Big Brother UK

So its Tuesday and I’m watching Monday’s house action …. Siavash is such a lovely guy!  What is going on ….

When this year’s Big Brother started I was actually tempted in taking my newly discovered blogging skills and starting a (nother) new blog  from Day 1 at Elstree …

My retisense … well it turns out I’ve not watched the programme for a few years (or so Elida – one of my gorgeous nieces informs me – I could have sworn it was only 2-yrs) but it turns out that Pete Bennett won in 2006 and that was the last time!  I tend to watch the first night and then the last (night.) and if the vibe doesn’t click then that’s it.

But getting back to the Evictions … Marcus or Noirin …  A difficult choice!  I’m usually clear … and last week (although nulunvoid) I voted for Marcus.  But things have moved on (as ever) since then.

Marcus to go

Marcus should leave for being manipulative, acting like a child and he likes his own way.  He has a knack of reframing every argument put to him … to his own ends and is a poor listener most of the time.  He likes to point score rather than seek move a discussion forwards. towards a solution through compromise.  He revels in self-pity and is coming across as someone with quite low self-esteem which acts out through his superiority complex.

Noirin to go

But similarly Noirin should leave for being needy.  She yearns to be the centre of attention. and wants to control what happens in the house.  And as much as ‘it takes two to tango’ she tends not to take any responsibility for her actions, instead washing her hands of any situation and showing little sensitivity for any prospective partner, despite her assertion that she cares too much!

I’m torn.  I think if Marcus goes the ‘real’ Noirin might emerge, but its not 100% certain that she would change in any way at all, so how would the viewer benefit?  If Noirin goes then the ‘real’ Marcus will probably emerge, as he’s moping around like a love-sick puppy at the moment and once Noirin is out he will relax a bit.  And wouldn’t the house be a safer environment if Noirin leaves?  And looking further on down the road, Bea would then have carte-blanche in running the show, which might result in some real romance, between her and Siavash (or maybe Marcus – naaah – that’d be too silly).

Siavash to win

Despite the rumors I don’t think Siavash was in a relationship before entering the house, it was his defense mechanism, where someone has a need to create such a devise (and similarly with Noirin and her ex) they know they fall easily.  And Siavash has no problems in connecting with his softer side, just one of the things the nation loves about him, perhaps.

Who will you vote out this week?  I think I’ve made my decision!  Your thoughts are welcome (as ever) on the topic …

Jane

Beginner to Blogger in 4-wks

I want to talk about different Blogging packages.  This  is a series of 3-articles that will cover programmes I’ve used and tell you about my experience in using them to get my blogs optimized and monetized etc.

Traci Knoppe is a bit of a WordPress Queen and brought out her package Beginner to Blogger at the beginning of June this year.  It consists of a 4-wk course on how to get a WordPress blog (using your own domain and hosting).

It arrives into your email one week at a time and each one consists of 5-Lessons – the intention being to have something to work on each day.  Of course if you’re enthusiastic or prefer to do things in one fell swoop,  you’ll probably go at it and have them out of the way in a couple of days, dependent on your knowledge from the outset.  This course is designed for you if you’re newly online and want to have an optimized site where Traci’s follow-up course will take you to profit in Blogger to Profit.

Traci’s style

Traci’s voice is quite natural and conversational in approach as she takes you through the course.  She’s highly knowledgeable (with a 10+ years background as a web designer) working with independent business clients, and for her describing the how-to of getting your blog up and running is a doddle.  But hopefully once you’ve done it once or twice and got a bit of a system together, with Traci’s help, you’ll find the same.

There are a plethora of plugins that she includes as recommendations.  These are the oxygen of improving performance in running a blog.  She also asserts the philosophy of not installing tons of plugins just for the sake of it … instead she recommends only installing anything above what she includes with the programme on a needs-must basis.  If you find the need they’ll be a plugin that will fill the need   She takes the practical approach and its very welcome, especially when you compare it with a lot of the over-the-top ‘blag’ and ‘blarney’ that a lot of online courses tend to perpetuate.  That’s probably a topic for another day!

Too much information

As someone who can relate to the overwhelm and information overload experienced when first getting online, the only niggle with the program (and maybe its a transatlantic thing) is that there were times when she gave the newbie more credit than warranted.  This is demonstrated where she gives choices, when I may not have the experience to draw from, i.e. when choosing the type of domain for a business or hobby, and whether it should it be a .com .org etc.  It may be me being too literal  and  as Traci’s probably forgotten more than I’ve yet learned, its perhaps not too bad of of a thing, that she imagines her students bright enough to know what they want!

And to address that … my understanding is that SEO (search engine optimization) prefers a .com (as numero uno).  However if you live outside the USA then by all means take a .co.uk or .aus when you are wanting an online presence for your local offline business.

Traci is a kind and generous soul and her customer service is responsive and willing and any queries will be answered within a reasonable period, she’s a conscientious lady who likes to help.  When I got online just over a year ago if they’d been a package around like this I’d have snapped at it. Unknowingly I took a rather long and laborious route (when I built my first blog following a so-called ‘guru’ whose simply dropped off the radar!  Longevity rules!

And the problem with learning from someone who adds all the frills and nonsense is that you get lots of unnecessary information and finally require a course like Traci’s in order to check you haven’t missed any vital steps.  Because you can guarantee that all the padding in the route I took was sure to act as a replacement for more vitally important information, that a marketer like ‘the guru’ would have no qualms about omitting … Here today and gone tomorrow … whereas Traci Knoppe (@traciknoppe) is in it for the long-haul.   She’ll continue to be online in another 10-yrs, still giving great service and sharing her extensive knowledge with other people.  Its in her nature, she can’t help herself.

In Summary

The service for the product is swift … everything arrives immediately through auto-responder, therefore you won’t have to wait for a parcel to arrive – and when you have to wait for something to travel all the way from the USA to the UK it can be tedious.  Nor will you have to wait very long for the email with Wk 1 Lessons1-5 and you dive straight in.  The product is clean and clear and the rest is up to you.

If you want to start your first blog in 20-easy steps then you won’t go far wrong with Traci Knoppe’s Beginner to Blogger in 4-wks check this out …

Jane

Prisoner’s Psychology

This article goes on a jaunt into the deeper realms of human behavior today.  The reason being that it ties in nicely with the how we work with others, which ultimately emits from us in all sorts of ‘feel-good factor’ ways and through the response we get from others it dictates our quality of life.

Marc Bekoff has been visiting Boulder County Jail in Colorado for the last 10-yrs (New Scientist – 03.21.09) teaching Animal Behaviour and Conservation Biology   The course is part of Jane Goodall Institute’s Roots and Shoots program is one of the most popular and made more so by the fact that inmates have to earn a place.

The Findings

What has been discovered is that prisoners respond well to the animals on the program in various ways:

• They feel less judged than they do with other people
• They have greater empathy with the animals
• They have more trust than with people

And simultaneously they are able to articulate their own animalistic behavior that has led them to where they are.

The Teachings

They are taught that even though animals are aggressive and competitive, there is also a lot of compassion, cooperation, empathy and reciprocity. Bekoff explains “‘these behaviors are examples of ‘wild justice’ and this idea makes them rethink their own behavior.”

Pack Mentality

He then shows the inmates examples of pack animal behaviors that support one another, such as wolves, and how they work together for the better outcome of the herd.

The Follow Up

Bekoff has found that after release from prison, many of his students have gone on to do great things they would not otherwise have thought within their grasp, it has made such a difference to them.  Some have gone back into education, some have donated money to conservation projects and some are working for humane organizations.  One person even went on to receive a Masters degree in Nature Writing.

The upshot is that these people, dismissed by society have, through creative psychology, have been given an opportunity to change and become contributing and responsible members of society.

Well done to Marc Bekoff, the prison and the program for thinking outside the ‘usual’ box and enabling people, who for whatever reasons, having strayed outside of societies accepted boundaries, have found their way back to a contributing role and thus restoring their self-respect and confidence.  Brilliant!

Jane

Marc Bekoff is Emeritus Professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at The University of Colorado, Boulder, and author of books including Wild Justice: The Moral Lives of Animals.

Twittering The Night Away

Last night I went to the http://counterpointnetworking.co.uk monthly event.  This time it was held in Hythe at the Red Lion and consisted around 15 of us … and because it was a lovely evening we had the lovely buffet outside in the garden …  and a very pleasant time was had by all.

Jo and Simon Dodds run Counter Point Matters … where they have many string to their bow …   Among them is web building and social marketing online … Jo’s a twitter fiend and has just bagged a regular weekly column in the Kent on Saturday paper … writing up on it …

So the hot topic was Twitter and a little about Facebook and Linked In … but mainly Twitter as its grabbing the nation … I think in no small way due to Stephen Fry’s promotion of it a few months back.

I love the Web 2.0 stuff and if you’re even half interested you should get yourself over to Twitter … http://twitter.com and sign up for an account in order that you can start promoting your business …  The rules are simple enough …

• Let your followers know a little about you (in a social sense) …
  
• Promote other people’s products
• Promote your own products, posts etc

And that’s  it … basically …

Go sign up …

Jane