex, but for most people it is entirely subconscious. This is because we rarely think about these things  —  we feel them…

• Collaging: Getting Answers To The Questions You Don’t Know To Ask

  Kyle Soucy

  6 Feb 2012 | 7:02 am

     When conducting user research, we all know that asking the right questions is just as important as how you ask them, but how do you know exactly what questions to ask? What if the discussion topic is very personal? How do you get a complete stranger to open up? There is a better way to conduct an in-depth interview, and it doesn’t involve a clipboard. Just imagine what you could discover if the participant’s answers weren’t limited to a predetermined set of questions. This is where collaging can help. Collaging is a projective technique by which participants select images…

• How To Use Custom Post Types To Organize Online Marketing Campaigns

  Joshua Dodson

  3 Feb 2012 | 7:04 am

     Custom post types add a level of flexibility to WordPress that makes this open-source Web development platform more useful on many levels. Whenever I have been faced with a Web-based task, especially one that involves organizing information, the first thing I do is examine WordPress to determine if it can handle the job. It usually can. Image Source As an Internet marketer and analyst, I need to be able to organize online marketing campaigns in a way that is trackable in Google Analytics. This is the perfect task for WordPress custom post types. In this article, we’ll explain…

• Freebie: St. Valentine’s Day Icon Set (10 PNG/PSD Icons)

  Smashing Editorial Team

  2 Feb 2012 | 7:38 am

     Every now and then, we release useful freebies for all of our highly valued readers. Today, it is our pleasure to present to you Cuberto‘s fantastic St. Valentine’s icon set  —  exclusively designed for Smashing Magazine and its loyal readers. The icons presented are available in transparent PNGs as well as Photoshop PSDs (128×128 px) and are perfect for any projects you have coming up for St. Valentine’s Day. Enjoy! Download the Set for free! This icon set is completely free to use for commercial or personal applications without any…

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  ReadWriteWeb

• Google's New, New Nav Bar

  9 Feb 2012 | 3:24 pm

  When RWW webmaster Jared Smith sent me screenshots of yet another change to Google's top navigation bar, I thought it was a bug. Then I got it, too. It's a weird hybrid of the old, black nav bar with plain, gray text and the new, light one with the icons and Google search box. Sure enough, just now, Google announced the change, so it will be rolling out to all users soon. The black bar, sometimes called the "sandbar," only appeared in the middle of last year as Google began to redesign its interfaces, and the gray Google Bar was launched in November. Some users still have the sandbar, and…

• First Glimpses of Office 15 Are Minus the Ribbon

  9 Feb 2012 | 3:15 pm

  As part of a carefully timed preview of the forthcoming Windows on ARM (WOA) operating system, which borrows the new "Metro-style" usage model from Windows 8, Microsoft released a video showing WOA running what were described as technical previews of four "Office 15" applications - Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote. But the key question which Desktop for which application developers have been seeking an answer may have been obscured: As Microsoft adopts a new usage model with elements gleaned from the "Metro" style, will Office be moving away from the ribbon? The first clips of the new…

• Meet the New Kings of Kickstarter: How Double Fine Gamified Game Funding

  9 Feb 2012 | 3:09 pm

  Late last night Jane McGonigal, the most respected authority in the world of gamification, Tweeted that she'd pitched in to support the creation of a new point and click adventure game from respected game development shop Double Fine. That was the first trickle I saw of what quickly became a flood of support for the Double Fine Adventure project on Kickstarter. Long popular for their work building games with major studios, the Double Fine team decided they wanted to self-produce and document the creation of an old-fashioned point and click adventure game. They are probably just a few hours…

• Strategy Roundtable For Entrepreneurs: Are You Fundable?

  9 Feb 2012 | 3:00 pm

  Today's roundtable had a couple of interesting businesses, but before I get to them, I want to underscore that entrepreneurs MUST gauge fundability before assuming that they can build their businesses by raising money. TravelTriangle.com First, Sanchit Gurg from Noida, India, pitched TravelTriangle.com, a marketplace for travel agencies offering personalized tour packages for travelers seeking such help. The company already has engaged about 75 travel agencies and some 900 customers. They have started transacting, generating multiple bids for each RFP and taking a 5% commission off closed…

• Microsoft Will Launch Kinect For Workplace Next Month

  9 Feb 2012 | 2:45 pm

  Microsoft wants its popular Kinect to be a game changer for more than just video games. The company plans to introduce the first version of Kinect authorized for use in the workplace next month. The product will be marketed through its Microsoft Dynamics division, which develops enterprise resource planning and customer relationship management (CRM) software applications. Sponsor The workplace version of its motion-detecting input system for Xbox 360 will have a wide range of uses in several different industries, according to Microsoft Business Solutions Technical Fellow Mike Ehrenberg and…

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  Copyblogger

• How to Recover From a Social Media Hangover

  Cori Padgett

  9 Feb 2012 | 3:00 am

  “Hello. My name is Cori and I’m a social media addict. “Today is day 1 of my commitment to give myself a regular break from technology and the foggy, uncreative haze it can unwittingly lead to.” I was reading a post the other day by blogger Michael Brenner at B2B Marketing Insider, talking about getting your social media game on. Of course, being the skimmer that I am, the first thing that caught my attention and made me go back and read the whole thing was his mention of having a Social Media Hangover. His hangover was induced by sometimes (as we all do) forgetting to…

• The “New” SEO Secret Weapon

  Sonia Simone

  8 Feb 2012 | 3:00 am

  If you have a web site, you may have noticed one of two things about the traffic you get from search engines. Your search traffic may have dried up overnight, with once-healthy streams turning into a sad little trickle. Or you may have noticed a nice, steady improvement as you’ve climbed higher in the SERPs (search engine results pages), while other sites that used to outrank you suddenly evaporated. There’s a super-secret new ingredient in SEO. It was always a factor, but it’s become even more important recently, as the Google team relentlessly declares war on what they see…

• 8 Quick Tips for Writing Bullet Points People Actually Want to Read

  Robert Bruce

  7 Feb 2012 | 3:00 am

  It’s a Twitterized world, we’re just living in it. Blog posts, Tweets, quick videos, Google+, the Facebook Timeline, and tens of thousands of images pinned to digital boards are flying past us faster than we can read them. Faster than we can even scan them, depending on the time of day. What does this mean for writers trying to cut through it all? At least two things that I can think of: You’d better know how to write a compelling headline You’d better know how to write bullet points that grab (and keep) your reader We’re not telling you to keep your copy short.

• 7 Crucial Tactics for Writing a Wildly Successful Guest Post

  The Blog Tyrant

  6 Feb 2012 | 3:00 am

  We all know that guest posts grow blogs. But not many people realize that tactical guest posting grows careers. Most bloggers I see pump out these articles while reciting the mantra “quantity over quality”; there’s no real strategy and there are no real long-term benefits. In this post I am going to show you the seven crucial tactics for writing a radically successful guest post. Done right, these strategies will get you more email subscribers, coveted Google ranking positions, and a big head-start on your content marketing goals. Who am I to teach you about guest blogging?

• 7 Smashing Social Media Marketing Links

  Robert Bruce

  4 Feb 2012 | 3:00 am

  This week on The Lede … What really works on Twitter One thing social media copywriters should never do 9 productive social media hacks A reminder of the power of the original social media If you just can’t wait for The Lede every Saturday, and you want even more practical, useable links than the seven we highlight here every week, follow @copyblogger on Twitter. It’s painless. Really. // 9 Social Media Hacks You Need to Embrace Now Mr. Baer makes a good case that though social media is inexpensive in monetary terms, it can get good and costly when it comes to spending your…

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  Entrepreneur Update

• Main Street Merchants Aren't Deterred by Red Tape

  9 Feb 2012 | 12:01 pm

  As politicians vilify regulations on the campaign trail, consider the results from a recent survey of small-business owners. It seems regulations aren't as onerous as some think.

• Eight Creative Marketing Ideas to Make Your Business Stand Out

  9 Feb 2012 | 8:00 am

  If your marketing could use a new twist, consider these new ideas to reach today's customers.

• Four Questions to Ask Before Setting a Price

  9 Feb 2012 | 5:03 am

  Before you figure out your pricing, figure out your business.

• Three Ways to Extend the Battery Life of Smartphones and Tablets

  9 Feb 2012 | 4:00 am

  Consider these options for extending the battery life of your mobile devices.

• Fashion Mogul Christopher Burch Talks Business

  9 Feb 2012 | 2:00 am

  As Fashion Week kicks off, we sat down with the man behind brands like Tory Burch and Monika Chiang to find out what it takes to make it in the business.

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  Scott Kelby's Photoshop Insider

• Cliff Mautner on the Nikon D800

  Brad Moore

  8 Feb 2012 | 9:02 pm

  What a few days. It’s amazing how much interest a little piece of metal can produce. As a proud member of the team at Kelby Training, I wanted to share my experience with the D800. This project has been going on for many months. i was approached by my good friends at K&L in Tokyo- Nikon’s agency for decades- and was blown away that they asked me to participate with this project. My job was well defined: Use the D800 in a way that utilizes and highlights the latest features the D800 offers in real world wedding conditions that I’d face week in and week out. Simple, right?

• It’s Free Stuff Thursday!

  Brad Moore

  8 Feb 2012 | 9:01 pm

  Photoshop World DC – 9 Days Left for Early Bird Registration! Photoshop World Washington DC is quickly approaching, and there are only 9 days left to save $100 on registration! Head on over to PhotoshopWorld.com to sign up, get hotel info, see the full schedule of classes from instructors like Jay Maisel, Joel Grimes, Lindsay Adler, Glyn Dewis, and a ton of other incredible people! And, there are only a few spots left in some of the pre-conference workshops like Lightpainting 101 with Dave Black, On Location DSLR Workshop with Rich Harrington, Real World Concert Photography with Alan…

• It’s Guest Blog Wednesday featuring Jake Peterson!

  Brad Moore

  7 Feb 2012 | 9:37 pm

  Making History Come to LifeTen months ago I was attending Photoshop World in Orlando, FL. It was the second time I had been to Photoshop World, but after the blast of Vegas the previous September there was no way I was going to miss the one that Spring. One morning in the instructors’ lounge Jay Maisel, someone who I knew of but had never met, was sitting at a table. I introduced myself and we started to talk. Afterward Jay went up to my Dad and said, “You have failed as a parent if you let your kid go into photography as a career.” He smiled and my Dad just laughed;…

• Jumping the gun on the Nikon D800

  Scott Kelby

  7 Feb 2012 | 7:46 am

  Since my post last night here on Google+ (http://www.scottgplus.com), and here on my blog earlier today, I’ve seen a lot of comments flowing in pro and con about this camera, and I just want to say a quick few things about the comments I’ve been reading thus far:(1) The D800 was apparently created for a very specific type of photographer  There is no law that every camera introduced by a camera company has to be designed to fit your personal needs. If you read that it has 36.3 megapixels and you’re like “36.3 megapixels is overkill!!!” then obviously this…

• Nikon Announces The D800 And Baby Does It Look Sweet!!!!

  Scott Kelby

  6 Feb 2012 | 9:33 pm

  36.3 megapixels (wow!) with a full frame sensor. Full HD video with stereo sound (yay) built in HDR (sweet) and it looks like its aimed at the commercial, wedding and landscape markets (photographers who shoot medium format digital backs. I mean who used to shoot digital backs). ;-)I haven’t seen one, held one, etc., but it sounds amazing and I want one. Bad!!!! (And yes, sometimes you need 36.3 megapixels). Two words: Whoo Hoo!Read the full scoop at Nikon USA: http://bit.ly/wVaU77

• 

  Branding Strategy Insider

• Time For Brand Marketers To Lead A Comeback

  Derrick Daye, The Blake Project

  7 Feb 2012 | 9:10 pm

  It’s a good thing the game between the NFL's New England Patriots and the New York Giants was exciting because this year’s Super Bowl commercials were dull, and what a weird thing to say about the Super Bowl. Generally, it’s the very opposite of that. Perhaps it’s best not to read too much into Super Bowl ads vying for viral buzz (many of which adopted a new pre-game, social media preview approach to generate buzz, albeit some have argued it was poorly done). But there was one thing that stood out. In a noticeable departure from the tradition of Super Bowl Sunday, this year’s crop…

• When To Reposition Your Brand

  Derrick Daye, The Blake Project

  6 Feb 2012 | 9:10 pm

  Brand repositioning is necessary when one or more of the following conditions exist: Your brand has a bad, confusing or nonexistent image. The primary benefit your brand "owns" has evolved from a differentiating benefit to a cost-of-entry benefit. Your organization is significantly altering its strategic direction. Your organization is entering new businesses and the current positioning is no longer appropriate. A new competitor with a superior value proposition enters your industry. Competition has usurped your brand's position or rendered it ineffectual. Your organization has acquired a…

• How To Transform An Under-Performing Brand

  Thomson Dawson

  5 Feb 2012 | 9:10 pm

  Once the decision has been made to continue to invest in an under-performing brand, brand owners will be faced with a new set of challenges completely foreign to them. The temptation is always to do more of what got you there. That rarely works when brands face reinvention.  By that I mean brand relevance. The main reason brands begin to under perform is that people no longer care. When that happens, like it or not, you’ll be starting over from scratch. This is a hard pill for brand owners to swallow, particularly if the brand was once an iconic leader in its category.  For brand owners…

• Logo Design Requirements

  Brad VanAuken, The Blake Project

  4 Feb 2012 | 9:10 pm

  A brand’s identity is a combination of visual, auditory, and other sensory components that create recognition, aid in memory encoding and decoding, represent the brand promise, provide differentiation, create communications synergy, and are proprietary. The logo is one key component. Here is what we look for when we evaluate logo design: Memorable – highest recognition and recall (both of which can be tested for) Including recognition at maximum distances (can be tested for) Aesthetically pleasing Timeless quality - the logo will not become dated Appropriate for the product/service…

• Brand Tagline Requirements

  Brad VanAuken, The Blake Project

  3 Feb 2012 | 9:10 pm

  In definitive global research, The Conference Board has found the development and consistent use of a tagline to be a key factor in brand strategy success. A tagline that succinctly and powerfully communicates the brand’s promise is one of the quickest, easiest and least expensive ways to communicate the brand’s new position to internal and external audiences. It should consistently accompany the brand’s logo in situations outlined by the brand architecture. I believe that developing brand taglines (and elevator speeches) are the most important next steps one can take once a brand has…

• 

  Drew's Marketing Minute

• The 5 things that will derail your marketing in 2012

  Drew McLellan

  8 Feb 2012 | 6:37 am

  I don’t want to rain on anyone’s parade but the truth is — most organizations’ marketing efforts stink.  And they stink for reasons well within the marketing department’s control. If you’re worried that your own efforts might fall short — beware of these five danger zones that can derail you in a blink! Inconsistency:  Does your monthly newsletter go out 5 times a year?  Does your copy tone/style fluctuate between somber and casual?  Are your weekly sales calls happening every week? Inconsistency not only waters down your results but it also…

• Crisis communications – don’t wait to create a plan

  Drew McLellan

  6 Feb 2012 | 6:10 am

  Does your organization have a crisis communications plan that you could actually put into action at this very moment? All of the hubub surrounding the Susan G. Komen decision to stop funding Planned Parenthood and then their reversal of that decision following a 72+ hour firestorm of public outrage should have scared the bejesus out of you. If an organization as large, powerful and well respected as Komen can get into that much hot water — and is that ill-prepared to handle it then what in the world would happen to you if there was an accident on your job site, if your CFO embezzled…

• Don’t add frill until your core is rock solid

  Drew McLellan

  2 Feb 2012 | 6:15 am

  A couple times a month a cleaning company comes into our house and does a deep clean. Every time I walk into the house after they’ve cleaned… the toilet paper rolls and tissues sticking out of the boxes are folded in some sort of origami art.  Sometimes, they leave a truffle on the kitchen counter. I get what they’re trying to do.  And it’s a lovely little extra.  Unfortunately, I also find things like: Every waste basket in the wrong spot (they’ve been cleaning the house for over a year) The back door unlocked or a window left open A few lights left on…

• What you don’t know about your sales funnel

  Drew McLellan

  30 Jan 2012 | 5:56 am

  We all think and talk about our sales funnel a lot.  We’re always saying things like: We need to keep it full. We need to stay active with the prospects that have been in it for awhile. On average, it takes a prospect X months to move through it. And so on…. But consider the statistic to the right.  60% of your sales efforts are what happens before you have actively put someone into the funnel.  In other words — it’s not you who is doing the selling. Who is? Your existing customers The customer who left and is working with your competitors Your vendors Your website…

• What’s your purple goldfish?

  Drew McLellan

  11 Jan 2012 | 11:30 am

  Get your free copy of Stan Phelp’s book! A few years ago, I met Stan Phelps, another marketing guy, online (I think he commented on my blog and we started chatting via email) and before I knew it — we were friends.  He was just dipping his toe into the blogging waters and I tried to be helpful along the way. Fast forward to today, January 11, 2012. Stan’s first book, What’s Your Purple Goldfish*, is being released today.  I’ve read it and know you’re going to love it.  Really love it. I’m also very humbled to say that Stan asked me to write the…

• 

  Chris Garrett on New Media

• When Should You Start Selling from Your Blog?

  Chris Garrett

  31 Jan 2012 | 3:18 pm

  How do you know when your audience is ready to buy from you? Should you wait to “monetize”? How big does your audience need to be? These are common questions and the answers have been debated over the years. I am going to share an answer I gave George from the Man Up Blog during his blog critique. George spent some time in the dating world, sometimes called the “pick up artist” niche. This is shy dudes learning to pick up the ladies mostly, but obviously the market caters to all genders and tastes. It’s pretty obvious what people want from dating advice, but…

• Why You Shouldn’t Drive Traffic

  Chris Garrett

  16 Jan 2012 | 7:58 pm

  In the first 7 days of this blogs life, 20,000 visitors checked it out. Sounds like a pretty nice result doesn’t it? I was super happy, but a little disappointed in one specific respect. Only 500 people subscribed. Now, don’t get me wrong, I loved and nurtured those 500 subscribers and 500 subscribers in any time frame is not to be sniffed at! My problem was, how can you have 20,000 visitors check out my blog and only 500 of them want to stick around? The cause? I was “Driving” traffic … Big Lessons Learned I had been involved with a couple of successful blogs at…

• How to know what your audience really wants

  Chris Garrett

  23 Dec 2011 | 11:53 am

  Your audience does not want your content. Your audience probably does not want to hear from you at all. If you think that because your website looks great that people will want to visit it … think again. What do they really want? Your audience and potential customers know who they are and probably have a very good idea of their goals. At the very least they know their immediate needs. They are looking for answers to questions, advice, and resources that help people like them get the stuff people like them want. When someone seeks out and clicks on your content it is only as a means to…

• Finding and Communicating Your Value

  Chris Garrett

  5 Dec 2011 | 11:06 am

  Many bloggers don’t have a value problem. They have a great deal to share. I am sure you do – I have never met someone who doesn’t. Why then do people struggle to find an audience. Never mind an audience who knows, likes and trusts them – ANY audience? It’s weird but a lot of the time it is because you have SO much to offer, it’s hard to know who you are for and what specific benefit you provide. A lot of my coaching clients have this problem and, thankfully, there is a solution. The solution is simple, but it isn’t always easy. Check out Ryan…

• How to REALLY make money from a website

  Chris Garrett

  23 Nov 2011 | 3:08 pm

  As much as I tell people to seriously reconsider buying too much into the hardcore “Make Money Online” hype, I can not argue against its allure and the fact that, well, people DO make money online. The problem is, there are the usual caveats: It’s not fast. It’s not easy. You WILL encounter problems and tough challenges. You might not always enjoy it. These are challenges facing Roman who asked me for a blog critique. He has been building a site all about his experience of creating a website that makes money called “How this website makes money” (how meta).

• 

  brandflakesforbreakfast

• don't push my political buttons

  a_blodder

  9 Feb 2012 | 5:15 am

  Before there was the Like button, there were political buttons. Check out images of a select handful of them, provided by the Busy Beaver Button Museum, here on Time.com.The designs are interesting, fun and in some instances iconic, and a little different creative inspiration for this Thursday. The history behind them is worth a read, too.Via.

• mama don't take my kodachrome away

  a_blodder

  9 Feb 2012 | 5:10 am

  KODACHROME 2010 from Xander Robin on Vimeo.Nostalgia alert: Xander Robin created a documentary, "Kodachrome 2010," shot on Kodak's Kodachrome film about this iconic color film and the last lab to develop it in 2010. In light of the sad news that Kodak filed for bankruptcy, it's a nice tribute (and goodbye?) to the brand and its iconic product. Cue Paul Simon.

• mmmm....baked bus stop potatoes

  a_blodder

  9 Feb 2012 | 5:05 am

  Like a giant, digital scratch 'n sniff, there is an outdoor campaign in England for McCain's "ready baked jackets" that emits the smell to entice consumers. At bus stops, users can push a button and a light will 'heat up' a large image of a potato and produce the delicious smell, and a coupon for the product. Created by JCDecaux, posterscope, and BMB Creative. Yum. If you like potatoes, that is. (And yes, there are people out there who don't.)Via.

• go weeeeee all the way to your next meeting

  Kristien Del Ferraro

  8 Feb 2012 | 5:10 am

  Why use an elevator to descend down the three floors of your office when you can shoot down a SUPER AWESOME slide like the one Red Bull installed in their London offices? So jealous!

• How Superbowl ads did digital - stats

  Kristien Del Ferraro

  8 Feb 2012 | 5:09 am

  Research advisory firm, Altimeter, analyzed the 2012 Super Bowl commercials to see how well they integrated with digital and social media. The results are kind of surprising given the growing acceptance of how important digital integration is. A whopping 32% had no online references at all, and of those that had urls, many of them were with no call to action and only 16% were to social media vs. a corporate website or microsite. More interesting stats in their full report.

• 

  Coffee Cup News : Coffee Reviews, Forum, Blog, Shows, News & How To

• Marley Pod Coffee: Lion’s Blend

  Jason Coffee

  28 Jan 2012 | 8:31 am

  This is a review of a coffee pod produced by Marley Coffee that was sent to us by Distillata. Marley Coffee Lion’s Blend Coffee Pod Ash tray meets chalkboard. Coffee Pod Rating 1 out of 5 Aroma: 2 Acidity: 1 Body: 1 Flavor: 1 Aftertaste: 1 Question of the Day What is your favorite Pod Coffee?

• 3 Stylish Espresso Machines

  Jason Coffee

  26 Jan 2012 | 9:55 am

  There are so many Coffee Machine Suppliers out there which make stylish espresso machines. With so many to choose it was hard to narrow it down but today I would like to highlight just 3 Stylish Espresso Machines that have me drooling. 3 Stylish Espresso Machines Bugatti Div The Bugatti Diva is a 15-bar pump espresso machine which has a design that just pops out as stylish. It is fitted with a temperature gauge, brass fittings, integrated water tank and a cup warmer. This stylish espresso machine measures at approximately 12-2/5 by 13 by 18-1/2 inches which is not much counter space for so…

• Coffee Jokes

  Jason Coffee

  22 Jan 2012 | 6:03 pm

  Just for fun I have been tweeting and posting facebook updates with coffee jokes. The Coffee Jokes are often times corny and many times fueled by the coffee I am drinking at the time. If you have coffee jokes please share them in the comments. I will continue to add jokes and update this article over time. Coffee Jokes Why did Coffee cross the road? – Because he was tired of being ground-ed. Why did Coffee cross the road? – To get to his daily grind. Why was Espresso so sad? – Because he was under so much pressure at work. Who does Coffee trust most? – Espresso…

• Latte Art Video: Rosetta

  Jason Coffee

  21 Dec 2011 | 4:51 pm

  Latte Art Video of a barista from Cafe Main making a Rosetta.

• Latte Art: Rosetta and Heart

  Jason Coffee

  20 Dec 2011 | 6:50 pm

  Today I hung out with Tikva, Owner and Manager, at Cafe Main in Grandview Missouri. She showed me how to pour the latte art designs such as rosetta and heart. We got a bunch of great footage that I am going to share with you over the next couple weeks but for now here is a short compilation. Latte Art

• 

  NEWS IN ENGLISH

• Red Wings and Maple Leafs to play at Big House

  9 Feb 2012 | 1:21 pm

  ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) - The Detroit Red Wings and Toronto Maple Leafs will began 2013 by renewing their rivalry at one of North America's most iconic stadiums.The two Original Six foes will play in the Winter Classic on Jan. 1 at Michigan Stadium,...

• Minnesota goes for NCAA-best 20th win vs. Denver

  9 Feb 2012 | 1:18 pm

  Minnesota (19-9-1) at Denver (15-9-4) Friday, 10 p.m. ET, NBC Sports Network MODERN HISTORY: Denver: Early on, it looked as if Denver was headed for a roller-coaster season that included some dominant performances (a 10-2 win over Minnesota Sta...

• Wings, Leafs to play '13 Winter Classic at Big House

  9 Feb 2012 | 11:40 am

  DETROIT -- The NHL's Winter Classic has grown bigger each season of its five-year existence. It's only fitting that the next stop for the Jan. 1 outdoor game will be at Michigan Stadium, known by many as "The Big House." NHL Commissioner Gary B...

• Koivu cleared to return for Wild after 8 games out

  9 Feb 2012 | 11:01 am

  ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) - Minnesota Wild captain Mikko Koivu has been cleared to return to the lineup after missing the last eight games with a left shoulder injury.Wild coach Mike Yeo said before Thursday's game against Vancouver that he expected Ko...

• Canucks get good news on Sedin's foot; game-time decision vs. Wild

  9 Feb 2012 | 10:55 am

  ST. PAUL, Minn. - The Vancouver Canucks say Henrik Sedin has no broken bones in his right foot.Head coach Alain Vigneault said before Thursday night's game at Minnesota that a CT scan came back clean. Sedin took part in the morning skate, and Vign...

• 

  True-Blood.net - True Blood season 5 news, spoilers, & photos!

• Jessica Tuck to Get Scary on GRIMM

  Mel

  9 Feb 2012 | 12:11 pm

  Jessica Tuck, the late Nan Flanagan on True Blood, will guest star in an episode of NBC’s Grimm later this season. Per EW, Jessica will guest star in “Love Sick” as a Hexenbiest, part of the series’ central mystery. Grimm airs Fridays at 9/8c on NBC and combines the traditional police procedural with traditional (but [...]

• True Blood vs. The Vampire Diaries Cover Shoots

  Liz

  8 Feb 2012 | 12:15 pm

  Who says True Blood isn’t a trend-setter? Not us! The Vampire Diaries has been compared to True Blood since its premiere and even before that. The love triangle of vampire-girl-vampire has created some of the most popular shipping teams and the most passionate. So with the release of EW’s new cover featuring Elena, Stefan and Damon in [...]

• INTERVIEW: Ryan Kwanten Answers Kidarazzi’s Questions

  Liz

  8 Feb 2012 | 9:45 am

  Kidarazzi caught up with Ryan Kwanten in Utah recently, and sharing a Coke and a smile, gives them his best acting tips as well as how to effectively hide your greens to get to dessert. Watch this. Related posts: New Interview with Ryan Kwanten Interview: Ryan Kwanten Discusses ‘Guardians’ Ryan Kwanten is Not Suitable For Children [...]

• Happy Birthday Jim Parrack

  Helen

  7 Feb 2012 | 10:22 pm

  We hope you will all join us in wishing Jim Parrack (aka Hoyt Fortenberry) a very happy birthday today. We hope he has a fantastic day and an even better year ahead. Related posts: Happy Birthday Sam Trammell Happy Birthday Michelle Forbes! Happy Birthday Rutina Wesley Happy Birthday Jim Parrack was first posted on February [...]

• PHOTOS: Which True Blood Co-Stars Are Working On Another Project?

  Mel

  7 Feb 2012 | 1:37 pm

  True Blood co-stars Carrie Preston and Janina Gavankar are spending time away from the True Blood set filming another project together, Anna Margarita Albelo’s film I Am Afraid of Virginia Wolf. SheWired has photos from the set of the production, along with an opportunity to help fund the project. Click through for more information. Related posts: [...]

• 

  RedState

• House Brings Conservative Reform to Broken Highway System

  ()

  9 Feb 2012 | 10:54 am

  This morning we awoke to find that the New York Times Editorial Board and Redstate’s Erick Erickson had aligned themselves on an issue by both taking a shot at the American Energy & Infrastructure Jobs Act, a bill the House will consider next week. Usually when a situation like that arises, something’s amiss. And that is certainly the case today. It’s not surprising the New York Times hates the bill – it’s the most conservative plan for America’s infrastructure in anyone’s lifetime. That’s why Erick’s post this morning was so surprising. But there’s an explanation.

• (With a Nod to Christopher Wren), if You Seek the Establishment, Look Around You…

  ()

  9 Feb 2012 | 10:00 am

  From the diaries… We had a smallish political brush-fire here in Michigan in 1982. The grizzled old William Milliken had finally decided that 124 terms was enough as Governor, and he was hanging up the cleats. Jim Blanchard, a weirdo Democrat downriver Detroit Big Labor congressman decided he would run, as did a few other miscreants from the Democrat party. Even the benighted John Conyers toyed with the idea, until someone pointed it out to the congressman that if he were elected Governor, he’d actually have to LIVE in Michigan, and to heck with that. On the Republican side, all…

• Tim Murphy’s Love Affair with Big Labor

  ()

  9 Feb 2012 | 9:30 am

  From the Diaries by Leon… Keith Impink runs Westmoreland Electric, a small business in Tarrs, Pennsylvania which was founded in 1988 with two employees and a truck.  His company, now 65 employees strong, is the type of job creator we should empower to move our state and country out of these difficult economic times. The painful irony for local job creators like Keith is their very own Congressman, Tim Murphy, has consistently voted to make it harder for small businesses to grow, thrive and prosper. Small business can’t compete against Big Labor, and it’s tough to find a more…

• The Fiscal Conservative “Go It Alone” Strategy Failed

  ()

  9 Feb 2012 | 9:00 am

  From the diaries by Leon… Let me begin with two brief qualifiers.  First, I believe in fiscal conservatism.  I am a 100% fiscally conservative believer in small government.  I also happen to be 100% in favor of social conservatism and a strong national defense.  So, in short, I am a Reagan conservative.  The following diary is not a critique of fiscal conservatism but rather those fiscal conservatives who continually bash social conservatives while at the same time asking for their vote.  Second, those aforementioned fiscal conservatives were not exactly loners.  They simply…

• The World America Made

  ()

  9 Feb 2012 | 7:00 am

  Download audio here Download Podcast | iTunes | Podcast Feed On today’s edition of Coffee and Markets, Brad Jackson and Ben Domenech are joined by Robert Kagan to discuss his new book, The World America Made, the importance of America’s military muscle, and how the world may change if America is no longer the world’s superpower. We’re brought to you as always by BigGovernment and Stephen Clouse and Associates. If you’d like to email us, you can do so at coffee[at]newledger.com. We hope you enjoy the show. Related Links: Buy The World America Made on…

• 

  Drudge Retort

• Caterpillar Won't Build Plant in Illinois

  glasshouse

  9 Feb 2012 | 3:23 pm

  The Peoria-based Caterpillar won't be building its new North American plant in Illinois, company officials said Tuesday, in part over concerns about the business climate in the state. Instead, Caterpiller is looking for a location closer to its division headquarters in Cary, N.C. "Caterpillar's previously documented concerns about the business climate and overall fiscal health of the state of Illinois still would have made it unpractical for us to select your community for this project," the company said in a letter explaining its decision.

• Did Paul Secretly Win Caucuses?

  rcade

  9 Feb 2012 | 12:01 pm

  Dave Weigel: They all laughed at Ron Paul. They all laughed when he took a stage in Minnesota, having come in a solid second place, and reminded the faithful of a "little thing called delegates!" They were serious about it. Paul's people believe that they understand the delegate process, and that the media does not. There is truth here: The delegate process is confusing, and I assume that Paul supporters have used their four years of organizing and studying in a fruitful manner.

• Library Patron Watches Porn Around Kids

  MURPHY

  9 Feb 2012 | 11:55 am

  A Seattle librarian refused to force a man watching hardcore porn on one of its computer to move to a more discreet location, even after a woman with two children complained, reports the Seattle Post-Intelligencer. The Lake City librarian said the library "doesn't censor content" and could not "be in the business of monitoring what their patrons are doing at any given computer."

• Senators Favor War Over Containment

  monstman

  9 Feb 2012 | 11:29 am

  A bipartisan group of senators including Bob Casey (D-Penn.), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Joseph Lieberman (I-Conn.) are circulating a draft resolution to pressure the Obama administration to limit diplomatic efforts to resolve concerns about Iran's nuclear program. The resolution rules out "a strategy of containment for a nuclear-armed Iran in the strongest and clearest terms," the senators said -- a move that would make war more likely.

• Hannity Can't Accept Obama Got Bin Laden

  reinheitsgebot

  9 Feb 2012 | 9:25 am

  Fox News host Sean Hannity, arguing that President Barack Obama shouldn't be credited with the U.S. finding and killing Osama bin Laden, said, "The public does give him credit for that. But it wouldn't have happened if he had his way, and I think that can be proved as well on tape." Hannity never explained what the tape is, or why he's never broadcast such evidence.

• 

  All About Jazz News

• RIGHTS: Texas Jury Strikes Down Patent Trolla€(TM)S Claim to Own the Interactive Web

  9 Feb 2012 | 2:59 pm

  TYLER, Texas&#151After threatening web companies for more than a decade, Michael Doyle and his patent-holding company Eola&#151named after the Irish word for knowledge&#151may be finished. An eight-member federal jury in East Texas deliberated Thursday for just a few hours before concluding that all of Eolas' asserted claims of ownership to technology allowing access to the interactive web were invalid. That means the three upcoming trials that were scheduled to rule on infringement and damages, for Google, Yahoo, and other companies, have been cancelled. The eight defendant…

• PERFORMANCE/TOUR: Jazz in the Big Apple

  9 Feb 2012 | 2:43 pm

  David Sanborn Trio (Tuesday through Feb. 19) At 8 and 10:30 p.m., Blue Note, 131 West Third Street, West Village, (212) 475-8592 bluenote.net Cyrille AimA(C)e (Tuesday through Feb. 18) At 8:30 and 11 p.m., Birdland, 315 West 44th Street, Clinton, (212) 581-3080, birdlandjazz.com Bruce Barth Quartet (Friday and Saturday) At 8, 10 and 11:30 p.m., Smoke, 2751 Broadway, at 106th Street, (212) 864-6662, smokejazz.com...

• TECHNOLOGY: Google's First Hire, Craig Silverstein, Leaves for Start-Up

  9 Feb 2012 | 2:27 pm

  Google's first hired employee, Craig Silverstein, is leaving the tech giant where he's worked since its founding to sign on with the rising education start-up Khan Academy. Silverstein&#151who was technically Google's third employee, after co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin&#151was instrumental in creating the search engine that has built Google into one of the world's leading tech companies. Google's search engine was the its first product and is still its most widely used...

• PERFORMANCE/TOUR: Vocalist Gregory Porter Will Tour to Support Release of "Be Good"

  9 Feb 2012 | 2:11 pm

  Sophomore Release from Grammy Nominee Will Be Released on Motema Music on February 14, 2012 East Coast Shows Scheduled For Boston, New York, Detroit, Chicago and Pittsburgh From March 15 Through April 3 In the short fifteen months since Gregory Porter exploded onto the international music scene with his debut CD, Water (Motema Music, 2010), he has racked up a continuing stream of accolades and awards. Porter's Water garnered a 'Best Jazz Vocal ' Grammy nomination (a rare feat for a debut recording), rocketed to #1 on both iTunes and Amazon in the UK, made significant sales inroads and has…

• TV/FILM: Jimmy Iovine Feted by Grammy Producers; Praises Lana Del Rey

  9 Feb 2012 | 12:22 pm

  Those who only know Jimmy Iovine as an "American Idol" mentor, where his honest assessments and advice to aspiring superstars offer a valuable music biz context, might not have a clear picture of his influence on American popular culture over the last 40 years. Yes, he's head of Interscope Records, and has some of the most respected ears in the business, but what's the big deal...

• 

  Jazz

• The Mingus Orchestra On JazzSet

  9 Feb 2012 | 1:48 pm

  Dig the deep, dark, blues-drenched, jubilant Mingus groove from St. Bart's Church in New York City.» E-Mail This     » Add to Del.icio.us

• Tammy McCann On 'Piano Jazz: Rising Stars'

  9 Feb 2012 | 8:33 am

  McCann's extensive vocal background crosses genres, as she uses operatic melodies to scat.» E-Mail This     » Add to Del.icio.us

• Kris Bowers On 'Piano Jazz: Rising Stars'

  9 Feb 2012 | 8:33 am

  From prepared piano to quiet ballads, the pianist keeps a wide sonic palette in orbit.» E-Mail This     » Add to Del.icio.us

• Grace Kelly On 'Piano Jazz: Rising Stars'

  9 Feb 2012 | 8:32 am

  The alto-saxophone phenom duets with host Jon Weber in "The Way You Look Tonight" and more.» E-Mail This     » Add to Del.icio.us

• Taylor Eigsti On 'Piano Jazz: Rising Stars'

  9 Feb 2012 | 8:32 am

  The young pianist inaugurates a new program highlighting the jazz legends of tomorrow.» E-Mail This     » Add to Del.icio.us

• 

  Miles Davis News

• Teenage jazz player wins chance to perform at Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club

  9 Feb 2012 | 12:36 pm

  A teenage boy at a school in Kingsbury "wowed" his teacher when he won the chance to perform at one of the world's most famous jazz clubs.

• Laila Biali and the womanly wave in jazz

  9 Feb 2012 | 8:21 am

  Getting the nod from Benny Goodman during a sizzling version of "Sing, Sing Sing" at Carnegie Hall, in January 1938, pianist Jess Stacey quietly began to unfurl one of the greatest solos in jazz history.

• Portland Jazz Master Thara Memory honors Miles Davis in ambitious program

  8 Feb 2012 | 11:02 pm

  "Thara's commitment to our music is a beacon of inspiration to musicians everywhere, and an example for all practitioners of the arts and all educators." Grammy winner Esperanza Spalding, a former student In a speech given at the Mission Theater the previous year, before the Portland Jazz Festival kicked off, perennial honoree, the honorable ... (more)

• Black history: Jazz rebel Les McCann

  8 Feb 2012 | 1:38 pm

  Les McCann is known for his extemporaneous ability to deliver a performance on the whim of a notion to play from his core.

• The guide to the week's concerts

  8 Feb 2012 | 9:34 am

  YES, PLEASE: Grohg, Overtone Quartet, Wanda Jackson, Nantucket, Driver, Hidden Cat, Fuck the Biters, Doomtree, Tatsuya.

• 

  Michael Buble News

• Warner Music Losses Grow 44%, Revenue Flat Despite Digital Gains

  9 Feb 2012 | 9:26 am

  Warner Music Group this morning reported that losses were up 44% to $26 million in their first fiscal quarter ending December 31, 2011.

• Tony Bennett on Why He'll Never Slow Down

  8 Feb 2012 | 11:23 am

  At 85, the beloved jazz singer made music history when his latest album, Duets II , debuted at the top of the Billboard album charts, making him the oldest recording artist ever to achieve the No.

• Drake & Nickelback Land Multiple JUNO Award Nominations

  7 Feb 2012 | 11:14 pm

  Normally dapper TV presenter Craig Doyle spotted at Today FM studios in a hoodie and jeans with wife Doon Doyle,Dublin, Ireland 07.02.12 After party for JayZ's performance at Carnegie Hall to benefit The United Way of New York City and The Shawn Carter Foundation held at 40/40,New York City, USA 06.02.12 Rapper Drake, rockers Nickelback and singer ... (more)

• Drake, Justin Bieber Among 2012 Juno Award Nominees

  7 Feb 2012 | 7:09 pm

  The broad field includes a number of stars who've hit it big in the U.S., including multiple nominations for Drake , Justin Bieber and Nickelback , among others.

• Dawn French moves away from her all-black attire in a dress adorned with bright and bold love hearts

  7 Feb 2012 | 3:50 pm

  But ever since she lost eight stone, Dawn French has played it safe in the dark colour, even on her gorgeous slimline new frame.

• 

  John Coltrane News

• Obama's Weird Campaign Playlist: Ricky Martin, Arcade Fire, James Taylor And More

  9 Feb 2012 | 10:56 am

  The Obama campaign launched its official 2012 Campaign Playlist on T witter this morning, which is available on Spotify .

• A leader among women

  9 Feb 2012 | 3:46 am

  "Cannonball Adderley is a main influence ... and John Coltrane," said Fuller in a telephone interview last Thursday.

• Album reviews: Van Halen and John Coltrane

  8 Feb 2012 | 11:41 pm

  There are a few arguments in life that'll never reach closure: Coke vs. Pepsi, Chevy vs.

• Music DVD Review: Jazz Icons - Series 5

  8 Feb 2012 | 7:37 pm

  Jazz fans owe a debt of gratitude to the folks behind the Jazz Icons DVD series. As explained in the liner notes for the recently issued fifth series, a steep downturn in the DVD market during 2009 just about closed the door on this invaluable treasure trove of live jazz videos.

• PERFORMANCE/TOUR: Music of the Tenor Masters on March 23-24 at Jazz at Lincoln Center

  8 Feb 2012 | 3:28 pm

  The Music of the Tenor Masters: Joe Lovano & Benny Golson March 23-24&#151The Allen Room Tenor saxophonists have often been among the most important jazz musicians of their times&#151from Lester Young and John Coltrane, to Dexter Gordon and Joe Henderson, to name a few.

• 

  Chris Botti News

• Jazz artist at ECU tonight

  8 Feb 2012 | 9:22 pm

  Named one of the 50 most beautiful people by "People Magazine," Chris Botti will perform at 8 p.m. today in Wright Auditorium on the ECU Campus.

• SLSO's 2012-13 season to feature concerts with Wynton Marsalis and JaLCO, Chris Botti

  7 Feb 2012 | 11:35 pm

  The Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra tonight announced its season schedule for 2012-13 , and the lineup of concerts includes a few performances that could be of potential interest to local jazz fans.

• The Heights Of Nepal's Jazzmandu 2005

  7 Feb 2012 | 11:01 am

  When it's noon in India, it's 12:15 p.m. on the other side of the northern border, as Nepal operates in a time zone independent of every country on Earth.

• Surprise that special someone with concert tickets for Valentine's Day

  4 Feb 2012 | 1:42 pm

  If you're trying to decide what to do for that special someone for Valentine's Day here are some upcoming concerts in Dallas and Grand Prairie that might be worth checking out.

• Jazz trumpeter Chris Botti brings unique musical blend to Waco Symphony

  1 Feb 2012 | 10:58 pm

  Tickets : $40, $30 and $25. Call 754-0851 for ticket information or go online at wacosymphony.com . Tickets for a pre-concert dinner at 6 p.m. at The Palladium, 729 Austin Ave., cost $55; call 733-7627 or go to wacosymphonycouncil .com by Monday for reservations.

• 

  Lifehacker

• Google Revamps its Navigation Bar...Again [Google]

  Whitson Gordon

  9 Feb 2012 | 3:45 pm

• Perform Nearly Any Windows Task with One Keystroke [Keyboard Shortcuts]

  Whitson Gordon

  9 Feb 2012 | 3:30 pm

  More »

• Save Files with Any Extension From Windows' Save As Menu [Windows Tips]

  Whitson Gordon

  9 Feb 2012 | 3:00 pm

  More »

• Daily App Deals: Get Remoter: Remote Desktop (VNC) for iOS for 50% Off in Today's App Deals [Deals]

  Doug Shipley

  9 Feb 2012 | 2:30 pm

• Offer to Pay Up Front to Get Discounts on Dental Care [Saving Money]

  Thorin Klosowski

  9 Feb 2012 | 2:00 pm

  More »

• 

  MAKE

• Make: Talk 004 – Steve Lodefink, Broad-Spectrum Hobbyist

  Mark Frauenfelder

  9 Feb 2012 | 2:30 pm

  Here’s the fourth episode of MAKE‘s podcast, Make: Talk! In each episode, I’ll interview one of the makers featured in the magazine. Our maker this week is Steve Lodefink. An inveterate tinkerer and “broad-spectrum hobbyist,” Steve just can’t say no to a cool project. At three, he was already reverse-engineering the peanut butter and jelly sandwich: “I figured out where all of the parts were, found a good tool, and built one. I’ve been doing it ever since.” He lives in Seattle with his wife and two sons, two cats, five tarantulas, and 24…

• FreeD: A Handheld CNC Milling Device

  Jie Qi

  9 Feb 2012 | 2:00 pm

  Anyone who’s ever tried woodcarving using a chisel or gouge knows how difficult it can be. It is not trivial to translate an idea — a concept of a shape — from one’s imagination into a physical form. Whether using your hands or a manual tool, manipulating a raw material at will is a demanding task. FreeD (by Amit Zoran & Joe Paradiso from the Responsive Environments Group at the MIT Media Lab) is a handheld, digitally-controlled milling device. It is guided and monitored by a computer while still preserving the craftsperson’s freedom to sculpt and carve by…

• How-To: Switchable-Polarity 250,000 Volt Power Supply

  Sean Ragan

  9 Feb 2012 | 1:00 pm

  In today’s project on diyphysics.com, David Prutchi shows how to build a Cockcroft–Walton multiplier using a “ladder” of capacitors and diodes on perfboard, submerged in mineral oil, inside a sealed plastic container. The multiplier takes high voltage AC, e.g. from a TV flyback transformer, and both rectifies it to DC and steps it up considerably. David reports outputs of 250kV given 12V input at the flyback driver. A handy feature of his design is that it can provide high-voltage DC of either polarity with respect to ground. And yes, to be clear about it: Making a mistake…

• Hackerspace Happenings: Jigsaw Renaissance Finds a New Home

  John Baichtal

  9 Feb 2012 | 11:00 am

  Are you a hackerspace member with an event you’d like to publicize? Send it to johnb@makezine.com or tweet me at @johnbaichtal and I’ll post it. Also feel free to subscribe to my hackerspaces Twitter list. Hackerspace Happenings runs weekly(ish) Tuesday(i)s(h). Jigsaw Renaissance Housewarming Party Seattle hackerspace Jigsaw Renaissance has moved into its new space, and is throwing a party to celebrate! Jigsaw has moved around a bit in its life. We started off in a tiny Quonset hut beneath a construction-riddled bridge. Then we were in the Madison space, and then in our temporary…

• 3D-Printed Shells for Hermit Crabs

  Sean Ragan

  9 Feb 2012 | 9:00 am

  If you can endure the relentless puns, the tag aggregator page for MakerBot’s Project Shellter is a fun read. There are cool pics of the denizens of MakerBot’s official “crabitat” sporting their fused-filament homes (such as “Paris Shelton,” above, in a lovely little daffodil yellow number) as well as oddly touching night-time videos of each crab adopting its new home for the first time. [via nerdstink] More:Hermit crabs in glass

• 

  Practical Hacks

• Links roundup: Golf trip edition

  Kevin

  7 Feb 2012 | 4:56 pm

  As I write this, I’m in the midst of preparing myself for The Mother of All Golf Trips: 8 guys from around the country, Fort Lauderdale/Miami area courses, 10 rounds in 6 days.  Preparation includes getting the clubs and travel bag ready, doing a little stretching, and mostly engaging in e-TrashTalking.  It should be a great time; can’t wait! Here are a few articles of interest I came across recently: Top 10 Ways to Travel Smarter, Safer, and Cheaper @ Lifehacker.  A good, basic list; I’ve written about several of these, but there are a couple of areas I haven’t…

• Switch between multiple Gmail accounts in one browser

  Kevin

  5 Feb 2012 | 5:58 am

  I have three Gmail accounts: one that’s associated with this blog, my “standard,” everyday Gmail account, and one that I use solely for online ordering and signing up for offers.  Switching between them has always been a pain: I’d have to log out of one, then log into another,- until I discovered that you it’s possible to toggle between accounts in a second or two. All you need to do to make this happen is go to google.com/settings and enable “Multiple sign-in”  – Just click on “Edit” adjacent to Multiple sign-in, and you’ll…

• New travel hackers’ resource: Cards for Travel website

  Kevin

  1 Feb 2012 | 5:26 pm

  My old friend Chris Guillebeau has just launched a site that’s a handy reference for travelers who want to leverage credit card programs and bonuses for free (or reduced cost) travel, Cards for Travel.  One of the best features is a list of the best credit cards for airline mileage bonuses (note that some of the links on the site are affiliate links, meaning that Chris receives a referral bonus if you sign up for any of the cards).  Definitely worth checking out.

• Kayak: Domestic airline fees (chart)

  Kevin

  31 Jan 2012 | 6:48 pm

  Kayak has pulled together a handy reference chart which recaps the various and sundry fees charged by U.S. airlines.  Click on the excerpt below for a close-up view: See the entire chart here:  Airline Fees – Kayak

• Skating through the TSA checkpoint – quickly

  Kevin

  25 Jan 2012 | 5:41 pm

  A few days ago a coworker and I went through Security Checkpoint 2 at O’Hare.  Dave was immediately behind me as we approached the conveyer belt for the magnetometer, but after I exited the checkpoint, he took about 2-3 minutes to catch up with me as I waited on the concourse. I’ve written about this in the past, but here are the keys to getting through the TSA checkpoint quickly: Wear slip on shoes Have your boarding pass handy (see below) Put your cell phone, wristwatch, and other similar (metallic) items in a zippered compartment in your bag well before getting to the…

• 

  WineSpectator.com: News & Features

• Bogus Burgundies? (Wine Spectator)

  9 Feb 2012 | 5:00 am

  Rare bottles are pulled from a London auction after collectors raise questions about authenticity

• New York Giants Party with Giant Bottle, Giant Celebs (Wine Spectator)

  9 Feb 2012 | 4:00 am

  Plus, the law catches up with wine criminals, wine for monkeys and the intersection of fine wine and China gets more congested

• Moscato Mania (Wine Spectator)

  8 Feb 2012 | 7:00 am

  Sales of the easy-drinking bubbly have skyrocketed—is it a passing fad or here to stay?

• Wine's Three Biggest Lies (Wine Spectator)

  7 Feb 2012 | 3:00 am

  Why good wine lovers tell bad lies

• New Hillside Vineyards on Hold in Sonoma (Wine Spectator)

  3 Feb 2012 | 5:00 am

  County orders four-month freeze over concerns of tree removal and erosion

• 

  Food & Wine: Articles

• Dan Barber’s Tips for Cooking, Eating and Living Sustainably

  7 Feb 2012 | 10:40 am

  Plus: Sustainability Farming, Eating and Cooking Locally Favorite Restaurants and Things to Eat Sustainability Dan, how can we bring the locavore movement to medium-priced restaurants? Dan Barber: It’s a hard one. It is about making choices, and changing your menu often, maybe daily. Buy the whole lamb, use all the parts and there will be a savings overall. But that means you cannot serve loin of lamb ...

• Top Chef Top 10: Mike Isabella

  3 Feb 2012 | 1:02 pm

  Plus:  Tips from Top Chef Stars 1. Greek Islands “The most beautiful place I’ve ever been. A lot of the hotels and houses are built right into the cliffs. I got to see the best sunsets in the world.” 2. Will Ferrell “He’s the funniest comedian today. He always plays a grown man acting like a big kid. I can relate; I still sometimes think of myself as a kid at a carnival.” 3. Whole-Wheat Fettuccine “If yo...

• The Hungry Crowd: Natalie Coughlin

  3 Feb 2012 | 11:49 am

  Natalie Coughlin Cooks for a Cause “At a charity event for the aquatics programs at UC Berkeley, my alma mater, I cooked a four-course meal for eight people out of Thomas Keller’s Ad Hoc at Home cookbook. The main course was the Catalan-style short ribs. It took several days—first roasting the beef bones for the stock, and then braising the ribs, and then making the stew. A good friend helped me serve the meal, but I did all the cooking myself. I typed up everythin...

• Editor’s Letter

  3 Feb 2012 | 11:16 am

  For a very long while, I have cheerily made my favorite foods in a broad range of cuisines—French, Italian, Chinese, American—taking advantage of a world of incredible, newly available ingredients. I’m proud of my shopping forays through New York City, buying different kinds of greens in Chinatown or new varieties of pasta at Eataly. But when I started using a couple of healthy new cookbooks that include ingredients I’ve never tried before, like flaxseed and ...

• Green Design: Urban-Rustic Interiors

  3 Feb 2012 | 10:59 am

  Courtesy of Knibb Design Sean Knibb Born In: Montego Bay, Jamaica Lives In: Los Angeles Claim to Fame: Landscape design Chef Fans Roy Choi, an F&W Best New Chef 2010, hired Knibb to design his Los Angeles restaurant A-Frame, in a former International House of Pancakes. Knibb exposed the Douglas fir ceiling, covered the walls in knotty pine and set burlap cushions on cement benches—Asian minimalism meets American picnic. For Choi’s new Sunny Spot, Knibb...

• 

  Epicurious.com: Latest Features

• How to Make Magnolia Bakery's Red Velvet Cupcakes

  epicurious.com

  9 Feb 2012 | 5:00 am

  This Tuesday, surprise your loved one with homemade red velvet cupcakes with help from none other than Magnolia Bakery. Watch the video to see the famous bakerys Bobbie Lloyd demonstrate how to bake and frost these delicious treats.

• Romantic Menu Planner

  epicurious.com

  8 Feb 2012 | 7:45 am

  Whats the perfect recipe for a romantic meal? To find your ultimate Valentine's Day menu, use our fun, interactive Romantic Menu Planning tool. Answer six easy questions, and we'll formulate a romantic recipe plan that corresponds to your skill in the kitchen, how much time you have to cook, and the type of food you're interested in preparing.

• Valentines Day Table Crafts

  epicurious.com

  7 Feb 2012 | 9:50 am

  February 14 is a day for exchanging cards and eating chocolate, sure, but it's also a day for spending sweet time with loved ones. Serve up a special family Valentine's Day with our creative, kid-friendly art projects, including several that can go straight from the craft table to the dining table.

• Aphrodisiacs to Sweeten Your Valentines Day

  epicurious.com

  6 Feb 2012 | 5:00 am

  Foodies who want to get into the mood for Valentine's Day know that aphrodisiacs can help spice things up between friends and lovers. As documented throughout history, foods such as chocolate, honey, oysters, and figs have all been said to ignite and sustain desire, passion, energy, and love. See for yourself with 10 recipes that incorporate these ingredients, plus some others that you might not expect.

• Top Five Beer Cocktails

  epicurious.com

  5 Feb 2012 | 5:00 am

  Instead of simply picking up a case of beer to share with guests during the big game tonight, why not spice things up by making beer cocktails? In this feature, we share recipes for five beer cocktails, including some oldies-but-goodies, a few reinterpretations, and a couple of brand-new cocktails created by the nation's top mixologists.

• 

  Amateur Gourmet

• LudoBites 8.0, Lemon Moon

  Adam Roberts

  9 Feb 2012 | 12:20 pm

  Imagine a restaurant that’s not really a restaurant but, rather, a temporary event that will exist for only a limited period of time. What you’ve just imagined is a pop-up restaurant, a phenomenon that’s sweeping the food world and that’s been spearheaded, mostly, but L.A.’s Ludo and Krissy Lefebvre. I met them both back in July when they came over to my New York apartment (what!) and I fed them a piece of Melissa Clark’s pecan chocolate chip loaf cake. We talked about the fact that I was moving to L.A. and how, once I got here, I’d have to eat at…

• Yellow Cake with Chocolate Frosting

  Adam Roberts

  7 Feb 2012 | 10:53 am

  What’s a birthday dinner without birthday cake? There has to be cake. And after polling Craig on his preferred dinner option (the aforementioned birthday lasagna), I queried him about cake. His response: “Yellow cake with chocolate frosting, please.” That’s when a hyperlink appeared in my brain sending me to this cake recipe from Smitten Kitchen. Click here to read the rest of this Amateur Gourmet post »

• Birthday Lasagna

  Adam Roberts

  6 Feb 2012 | 11:52 am

  For Craig’s birthday this year, I didn’t take him to a fancy dinner as I’ve done in years past (see here, here and here). This year his birthday had two components: (1) a dinner at home with his favorite foods; and (2) a weekend trip to Palm Springs. You’ll hear about Palm Springs later this week, but this post concerns that dinner at home. When I asked what he wanted for his entree, Craig, a little like Garfield, had one word in his speech balloon: “Lasagna.” Click here to read the rest of this Amateur Gourmet post »

• Three Chicken Dinners: Meyer Lemon Stuffed Chicken Breast, Italian Sweet & Sour Chicken & Chicken with Lentils and Marsala Gravy

  Adam Roberts

  1 Feb 2012 | 2:39 pm

  If you cook the same thing over and over and over again, eventually you get really good at it. That’s what happened with me and chicken: I’m really good at cooking it. And though there are many who find chicken boring, that’s usually because chicken, when stripped of its skin and bones, is, indeed, very boring. So the first rule is: never cook chicken without the skin or bones. The second rule is: be generous with salt. I’ve quoted this often, because I never forgot it; when Mario Batali had his old Food Network show he showered a raw chicken with salt and said:…

• The Eggslut

  Adam Roberts

  31 Jan 2012 | 11:30 am

  Confession: Before Saturday, I’d never been to a food truck. Predicted reaction: WHAT?! OH MY GOD!? YOU’RE A FOOD WRITER AND YOU’VE NEVER BEEN TO A FOOD TRUCK OH MY GOD I’M TOTALLY NOT GOING TO READ YOU ANYMORE AND I’M BURNING MY COMPUTER RIGHT NOW TO RID IT OF YOUR EMBARRASSING HUMILIATING ATTEMPT AT BEING A DECENT HUMAN BEING. Click here to read the rest of this Amateur Gourmet post »

• 

  101 Cookbooks

• Favorites List (February 2012)

  Heidi Swanson

  4 Feb 2012 | 4:59 pm

  Hi everyone. I'm not entirely sure what happened, somehow this turned into the mother of all favorites lists. The number of things that caught my attention kept piling up - articles, videos, photo series, recipes to try, places to visit someday - and here we are. Hope you enjoy, and I promise to be back in a few days with a recipe to share. - Pacific Coast Trail Moleskine Journals - The Joy of Quiet - E.L. Williams - Punjabi-laced chill-banger. - The Car Picture, 1987 -- 2011 (via wb) - Fantasy get-away, and this one too. - Roasted Sesame Winter Slaw & Maria Speck's Artichoke Tart with…

• Toasted Four Grain Cereal

  Heidi Swanson

  30 Jan 2012 | 8:27 pm

  Somehow, I've managed to pass the weekday breakfast baton. Wayne has always been the house barista, keeping me (and any visiting friends) adequately caffeinated. At some point, a couple years back, he started adding a toasty overnight oatmeal to his morning repertoire. Actually, he usually does a blend of oats and other rolled grains, but if you like oatmeal, you'll like this. Lynn, from Satsuma Press, stayed with us recently, was asking about the recipe. This is for her and any of you who are looking for a hot, filling, wintertime breakfast cereal that you can trick out with all sorts of…

• Miso Sesame Winter Squash

  Heidi Swanson

  24 Jan 2012 | 9:35 pm

  In the last week I've done a bunch of things. I returned to a vintage shop, just up the street, to buy a pair of old metal kitchen stools (painted a muted shade of robin's egg blue). Someone beat me to it. I baked a granola pound cake (a bit of a miss), brewed two batches of California common, and bought a sack of stinging nettles at the Farmers market to work into the cottage cheese pancakes I can't seem to get enough of. There were three loads of laundry, two runs of the dishwasher, and lots of friends who've stopped by. And I made this Miso Sesame Winter Squash for lunch yesterday. It's a…

• Citrus Salt

  Heidi Swanson

  18 Jan 2012 | 6:30 pm

  I'm not kidding when I tell you it looks like a citrus orchard shook out its limbs in my kitchen. There are sweet limes and Meyer lemons on the counter near the sink, wild limes in the corners of window sills, oblong mandarinquats and petite kalamansi oranges scattered across other flat surfaces. And then, the prize of all prizes, a massive, electric-yellow Buddha's hand (direct from a very special Southern California garden) putting off more fragrance than the rest combined. So, I set to work making a spectrum of citrus salts. They're pretty, and provide a pop of surprise, and your friends…

• Black Bread

  Heidi Swanson

  12 Jan 2012 | 8:46 pm

  As promised, black bread. It's what I crave when I think of winter-time baking, and I've been making consecutive loaves over the past few weeks. Caraway-crusted, flecked with dashes of grated carrot, it's dark and hearty, and perfect when toasted then topped with a fat smear of dill butter. This is a hodgepodge of a recipe that isn't shy with the rye flour, and stems from a version of black bread in Dan Lepard's Short & Sweet. I use Dan's ingredient list and the method of bread-making I learned as a kid. Pretty much - mix, rise, punch, rise, bake. What you end up with here is a rustic,…

• 

  Simply Recipes

• Kale with Sausage and White Beans

  6 Feb 2012 | 2:07 pm

  "You've converted me into a kale lover," a friend declared after eating a hearty bowl of this kale with sausage and white beans. Yay! I love it when I hear things like this. At our house a green vegetable is always served with dinner, and half the time it's some sort of green like chard, kale, spinach, mustard greens, or collards. It's my not-so-secret mission in my heart of hearts to convert everyone to loving their greens. Of course, it's hard to go wrong when you mix kale with Italian sausage and white beans. But, baby steps people. Baby steps. Continue reading "Kale with Sausage and White…

• Beef and Barley Stew with Mushrooms

  4 Feb 2012 | 3:48 am

  Although the days are getting longer, the sun just beginning to ride a little higher in the sky, the nights are still bone-chilling. Honestly, I never look forward to winter. But when I'm smack in the middle of it, I do appreciate its comforts—warm clothes, thick blankets, an excuse to use the fireplace, and a big pot of stew. And I mean a big pot. Heck, if you are going to go through all that trouble, you may as well make enough for plenty of meals during the week. This is one such stew, a hearty cousin of beef barley soup, but bulked up with carrots, celery root, and lots of mushrooms.

• Caramelized Onion Dip

  2 Feb 2012 | 1:15 pm

  I've always been a fan of onion dip, have you? Especially with ruffled potato chips. Most of the flavor in the onion dip with which many of us are familiar comes from a package of dried onion soup, which works if you have only 2 minutes to put together a dip. But if you are looking for something a little more special, you can make your own onion dip from scratch. The key is to caramelize the onions first. Continue reading "Caramelized Onion Dip" »

• Cheesy Jalapeño Pull Bread

  31 Jan 2012 | 1:31 pm

  Meandering along the Internet highway one day I happened upon several recipes for what looked like a hedgehog made of bread, stuffed with melted cheese and bacon. Brilliant! A lot like cheesy bread but more fun. I thought I would do my own version with jack and jalapeños. Yum! It's like a bread version of nachos. In the shape of a hedgehog. That you have to get your fingers messy with melted cheese to eat. Just the thing for a bunch of rowdies gathered to watch football, don't you think? Speaking of which, we have several fine Superbowl recipes on the site if you are looking for ideas. And…

• Sweet and Spicy Mushroom Stir Fry

  30 Jan 2012 | 10:02 am

  Please welcome guest author Garrett McCord as he shares a lip-smacking recipe for mushroom stir-fry he recreated from one he enjoyed in China. ~Elise During a recent trip through China I ate a lot of life changing food. Sichuan stir-fried duck tongues, homemade noodles in beef sauce, spicy lotus root with ginger, Sandouping-style boiled peanuts, curried yak with butter, deep fried river shrimp with garlic... Oh! The list goes on! You can believe that I was taking plenty of notes so that I could recreate these dishes back in the States. While in Beijing and Xi'an I noticed that much of the…

• 

  Food

• More Than Miso: Food Writer In Japan Records Struggling Region's Cuisine

  9 Feb 2012 | 1:46 pm

  In a new cookbook, food writer Elizabeth Andoh tells the story of the cuisine of Japan's Tohoku region, which was hard hit by last year's earthquake, tsunami and nuclear accident. Andoh says it's important to document the region's cuisine now, because traditional dishes often disappear during periods of upheaval.» E-Mail This     » Add to Del.icio.us

• Beef, Mushroom And Barley Soup

  9 Feb 2012 | 12:54 pm

  A recipe for beef, mushroom and barley soup» E-Mail This     » Add to Del.icio.us

• Tomato Bisque

  9 Feb 2012 | 12:54 pm

  A recipe for tomato bisque» E-Mail This     » Add to Del.icio.us

• Over Bowls Of Soup, Donors Find Recipe For Change

  9 Feb 2012 | 12:46 pm

  You don't have to have big bucks to join the latest trend in philanthropy. Soup groups around the country let diners pool their money to support deserving local initiatives. In Philadelphia, one dinner raised $225 for a teacher's class project.» E-Mail This     » Add to Del.icio.us

• Trans Fats Are Leaving The Food Supply And The Body, Study Finds

  9 Feb 2012 | 8:20 am

  Health researchers found the the levels trans-fatty acids in some Americans' blood decreased by 58 percent between 2000 and 2009. They say it's a sign that the campaigns to ban food products with trans fats have been working.» E-Mail This     » Add to Del.icio.us

• 

  RealEpicurean.com

• Why I Buy a Veggie Box and Think You Should Too

  Scott

  19 Jan 2012 | 11:39 am

  For a couple of years now I’ve been buying a vegetable box each week. Some people think that it is a waste of money and are quite entitled to their opinions, but for me it has allowed my kitchen adventures to take on a whole new lease of life. So, what could be so amazing about a vegetable box that it changes the whole way you cook? This past week mine contained parsnips, swede, sprouts, potatoes, pak choi, celeriac and cauliflower. None of that is particularly exciting, you might think, but what it does is allow me to do is eat tastier food, all of the time. And next I’ll explain…

• Spiced Pumpkin Soup with Truffle Oil

  Scott

  15 Jan 2012 | 4:52 am

  Spiced Pumpkin Soup This pumpkin soup almost didn’t make it to the blog. That’s not to say it isn’t delicious (it is), but it’s just so simple anyone could do it. Still, it tasted so good I just had to share it. I’ve had a couple of small pumpkins sitting in the conservatory for a month or so now. They arrived in my weekly vegetable box and while I love pumpkin, I just hadn’t got around to doing anything with them. Still, the great thing about pumpkin is that it will last for months after picking before it starts to go bad. Pumpkin is delicious but has a…

• Walnut and Honey Tart

  Scott

  8 Jan 2012 | 10:45 am

  Opening Walnuts Last autumn Gosia went pretty crazy about picking her own walnuts. Now I’ve got nothing against foraging, but she’d spend day after day in the local park filling up buckets with so many walnuts I highly doubt we’ll ever get around to using them all. This is the first dish we’ve made with the aforementioned nuts. We’d been watching River Cottage over Christmas when Hugh baked a Walnut and Honey Tart which looked absolutely delicious; ours – which I hope will also be delicious – is in the oven as I type this. Walnut and Honey Tart…

• The Perfect Honey-Mustard Roast Ham Recipe

  Scott

  2 Jan 2012 | 12:10 pm

  It’s the start of 2012; I suppose that means I need to start this post by wishing you all a Happy New Year! Typically for a family with a young child we stayed in on New Year, meaning we missed out on the festivities. This also led to me spending the turn of the year complaining – quite loudly – about how the nearby fireworks had awoken Mia who was now sitting in bed and crying. Honey-Mustard Roast Ham We always celebrate the first day of the new year by sitting down as a family for a traditional roast dinner (no healthy eating here, at least not yet!). As yesterday was my…

• World’s Best Flourless Chocolate Cake Recipe

  Scott

  30 Dec 2011 | 12:44 pm

  When my sister said to me that instead of a present for Christmas she just wanted a chocolate cake I really had to get my thinking cap on! I needed something both eye-catching and delicious – and this is what I ended up with. The World's Best Chocolate Cake? I knew I couldn’t get away with a chocolate sponge cake with the obligatory buttercream filling / topping – you can buy those anywhere. And while I could make a fancy looking Holiday Tree Bundt Cake that would be sure to look impressive, it probably wouldn’t taste like anything more than a whole lot of sponge.