Survey by Auction Bytes.com

Survey on Ecommerce and Social Networking

AuctionBytes.com is conducting a survey of online merchants to gather information about if and how they use social networking to promote their retail business. They want to know if people are using sites like Twitter, Squidoo, Facebook, LinkedIn, Ning, YouTube and MySpace for ecommerce-related business, and, if they are, how they are using them.

Please take a few moments to complete this survey.

The results will be published in the aggregate by AuctionBytes.com. Your individual answers will remain private.

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See entire article and survey here; http://www.auctionbytes.com/cab/abu/y209/m02/abu0232/s01


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Wedgwood Jewelry

Wedgwood jewelry

Various articles of personal adornment decorated with plaques of ceramic ware made by Josiah Wedgwood & Sons Ltd. Such articles (including finger rings, medallions, brooches, pendants, buckles, clasps, earrings) were often made by Josiah Wedgwood (1730-95) of jasper or black basalted earthenware, sometimes as a cameo or intaglio set in a metal mount.

The mounts were of gold, silver or marcasite, or of cut steel frequently made by Matthew Boulton of Birmingham, c. 1790.

Other articles which have been made of, or decorated with, Wedgwood jasper include beads, combs, chatelaines, and scent bottles. The ground of the jasper ware is of various colours, e.g. pale blue, lilac, sage-green, yellow, and black.

Josiah Wedgwood II made, c. 1812-22, some medallions of bone China that were mounted as brooches.

From: An Illustrated Dictionary of Jewelry, autor: Harold Newman, publishers: Thames and Hudson
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Pictured above: Wedgwood Gold Filled Egyptian Pendant, available at our CHShops.com Mall Store at: http://pennysantiquesandwedgwoodpantry.chshops.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=57_106&products_id=441

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Monopoly & WWII

Starting in 1941, an increasing number of British airman found themselves as involuntary guests of the Third Reich, and the crown was casting about for ways and means to facilitate their escape. Now obviously, one of the most helpful aids to that end is a useful and accurate map, one showing not only where stuff was, but also showing the locations of "safe houses" where a POW on-the-lam could go for food and shelter. Paper maps had some real drawbacks - they make a lot of noise when you open and fold them,they wear out rapidly, and if they get wet they turn to mush.

Someone in MI-5 ( similar to American OSS ) got the idea of printing escape maps on silk. It's durable, can be scrunched-up into tiny wads, and unfolded as many times as needed, and make no noise whatsoever. At that time, there was only one manufacturer in Great Britain that had perfected the technology of printing on silk, and that was John Waddington, Ltd.

When approached by the government, the firm was .only too happy to do its bit for the war effort. By pure coincidence, Waddington was also the U.K. licensee for the popular board game, Monopoly. As it happened, "games and pastimes" was a category of item qualified for insertion into "CARE packages", dispatched by the International Red Cross, to prisoners of war. Under the strictest of secrecy, in a securely guarded and inaccessible old workshop on the grounds of Waddington's, a group of sworn-to-secrecy employees began mass-producing escape maps, keyed to each region of Germany or Italy where Allied POW camps were located (Red Cross packages were delivered to prisoners in accordance with the same regional system). When processed, these maps could be folded into such tiny dots that they would actually fit inside a Monopoly playing piece. As long as they were at it, the clever workman at Waddington's also managed to add:

1. A playing token, containing a small Magnetic Compass.

2. A two-part metal file that could easily be screwed together.

3. Useful amounts of genuine high-denomination German, Italian,

and French currency, hidden within the piles of Monopoly money !

British and American air crews were advised, before taking off on their first mission, how to identify a "rigged" Monopoly set by means of a tiny red dot, one cleverly rigged to look like an ordinary printing glitch, located in the corner of the Free Parking square. Of the estimated 35,000 Allied POWs who successfully escaped, and estimated one-third were aided in their flight by the rigged Monopoly sets. Everyone who did so was sworn to secrecy indefinitely, since the British Government might want to use this successful ruse in still another, future war. The story wasn't de-classified until 2007, when the surviving craftsmen from addington's, as well as the firm itself, were finally honored in a public ceremony.

Anyway, it's always nice when you can play that "Get Out of Jail Free" card.
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Pictured Above: SPI Ares Game Magazine, available at our CHShops.com Mall Store at: http://pennysantiquesandwedgwoodpantry.chshops.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=21_77

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What Is A Veteran?
A 'Veteran' -- whether active duty, discharged, retired, or reserve -- is someone who, at one point in their life, wrote a blank check made payable to 'The United States of America,' for an amount of 'up to, and including his/her life.' That is honor, and there are way too many people in this country today, who no longer understand that fact.

Birmingham Museum is Gifted 10,000 Wedgwood Ceramics

Museum gets 10,000 pieces of Wedgwood ceramics
Gift has estimated value of more than $4 million

Friday, January 16, 2009

By: MICHAEL HUEBNER
News staff writer

After years of negotiations and legal wrangling in New York , the Birmingham Museum of Art has landed a gift of 10,000 Wedgwood ceramics with an estimated value of more than $4 million.

The collection, originally housed at the Buten Museum of Wedgwood in Merion , Pa. , was moved to Birmingham recently from Port Washington, Long Island , N.Y. It has been on long-term loan to Nassau County (N.Y.) Museums since the Buten museum closed in 1988.

Together with BMA's 1,400-piece Dwight and Lucille Beeson Wedgwood Collection, the Buten Collection will give the museum the largest and most comprehensive Wedgwood collection in the United States , and will rival the Wedgwood Museum in Barlaston , England , said Anne Forschler-Tarrasch, BMA's curator of decorative arts.

"It's the only collection of its kind in the country," she said. "It makes Birmingham the center for Wedgwood studies in the United States ."

To read entire article: http://www.al. com/entertainmen t/birminghamnews /arts.ssf? /base/entertainm ent/123209733814 0780.xml&coll=2

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Pictured above: Antique Wedgwood Jasperware Cobalt Lemonade Pitcher. See this and other antique and collectable Wedgwood at our CHShops.com Mall Store at: http://pennysantiquesandwedgwoodpantry.chshops.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=19_27&products_id=251

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Many Ways to Support Our Troops, Part IV

Transition, Scholarships and Vocation Rehabilitation:

These organizations provide transitions services, scholarships and vocational programs to help servicemembers and their families re-integrate in to the civilian world.

The Freedom Alliance - Organizes donations and contributions for our servicemembers, and also awards scholarships.

Operation One Family - Helps provide life skills, education and continuing support for the families of our fallen military heroes.

Operation Purple - National Military Family Association (NMFA) volunteer program provides educational camps for military children.

Sacred Heart Lodge - Provides a cost free hassle free vacation to those Soldier's who are returning from War to reconnect to their Families.

Soldiers' Angels - Support group aids wounded Soldiers with transitional backpacks, personal visits, and phone calls, etc., and also sends thanks via letters and email to the U.S. military and its allies.

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Wedgwood Jewelry is now in Penny's Pantry

Wedgwood Jewelry is now in Penny's Pantry

Wedgwood Jewelry has long been considered the epitome of refined jewelry. It lends dignity and a level of sophistication to the appearance of the man or woman who wears it.
Wedgwood Jewelry used to be very hard to find. Before the advent of Online Shopping, collectors went to estate auctions, antique shops, bazaars, flea markets and jewelry stores to find them. Collectors had to "settle" for only those pieces they could find readily, and pay the price asked for them. Not any more. Thanks to Online Shopping Malls and Markets, collectors can now choose from many more Wedgwood items, at a variety of prices, and increase their collections.

Pictured Above: Wedgwood Jasperware Gold Filled Egyptian Pendant, Circa 1977

We now have Wedgwood Vintage Jewelry in our CHShops.com Mall Store at: http://pennysantiquesandwedgwoodpantry.chshops.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=57_106&products_id=435


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WASP Served for Love of Flight

Jan. 20, 2009

WASP served for love of flight
by Staff Sgt. Matthew Bates

Defense Media Activity-San Antonio

SWEETWATER, Texas (AFRNS) -- When Betty Jo Reed was introduced to flying, it was love at first sight. She was 6 years old and her father paid $1 for her to take a ride in a Ford tri-motor airplane at a local fair in 1929. Once airborne, Ms. Reed was hooked. "I remember feeling free and happy, and loving the whole experience," she said. "From that point on, I knew that I wanted to fly."

It was a good time to be infatuated with flying. Flight was still new and romantic. Airplanes were starting to roll off production floors at a steady rate and pilots were stretching the limits of flight and teasing the imaginations of children and adults on a regular basis. Some of these pilots even made an impression on a young Betty Jo.

"Charles Lindbergh was trying to make the first trans-Atlantic flight, and every time I heard an airplane flying over our house I would run outside, waving and yelling, 'Hi Lindbergh,'" Ms. Reed said.

She doesn't do much running these days. And, at 85, her flying days are also behind her. But while time may have taken her ability to move fast or sit in the cockpit, one thing it left untouched is her love affair with flight -- a love affair that drove her to become one of the first women to fly a military aircraft.

Betty Jo, whose last name then was Streff, was a member of the Women Airforce Service Pilots, a unique corps of women pilots who were trained by the Army Air Forces to fly military aircraft during World War II. The training took place at a small airfield called Avenger Field in Sweetwater. "I was part of the seventh class of 1944," Ms. Reed said. "We were a tight-knit group of girls, too."

In all 1,074 women graduated from this training and earned the WASP title -- a title that carried considerably less weight in those days than it does now. "I was assigned to a unit in Mississippi," she said. "Right from the start, the boys there made it pretty clear we weren't wanted." This didn't bother Ms. Reed too much, though. As far as she was concerned, every day she was able to climb into the cockpit and take off was a good one. "Flying was freedom and I loved flying," she said. "I loved my job and I wouldn't have wanted to do anything else."

She spent her time in Mississippi performing maintenance flights. Once an airplane was repaired, she would take it up and make sure the plane worked the way it should. It was a great time and she was happy.

Then, just as fast as the program was started, the program was deactivated and the WASPs were told to go home in December 1944. "That was so disappointing," Ms. Reed said. "Some of the men were returning from the war and the Army decided it didn't need us anymore."

But the service couldn't deny the fact that these women had performed tremendously. During the war, WASP pilots flew more than 60 million miles of operational flights from aircraft factories to ports of embarkation and military bases, towing targets for live anti-aircraft artillery practice, simulating strafing missions and transporting cargo. Between September 1942 and December 1944, more than 50 percent of the ferrying of high-speed pursuit aircraft in the continental United States was carried out by WASP pilots. The women also flew all 77 aircraft in the Army Air Force arsenal, either in training or while in service.

Few people know these statistics; fewer still realize how important the WASPs were to the military at that time. Still, the WASP program showed the world that women could sit in the cockpit and fly just as well as their male counterparts -- war or no war. And in a career in which the door was typically slammed shut on women, a crack had suddenly appeared. The WASP program had opened the eyes and hearts of people across the country, and women everywhere began idolizing WASP pilots and looking to them as heroes.

Ms. Reed doesn't see it that way, though. "Oh, they call us pioneers and heroes, but I don't feel like either," she said. "We were just doing what we loved to do and jumped at the opportunity to do it. We weren't thinking how we would impact the world, just that we'd be flying some real fun aircraft. We didn't feel like heroes at all."

History disagrees with her though. History books tell the tale of Ms. Reed and her WASP sisters, painting them as pioneers, even legends. Air Force officials, too, recognize their contributions to the service and even include a section about them in the Professional Development Guide, a book used by enlisted Airmen to prepare them for promotion. But aside from a few words scattered across the pages of history books and the personal accounts of these women, there was little recognition. No shrine to honor them, no place where the WASP pilots were immortalized, no building that housed their memory so reverently sought to keep their legacy alive.

Then, in 2005, that all changed.

Nancy Parrish, daughter of WASP Deanie Parrish, set out to create a museum dedicated to her mother and all the other WASPs. With the help of local residents and city government officials, the National WASP World War II Museum was officially opened in May 2005. Fittingly, the museum was housed where it all began -- at Avenger Field.
Located in a 1929-style hangar, the museum is full of WASP memorabilia. Old uniforms, model aircraft, a recreation of the women's living quarters and training equipment used by the women are all on display, surrounded by hundreds of photos and memories so real they almost seem to come alive. This is fine, though. Keeping memories alive is the main reason the museum exists.

"The museum seeks to educate and inspire every generation with the history of the WASP, the first women in history to fly American's military aircraft, and who forever changed the role of women in aviation," said Marianne Wood, the museum's director.

So now Ms. Reed and her fellow WASPs have a shrine, a place to honor them and to keep their spirit, their dedication and their accomplishments alive forever. Ms. Reed can't run these days, but if she could, she would run through the museum, from photo to photo, and reminisce about "the good ol' days." Time may have taken her legs, but it has not touched her heart -- and her heart belongs to flight. (Courtesy of Air Force News Service)
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Winter Timesharing in Tahoe

We have recently returned from a week's timeshare ski trip to South Lake Tahoe, taken during the Christmas/New Year's holiday. Our accommodations this year were at Embassy Vacation Resort Lake Tahoe, an RCI Gold Crown resort. This resort is located
on the Lake; and we had a 4th floor, 2bdrm lockout, with a great view of the Lake and the mountains beyond. Within a mile of the Heavenly ski runs, our vacation resort was a perfect location for us, with indoor/outdoor pool, hot tub, on-site restaurant, and lots of additional amenities.

Lake Tahoe is a great family vacation destination, Winter or Summer; and we have stayed at several different timeshare resorts on and around the Lake, which have all been very nice accommodations.

Pictured above: Sunset view from our Embassy Vacation Resort balcony. See our timeshare rentals and resales at our CHShops.com Mall Store at: http://pennysantiquesandwedgwoodpantry.chshops.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=22_76&products_id=182

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More About Wedgwood, Part VII, Author Unknown

While less remarkable than the basalt or the jasper, the variegated ware manufactured by Wedgwood & Bentley is not without interest for the collector. Agate effects were produced by differentcolored clays, and cream-colored earthenware was colored on the surface and glazed to represent porphyry, granite, Egyptian pebble, etc.

A number of vases and bulb and flower-pots were made in these effects and in terra-cotta, likewise a few lamps and candelabra. A white porcelain biscuit, with smooth and wax-like surface, was also made, but only a few pieces of it are in existence. Some enameled ware was also turned out, but this is neither as distinctive nor as beautiful as the painted basalt.

The subject of cameos, medallions, etc., deserves a paragraph to itself. Some of Wedgwood's most decorative and most minutely perfect work was done in this class of pottery. At first these were in cream colored relief, with the ground stained. Then medallions, miniature portraits, intaglios, medals, etc., were made in black basalt. A few of these were flat, with a Classic figure painted in encaustic, but most of them were in black bas-relief. The invention of the jasper body enabled Wedgwood to produce white cameo reliefs on a colored ground in beautiful combinations. The relief was molded separately and so carefully applied that these cameos are often flawless under a magnify inb glass. Classic figures were used, and also portraits of royalties and other personages. There were several classes of these portrait cameos, some in basalt and others in jasper-chiefly blue and white. Medallion portraits were often set in silver and ranged from ring size to three inches in diameter. The commonest size was 2 x 1 1/4 inches, in oval form. The Classic medallions were also made in small sizes for jewels, and in larger sizes for framing or for mounting on furniture or mantels. Plaques were made for this purpose in sizes ranging from 9 x 6 inches to 27 1/2, x 81/2 inches.

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Pictured above: Wedgwood Egyptian Medallion. We have several pieces of vintage Wedgwood Jewelry coming soon to our ChShops.com Mall store at: http://pennysantiquesandwedgwoodpantry.chshops.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=57&zenid=9e2f83b33b9d36ec3417090a3e59b822. See their listings in a few days!

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Another Great Article from EcommerceBytes

Five Things Every Merchant Should Know about SEO
By Ina Steiner
EcommerceBytes
January 13, 2009

Danny Sullivan is considered one of the leading search engine gurus and has been helping webmasters, marketers and everyday web users understand how search engines work since 1995. Danny's fame among webmasters and Internet marketers exploded while head of Search Engine Watch, and he is now Editor-in-Chief of Search Engine Land. EcommerceBytes Insider sat down with Danny to get some tips on how online merchants can optimize their websites for greater exposure on search engines such as Google, Yahoo and Microsoft.

EBI: What is SEO, and why is it so important to website owners?

Danny Sullivan: SEO stands for "search engine optimization," and it broadly refers to the act of ensuring your content is well represented in the search engines and driving traffic to you for free. Search engines also accept paid listings, usually called "paid search" these days or sometimes "PPC" for pay-per-click, the most common way paid search is charged for. The combination of the two, SEO + Paid Search, fall under the umbrella term of "search engine marketing," also called SEM for short or just "search marketing."

SEO is important because, well, it's free traffic! Who doesn't want visitors that you can get "naturally" often by making a few simply changes. In particular, the vast majority of clicks from search engines come off the "unpaid" or "editorial" results, so without some thought to SEO, you might be missing these. Plus, people at search engines are ready to convert.

They've expressed an active desire for some product, service or need. Being in the listings is like having your shop door open to a stream of steady customers. Not being there is like having a shut door.

EBI: How often do search engines like Google change their algorithms, and how difficult is it for website owners to keep up with these changes?

Danny Sullivan: The algorithms change often but usually in subtle ways, and the broad factors don't shift that much. Have good content. Have good HTML page titles. Get links from relevant sites with a good reputation. Small sellers shouldn't think they "can't keep up" and so don't even try at all.

EBI: What are the five key things online merchants should know about SEO to help them increase exposure for their websites and/or listings?

Danny Sullivan: 1) Each page in your web site should have an HTML title tag that is unique to that page, which uses roughly 3-10 words using the terms you hope the page will be found for. So if you're selling a particular product, is the product name in the title tag? The model number? The brand? Be descriptive, and it can help.

2) Pages need to be accessible to search engines. This means that heavy use of Flash, JavaScript-only navigation or having all images can leave search engines "blind" to what the page is about or unable to find them at all. I'd suggest visiting google.com/webmasters to sign up for the free Webmaster Central Service, which provides a lot of free tools that can help determine if your site has any search engine issues.

3) Understand how people are searching for you. There are a variety of free tools out there that let you do "keyword research" and find the ways people might seek you out. Those are the terms you want to target as part of your page titles. You can find some of these tools here.

4) Consider Google Base, Yahoo Shopping and other services that let search engines have "shopping search" area. In particular, if you're part of Google Product Search, you can show up in a listing sometimes right at the top of "regular" Google.

5) Go beyond selling. The more you can become a product research resource, the more you can go beyond just listing products for sale and instead a resource people can turn to, the more likely you'll get links from other sites, which help with traffic. Can you allow people to comment on products, creating reviews? Can you write your own reviews? Can you offer product selection tips? Comparison charts. Content is king, when it comes to search.

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January Sale in Progress at Penny's Pantry

Multi-category Sale in Progress now until January 31, 2009. Browse our online catalog and find our extra specials at: http://www.pennyspantry.net. Sale ends Midnight, January 31, 2009.

Pictured above: just a small example of the variety of items on sale until Jan 31.

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Many Ways to Support Our Troops, Part III

Here are more ways to support our troops.


Health Care, Hospice, and Recovery Organizations

The following charitable organizations offer programs that provide comfort and support to our wounded veterans and their families:

American Red Cross Armed Forces - Offers medical services to active duty, veterans, reservists and families nationwide.
Angels of Mercy / No Soldier Left in Need - Donate clothes to wounded soldiers returning stateside, or donate to long-term rehabilitation programs
Armed Services Blood Program - Donate blood that will be sent to areas of need around the world.
Blinded Veterans Association - Volunteer and scholarship organization provides care and support for blind veterans and their families.
Comfort for America's Uniformed Services Elite - Provides comfort items for troops recuperating in military hospitals and rehabilitation centers from wounds and injuries.
Fisher House - Support families whose loved ones are being treated at military and VA hospitals.
VA Voluntary Service - Volunteer to help care for wounded veterans.
The Walter Reed Society - Walter Reed Society helps provide for the needs of many returning injured servicemembers and their families.
USO - Donations to the USO pay for hospital support for recuperating soldiers, USO entertainment tours and other important services

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USPS Launches New Priority Mail Box

U.S. Postal Service Launches New Priority Mail Box for $4.95
By Ina Steiner
AuctionBytes.com
January 09, 2009

The U.S. Postal Service (USPS) is launching a new, smaller Priority Mail Flat Rate Box, giving customers another choice in packaging to ship anywhere in the United States for one price, regardless of weight or destination. The Priority Mail Small Flat Rate Box measures 8-5/8 x 5-3/8 x 1-5/8 inches - about the same size and shape as three stacked DVD cases. The USPS said the smaller sized box is perfect for jewelry, electronics, event tickets, or other small items that need expedited shipping.

"Customers will find this new sized box a great addition to our line of flat-rate packaging," said Gary Reblin, vice president of Expedited Shipping. "If an item is too thick for a flat-rate envelope but too small to fill a larger flat-rate box, this is an ideal choice."

Like all USPS flat-rate boxes and envelopes, the new box is available free of charge and also can be used for international shipping. It will have a retail price of $4.95 effective January 18, 2009, regardless of weight, up to 70 lbs. for U.S. addresses. The international price, for up to 4 lbs., will be $10.95 to Canada or Mexico and $12.95 to all other countries, with savings of 5 percent for customers who ship online. Online prices also are lower for shipping to U.S. addresses. The online price will be $4.80, and for large volume mailers who qualify for USPS Commercial Plus pricing, the price will be $4.75.

Customers can order the new boxes online at usps.com/supplies in packs of 10 and 25, up to a maximum of 200, beginning January 12. Post Offices will begin stocking the boxes January 18.

With the launch of the Priority Mail Small Flat Rate Box, customers will have four different flat-rate boxes from which to choose: the two original boxes (similar to a clothing box and a shoe box), the Large Flat Rate Box introduced in 2008, and the new smaller box.
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More About Wedgwood, Part VI, Author Unknown

The Beautiful Pottery Of Wedgwood

The jasper ware was Wedgwood's own invention. It received his closest personal attention, and some of his finest pieces were made in it. It is best described in his own words as "a white porcelain bisque of exquisite beauty and delicacy, possessing the quality of receiving color throughout its whole substance. This renders it particularly fit for cameos, portraits, and all subjects in bas-relief, as the ground may be made of any color throughout and the raised figures in pure white." It included in its composition barium, clay, and finely ground flint, and in its natural color was a peculiar dense, opaque white, varying from chalk-white to ivory.

It is hard to say whether the chief charm of jasper-ware lies in its color, its form, or the beauty and perfection of the ornamentation. Certainly the colorings are superb. Many colors were employedmostly delicate tints-the light blue perhaps being the most popular and best known. There were at least five tones and hues of blue derived from cobalt, six tones of green, three tones of red, from orange to terra cotta, lilac, rose, plum, chocolate, buff, brown, canary-yellow, black, and four distinct whites. White was usually employed in relief on one of these colors, and sometimes with a combination of two other colors. Occasionally two colors were employed without white, such as olive-green on buff.

There were two ways of coloring the Jasper-coloring throughout and coloring simply the surface by dipping. The latter method was invented in 1777 and made possible several new effects. The majority of the ware, however, is colored throughout.

Previous to 1781 the jasper-ware had been used almost exclusively for plaques and cameos. Then Wedgwood turned his attention to vases, adapting the forms largely from the antique. They were made in various sizes, chiefly in one color with white reliefs. Many were ornamented in Classic figures by Flaxman. To these jasper vases Wedgwood owes much of his reputation as a consummate artist and craftsman.

The well known incident of the Portland vase may be worthy of mention at this point. In 1787 Wedgwood made fifty copies of the famous antique Barberini vase, owned by the Duke of Portland. This vase was a wonderful example of the highest type of Classic art, and Wedgwood's copies nearly surpassed the original. They were made in black and blue, with white reliefs. It is said that about twenty of the original fifty copies are extant in museums and private collections, chiefly in England, but the authenticity of some of them is disputed.

After 1780 many articles were made in jasperware: tea and coffee sets, including cups and saucers, bowls and sugar basins, tea and coffee pots, cream pitchers and trays; plaques, medallions, and cameos; scent-bottles, match-pots, a few pipe-bowls and hookahs, candlesticks, pedestals for statuettes and busts, pots for growing bulbs and flowering plants, and a remarkable set of chessmen designed by Flaxman in 1785.

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Pictured above: Wedgwood Cobalt Biscuit Barrel, Circa 1880 or prior. See this item, and other Wedgwood antiques at our CHShops.com Mall Store at: http://pennysantiquesandwedgwoodpantry.chshops.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=19_27.

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Search Engine Myths Debunked

Debunking the Top 10 Search Engine Myths
By Marc D. Ensign

About The Author
Marc D. Ensign is the CEO and Visionary of Sound-n-Vision, a New Jersey web design (http://www.sound-n-vision.com/services/website-design) and Internet marketing company (http://www.sound-n-vision.com/services/search-engine-optimization-seo). Marc actively teaches workshops and seminars on web design and search engine optimization throughout the New York Metropolitan area.

We've all done it at some point in our professional lives. We search a keyword that describes our business only to scratch our head as to how our competitor's website shows up on the top of the líst instead of ours. If you've gone one step further and read about Search Engine Optimization, then surely you have come across the conflicting information online.

One article tells you to do one thing while another tells you to do the opposite. Which one should you believe?

This gray area of what you should or should not do is much like the modern day "Bat Cave." If you are lucky enough to stumble upon it, chances are you don't quite know how you got there and if you had to go back one day you would probably just find yourself lost in the woods.

So what should you believe? The general rule is to combine what you read or heard with what you have experienced and somewhere in there lies the truth. To get you started, let's debunk some of the more commonly used myths floating around.

1) Use a Keyword Rich Domain Name:
It is widely believed that if you include your keywords in your domain name like www.professional-website-design-in-nj.com it will greatly improve your rankings. This is not true. It is best to choose a domain name that is short, easy to remember and if possible includes your company name.

2) Google Partnership:
If you are ever approached by a company claiming to have a partnership with Google, run in the opposite direction. There is no such thing as a "preferred" relationship with Google and in fact on Google's website it even states: Beware of SEOs that claim to guarantee rankings, allege a "special relationship" with Google, or advertise a "priority submit" to Google.

3) Meta Keyword Tag:
It used to be that the Meta Keyword Tag was given a lot of weight in the early days of Search Engine Optimization, but people abused it and now it does very little. You may still want to include your keywords here, but know that it will not do much and in fact most search engines won't even check it.

4) Bold or Italicized Text:
Adding emphasis to certain keywords like using bold or italics can make your text easier to scan for the reader if done properly, but has little to no effect on your search engine ranking.

5) Content Length:
There is no search engine rule stating that your content needs to be a specific number of words in order to get indexed. Any recommended length is more to assist the reader in understanding what you do than to aid the search engines.

6) Duplicate Content:
Posting specific content like an article or blog entry on your site and then on another site will not get you penalized. In the search results, Google will recognize that the content is the same and only choose one of the pages to display, but it will not hurt your overall search engine ranking.

7) Avoid Flash:
Any text that you place in Flash will not be readable by a search engine, but this doesn't mean you have to avoid flash altogether. You can still very successfully incorporate Flash into your site through rotating pictures or a header on the page. Just don't have an all Flash site or use a Flash intro if you are interested in increasing your search engine rankings.

8) Pay-Per-Click:
Some say that using Pay-Per-Click will help your organic listing while others say it will hurt. Both are false. The fact is that Google has gone to great lengths to separate the two departments of organic and paid listings to a point where the two departments don't communicate or even sit at the same table for lunch.

9) Update the Site Frequently:
Updating your site often is a good idea if you have something new to say. Just don't change around a few words to accommodate the search engines as that won't help your listing at all. Regularly adding legitimate content like articles, press releases and blog entries will help though.

10) Doorway Pages:
Many companies will sell this idea of increasing your ranking by creating hundreds of one page sites loaded with keywords that link to you from various domains. This is considered spamming the search engine and is not recommended. If you properly optimize your site and focus on the correct way to get listed, you will improve your ranking much quicker than these doorway pages ever could.

Of course there are many other myths out there confusing the general public about what works and what doesn't work. Some of them are spread by people who don't really know the truth and others are spread by SEO companies in an attempt to make search engine optimization confusing... mission accomplished!

Regardless of where the myths come from, if you or the SEO Company you hire use common sense and do things the right way, you will have no trouble finding the proverbial Bat Cave and when you get there please tell them that I want my utility belt back!
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copperpenny22
cupenny@tds.net
www.pennyspantry.net

42,000 RCI POINTS TIMESHARE RESORT IN SUNNY FLORIDA

Buy this points resort for $2500.00, which includes closing costs, transfer fees and start planning your next vacation and many vacations to come!

Celebrity Resort Palm Coast
The Harbor Club201 Clubhouse Drive
Palm Coast, Florida 32137

42,000 Annual Floating Red Time RCI points can be used at The Harbor Club or at any available RCI resort. Points can be used in increments for more than one vacation time. Included is RCI Points Membership Account. You are purchasing a 2 bedroom unit; however, if you exchange through RCI, you have the option of choosing a 1 bedroom or a studio for less points. Points will be available in 2009, upon activation of your RCI Points Account. The 2009 maintenance fees have already been paid. You will be billed separately from RCI for the annual membership fee. There is no mortgage or other incumbrances on this deeded-for-life floating points account.

On-Site Amenities
Pool Tennis Exercise Equipment (Equipment available) Sauna Games Room Playground Handicapped Accessible

Unit Amenities
Whirlpool/Hot Tub (All Units) Telephone (All Units) Laundry (All Units) Kitchen (All Units, Full) Air Conditioning (All Units) Carpet (All Units) Washer/Dryer (All Units) Dishwasher (All Units) Microwave (All Units)

Check-in
Weeks: Saturday, Sunday Points: Saturday Check-in 16:00Check-out 10:00

PAYMENTS WILL BE HELD IN TRUST BY THE CLOSING AGENCY UNTIL DEEDING IS COMPLETED. Deeding and Transfer Usually Takes Between 4 - 10 Weeks. All Closing is non-negotiable (Most costs including Deed preparation, Estoppel, Courier service etc. have been incurred). Please do your due diligence before bidding on any property.

Closing Agent is:
Timeshare Title, Inc.
P.O. Box 3175
Sharon, PA 16146
Toll Free: 866.347.1061

We accept Certified Money Order or Cashier's Check only. For additional information, email to cupenny@tds.net.

copperpenny22
cupenny@tds.net
www.pennyspantry.net

Vintage Dragon Magazines

Vintage Dragon Magazines are in our Pantry

Update on our CHShops.com Mall Store listings:

We have recently added a Vintage Magazine Section to our listings and are featuring several vintage issues of Dragon Magazine. See them at: http://pennysantiquesandwedgwoodpantry.chshops.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=25_83_88

Dragon is one of the two official magazines for source material for the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game and associated products. TSR, Inc. originally launched the monthly printed magazine in 1976 to succeed the company's earlier publication, The Strategic Review. The final printed issue was #359 in September 2007. Shortly after the last print issue shipped in mid-August, 2007, Wizards of the Coast (part of Hasbro, Inc.), the publication's current intellectual property rightsholder, re-launched Dragon as an online Magazine, continuining on the numbering of the print edition.

Dragon was the launching point for a number of rules, spells, monsters, magic items, and other ideas that were incorporated into later official products of the Dungeons & Dragons game. A prime example is the Forgotten Realms campaign setting, which first became known through a series of Dragon articles in the 1980s by its creator Ed Greenwood. It subsequently went on to become one of the primary campaign 'worlds' for official Dungeons and Dragons products, starting in 1987.

Dragon magazine was mailed out in the early 1980s in an attractive envelope. Wizards of the Coast purchased TSR and its intellectual properties, including Dragon in 1997. Production was then transferred from Wisconsin to Washington state. In 1999, Wizards of the Coast was itself purchased by Hasbro, Inc.

On April 18, 2007, Wizards of the Coast announced that it would not be renewing Paizo's licenses for Dragon and Dungeon. Scott Rouse, Senior Brand Manager of Dungeons & Dragons at Wizards of the Coast stated, "Today the internet is where people go to get this kind of information. By moving to an online model we are using a delivery system that broadens our reach to fans around the world." Paizo published the last print editions of Dragon and Dungeon magazines for September 2007.

In August 2007, Wizards of the Coast announced their plans for the 4th edition of the Dungeons and Dragons game. Part of this announcement was the "D&D Insider" subscriber content on their Gleemax site that would include the new, online versions of both Dungeon and Dragon magazines along with tools for building campaigns, managing character sheets and other features.

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copperpenny22
cupenny@tds.net
www.pennyspantry.net

Simulations Publications, Inc. (SPI) Games and Magazines

Vintage SPI Games and Magazines, New in the Box, never opened.

Simulations Publications, Inc. (SPI) was an influential American publisher of board wargames and related magazines, particularly its flagship Strategy & Tactics, in the 1970s and early 1980s. It produced an enormous number of games and introduced innovative practices, changing the course of the wargaming hobby in its bid to take control of the hobby away from then-dominant Avalon Hill. It went bankrupt in 1982.

See the above, SPI S&T Magazine and Game at: http://pennysantiquesandwedgwoodpantry.chshops.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=21_77&products_id=367

copperpenny22
cupenny@tds.net
www.pennyspantry.net