A message from... Cindy McAsey-Marketing Strategies Coach
Welcome Ted Zone to our Veretekk SEO team!
Have you ever thought you have the magic software program, the ebook and all the other tools that say that they can, and will, show you how to make the first page of Google? Hey, take a deep breath and know this. There is nothing, that competes with Veretekk and the Veretekkies who use this powerhouse system. I was probably just like most people learning to market online when I found Veretekk. I had spent way to much on ebooks, software, programs and tools to learn online marketing. That money leak stopped when I found Veretekk and started applying what I learned.
Just a glance at the full Gold System in action with 42 fully configurable lead capture pages to promote your business online. Will make some peoples head spin.
I imagine your mind is starting to get a little overwhelmed. I understand when I first saw the power of Veretekk I was a little overwhelmed too. Simple signup for any, or all of these systems and start testing the powerful tools available to you.
Personally I have been teaching and training folks online how to use Veretekk to grow their business for several years. Once per week in my state of the art web conferencing room, I host advanced training sessions on marketing strategies using Veretekk. If you start with the affiliate system, you will have the advantage of learning from someone who can guide you through the Veretekk marketing mass step by step. Learn advanced marketing strategies that will empower you to success online.
You owe it to yourself, and your financial future online to take advantage of this very powerful search engine optimization tool known as Veretekk. Also, be sure to check out the Platinum Control Panel that is now in beta testing. It will really make your head spin. You add the addition of several Gold Veretekk Systems, and the ability to configure all of them from one location, now that's something to write home about.
The vast majority of clicks occur within the top 5 positions on a search page.
Not being where your customer is looking could be costing you their business!
•Search engines are tightening up the loopholes to manipulate positioning. So called "doorway" pages, tricks with meta tag/keyword files, etc. no longer are effective. Keyword positioning, along with indexing, is the way to be seen on today's Internet.
•The vast majority of clicks occur within the top 5 positions on a search page.
•As a rule, the more competitive the business category, the harder it is to attain decent placement. Conversely, the more competitive the business category, the more important placement is to success of the business.
•At least first page placement is vital to be effective on the Internet. Your potential customer, client or user rarely clicks beyond the third bona-fide choice they are presented with. If your site is not on the top half of the first page, forget about being effective on the Internet.
•Strong placement on the Internet is becoming an absolute necessity, even for brick and mortar based retailers and non-internet related service providers. Consumers under 40 years of age are much more likely to search the Internet first for almost anything (making the "Yellow Pages" and other directory advertising much less effective).
•Companies that offer "voodoo" search engine positioning or "secret" methods will tell you not to expect results for several months. Meantime, they will keep asking you for money. While you're waiting for results, potential customers are doing business with someone else WHO IS NOW at the top of the search engines .
The war had been going on for centuries. The war between the Eagles and the Bears. Nobody in the forest knew what started the war. But everyone know how often Bears were injured terribly or killed by dive bombing Eagles or just as often Eagles were killed in large numbers by sudden attacks by Bears or as they dove and the Bears swatted them from the sky. Far too often the ones hurt the most were the children or babies or mommies of the baby Eagles and Bears who wanting nothing more than peace to raise their children.
Nevertheless, rumor had been in the air for a long time of a war to end all wars. A final battle was coming that would pit every Bear in the woods against every Eagle and a final victor will emerge. But nobody knew when that day would come. But that day did come, before anyone was prepared for it. It came about when Bartholomew Bear was playing in the woods by himself. He wasn’t supposed to do that but sometimes children forget the warnings of their parents because they want so much to explore and learn. He was chasing a butterfly laughing and leaping at it from a log to a stump to a rock and then to the ground.
Suddenly he felt a shooting pain in his foot. He cried out before he even know what happened but he heard the SNAP of that man trap closed on his foot and he knew he was in big trouble. He must have cried for hours wishing his Mommy or Daddy would come. Little did he know they were preparing for the final battle, the war to end all wars with the Eagles.
The butterfly lit on his bear shoulder. “Can’t you get your foot out Bartholomew?” The butterfly said. “I want to play some more.”
“NO,” the little Bear cried big tears in his eyes. “This trap has my leg in these pointy claws and it really hurts.”
“There is another one right next to it.” Mr. Butterfly observed. “Make sure you don’t get your other foot in it. I will fly for help.”
“Yes please hurry.” The sad little Bear begged his friend. It was not long later that Bartholomew saw his help coming. Dozens and dozens of bears appeared on the ridge.
“Wow they sent everyone” he remarked to himself as more and more Bears lined up on that ridge and just stood there staring over at the other ridge on the opposite side of the valley Bartholomew was in.
On the other side, the armies of the Eagles were gathering. Filling the trees of the thick forest there, they dug their talons in and stared hatefully at the army of Bears just across the way not knowing the poor helpless Bear cub was trapped between them.
“DADDY HELP ME!” Bartholomew’s voice suddenly rang out. Both armies looked into the valley and recognized the plight of the child Bear. He was crying loudly as he looked up spotting his Mommy and Daddy in the Bear army on the ridge. Oh, the hearts of that Mommy and Daddy were torn seeing their child in that spot. When the battle begins in just moments, the two armies will rush into that valley and the killing will be most awful.
The Chieftain of the Eagles watched the little Bear. His heart was touched but not enough to call off the attack. “Daddy we have to stop it.” His son Edgar Eagle said to him perched on the same branch with him.
“No son.” The king of the Eagles declared. “We can only hope somehow the Bear child survives the battle.” The Chiefton of the Eagles watched the situation, unwilling to call the attack but unwilling to call it off. He did not see the tiny Mr. Butterfly light on the beak of Edgar Eagle.
The entire armies of Bears were in anguish watching Bartholomew struggle. But despite the begging of Bartholomew’s Mommy and Daddy, the King of the Bears would not call off the attack. The clamor for war began to rise and Bartholomew was terribly afraid. Suddenly, before the call to attack, a lone eagle soared out from the wooded side of the valley ridge. All eyes were glued to that lone figure as it did several near spins and spiraled down in long elegant arches toward the stranded Bartholomew. All of a sudden, the king of the Eagles knew who it was.
“EDGAR VeretekkPlatinumControl” The cry went out and both army’s tensed knowing the son of the King of the eagles had gone into the valley first. He landed at the side of the frightened Bear and looked at his injured leg. “Don’t worry.” Edgar VeretekkPlatinumControl said to Bartholomew. “I come to help” but as he moved around assessing the problem. SNAP the other trap closed on Edgar’s foot. While Edgar VeretekkPlatinumControl was a soldier, the pain of the trap caused him to cry out in misery.
Without a call to war, suddenly two figures burst from either side of the valley. The King of the Eagles shot form the ranks to the aid of his son and the king of the Bears rushed to help the fallen Bartholomew. Seeing their kings’ rush to save the children, both sides suddenly dropped their armor and weapons and rushed into the valley. The thunderous stampede was not a charge to battle and death but to save the precious youth plus the internet marketing newbie and for mercy.
Within moments, the two armies were working like a single-minded people to free the children. The Bears had the strength to pull open the traps and the Eagles the keen eyesight and ability to figure out the mechanisms so they opened them safely. Slowly and carefully, the traps were pulled from the legs of Bartholomew and Edger and they were free. Bartholomew rushed to the arms of the king of the Bears weeping with gratitude and Edger VeretekkPlatinumControl to the king of the Eagles CEO Tom Prendergast embracing him for stopping the attack to save their lives. Then, just as though it was the natural thing to do, Bartholomew ran to the king of the Eagles and embraced him and Edgar wept in the arms of the King of the Bears.
A thunderous shout of celebration went up from both armies. The war was over forever. Never again would the Bears and the Eagles live in warfare but instead they would be brothers and friends for eternity. And all because the son of the King was willing to fly into the valley and was willing to give his life to save his enemy and give him life instead of death.
Veretekk Platinum Control can make you soar like Eagles and fight like Bears. The Internet has come of age. New technology has been developed and new opportunities have been created with this technology that you probably haven't heard off yet.
We hope this information will help you develop your web-site to a more effective and profitable. Stop by for a Free Web Site Evaluation of your Business
SEO link-building has become one of the main high leverage activities in any online business. The simple fact is that back-links will give you a high page rank and a high page rank will rank you higher in the S.E.R.P's. Obviously this means more traffic and more money, as reported by VodaHost General & Forum Administrator
Back-links make up 90% of your Google rank and because of this, link-building has taken on a life of its own. Most people seem to misunderstand it completely. For starters you should know that not all back links are good links. They can actually hurt you more than help you.
SEO Link-building is all about building links that are natural. Google did not design their ranking system to be manipulated. It was designed to reward good sites that get linked to it naturally. That's why getting the right links can be incredibly difficult if you try and do it manually.
Unfortunately, you have to build in links these days otherwise you will not be competitive. If you sit around and wait for sites to link to you, you might wait forever. The good thing is that this also give the "small guy" a fair shake to get good rankings in Google, Yahoo and M.S.N.
Most guys build Back-links kamikaze style; that is they go in there and just get as many links they can from wherever they can and at whatever cost. This is a recipe for disaster. Once your site gets marked by Google, you might as well start over again.
Rogue link-building techniques can render months of hard work useless, so be very careful when building Back-links. Here are the 7 deadly S.E.O link-building mistakes. Avoid them at all costs.
Mistake #1: Mass Link Packages
Obviously, some sleazy and unscrupulous people are out there selling link packages that are not even worth a mention. Most of the time they blast ads out to classified directories or other spam filled networks. These links are the equivalent of buying spam email lists. Don't do it. Your links might end up on banned sites that can really hurt your Google image.
Mistake #2: Link Exchanges
Back in the day, exchanging links was the main S.E.O link-building strategy. You link to me, I link to you and we both win. Right? Wrong! Google caught on to this when hundreds of link farms opened up. Google can easily trace reciprocal links and they simply don't count for much anymore. Getting links from big link exchange networks can actually hurt your business.
Mistake #3: Linking From Non-Indexed Sites
Most people who spend hours building those free Back-links make the mistake of building links on non-indexed sites. For your back links to count, the page on which you have your link has to be indexed. Having links on non-indexed pages means nothing. It's a waste of time.
Mistake #4: Not Using Anchor Text
At first this probably won't sound too scary, but if you build 2,000 links without relevant anchor text your site can easily pass for a spam site that just gets random links. By using anchor text that is related to your site, it gives your links link-juice; meaning it makes your links relevant and increases the perceived value of each link.
Mistake #5: Not Being Relevant
Google is getting smarter by the day. After all it is their business to provide the most relevant information for each and every search that is conducted. If they don't, people will stop using Google. That's why they protect it so vigorously. When you get Back-links from relevant and related sites that would naturally link to you, then the link will count for a lot. Unrelated and random links from any old site really does not make Google see your site as being important.
Mistake #6: Inorganic links
As I mentioned earlier, Google designed the page rank system to work organically. They are looking for links to come to your site naturally. For the most part that means, slowly and consistently over time from a variety of related sites. If you go and get 1000 links overnight from the same site then Google's alarms will go off and you might land yourself in some Back-linking trouble with the big G. Slow and steady wins the race - especially if you have a new site.
Mistake #7: Buying Links
High PR Back-links are worth gold. Quite literally. I've seen a single PR7 link sell for as much as $250 per month. There are a lot of link networks out there that make it their business to sell links on high PR sites. These links have become quite expensive, but the lure of instant results have people buying links like it's going out of fashion.
Google is catching on and there has been widespread reports of Google slapping page rank. If links are publicly traded then Google can probably trace them and penalize you.
SEO link-building is all about being as natural and as organic as possible. Always go after links that are 1-way, relevant and on sites with a high page rank. If you can get links on pages with a high page rank, even better. Don't fall for the quick-fix promise of so many link building services. In the long run, slow and steady links that look natural will keep sending more and more traffic your way.
I hope this information will help you develop your web-site to a more effective and profitable.
Many times we’re asked to present a plan for the next 30 – 60 – 90 days of a paid search program. This makes a great deal of sense when we bring a new client on board and have to fix or re-build their program. It takes time to build out a program comprehensively and laying out the priorities helps manage expectations. After that point that request for a “vision” or “plan” reveals a fundamental misunderstanding about the nature of paid search marketing as reported by George Michie .
Paid search is an amazingly powerful channel for capturing existing demand. It is not a demand generating channel. Like the yellow pages people only see the ads when they’re in the market for the advertiser’s products or services. Yellow page ads don’t make people interested in taking yoga; they convince people who are interested in yoga to try the advertiser’s studio. Paid search plays the same role, but it’s easy for marketers steeped in traditional channels to miss the implications of this fact.
For demand generating channels planning is of paramount importance. Television ads seek to 1) create awareness of a brand; 2) infuse that brand awareness with positive connotations; and 3) catapult that positive awareness into action. Marketers must plan the proper messaging and imagery for each phase, and plan the timing and budgets. Even direct marketers like catalogers must plan contact strategies, page counts and formats, circulation counts and frequency of touches. Planning is required because the marketer must generate interest and action, and the time lag between marketing investment and eventual payoff is both long and not guaranteed.
Paid search is different in every respect. Budgets don’t make sense for advertisers with shopping carts on their sites because the sales happen before they pay for the ads. We don’t have to plan what products to push or when; the ads will be served to the right audience at the right time and in the right volume to respond to consumer demand.
This is not to suggest that paid search requires no work. Paid search demands well honed processes for dealing with product turnover, landing page changes, promotional offers, seasonal shifts and more. Skilled analysts study data six-ways-to-Sunday to find nuggets of gold in search logs, in click-to-order intervals, and in new classification schemes that feed statistically meaningful differentiators to our algorithms. Reacting to shifts in consumer behavior and anticipating them whenever possible takes knowledge, skill and mountains of well-organized data.
However, it doesn’t really require a plan. Indeed, predicting what projects will be most valuable 30 days from now, or 60 is both impossible and unwise. The priorities change depending on all kinds of factors outside of the analyst’s control. Locking an analyst into an arbitrary schedule prevents them from adjusting to the priorities of the moment and thereby squancders opportunities.
Asking an analyst for a long range plan for a paid search campaign is like asking your stock broker what stocks you should buy and which you should sell 6 months from now. They can make those recommendations if you really want them, but usually you’d be wise not follow them.
Absence of “a plan” is unsettling, particularly when you’re working with an agency. You can’t see them hard at work at their desks every day, so it’s natural to wonder whether they’re asleep at the switch. This fear is compounded by the reality of PPC agencies that all too often are asleep at the switch.
Trust comes from results, and in PPC results come from smart people with great tools and great processes. Anticipating and reacting to changes in the landscape requires hard work, knowledge, skills and the flexibility to follow one’s nose.
SEO | Search Engine Optimization Specialist | SEO Consultant | SEO Expert | Google SEO | Organic SEO | Improve Web Site Search Engine Rankings | Top 10 Search Engines | How Does Search Engine Optimization Work | Small and Large Business Website Content Writing
Put Down the Remote.. That's right, put it down. Get focused here.
I want to show you something that could very well change your life drastically.
But here's the deal, I won't show you unless you're giving this news 100% of your attention.
Okay, are you ready? Are you sure?
I really want you to be totally focused when you read this.
Shut the door, turn the TV off. Make sure you're ready!
Okay....
Now, if you're even remotely serious about becoming massively successful on the internet, is to know what separates the struggling, heartbroken and cash-poor online entrepreneurs and small business owners…
From the confident, clued-in marketers pulling down huge numbers and results (yeah, even in this chaotic, soul-sucking economy)?
No, wait — ESPECIALLY in this chaotic, soul-sucking economy.
While average business owners are cowering in bed with the covers pulled over their head……
The top marketers are still fearlessly bringing home the bacon, even as everyone else panics and freaks out.
Not sure if you know the answer?
Then you’re in luck.
Here’s what’s available right now:
Are You Prepared For The Future of Search?
If your site is not already in the top of the search engines, you are losing traffic and ultimately sales on a daily basis.
Take this quiz to determine if you are positioned to get the most out of the search engines, and find out how prepared you are for the future of SEO.
SEO | Search Engine Optimization Specialist | SEO Consultant | SEO Expert | Google SEO | Organic SEO , improve web site search engine rankings, top ten search engines, how does search engine optimization work, small business website content writing
Do you know what separates the struggling, heartbroken and cash-poor online entrepreneurs and small business owners… from the confident, clued-in marketers pulling down huge numbers and results (yeah, even in this chaotic, soul-sucking economy)?
(No, wait — ESPECIALLY in this chaotic, soul-sucking economy. While “average” business owners are cowering in bed with the covers pulled over their head……
The top marketers are still fearlessly bringing home the bacon, even as everyone else panics and freaks out.)
Let go of activities that take time away from your priorities and do it right!
Search engine optimization could be a tiring task but with time it sure helps you get better traffic. Contact http://www.seo-specialist-online.com for all your SEO needs.
SEO | Search Engine Optimization Specialist | SEO Consultant | SEO Expert | Google SEO | Organic SEO | Improve Web Site Search Engine Rankings | Top 10 Search Engines | How Does Search Engine Optimization Work | Small and Large Business Website Content Writing
This SEO update is brought to you by SEO Specialist Online, Professional SEO Consultant and Content Writers for all your SEO needs. For a Free Web Site Evaluation Visit Here
When to Run Away from an SEO Company
You probably shouldn't be charged for a couple things that many "back alley" or "strip mall" SEO companies and consultants still offer. In some cases, even larger marketing organizations are trying to push value into some tactics that are outdated or simply don't work to help rankings, as reported by Chris Boggs, Search Engine Watch, Sept 2009
No two sites on the Internet are identical. In rare instances, some of the below tactics may work. But most of the time, if your SEO company is pushing these services on you, take a good hard look at what you're paying for.
SEO Tactic Octogenarians: Time for Forced Retirement
Submitting your sites to the search engines isn't as valuable to SEO. This simply offers another way for the search engines to find your site. If all you do is submit it to the search engines and sit back and wait, you likely won't see any rankings, other than potentially for your brand name.
Search engines no longer need you to submit to them, although they still provide the functionality for you to do so. As Google says on their submission page, however, "We do not add all submitted URLs to our index, and we cannot make any predictions or guarantees about when or if they will appear."
Google and the other engines are fine taking this additional information, but if you're paying someone to do this once, or even monthly, then you're wasting time and money. As Google also states: "Only the top-level page from a host is necessary; you do not need to submit each individual page. Our crawler, Googlebot, will be able to find the rest. Google updates its index on a regular basis, so updated or outdated link submissions are not necessary. Dead links will 'fade out' of our index on our next crawl when we update our entire index."
2. SEO Landing Pages: Another outdated tactic is building landing pages just for SEO, although this is a temporary solution that e-commerce companies sometimes choose to take rather than spending the time fixing the actual site and navigation. In most cases, if you want long-term results without sacrificing user experience consistency, you should optimize your actual content versus trying to create circa 2001 "doorway pages."
3. Reciprocal Linking: The last outdated tactic is using reciprocal linking as a primary link building tactic. If your SEO company or consultants requires that you place an outbound link to every site that is linking to you, then you should run away. Some reciprocal links aren't bad, especially ones that occur naturally -- just be worried if this is the only link building tactic presented.
SEO Tactics on the Bubble
1. Social Bookmarking: One tactic that has very few concrete results is social bookmarking. Some people will likely argue this, but we've yet to prove ranking lift from the addition of a URL to a Delicious or StumbleUpon. These and other links appear within backlink reports, but that alone doesn't indicate that the link is helping from a SEO perspective.
Yahoo-owned MyBlogLog cleans out their bookmark links on a regular basis. As seen in this FAQ, they provide a good reason for this: "New with Me is a moving river of updates. We are not trying to re-create the Internet. We store the last 100 items and up to 25 'clusters' of events. If you're interested in looking at older updates, we direct you to the original service provider for the full archive."
It's very important to understand that not all links are permanent. Thus, to build lasting SEO value, the majority of links developed should be permanent and carry some sort of authority.
Of course, a "natural" pattern would be that some links come and go. But if you spend a large amount of time (or are pay someone else for) building links using social bookmarking or other "expiring" link tactics, you won't get full value from your time investment.
Please note that some people do this at an almost "industrial" level to help boost rankings, by building literally thousands of links, and "refreshing" the links with new ones as they age or get stale. This would only look natural to a search algorithm if the target site has tens of thousands of existing links. Those using this tactic need to keep building links over and over, and have likely budgeted hundreds of hours to support this task with the amount of hours that it would need to provide long lasting value.
2. Article Syndication: Other tactics that are "on the bubble" include large-scale article syndication and "press release over-optimization." Articles that are relevant to your site and contain links pointed back can be valuable if syndicated on a limited basis to hand-picked partners, but using mass syndication services doesn't often yield the kinds of backlinks that could be garnered from a more personalized approach. The jury is definitely still out on this tactic, but a custom approach (which takes longer) provides value.
3. Over-Optimizing Press Releases: Press release "over-optimization" is something that many readers have probably seen after setting up an RSS feed to monitor a particular word or industry phrase. I always laugh when I see the same SEO company put out a press release every time it signs a new client, because when I check even month later, they haven't climbed in the rankings for the terms they seem to be targeting.
The use of press releases and syndicating through PR Newswire or PRWeb can be valuable, but like article syndication, this tactic must be leveraged in moderation. If you're concerned about how many press releases you've sent out to support your SEO efforts, consider if you're overdoing it. For large companies with lots of relevant news, however, this is a different story -- these companies may be OK with up to two to three press releases a week, and you might as well take the time to optimize them.
Search engine optimization could be a tiring task but with time it sure helps you get better traffic. For a Free Web Site Evaluation Visit SEO-Specialist-Online.com
This SEO update is brought to you by SEO Specialist Online, Professional SEO Consultant and Content Writers for all your SEO needs. For a Free Web Site Evaluation Visit Here
SEO Marketing Channel
SEO is the marketing channel that brings potential customers to your site who want what you offer, but don't know how to find you. These are people that will browse through the search engine listings of websites that show up for the product or service they're looking for, and choose one to purchase from. If your site only shows up for your brand name, you're not even in the game; the sale will likely go to one of your competitors who have an optimized website.
If you only want to serve the needs of people who already know your brand and aren't interested in new customers, then you don't need SEO. But if you want to use every marketing channel at your disposal, SEO is one of the most cost-effective marketing channels to bring in people who don't already know about you but want exactly what you offer.
Search engine optimization could be a tiring task but with time it sure helps you get better traffic. For a Free Web Site Evaluation VisitSEO-Specialist-Online.com
From Google to Yahoo! to Bing, search engines are a leading resources used by consumers looking for products and services from your business.
In fact, 8 out of 10 internet users now use search engines to find your business. So it makes sence that businesses with a presence on search engines are in the best position to grow.
To help your business harness the power of the web, Seo-Specialist-Online invites you to learn more about the importance of Search Engine Marketing and why you need to join the party.
Measurable and Immediate solutions to grow your business: > What does Search Engine Marketing mean to you and how specifically others are using it. > How driving traffic drives results to your bottom line. > Tools available to boost your page ranking from inside out through website optimization, pay per click programs and keyword creation. > You also have a chance for a free website evaluation
This SEO update is brought to you by SEO Specialist Online,
Professional SEO Consultant and Content Writers for all your SEO needs.
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Free Web Site Evaluation Visit Here
A Search Eulogy For Yahoo
~ And then there were two.
Make no mistake, Yahoo’s out of the
search game. I know the spin. Better user interface, new ways to
innovate, a winning play. Let’s not kid ourselves.
They’re done. Not today, not necessarily in a year, but down
the line at some point. Done, as reported by Danny Sullivan
And it’s sad, because they were one of
the originals. There was a time when the mighty Yahoo roared above all
other search engines. When people were so worried about being listed in
Yahoo that they pondered lawsuits over the issue, because not being in
Yahoo was like not being on the internet at all.
Sound familiar? Yeah, Yahoo was the Google of its
day. Funny to write that — it should be Google is the Yahoo
of its day, but that’s how the tables turned in the search
space.
Yahoo started out in search as a human-compiled
directory. Editors, finding sites, writing short descriptions about
them. It worked at first. When it didn’t, Yahoo had partners
that “crawled” the web automatically to provide
“backup” to its directory results. Open Text was
its first partner. Later came AltaVista, then Inktomi, then eventually
Google.
Ah, Google. It demonstrated that you could index
millions (now billions) of pages AND have relevancy. Why use a card
catalog-like human directory when you had a tool like Google that could
read every page in every book in the library and pull back the matching
pages?
Eventually, Yahoo decided it needed to own crawler
technology. In 2003, it bought Inktomi and AllTheWeb. It also bought
Overture, to have paid search technology and got AltaVista as part of
the deal. All these things it needed to own, we were told, because
search was so essential that you couldn’t outsource:
Given how important search is to our businesses,
we really needed to control our own destiny in this space and not be
dependent on any one third-party provider
That’s what I was told at the beginning
of 2003 by Jeff Weiner, then senior vice president of search and
marketplace at Yahoo. What’s changed since then? How did
search go back to being a commodity to Yahoo?
Microsoft squeezed it. No blame to Microsoft.
Yahoo was sitting there with leadership that couldn’t
communicate clearly how it was a strong second-place player to Google.
It seemed weak, ripe for the picking, and Microsoft went to pluck it
last year. Google tried for Yahoo itself through a partnership deal.
The US Department of Justice, like Amy Winehouse, sang “No,
no, no.” Do that, and we’ll take anti-trust action
against you, Google.
Microsoft never went away, though to its credit,
it continued to improve its own search offering making it even more
credible. Bing’s a long way from being proven. Perhaps it
might never have succeeded. But it got buzz. Not only was it not
embarrassing, it was impressive to some. Yahoo didn’t seem as
necessary to Microsoft’s plans.
We’ll never know if Bing could have
succeeded on its own. Or, maybe we will, if the proposed deal
doesn’t go through. It’s still just a proposal,
subject to investor and regulatory approval. But if it does go through,
Microsoft becomes the number two search player. It controls the core
search technology. Yahoo will have “parity” with
Microsoft to use the search technology, we’re told.
Soothing-sounding words, but parity doesn’t matter when Yahoo
seemingly has given up on search as a top attraction overall.
Yahoo CEO Carol Bartz has made plenty of noise
about how Yahoo isn’t just a search engine. Or not even a
search engine, at times. How Yahoo has some of the web’s top
destinations. That’s true, all true. But search was a leading
property as well, for Yahoo. Yahoo wouldn’t consider
outsourcing its email or IM services. Wouldn’t decide that
its Yahoo Finance area could be powered by someone else. So
why’s search got the boot?
Because Microsoft wants it, and they
weren’t going away. Neither was Bartz standing up to
definitively say that in the long term, it made more sense for Yahoo to
keep search as a core technology. That few companies had such crown
jewels. That technology alone a year ago worth $1 billion to Microsoft
didn’t suddenly become worth no upfront payment a year later.
But also because Yahoo seems to have no choice. It
keeps losing talent. It’s fine to have a great machine, but
someone’s got to run it — keep developing it. So if
I sound harsh about Yahoo getting out of search, I’m also
understanding. It would have been incredibly difficult to keep it.
AOL and Lycos are two examples of portals that
gave up their own search technologies and watched their traffic drop.
Perhaps Yahoo will be the exception. Perhaps it will surprise me and be
a long-time search player — a place where substantial amounts
of searches happen. Part of me hopes it plays out that way, if only for
nostalgic reasons.
But I doubt it.
Search
engine optimization could be a tiring task but with time it sure helps
you get better traffic.For a Free Web Site Evaluation
VisitSEO-Specialist-Online.com
Statistics on getting to the top of the of the Top Ten search engines
This SEO update is brought to you by SEO Specialist Online, Professional SEO Consultant and Content Writers for all your SEO needs. For a Free Web Site Evaluation Visit Here
Statistics on getting to the top of the of the Top Ten search engines
77% of people skip over sponsored listings and click on the natural search results.
Source: Enquiro Research
When making a purchase, 67% chose organic over sponsored listings.
Source: Enquiro Research
Why Search Engine Optimization? No pay-per-click fees - No competitors or "researchers" clicking away on your sponsored link advertising and running out your budget! Levels the playing field between your website and your competitor's website by allowing your website to be displayed on the 1st page rankings of the search engine results as well.
No need to worry about ever increasing per-click fees.
More visitors to your site since your site will be appearing on the left side of the search results. The English speaking world reads left to right. In addition, the left side is more trusted as it is part of the natural search engine results. Consistent search engine ranking and visibility of your site for as long as you are a client with us.
Excellent return on investment Low cost - Save $100s, sometimes $1,000s!
We do all the search engine optimization work for you. We do both on-site and off-site optimization! Almost every customer asks, so might as well say it here, although we still create custom meta tags for the site, meta tags play a very small role in the overall search engine optimization process of the site. There is quite a bit more search engine optimization work involved in placing a site on the first page of the Top Ten major search engines.
What do we Mean by Keywords, and Why do They Matter?
This SEO update is brought to you by SEO Specialist Online, Professional SEO Consultant and Content Writers for all your SEO needs. For a Free Web Site Evaluation Visit Here
What do we Mean by Keywords, and Why do They Matter?
Keywords are the foundation of any Search Engine Optimization or Search Marketing campaign. If you don’t know what keywords are being used in searches by the people you want to attract to your Web site, you can’t effectively market through the search engines to those people.
The terms keyword is often used as shorthand for keyword phrase. When we use the term keyword, we mean the word—or words—that may be typed into a search engine by someone carrying out a search. In fact most searches these days are not single-word searches … most searchers now type two or more words in their searches.
If you’re reading this, you probably already understand why you need to know the keywords people use when searching for products or services such as those promoted by your Web site. Just in case …
• If you don’t know the keywords, you can’t optimize your Web site properly. • If you don’t know the keywords, you don’t know what keywords to put in links pointing to your site. • If you don’t know the keywords, you don’t know which keywords to bid on in Pay Per Click programs.
Selecting keywords, then, is important. But there are two ways to select the keywords you need for your campaigns: • Guess • Do a full keyword analysis
The most popular method is to guess at the keywords. The most effective method, however, is to do a full keyword analysis (which actually begins with you guessing at what keywords you think are important, then using a free KeyWord tool to “dig” into databases of actual search terms).
What happens if you simply guess at the search terms you need, and don’t do a full keyword analysis? Typically two problems arise:
• Many of the keywords on your list will be more or less irrelevant. People simply aren’t using them in searches. • You’ll miss keywords that people are using to search for your product or service.
What Does an SEO Specialist Do?
Essentially, a SEO Specialist does two things:
• Helps you develop a list of likely keyword phrases. SEO Specialist searches other Web site’s KEYWORDS tags and searches a thesaurus, to help you create a preliminary list of keyword phrases.
• Based on these keyword phrases, it shows you what people using the Web’s search engines are actually typing into the search engines.
Given the economic problems around the globe, home based business opportunities usually flourish during recessionary times. Faced with layoffs, downsizing and closures, affected employees look for alternate ways of earning an income. Entrepreneurial spirit is kindled when options are scarce and people turn to the Internet..... continue reading
This SEO update is brought to you by SEO Specialist Online, Professional SEO Consultant and Content Writers for all your SEO needs. For a Free Web Site EvaluationVisit Here
How to accept credit cards for small business
The benefits of accepting credit cards almost always outweigh the risks, and the chances of this are greatly improved if you do your homework before opening a merchant account. In this article I’ll talk about the importance of accepting credit cards, what to expect as you compare merchant accounts and how to keep your merchant account in good standing once you begin processing.
Convincing a business owner that they need to start accepting credit cards isn’t as tough as it once was and it’s getting easier every day. Credit and debit cards are a staple in consumers’ wallets and the trend isn’t showing signs of letting up any time soon. For merchants, the ability to accept credit cards often translates to larger average tickets and greater gross monthly sales volumes. Of course, along with the greater sales volume comes the expense of processing credit card transactions. Fortunately, profit from increased sales typically far outweighs processing costs.Here are a few helpful points that you should know before beginning your search for a merchant account.
Merchant account fees are not standardized
Merchant account Rates and fees vary widely from one provider to the next. Aside from the amount of fees charged, some accounts will have entire categories of fees that others won’t. As you being to research your options, look at every account as an individual.
Credit card processing rates and fees are not written in stone
Haggling is the name of the game when it comes to negotiating the best merchant account rates and fees. Consider the rates and fees of an initial merchant account quote as a starting point from which you can start to reducing costs.
There are a lot of providers competing for your business
Don’t begin and end your search at your local bank or even with the providers in your town. There are thousands of merchant service providers all competing for your business. Use this competition to your advantage to get the best rates possible. Consider using a web site like CardFellow.com to get quotes from multiple providers from a national market.
Once you begin contacting merchant service providers, you should expect to encounter some pretty good sales people that may employ high-pressure sales tactics. The key is to remain methodical in your search process and look at the facts surrounding an account, not the salesperson’s interpretation of them.
The best and truly knowledgeable salespeople will use the rates and fees of their merchant account quote to help portray the benefits of their offer. They’ll take the time to learn about your business, present calculations and estimations of processing expenses using an effective rate, and they’ll take the time to answer your questions in a consultative manner. These are the salespeople to look for, but not necessarily the ones to expect.
Once you decide upon a merchant account provider and start accepting credit cards, your education about credit card processing has just begun. Don’t look at the task as complete, but as just beginning. The bankcard industry is always changing and new regulations that affect you are commonly brought to legislative attention. The phrase “knowledge is power” translates to merchants in the bankcard industry as “knowledge is money.” The more you know about credit card processing, the more you will be able to save yourself in processing expenses.
Once you begin processing credit cards, frequent reliable and unbiased sources on the subject to keep yourself up to date about the industry and ways you can optimize your merchant account to lower costs. The best sources of merchant account information are the ones that aren’t trying selling you processing services.
A wealth of Information to help businesses that start accepting credit cards find the best merchant account is available at the MerchantCouncil.org.
Search engine optimization could be a tiring task but with time it sure helps you get better traffic. For a Free Web Site Evaluation Visit SEO-Specialist-Online.com
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Given the economic problems around the globe, home based business
opportunities usually flourish during recessionary times. Faced with layoffs,
downsizing and closures, affected employees look for alternate ways of
earning an income. Entrepreneurial spirit is kindled when options are scarce
and people turn to the Internet..... continue reading
Search Engine Optimization could be a tiring task but with time it sure helps you get better traffic. For a Free Web Site Evaluation Visit SEO-Specialist-Online.com
SEO – The Powerful Marketing Tool
These days, SEO has become the most effective characteristic of the websites that help the administrators to enjoy the productive results. Most of the website owners consider SEO to be the most powerful tool for marketing, as Search Engine Optimization has reduced the need for door to door marketing. SEO is actually a process through which the websites can rank higher in the search engines by drawing quality traffic. However, the process of creating SEO rich websites is not that easy as it seems to be.
Some people are new to this term, but they desire to take the advantage of the technology. For such people, SEO Campaign Management sources are the best alternatives, these days that can actually help the administrators to rank higher on the search engines. These sources guide the website owners, provide an appropriate SEO strategy for their websites and make use of the SEO tricks to exert a pull on the quality traffic. In addition to this, these SEO Campaign Management sources are well acquainted with the SEO news, which helps them to incorporate the latest SEO tricks in the websites so as to serve people with the best of their services.
The SEO Campaign Management sources can also provide website owners with Professional SEO Consultants that can guide people with the finest strategies for their website. These strategies are very useful while working with keywords and keyword phrases. So, if you also want to enjoy the improved position n the search engines, opt for SEO Campaign Management sources.
Keywords: content writers | professional seo consultants | seo news tricks | SEO Campaign Management
Learn more about the World's First Energy Think Drink VISIT HERE TODAY
The Test Results Are In
World Renowned Laboratory issues a clean Supplement Screen Certificate for EDGE
In order for athletes to compete in sports, especially at higher levels, including the Olympic Games, substances consumed by the athlete must not contain performance-enhancing substances. If you are a serious athlete you are most likely familiar with the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). WADA is the international independent organization created in 1999 to promote, coordinate and monitor the fight against doping (using banned performance-enhancing drugs and steroids) in sport in all its forms.
With the abundance of amateur and professional athletes in Xooma Worldwide, we decided it was necessary to provide our athletes with official documentation stating the status of some of our most popular products including, Xtreme X2O, X2O Blast and now EDGE (see first draft of certificate below). While these tests run thousands of dollars to produce, we know that the availability of tests like this one to all our Members are crucial for not only athletes but for marketing and recruiting potential prospects. Xooma Members can now be confident when it comes to athletic competition because EDGE, X2O and X2O Blast have been screened for banned substances - and now we can prove it!
We chose a laboratory that is world class with years of WADA experience and nutritional supplement testing, and has pioneered a supplement testing service that is accredited to the UKAS (United Kingdom Accreditation Service) ISO17025 standard and provides testing services for many supplement manufacturers world wide. Xooma aids in the fight for clean sports and understand the value in developing our young generations and the health of everyone who is inspired by or aspires athletic achievement - therefore, our choice in which lab would conduct the test was crucial - no matter the cost.
The laboratory we chose, HFL, "operates a rigorous and extensive internal quality assurance program, including quality control measurements as part of every test." In addition, their testing services are accredited and inspected to external standards.
This is an excellent resource to use for any Xooma Member who plays sports or who has Team Members involved with athletics that may have concerns about taking supplements. They can now be reassured that EDGE, X2O and X2O Blast are not only great for their performance, but have all been issued a clean Supplement Screen for banned substances. Click Here to view the test results for EDGE.
Learn more about the World's First Energy Think Drink VISIT HERE TODAY
A completely healthy energy drink that dramatically improves mental cognition? It may sound too good to be true, but Xooma has accomplished this feat with, EDGE. For stressed executives trying to stay on top of their responsibilities, for time-pressed moms trying to get it all done, for older people who want to stay active- in fact for anyone struggling to get through a sleepy afternoon on the job, EDGE puts you at the top of your game.
The world's first all-natural energy think drink, EDGE is specifically designed for those who want more out of life. Designed from plant extracts and natural compounds, the ingredients found in EDGE have been studied for years and demonstrate proven effects on increasing mental energy and cognition. NO sugar, NO fake sweeteners- just clean energy and a sharp mind.
When it comes to convenience, EDGE is the perfect fit. No bulky heavy cans to carry with you. Simply slip the packet into your pocket or purse for "ultimate mental energy" any place, any time. Just add it to your water and enjoy! You can even choose your own flavor strength.
The energy drink market is growing at a pace of $5 billion per year and is predicted to be one of the biggest trends in the beverage industry. Xooma’s EDGE gives you a significant opportunity for massive growth because of its clean energy boost, natural stimulants, and scientifically proven brain benefits that are popular with virtually all age groups. More Links Learn more about the World's First Energy Think Drink VISIT HERE TODAY
keywords: Natural Herbal Energy Drinks, xooma edge, xooma worldwide, energy drinks
Learn more about the World's First Energy Think Drink
Learn more about the World's First Energy Think Drink VISIT HERE TODAY
According to a 2007 study conducted by the American Psychological Association (APA) One-third of Americans are living with extreme stress and nearly half of Americans (48 percent) believe that their stress has increased over the past five years. Stress is taking a toll on people — contributing to health problems, poor relationships and lost productivity at work.
As a result, millions of people are turning to alternative (mostly sugar loaded) energy drinks as a means to maintain the get-up-and-go mentality. Unfortunately, the majority of energy drinks are packed with sugar, artificial colors and flavors and unhealthy stimulants. These beverages can wreak havoc on bodies, young and old, when consumed regularly.
Taking energy drinks to the next level…This Changes Everything
In keeping with Xooma’s mission of, “Changing the Health of a Generation” we’ve revolutionized the energy drink market with a comprehensive blend of clinically researched nutrients that will boost energy, support healthy brain function and maintain peak mental alertness. Learn more about the World's First Energy Think Drink VISIT HERE TODAY
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Not being where your customer is looking could be costing you their business!
•Search engines are tightening up the loopholes to manipulate positioning. So called "doorway" pages, tricks with meta tag/keyword files, etc. no longer are effective. Keyword positioning, along with indexing, is the way to be seen on today's Internet.
•The vast majority of clicks occur within the top 5 positions on a search page.
•As a rule, the more competitive the business category, the harder it is to attain decent placement. Conversely, the more competitive the business category, the more important placement is to success of the business.
•At least first page placement is vital to be effective on the Internet. Your potential customer, client or user rarely clicks beyond the third bona-fide choice they are presented with. If your site is not on the top half of the first page, forget about being effective on the Internet.
•Strong placement on the Internet is becoming an absolute necessity, even for brick and mortar based retailers and non-internet related service providers. Consumers under 40 years of age are much more likely to search the Internet first for almost anything (making the "Yellow Pages" and other directory advertising much less effective).
•Companies that offer "voodoo" search engine positioning or "secret" methods will tell you not to expect results for several months. Meantime, they will keep asking you for money. While you're waiting for results, potential customers are doing business with someone else WHO IS NOW at the top of the search engines .
The war had been going on for centuries. The war between the Eagles and the Bears. Nobody in the forest knew what started the war. But everyone know how often Bears were injured terribly or killed by dive bombing Eagles or just as often Eagles were killed in large numbers by sudden attacks by Bears or as they dove and the Bears swatted them from the sky. Far too often the ones hurt the most were the children or babies or mommies of the baby Eagles and Bears who wanting nothing more than peace to raise their children.
Nevertheless, rumor had been in the air for a long time of a war to end all wars. A final battle was coming that would pit every Bear in the woods against every Eagle and a final victor will emerge. But nobody knew when that day would come. But that day did come, before anyone was prepared for it. It came about when Bartholomew Bear was playing in the woods by himself. He wasn’t supposed to do that but sometimes children forget the warnings of their parents because they want so much to explore and learn. He was chasing a butterfly laughing and leaping at it from a log to a stump to a rock and then to the ground.
Suddenly he felt a shooting pain in his foot. He cried out before he even know what happened but he heard the SNAP of that man trap closed on his foot and he knew he was in big trouble. He must have cried for hours wishing his Mommy or Daddy would come. Little did he know they were preparing for the final battle, the war to end all wars with the Eagles.
The butterfly lit on his bear shoulder. “Can’t you get your foot out Bartholomew?” The butterfly said. “I want to play some more.”
“NO,” the little Bear cried big tears in his eyes. “This trap has my leg in these pointy claws and it really hurts.”
“There is another one right next to it.” Mr. Butterfly observed. “Make sure you don’t get your other foot in it. I will fly for help.”
“Yes please hurry.” The sad little Bear begged his friend. It was not long later that Bartholomew saw his help coming. Dozens and dozens of bears appeared on the ridge.
“Wow they sent everyone” he remarked to himself as more and more Bears lined up on that ridge and just stood there staring over at the other ridge on the opposite side of the valley Bartholomew was in.
On the other side, the armies of the Eagles were gathering. Filling the trees of the thick forest there, they dug their talons in and stared hatefully at the army of Bears just across the way not knowing the poor helpless Bear cub was trapped between them.
“DADDY HELP ME!” Bartholomew’s voice suddenly rang out. Both armies looked into the valley and recognized the plight of the child Bear. He was crying loudly as he looked up spotting his Mommy and Daddy in the Bear army on the ridge. Oh, the hearts of that Mommy and Daddy were torn seeing their child in that spot. When the battle begins in just moments, the two armies will rush into that valley and the killing will be most awful.
The Chieftain of the Eagles watched the little Bear. His heart was touched but not enough to call off the attack. “Daddy we have to stop it.” His son Edgar Eagle said to him perched on the same branch with him.
“No son.” The king of the Eagles declared. “We can only hope somehow the Bear child survives the battle.” The Chiefton of the Eagles watched the situation, unwilling to call the attack but unwilling to call it off. He did not see the tiny Mr. Butterfly light on the beak of Edgar Eagle.
The entire armies of Bears were in anguish watching Bartholomew struggle. But despite the begging of Bartholomew’s Mommy and Daddy, the King of the Bears would not call off the attack. The clamor for war began to rise and Bartholomew was terribly afraid. Suddenly, before the call to attack, a lone eagle soared out from the wooded side of the valley ridge. All eyes were glued to that lone figure as it did several near spins and spiraled down in long elegant arches toward the stranded Bartholomew. All of a sudden, the king of the Eagles knew who it was.
“EDGAR VeretekkPlatinumControl” The cry went out and both army’s tensed knowing the son of the King of the eagles had gone into the valley first. He landed at the side of the frightened Bear and looked at his injured leg. “Don’t worry.” Edgar VeretekkPlatinumControl said to Bartholomew. “I come to help” but as he moved around assessing the problem. SNAP the other trap closed on Edgar’s foot. While Edgar VeretekkPlatinumControl was a soldier, the pain of the trap caused him to cry out in misery.
Without a call to war, suddenly two figures burst from either side of the valley. The King of the Eagles shot form the ranks to the aid of his son and the king of the Bears rushed to help the fallen Bartholomew. Seeing their kings’ rush to save the children, both sides suddenly dropped their armor and weapons and rushed into the valley. The thunderous stampede was not a charge to battle and death but to save the precious youth plus the internet marketing newbie and for mercy.
Within moments, the two armies were working like a single-minded people to free the children. The Bears had the strength to pull open the traps and the Eagles the keen eyesight and ability to figure out the mechanisms so they opened them safely. Slowly and carefully, the traps were pulled from the legs of Bartholomew and Edger and they were free. Bartholomew rushed to the arms of the king of the Bears weeping with gratitude and Edger VeretekkPlatinumControl to the king of the Eagles CEO Tom Prendergast embracing him for stopping the attack to save their lives. Then, just as though it was the natural thing to do, Bartholomew ran to the king of the Eagles and embraced him and Edgar wept in the arms of the King of the Bears.
A thunderous shout of celebration went up from both armies. The war was over forever. Never again would the Bears and the Eagles live in warfare but instead they would be brothers and friends for eternity. And all because the son of the King was willing to fly into the valley and was willing to give his life to save his enemy and give him life instead of death.
Veretekk Platinum Control can make you soar like Eagles and fight like Bears. The Internet has come of age. New technology has been developed and new opportunities have been created with this technology that you probably haven't heard off yet.
We hope this information will help you develop your web-site to a more effective and profitable. Stop by for a Free Web Site Evaluation of your Business
SEO link-building has become one of the main high leverage activities in any online business. The simple fact is that back-links will give you a high page rank and a high page rank will rank you higher in the S.E.R.P's. Obviously this means more traffic and more money, as reported by VodaHost General & Forum Administrator
Back-links make up 90% of your Google rank and because of this, link-building has taken on a life of its own. Most people seem to misunderstand it completely. For starters you should know that not all back links are good links. They can actually hurt you more than help you.
SEO Link-building is all about building links that are natural. Google did not design their ranking system to be manipulated. It was designed to reward good sites that get linked to it naturally. That's why getting the right links can be incredibly difficult if you try and do it manually.
Unfortunately, you have to build in links these days otherwise you will not be competitive. If you sit around and wait for sites to link to you, you might wait forever. The good thing is that this also give the "small guy" a fair shake to get good rankings in Google, Yahoo and M.S.N.
Most guys build Back-links kamikaze style; that is they go in there and just get as many links they can from wherever they can and at whatever cost. This is a recipe for disaster. Once your site gets marked by Google, you might as well start over again.
Rogue link-building techniques can render months of hard work useless, so be very careful when building Back-links. Here are the 7 deadly S.E.O link-building mistakes. Avoid them at all costs.
Mistake #1: Mass Link Packages
Obviously, some sleazy and unscrupulous people are out there selling link packages that are not even worth a mention. Most of the time they blast ads out to classified directories or other spam filled networks. These links are the equivalent of buying spam email lists. Don't do it. Your links might end up on banned sites that can really hurt your Google image.
Mistake #2: Link Exchanges
Back in the day, exchanging links was the main S.E.O link-building strategy. You link to me, I link to you and we both win. Right? Wrong! Google caught on to this when hundreds of link farms opened up. Google can easily trace reciprocal links and they simply don't count for much anymore. Getting links from big link exchange networks can actually hurt your business.
Mistake #3: Linking From Non-Indexed Sites
Most people who spend hours building those free Back-links make the mistake of building links on non-indexed sites. For your back links to count, the page on which you have your link has to be indexed. Having links on non-indexed pages means nothing. It's a waste of time.
Mistake #4: Not Using Anchor Text
At first this probably won't sound too scary, but if you build 2,000 links without relevant anchor text your site can easily pass for a spam site that just gets random links. By using anchor text that is related to your site, it gives your links link-juice; meaning it makes your links relevant and increases the perceived value of each link.
Mistake #5: Not Being Relevant
Google is getting smarter by the day. After all it is their business to provide the most relevant information for each and every search that is conducted. If they don't, people will stop using Google. That's why they protect it so vigorously. When you get Back-links from relevant and related sites that would naturally link to you, then the link will count for a lot. Unrelated and random links from any old site really does not make Google see your site as being important.
Mistake #6: Inorganic links
As I mentioned earlier, Google designed the page rank system to work organically. They are looking for links to come to your site naturally. For the most part that means, slowly and consistently over time from a variety of related sites. If you go and get 1000 links overnight from the same site then Google's alarms will go off and you might land yourself in some Back-linking trouble with the big G. Slow and steady wins the race - especially if you have a new site.
Mistake #7: Buying Links
High PR Back-links are worth gold. Quite literally. I've seen a single PR7 link sell for as much as $250 per month. There are a lot of link networks out there that make it their business to sell links on high PR sites. These links have become quite expensive, but the lure of instant results have people buying links like it's going out of fashion.
Google is catching on and there has been widespread reports of Google slapping page rank. If links are publicly traded then Google can probably trace them and penalize you.
SEO link-building is all about being as natural and as organic as possible. Always go after links that are 1-way, relevant and on sites with a high page rank. If you can get links on pages with a high page rank, even better. Don't fall for the quick-fix promise of so many link building services. In the long run, slow and steady links that look natural will keep sending more and more traffic your way.
I hope this information will help you develop your web-site to a more effective and profitable.
Many times we’re asked to present a plan for the next 30 – 60 – 90 days of a paid search program. This makes a great deal of sense when we bring a new client on board and have to fix or re-build their program. It takes time to build out a program comprehensively and laying out the priorities helps manage expectations. After that point that request for a “vision” or “plan” reveals a fundamental misunderstanding about the nature of paid search marketing as reported by George Michie .
Paid search is an amazingly powerful channel for capturing existing demand. It is not a demand generating channel. Like the yellow pages people only see the ads when they’re in the market for the advertiser’s products or services. Yellow page ads don’t make people interested in taking yoga; they convince people who are interested in yoga to try the advertiser’s studio. Paid search plays the same role, but it’s easy for marketers steeped in traditional channels to miss the implications of this fact.
For demand generating channels planning is of paramount importance. Television ads seek to 1) create awareness of a brand; 2) infuse that brand awareness with positive connotations; and 3) catapult that positive awareness into action. Marketers must plan the proper messaging and imagery for each phase, and plan the timing and budgets. Even direct marketers like catalogers must plan contact strategies, page counts and formats, circulation counts and frequency of touches. Planning is required because the marketer must generate interest and action, and the time lag between marketing investment and eventual payoff is both long and not guaranteed.
Paid search is different in every respect. Budgets don’t make sense for advertisers with shopping carts on their sites because the sales happen before they pay for the ads. We don’t have to plan what products to push or when; the ads will be served to the right audience at the right time and in the right volume to respond to consumer demand.
This is not to suggest that paid search requires no work. Paid search demands well honed processes for dealing with product turnover, landing page changes, promotional offers, seasonal shifts and more. Skilled analysts study data six-ways-to-Sunday to find nuggets of gold in search logs, in click-to-order intervals, and in new classification schemes that feed statistically meaningful differentiators to our algorithms. Reacting to shifts in consumer behavior and anticipating them whenever possible takes knowledge, skill and mountains of well-organized data.
However, it doesn’t really require a plan. Indeed, predicting what projects will be most valuable 30 days from now, or 60 is both impossible and unwise. The priorities change depending on all kinds of factors outside of the analyst’s control. Locking an analyst into an arbitrary schedule prevents them from adjusting to the priorities of the moment and thereby squancders opportunities.
Asking an analyst for a long range plan for a paid search campaign is like asking your stock broker what stocks you should buy and which you should sell 6 months from now. They can make those recommendations if you really want them, but usually you’d be wise not follow them.
Absence of “a plan” is unsettling, particularly when you’re working with an agency. You can’t see them hard at work at their desks every day, so it’s natural to wonder whether they’re asleep at the switch. This fear is compounded by the reality of PPC agencies that all too often are asleep at the switch.
Trust comes from results, and in PPC results come from smart people with great tools and great processes. Anticipating and reacting to changes in the landscape requires hard work, knowledge, skills and the flexibility to follow one’s nose.
SEO | Search Engine Optimization Specialist | SEO Consultant | SEO Expert | Google SEO | Organic SEO | Improve Web Site Search Engine Rankings | Top 10 Search Engines | How Does Search Engine Optimization Work | Small and Large Business Website Content Writing
Put Down the Remote.. That's right, put it down. Get focused here.
I want to show you something that could very well change your life drastically.
But here's the deal, I won't show you unless you're giving this news 100% of your attention.
Okay, are you ready? Are you sure?
I really want you to be totally focused when you read this.
Shut the door, turn the TV off. Make sure you're ready!
Okay....
Now, if you're even remotely serious about becoming massively successful on the internet, is to know what separates the struggling, heartbroken and cash-poor online entrepreneurs and small business owners…
From the confident, clued-in marketers pulling down huge numbers and results (yeah, even in this chaotic, soul-sucking economy)?
No, wait — ESPECIALLY in this chaotic, soul-sucking economy.
While average business owners are cowering in bed with the covers pulled over their head……
The top marketers are still fearlessly bringing home the bacon, even as everyone else panics and freaks out.
Not sure if you know the answer?
Then you’re in luck.
Here’s what’s available right now:
Are You Prepared For The Future of Search?
If your site is not already in the top of the search engines, you are losing traffic and ultimately sales on a daily basis.
Take this quiz to determine if you are positioned to get the most out of the search engines, and find out how prepared you are for the future of SEO.
SEO | Search Engine Optimization Specialist | SEO Consultant | SEO Expert | Google SEO | Organic SEO , improve web site search engine rankings, top ten search engines, how does search engine optimization work, small business website content writing
Do you know what separates the struggling, heartbroken and cash-poor online entrepreneurs and small business owners… from the confident, clued-in marketers pulling down huge numbers and results (yeah, even in this chaotic, soul-sucking economy)?
(No, wait — ESPECIALLY in this chaotic, soul-sucking economy. While “average” business owners are cowering in bed with the covers pulled over their head……
The top marketers are still fearlessly bringing home the bacon, even as everyone else panics and freaks out.)
Let go of activities that take time away from your priorities and do it right!
Search engine optimization could be a tiring task but with time it sure helps you get better traffic. Contact http://www.seo-specialist-online.com for all your SEO needs.
SEO | Search Engine Optimization Specialist | SEO Consultant | SEO Expert | Google SEO | Organic SEO | Improve Web Site Search Engine Rankings | Top 10 Search Engines | How Does Search Engine Optimization Work | Small and Large Business Website Content Writing
This SEO update is brought to you by SEO Specialist Online, Professional SEO Consultant and Content Writers for all your SEO needs. For a Free Web Site Evaluation Visit Here
When to Run Away from an SEO Company
You probably shouldn't be charged for a couple things that many "back alley" or "strip mall" SEO companies and consultants still offer. In some cases, even larger marketing organizations are trying to push value into some tactics that are outdated or simply don't work to help rankings, as reported by Chris Boggs, Search Engine Watch, Sept 2009
No two sites on the Internet are identical. In rare instances, some of the below tactics may work. But most of the time, if your SEO company is pushing these services on you, take a good hard look at what you're paying for.
SEO Tactic Octogenarians: Time for Forced Retirement
Submitting your sites to the search engines isn't as valuable to SEO. This simply offers another way for the search engines to find your site. If all you do is submit it to the search engines and sit back and wait, you likely won't see any rankings, other than potentially for your brand name.
Search engines no longer need you to submit to them, although they still provide the functionality for you to do so. As Google says on their submission page, however, "We do not add all submitted URLs to our index, and we cannot make any predictions or guarantees about when or if they will appear."
Google and the other engines are fine taking this additional information, but if you're paying someone to do this once, or even monthly, then you're wasting time and money. As Google also states: "Only the top-level page from a host is necessary; you do not need to submit each individual page. Our crawler, Googlebot, will be able to find the rest. Google updates its index on a regular basis, so updated or outdated link submissions are not necessary. Dead links will 'fade out' of our index on our next crawl when we update our entire index."
2. SEO Landing Pages: Another outdated tactic is building landing pages just for SEO, although this is a temporary solution that e-commerce companies sometimes choose to take rather than spending the time fixing the actual site and navigation. In most cases, if you want long-term results without sacrificing user experience consistency, you should optimize your actual content versus trying to create circa 2001 "doorway pages."
3. Reciprocal Linking: The last outdated tactic is using reciprocal linking as a primary link building tactic. If your SEO company or consultants requires that you place an outbound link to every site that is linking to you, then you should run away. Some reciprocal links aren't bad, especially ones that occur naturally -- just be worried if this is the only link building tactic presented.
SEO Tactics on the Bubble
1. Social Bookmarking: One tactic that has very few concrete results is social bookmarking. Some people will likely argue this, but we've yet to prove ranking lift from the addition of a URL to a Delicious or StumbleUpon. These and other links appear within backlink reports, but that alone doesn't indicate that the link is helping from a SEO perspective.
Yahoo-owned MyBlogLog cleans out their bookmark links on a regular basis. As seen in this FAQ, they provide a good reason for this: "New with Me is a moving river of updates. We are not trying to re-create the Internet. We store the last 100 items and up to 25 'clusters' of events. If you're interested in looking at older updates, we direct you to the original service provider for the full archive."
It's very important to understand that not all links are permanent. Thus, to build lasting SEO value, the majority of links developed should be permanent and carry some sort of authority.
Of course, a "natural" pattern would be that some links come and go. But if you spend a large amount of time (or are pay someone else for) building links using social bookmarking or other "expiring" link tactics, you won't get full value from your time investment.
Please note that some people do this at an almost "industrial" level to help boost rankings, by building literally thousands of links, and "refreshing" the links with new ones as they age or get stale. This would only look natural to a search algorithm if the target site has tens of thousands of existing links. Those using this tactic need to keep building links over and over, and have likely budgeted hundreds of hours to support this task with the amount of hours that it would need to provide long lasting value.
2. Article Syndication: Other tactics that are "on the bubble" include large-scale article syndication and "press release over-optimization." Articles that are relevant to your site and contain links pointed back can be valuable if syndicated on a limited basis to hand-picked partners, but using mass syndication services doesn't often yield the kinds of backlinks that could be garnered from a more personalized approach. The jury is definitely still out on this tactic, but a custom approach (which takes longer) provides value.
3. Over-Optimizing Press Releases: Press release "over-optimization" is something that many readers have probably seen after setting up an RSS feed to monitor a particular word or industry phrase. I always laugh when I see the same SEO company put out a press release every time it signs a new client, because when I check even month later, they haven't climbed in the rankings for the terms they seem to be targeting.
The use of press releases and syndicating through PR Newswire or PRWeb can be valuable, but like article syndication, this tactic must be leveraged in moderation. If you're concerned about how many press releases you've sent out to support your SEO efforts, consider if you're overdoing it. For large companies with lots of relevant news, however, this is a different story -- these companies may be OK with up to two to three press releases a week, and you might as well take the time to optimize them.
Search engine optimization could be a tiring task but with time it sure helps you get better traffic. For a Free Web Site Evaluation Visit SEO-Specialist-Online.com
This SEO update is brought to you by SEO Specialist Online, Professional SEO Consultant and Content Writers for all your SEO needs. For a Free Web Site Evaluation Visit Here
SEO Marketing Channel
SEO is the marketing channel that brings potential customers to your site who want what you offer, but don't know how to find you. These are people that will browse through the search engine listings of websites that show up for the product or service they're looking for, and choose one to purchase from. If your site only shows up for your brand name, you're not even in the game; the sale will likely go to one of your competitors who have an optimized website.
If you only want to serve the needs of people who already know your brand and aren't interested in new customers, then you don't need SEO. But if you want to use every marketing channel at your disposal, SEO is one of the most cost-effective marketing channels to bring in people who don't already know about you but want exactly what you offer.
Search engine optimization could be a tiring task but with time it sure helps you get better traffic. For a Free Web Site Evaluation VisitSEO-Specialist-Online.com
From Google to Yahoo! to Bing, search engines are a leading resources used by consumers looking for products and services from your business.
In fact, 8 out of 10 internet users now use search engines to find your business. So it makes sence that businesses with a presence on search engines are in the best position to grow.
To help your business harness the power of the web, Seo-Specialist-Online invites you to learn more about the importance of Search Engine Marketing and why you need to join the party.
Measurable and Immediate solutions to grow your business: > What does Search Engine Marketing mean to you and how specifically others are using it. > How driving traffic drives results to your bottom line. > Tools available to boost your page ranking from inside out through website optimization, pay per click programs and keyword creation. > You also have a chance for a free website evaluation
This SEO update is brought to you by SEO Specialist Online,
Professional SEO Consultant and Content Writers for all your SEO needs.
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Free Web Site Evaluation Visit Here
A Search Eulogy For Yahoo
~ And then there were two.
Make no mistake, Yahoo’s out of the
search game. I know the spin. Better user interface, new ways to
innovate, a winning play. Let’s not kid ourselves.
They’re done. Not today, not necessarily in a year, but down
the line at some point. Done, as reported by Danny Sullivan
And it’s sad, because they were one of
the originals. There was a time when the mighty Yahoo roared above all
other search engines. When people were so worried about being listed in
Yahoo that they pondered lawsuits over the issue, because not being in
Yahoo was like not being on the internet at all.
Sound familiar? Yeah, Yahoo was the Google of its
day. Funny to write that — it should be Google is the Yahoo
of its day, but that’s how the tables turned in the search
space.
Yahoo started out in search as a human-compiled
directory. Editors, finding sites, writing short descriptions about
them. It worked at first. When it didn’t, Yahoo had partners
that “crawled” the web automatically to provide
“backup” to its directory results. Open Text was
its first partner. Later came AltaVista, then Inktomi, then eventually
Google.
Ah, Google. It demonstrated that you could index
millions (now billions) of pages AND have relevancy. Why use a card
catalog-like human directory when you had a tool like Google that could
read every page in every book in the library and pull back the matching
pages?
Eventually, Yahoo decided it needed to own crawler
technology. In 2003, it bought Inktomi and AllTheWeb. It also bought
Overture, to have paid search technology and got AltaVista as part of
the deal. All these things it needed to own, we were told, because
search was so essential that you couldn’t outsource:
Given how important search is to our businesses,
we really needed to control our own destiny in this space and not be
dependent on any one third-party provider
That’s what I was told at the beginning
of 2003 by Jeff Weiner, then senior vice president of search and
marketplace at Yahoo. What’s changed since then? How did
search go back to being a commodity to Yahoo?
Microsoft squeezed it. No blame to Microsoft.
Yahoo was sitting there with leadership that couldn’t
communicate clearly how it was a strong second-place player to Google.
It seemed weak, ripe for the picking, and Microsoft went to pluck it
last year. Google tried for Yahoo itself through a partnership deal.
The US Department of Justice, like Amy Winehouse, sang “No,
no, no.” Do that, and we’ll take anti-trust action
against you, Google.
Microsoft never went away, though to its credit,
it continued to improve its own search offering making it even more
credible. Bing’s a long way from being proven. Perhaps it
might never have succeeded. But it got buzz. Not only was it not
embarrassing, it was impressive to some. Yahoo didn’t seem as
necessary to Microsoft’s plans.
We’ll never know if Bing could have
succeeded on its own. Or, maybe we will, if the proposed deal
doesn’t go through. It’s still just a proposal,
subject to investor and regulatory approval. But if it does go through,
Microsoft becomes the number two search player. It controls the core
search technology. Yahoo will have “parity” with
Microsoft to use the search technology, we’re told.
Soothing-sounding words, but parity doesn’t matter when Yahoo
seemingly has given up on search as a top attraction overall.
Yahoo CEO Carol Bartz has made plenty of noise
about how Yahoo isn’t just a search engine. Or not even a
search engine, at times. How Yahoo has some of the web’s top
destinations. That’s true, all true. But search was a leading
property as well, for Yahoo. Yahoo wouldn’t consider
outsourcing its email or IM services. Wouldn’t decide that
its Yahoo Finance area could be powered by someone else. So
why’s search got the boot?
Because Microsoft wants it, and they
weren’t going away. Neither was Bartz standing up to
definitively say that in the long term, it made more sense for Yahoo to
keep search as a core technology. That few companies had such crown
jewels. That technology alone a year ago worth $1 billion to Microsoft
didn’t suddenly become worth no upfront payment a year later.
But also because Yahoo seems to have no choice. It
keeps losing talent. It’s fine to have a great machine, but
someone’s got to run it — keep developing it. So if
I sound harsh about Yahoo getting out of search, I’m also
understanding. It would have been incredibly difficult to keep it.
AOL and Lycos are two examples of portals that
gave up their own search technologies and watched their traffic drop.
Perhaps Yahoo will be the exception. Perhaps it will surprise me and be
a long-time search player — a place where substantial amounts
of searches happen. Part of me hopes it plays out that way, if only for
nostalgic reasons.
But I doubt it.
Search
engine optimization could be a tiring task but with time it sure helps
you get better traffic.For a Free Web Site Evaluation
VisitSEO-Specialist-Online.com
Statistics on getting to the top of the of the Top Ten search engines
This SEO update is brought to you by SEO Specialist Online, Professional SEO Consultant and Content Writers for all your SEO needs. For a Free Web Site Evaluation Visit Here
Statistics on getting to the top of the of the Top Ten search engines
77% of people skip over sponsored listings and click on the natural search results.
Source: Enquiro Research
When making a purchase, 67% chose organic over sponsored listings.
Source: Enquiro Research
Why Search Engine Optimization? No pay-per-click fees - No competitors or "researchers" clicking away on your sponsored link advertising and running out your budget! Levels the playing field between your website and your competitor's website by allowing your website to be displayed on the 1st page rankings of the search engine results as well.
No need to worry about ever increasing per-click fees.
More visitors to your site since your site will be appearing on the left side of the search results. The English speaking world reads left to right. In addition, the left side is more trusted as it is part of the natural search engine results. Consistent search engine ranking and visibility of your site for as long as you are a client with us.
Excellent return on investment Low cost - Save $100s, sometimes $1,000s!
We do all the search engine optimization work for you. We do both on-site and off-site optimization! Almost every customer asks, so might as well say it here, although we still create custom meta tags for the site, meta tags play a very small role in the overall search engine optimization process of the site. There is quite a bit more search engine optimization work involved in placing a site on the first page of the Top Ten major search engines.
What do we Mean by Keywords, and Why do They Matter?
This SEO update is brought to you by SEO Specialist Online, Professional SEO Consultant and Content Writers for all your SEO needs. For a Free Web Site Evaluation Visit Here
What do we Mean by Keywords, and Why do They Matter?
Keywords are the foundation of any Search Engine Optimization or Search Marketing campaign. If you don’t know what keywords are being used in searches by the people you want to attract to your Web site, you can’t effectively market through the search engines to those people.
The terms keyword is often used as shorthand for keyword phrase. When we use the term keyword, we mean the word—or words—that may be typed into a search engine by someone carrying out a search. In fact most searches these days are not single-word searches … most searchers now type two or more words in their searches.
If you’re reading this, you probably already understand why you need to know the keywords people use when searching for products or services such as those promoted by your Web site. Just in case …
• If you don’t know the keywords, you can’t optimize your Web site properly. • If you don’t know the keywords, you don’t know what keywords to put in links pointing to your site. • If you don’t know the keywords, you don’t know which keywords to bid on in Pay Per Click programs.
Selecting keywords, then, is important. But there are two ways to select the keywords you need for your campaigns: • Guess • Do a full keyword analysis
The most popular method is to guess at the keywords. The most effective method, however, is to do a full keyword analysis (which actually begins with you guessing at what keywords you think are important, then using a free KeyWord tool to “dig” into databases of actual search terms).
What happens if you simply guess at the search terms you need, and don’t do a full keyword analysis? Typically two problems arise:
• Many of the keywords on your list will be more or less irrelevant. People simply aren’t using them in searches. • You’ll miss keywords that people are using to search for your product or service.
What Does an SEO Specialist Do?
Essentially, a SEO Specialist does two things:
• Helps you develop a list of likely keyword phrases. SEO Specialist searches other Web site’s KEYWORDS tags and searches a thesaurus, to help you create a preliminary list of keyword phrases.
• Based on these keyword phrases, it shows you what people using the Web’s search engines are actually typing into the search engines.
Given the economic problems around the globe, home based business opportunities usually flourish during recessionary times. Faced with layoffs, downsizing and closures, affected employees look for alternate ways of earning an income. Entrepreneurial spirit is kindled when options are scarce and people turn to the Internet..... continue reading
This SEO update is brought to you by SEO Specialist Online, Professional SEO Consultant and Content Writers for all your SEO needs. For a Free Web Site EvaluationVisit Here
How to accept credit cards for small business
The benefits of accepting credit cards almost always outweigh the risks, and the chances of this are greatly improved if you do your homework before opening a merchant account. In this article I’ll talk about the importance of accepting credit cards, what to expect as you compare merchant accounts and how to keep your merchant account in good standing once you begin processing.
Convincing a business owner that they need to start accepting credit cards isn’t as tough as it once was and it’s getting easier every day. Credit and debit cards are a staple in consumers’ wallets and the trend isn’t showing signs of letting up any time soon. For merchants, the ability to accept credit cards often translates to larger average tickets and greater gross monthly sales volumes. Of course, along with the greater sales volume comes the expense of processing credit card transactions. Fortunately, profit from increased sales typically far outweighs processing costs.Here are a few helpful points that you should know before beginning your search for a merchant account.
Merchant account fees are not standardized
Merchant account Rates and fees vary widely from one provider to the next. Aside from the amount of fees charged, some accounts will have entire categories of fees that others won’t. As you being to research your options, look at every account as an individual.
Credit card processing rates and fees are not written in stone
Haggling is the name of the game when it comes to negotiating the best merchant account rates and fees. Consider the rates and fees of an initial merchant account quote as a starting point from which you can start to reducing costs.
There are a lot of providers competing for your business
Don’t begin and end your search at your local bank or even with the providers in your town. There are thousands of merchant service providers all competing for your business. Use this competition to your advantage to get the best rates possible. Consider using a web site like CardFellow.com to get quotes from multiple providers from a national market.
Once you begin contacting merchant service providers, you should expect to encounter some pretty good sales people that may employ high-pressure sales tactics. The key is to remain methodical in your search process and look at the facts surrounding an account, not the salesperson’s interpretation of them.
The best and truly knowledgeable salespeople will use the rates and fees of their merchant account quote to help portray the benefits of their offer. They’ll take the time to learn about your business, present calculations and estimations of processing expenses using an effective rate, and they’ll take the time to answer your questions in a consultative manner. These are the salespeople to look for, but not necessarily the ones to expect.
Once you decide upon a merchant account provider and start accepting credit cards, your education about credit card processing has just begun. Don’t look at the task as complete, but as just beginning. The bankcard industry is always changing and new regulations that affect you are commonly brought to legislative attention. The phrase “knowledge is power” translates to merchants in the bankcard industry as “knowledge is money.” The more you know about credit card processing, the more you will be able to save yourself in processing expenses.
Once you begin processing credit cards, frequent reliable and unbiased sources on the subject to keep yourself up to date about the industry and ways you can optimize your merchant account to lower costs. The best sources of merchant account information are the ones that aren’t trying selling you processing services.
A wealth of Information to help businesses that start accepting credit cards find the best merchant account is available at the MerchantCouncil.org.
Search engine optimization could be a tiring task but with time it sure helps you get better traffic. For a Free Web Site Evaluation Visit SEO-Specialist-Online.com
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Given the economic problems around the globe, home based business
opportunities usually flourish during recessionary times. Faced with layoffs,
downsizing and closures, affected employees look for alternate ways of
earning an income. Entrepreneurial spirit is kindled when options are scarce
and people turn to the Internet..... continue reading
Search Engine Optimization could be a tiring task but with time it sure helps you get better traffic. For a Free Web Site Evaluation Visit SEO-Specialist-Online.com
SEO – The Powerful Marketing Tool
These days, SEO has become the most effective characteristic of the websites that help the administrators to enjoy the productive results. Most of the website owners consider SEO to be the most powerful tool for marketing, as Search Engine Optimization has reduced the need for door to door marketing. SEO is actually a process through which the websites can rank higher in the search engines by drawing quality traffic. However, the process of creating SEO rich websites is not that easy as it seems to be.
Some people are new to this term, but they desire to take the advantage of the technology. For such people, SEO Campaign Management sources are the best alternatives, these days that can actually help the administrators to rank higher on the search engines. These sources guide the website owners, provide an appropriate SEO strategy for their websites and make use of the SEO tricks to exert a pull on the quality traffic. In addition to this, these SEO Campaign Management sources are well acquainted with the SEO news, which helps them to incorporate the latest SEO tricks in the websites so as to serve people with the best of their services.
The SEO Campaign Management sources can also provide website owners with Professional SEO Consultants that can guide people with the finest strategies for their website. These strategies are very useful while working with keywords and keyword phrases. So, if you also want to enjoy the improved position n the search engines, opt for SEO Campaign Management sources.
Keywords: content writers | professional seo consultants | seo news tricks | SEO Campaign Management
Learn more about the World's First Energy Think Drink VISIT HERE TODAY
The Test Results Are In
World Renowned Laboratory issues a clean Supplement Screen Certificate for EDGE
In order for athletes to compete in sports, especially at higher levels, including the Olympic Games, substances consumed by the athlete must not contain performance-enhancing substances. If you are a serious athlete you are most likely familiar with the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). WADA is the international independent organization created in 1999 to promote, coordinate and monitor the fight against doping (using banned performance-enhancing drugs and steroids) in sport in all its forms.
With the abundance of amateur and professional athletes in Xooma Worldwide, we decided it was necessary to provide our athletes with official documentation stating the status of some of our most popular products including, Xtreme X2O, X2O Blast and now EDGE (see first draft of certificate below). While these tests run thousands of dollars to produce, we know that the availability of tests like this one to all our Members are crucial for not only athletes but for marketing and recruiting potential prospects. Xooma Members can now be confident when it comes to athletic competition because EDGE, X2O and X2O Blast have been screened for banned substances - and now we can prove it!
We chose a laboratory that is world class with years of WADA experience and nutritional supplement testing, and has pioneered a supplement testing service that is accredited to the UKAS (United Kingdom Accreditation Service) ISO17025 standard and provides testing services for many supplement manufacturers world wide. Xooma aids in the fight for clean sports and understand the value in developing our young generations and the health of everyone who is inspired by or aspires athletic achievement - therefore, our choice in which lab would conduct the test was crucial - no matter the cost.
The laboratory we chose, HFL, "operates a rigorous and extensive internal quality assurance program, including quality control measurements as part of every test." In addition, their testing services are accredited and inspected to external standards.
This is an excellent resource to use for any Xooma Member who plays sports or who has Team Members involved with athletics that may have concerns about taking supplements. They can now be reassured that EDGE, X2O and X2O Blast are not only great for their performance, but have all been issued a clean Supplement Screen for banned substances. Click Here to view the test results for EDGE.
Learn more about the World's First Energy Think Drink VISIT HERE TODAY
A completely healthy energy drink that dramatically improves mental cognition? It may sound too good to be true, but Xooma has accomplished this feat with, EDGE. For stressed executives trying to stay on top of their responsibilities, for time-pressed moms trying to get it all done, for older people who want to stay active- in fact for anyone struggling to get through a sleepy afternoon on the job, EDGE puts you at the top of your game.
The world's first all-natural energy think drink, EDGE is specifically designed for those who want more out of life. Designed from plant extracts and natural compounds, the ingredients found in EDGE have been studied for years and demonstrate proven effects on increasing mental energy and cognition. NO sugar, NO fake sweeteners- just clean energy and a sharp mind.
When it comes to convenience, EDGE is the perfect fit. No bulky heavy cans to carry with you. Simply slip the packet into your pocket or purse for "ultimate mental energy" any place, any time. Just add it to your water and enjoy! You can even choose your own flavor strength.
The energy drink market is growing at a pace of $5 billion per year and is predicted to be one of the biggest trends in the beverage industry. Xooma’s EDGE gives you a significant opportunity for massive growth because of its clean energy boost, natural stimulants, and scientifically proven brain benefits that are popular with virtually all age groups. More Links Learn more about the World's First Energy Think Drink VISIT HERE TODAY
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Get a free evaluation and analysis of your current search engine performance and how we can make it even better!
Not being where your customer is looking could be costing you their business!
•Search engines are tightening up the loopholes to manipulate positioning. So called "doorway" pages, tricks with meta tag/keyword files, etc. no longer are effective. Keyword positioning, along with indexing, is the way to be seen on today's Internet.
•The vast majority of clicks occur within the top 5 positions on a search page.
•As a rule, the more competitive the business category, the harder it is to attain decent placement. Conversely, the more competitive the business category, the more important placement is to success of the business.
•At least first page placement is vital to be effective on the Internet. Your potential customer, client or user rarely clicks beyond the third bona-fide choice they are presented with. If your site is not on the top half of the first page, forget about being effective on the Internet.
•Strong placement on the Internet is becoming an absolute necessity, even for brick and mortar based retailers and non-internet related service providers. Consumers under 40 years of age are much more likely to search the Internet first for almost anything (making the "Yellow Pages" and other directory advertising much less effective).
•Companies that offer "voodoo" search engine positioning or "secret" methods will tell you not to expect results for several months. Meantime, they will keep asking you for money. While you're waiting for results, potential customers are doing business with someone else WHO IS NOW at the top of the search engines .
The war had been going on for centuries. The war between the Eagles and the Bears. Nobody in the forest knew what started the war. But everyone know how often Bears were injured terribly or killed by dive bombing Eagles or just as often Eagles were killed in large numbers by sudden attacks by Bears or as they dove and the Bears swatted them from the sky. Far too often the ones hurt the most were the children or babies or mommies of the baby Eagles and Bears who wanting nothing more than peace to raise their children.
Nevertheless, rumor had been in the air for a long time of a war to end all wars. A final battle was coming that would pit every Bear in the woods against every Eagle and a final victor will emerge. But nobody knew when that day would come. But that day did come, before anyone was prepared for it. It came about when Bartholomew Bear was playing in the woods by himself. He wasn’t supposed to do that but sometimes children forget the warnings of their parents because they want so much to explore and learn. He was chasing a butterfly laughing and leaping at it from a log to a stump to a rock and then to the ground.
Suddenly he felt a shooting pain in his foot. He cried out before he even know what happened but he heard the SNAP of that man trap closed on his foot and he knew he was in big trouble. He must have cried for hours wishing his Mommy or Daddy would come. Little did he know they were preparing for the final battle, the war to end all wars with the Eagles.
The butterfly lit on his bear shoulder. “Can’t you get your foot out Bartholomew?” The butterfly said. “I want to play some more.”
“NO,” the little Bear cried big tears in his eyes. “This trap has my leg in these pointy claws and it really hurts.”
“There is another one right next to it.” Mr. Butterfly observed. “Make sure you don’t get your other foot in it. I will fly for help.”
“Yes please hurry.” The sad little Bear begged his friend. It was not long later that Bartholomew saw his help coming. Dozens and dozens of bears appeared on the ridge.
“Wow they sent everyone” he remarked to himself as more and more Bears lined up on that ridge and just stood there staring over at the other ridge on the opposite side of the valley Bartholomew was in.
On the other side, the armies of the Eagles were gathering. Filling the trees of the thick forest there, they dug their talons in and stared hatefully at the army of Bears just across the way not knowing the poor helpless Bear cub was trapped between them.
“DADDY HELP ME!” Bartholomew’s voice suddenly rang out. Both armies looked into the valley and recognized the plight of the child Bear. He was crying loudly as he looked up spotting his Mommy and Daddy in the Bear army on the ridge. Oh, the hearts of that Mommy and Daddy were torn seeing their child in that spot. When the battle begins in just moments, the two armies will rush into that valley and the killing will be most awful.
The Chieftain of the Eagles watched the little Bear. His heart was touched but not enough to call off the attack. “Daddy we have to stop it.” His son Edgar Eagle said to him perched on the same branch with him.
“No son.” The king of the Eagles declared. “We can only hope somehow the Bear child survives the battle.” The Chiefton of the Eagles watched the situation, unwilling to call the attack but unwilling to call it off. He did not see the tiny Mr. Butterfly light on the beak of Edgar Eagle.
The entire armies of Bears were in anguish watching Bartholomew struggle. But despite the begging of Bartholomew’s Mommy and Daddy, the King of the Bears would not call off the attack. The clamor for war began to rise and Bartholomew was terribly afraid. Suddenly, before the call to attack, a lone eagle soared out from the wooded side of the valley ridge. All eyes were glued to that lone figure as it did several near spins and spiraled down in long elegant arches toward the stranded Bartholomew. All of a sudden, the king of the Eagles knew who it was.
“EDGAR VeretekkPlatinumControl” The cry went out and both army’s tensed knowing the son of the King of the eagles had gone into the valley first. He landed at the side of the frightened Bear and looked at his injured leg. “Don’t worry.” Edgar VeretekkPlatinumControl said to Bartholomew. “I come to help” but as he moved around assessing the problem. SNAP the other trap closed on Edgar’s foot. While Edgar VeretekkPlatinumControl was a soldier, the pain of the trap caused him to cry out in misery.
Without a call to war, suddenly two figures burst from either side of the valley. The King of the Eagles shot form the ranks to the aid of his son and the king of the Bears rushed to help the fallen Bartholomew. Seeing their kings’ rush to save the children, both sides suddenly dropped their armor and weapons and rushed into the valley. The thunderous stampede was not a charge to battle and death but to save the precious youth plus the internet marketing newbie and for mercy.
Within moments, the two armies were working like a single-minded people to free the children. The Bears had the strength to pull open the traps and the Eagles the keen eyesight and ability to figure out the mechanisms so they opened them safely. Slowly and carefully, the traps were pulled from the legs of Bartholomew and Edger and they were free. Bartholomew rushed to the arms of the king of the Bears weeping with gratitude and Edger VeretekkPlatinumControl to the king of the Eagles CEO Tom Prendergast embracing him for stopping the attack to save their lives. Then, just as though it was the natural thing to do, Bartholomew ran to the king of the Eagles and embraced him and Edgar wept in the arms of the King of the Bears.
A thunderous shout of celebration went up from both armies. The war was over forever. Never again would the Bears and the Eagles live in warfare but instead they would be brothers and friends for eternity. And all because the son of the King was willing to fly into the valley and was willing to give his life to save his enemy and give him life instead of death.
Veretekk Platinum Control can make you soar like Eagles and fight like Bears. The Internet has come of age. New technology has been developed and new opportunities have been created with this technology that you probably haven't heard off yet.
We hope this information will help you develop your web-site to a more effective and profitable. Stop by for a Free Web Site Evaluation of your Business
SEO link-building has become one of the main high leverage activities in any online business. The simple fact is that back-links will give you a high page rank and a high page rank will rank you higher in the S.E.R.P's. Obviously this means more traffic and more money, as reported by VodaHost General & Forum Administrator
Back-links make up 90% of your Google rank and because of this, link-building has taken on a life of its own. Most people seem to misunderstand it completely. For starters you should know that not all back links are good links. They can actually hurt you more than help you.
SEO Link-building is all about building links that are natural. Google did not design their ranking system to be manipulated. It was designed to reward good sites that get linked to it naturally. That's why getting the right links can be incredibly difficult if you try and do it manually.
Unfortunately, you have to build in links these days otherwise you will not be competitive. If you sit around and wait for sites to link to you, you might wait forever. The good thing is that this also give the "small guy" a fair shake to get good rankings in Google, Yahoo and M.S.N.
Most guys build Back-links kamikaze style; that is they go in there and just get as many links they can from wherever they can and at whatever cost. This is a recipe for disaster. Once your site gets marked by Google, you might as well start over again.
Rogue link-building techniques can render months of hard work useless, so be very careful when building Back-links. Here are the 7 deadly S.E.O link-building mistakes. Avoid them at all costs.
Mistake #1: Mass Link Packages
Obviously, some sleazy and unscrupulous people are out there selling link packages that are not even worth a mention. Most of the time they blast ads out to classified directories or other spam filled networks. These links are the equivalent of buying spam email lists. Don't do it. Your links might end up on banned sites that can really hurt your Google image.
Mistake #2: Link Exchanges
Back in the day, exchanging links was the main S.E.O link-building strategy. You link to me, I link to you and we both win. Right? Wrong! Google caught on to this when hundreds of link farms opened up. Google can easily trace reciprocal links and they simply don't count for much anymore. Getting links from big link exchange networks can actually hurt your business.
Mistake #3: Linking From Non-Indexed Sites
Most people who spend hours building those free Back-links make the mistake of building links on non-indexed sites. For your back links to count, the page on which you have your link has to be indexed. Having links on non-indexed pages means nothing. It's a waste of time.
Mistake #4: Not Using Anchor Text
At first this probably won't sound too scary, but if you build 2,000 links without relevant anchor text your site can easily pass for a spam site that just gets random links. By using anchor text that is related to your site, it gives your links link-juice; meaning it makes your links relevant and increases the perceived value of each link.
Mistake #5: Not Being Relevant
Google is getting smarter by the day. After all it is their business to provide the most relevant information for each and every search that is conducted. If they don't, people will stop using Google. That's why they protect it so vigorously. When you get Back-links from relevant and related sites that would naturally link to you, then the link will count for a lot. Unrelated and random links from any old site really does not make Google see your site as being important.
Mistake #6: Inorganic links
As I mentioned earlier, Google designed the page rank system to work organically. They are looking for links to come to your site naturally. For the most part that means, slowly and consistently over time from a variety of related sites. If you go and get 1000 links overnight from the same site then Google's alarms will go off and you might land yourself in some Back-linking trouble with the big G. Slow and steady wins the race - especially if you have a new site.
Mistake #7: Buying Links
High PR Back-links are worth gold. Quite literally. I've seen a single PR7 link sell for as much as $250 per month. There are a lot of link networks out there that make it their business to sell links on high PR sites. These links have become quite expensive, but the lure of instant results have people buying links like it's going out of fashion.
Google is catching on and there has been widespread reports of Google slapping page rank. If links are publicly traded then Google can probably trace them and penalize you.
SEO link-building is all about being as natural and as organic as possible. Always go after links that are 1-way, relevant and on sites with a high page rank. If you can get links on pages with a high page rank, even better. Don't fall for the quick-fix promise of so many link building services. In the long run, slow and steady links that look natural will keep sending more and more traffic your way.
I hope this information will help you develop your web-site to a more effective and profitable.
Many times we’re asked to present a plan for the next 30 – 60 – 90 days of a paid search program. This makes a great deal of sense when we bring a new client on board and have to fix or re-build their program. It takes time to build out a program comprehensively and laying out the priorities helps manage expectations. After that point that request for a “vision” or “plan” reveals a fundamental misunderstanding about the nature of paid search marketing as reported by George Michie .
Paid search is an amazingly powerful channel for capturing existing demand. It is not a demand generating channel. Like the yellow pages people only see the ads when they’re in the market for the advertiser’s products or services. Yellow page ads don’t make people interested in taking yoga; they convince people who are interested in yoga to try the advertiser’s studio. Paid search plays the same role, but it’s easy for marketers steeped in traditional channels to miss the implications of this fact.
For demand generating channels planning is of paramount importance. Television ads seek to 1) create awareness of a brand; 2) infuse that brand awareness with positive connotations; and 3) catapult that positive awareness into action. Marketers must plan the proper messaging and imagery for each phase, and plan the timing and budgets. Even direct marketers like catalogers must plan contact strategies, page counts and formats, circulation counts and frequency of touches. Planning is required because the marketer must generate interest and action, and the time lag between marketing investment and eventual payoff is both long and not guaranteed.
Paid search is different in every respect. Budgets don’t make sense for advertisers with shopping carts on their sites because the sales happen before they pay for the ads. We don’t have to plan what products to push or when; the ads will be served to the right audience at the right time and in the right volume to respond to consumer demand.
This is not to suggest that paid search requires no work. Paid search demands well honed processes for dealing with product turnover, landing page changes, promotional offers, seasonal shifts and more. Skilled analysts study data six-ways-to-Sunday to find nuggets of gold in search logs, in click-to-order intervals, and in new classification schemes that feed statistically meaningful differentiators to our algorithms. Reacting to shifts in consumer behavior and anticipating them whenever possible takes knowledge, skill and mountains of well-organized data.
However, it doesn’t really require a plan. Indeed, predicting what projects will be most valuable 30 days from now, or 60 is both impossible and unwise. The priorities change depending on all kinds of factors outside of the analyst’s control. Locking an analyst into an arbitrary schedule prevents them from adjusting to the priorities of the moment and thereby squancders opportunities.
Asking an analyst for a long range plan for a paid search campaign is like asking your stock broker what stocks you should buy and which you should sell 6 months from now. They can make those recommendations if you really want them, but usually you’d be wise not follow them.
Absence of “a plan” is unsettling, particularly when you’re working with an agency. You can’t see them hard at work at their desks every day, so it’s natural to wonder whether they’re asleep at the switch. This fear is compounded by the reality of PPC agencies that all too often are asleep at the switch.
Trust comes from results, and in PPC results come from smart people with great tools and great processes. Anticipating and reacting to changes in the landscape requires hard work, knowledge, skills and the flexibility to follow one’s nose.
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Put Down the Remote.. That's right, put it down. Get focused here.
I want to show you something that could very well change your life drastically.
But here's the deal, I won't show you unless you're giving this news 100% of your attention.
Okay, are you ready? Are you sure?
I really want you to be totally focused when you read this.
Shut the door, turn the TV off. Make sure you're ready!
Okay....
Now, if you're even remotely serious about becoming massively successful on the internet, is to know what separates the struggling, heartbroken and cash-poor online entrepreneurs and small business owners…
From the confident, clued-in marketers pulling down huge numbers and results (yeah, even in this chaotic, soul-sucking economy)?
No, wait — ESPECIALLY in this chaotic, soul-sucking economy.
While average business owners are cowering in bed with the covers pulled over their head……
The top marketers are still fearlessly bringing home the bacon, even as everyone else panics and freaks out.
Not sure if you know the answer?
Then you’re in luck.
Here’s what’s available right now:
Are You Prepared For The Future of Search?
If your site is not already in the top of the search engines, you are losing traffic and ultimately sales on a daily basis.
Take this quiz to determine if you are positioned to get the most out of the search engines, and find out how prepared you are for the future of SEO.
SEO | Search Engine Optimization Specialist | SEO Consultant | SEO Expert | Google SEO | Organic SEO , improve web site search engine rankings, top ten search engines, how does search engine optimization work, small business website content writing
Do you know what separates the struggling, heartbroken and cash-poor online entrepreneurs and small business owners… from the confident, clued-in marketers pulling down huge numbers and results (yeah, even in this chaotic, soul-sucking economy)?
(No, wait — ESPECIALLY in this chaotic, soul-sucking economy. While “average” business owners are cowering in bed with the covers pulled over their head……
The top marketers are still fearlessly bringing home the bacon, even as everyone else panics and freaks out.)
Let go of activities that take time away from your priorities and do it right!
Search engine optimization could be a tiring task but with time it sure helps you get better traffic. Contact http://www.seo-specialist-online.com for all your SEO needs.
SEO | Search Engine Optimization Specialist | SEO Consultant | SEO Expert | Google SEO | Organic SEO | Improve Web Site Search Engine Rankings | Top 10 Search Engines | How Does Search Engine Optimization Work | Small and Large Business Website Content Writing
This SEO update is brought to you by SEO Specialist Online, Professional SEO Consultant and Content Writers for all your SEO needs. For a Free Web Site Evaluation Visit Here
When to Run Away from an SEO Company
You probably shouldn't be charged for a couple things that many "back alley" or "strip mall" SEO companies and consultants still offer. In some cases, even larger marketing organizations are trying to push value into some tactics that are outdated or simply don't work to help rankings, as reported by Chris Boggs, Search Engine Watch, Sept 2009
No two sites on the Internet are identical. In rare instances, some of the below tactics may work. But most of the time, if your SEO company is pushing these services on you, take a good hard look at what you're paying for.
SEO Tactic Octogenarians: Time for Forced Retirement
Submitting your sites to the search engines isn't as valuable to SEO. This simply offers another way for the search engines to find your site. If all you do is submit it to the search engines and sit back and wait, you likely won't see any rankings, other than potentially for your brand name.
Search engines no longer need you to submit to them, although they still provide the functionality for you to do so. As Google says on their submission page, however, "We do not add all submitted URLs to our index, and we cannot make any predictions or guarantees about when or if they will appear."
Google and the other engines are fine taking this additional information, but if you're paying someone to do this once, or even monthly, then you're wasting time and money. As Google also states: "Only the top-level page from a host is necessary; you do not need to submit each individual page. Our crawler, Googlebot, will be able to find the rest. Google updates its index on a regular basis, so updated or outdated link submissions are not necessary. Dead links will 'fade out' of our index on our next crawl when we update our entire index."
2. SEO Landing Pages: Another outdated tactic is building landing pages just for SEO, although this is a temporary solution that e-commerce companies sometimes choose to take rather than spending the time fixing the actual site and navigation. In most cases, if you want long-term results without sacrificing user experience consistency, you should optimize your actual content versus trying to create circa 2001 "doorway pages."
3. Reciprocal Linking: The last outdated tactic is using reciprocal linking as a primary link building tactic. If your SEO company or consultants requires that you place an outbound link to every site that is linking to you, then you should run away. Some reciprocal links aren't bad, especially ones that occur naturally -- just be worried if this is the only link building tactic presented.
SEO Tactics on the Bubble
1. Social Bookmarking: One tactic that has very few concrete results is social bookmarking. Some people will likely argue this, but we've yet to prove ranking lift from the addition of a URL to a Delicious or StumbleUpon. These and other links appear within backlink reports, but that alone doesn't indicate that the link is helping from a SEO perspective.
Yahoo-owned MyBlogLog cleans out their bookmark links on a regular basis. As seen in this FAQ, they provide a good reason for this: "New with Me is a moving river of updates. We are not trying to re-create the Internet. We store the last 100 items and up to 25 'clusters' of events. If you're interested in looking at older updates, we direct you to the original service provider for the full archive."
It's very important to understand that not all links are permanent. Thus, to build lasting SEO value, the majority of links developed should be permanent and carry some sort of authority.
Of course, a "natural" pattern would be that some links come and go. But if you spend a large amount of time (or are pay someone else for) building links using social bookmarking or other "expiring" link tactics, you won't get full value from your time investment.
Please note that some people do this at an almost "industrial" level to help boost rankings, by building literally thousands of links, and "refreshing" the links with new ones as they age or get stale. This would only look natural to a search algorithm if the target site has tens of thousands of existing links. Those using this tactic need to keep building links over and over, and have likely budgeted hundreds of hours to support this task with the amount of hours that it would need to provide long lasting value.
2. Article Syndication: Other tactics that are "on the bubble" include large-scale article syndication and "press release over-optimization." Articles that are relevant to your site and contain links pointed back can be valuable if syndicated on a limited basis to hand-picked partners, but using mass syndication services doesn't often yield the kinds of backlinks that could be garnered from a more personalized approach. The jury is definitely still out on this tactic, but a custom approach (which takes longer) provides value.
3. Over-Optimizing Press Releases: Press release "over-optimization" is something that many readers have probably seen after setting up an RSS feed to monitor a particular word or industry phrase. I always laugh when I see the same SEO company put out a press release every time it signs a new client, because when I check even month later, they haven't climbed in the rankings for the terms they seem to be targeting.
The use of press releases and syndicating through PR Newswire or PRWeb can be valuable, but like article syndication, this tactic must be leveraged in moderation. If you're concerned about how many press releases you've sent out to support your SEO efforts, consider if you're overdoing it. For large companies with lots of relevant news, however, this is a different story -- these companies may be OK with up to two to three press releases a week, and you might as well take the time to optimize them.
Search engine optimization could be a tiring task but with time it sure helps you get better traffic. For a Free Web Site Evaluation Visit SEO-Specialist-Online.com
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SEO Marketing Channel
SEO is the marketing channel that brings potential customers to your site who want what you offer, but don't know how to find you. These are people that will browse through the search engine listings of websites that show up for the product or service they're looking for, and choose one to purchase from. If your site only shows up for your brand name, you're not even in the game; the sale will likely go to one of your competitors who have an optimized website.
If you only want to serve the needs of people who already know your brand and aren't interested in new customers, then you don't need SEO. But if you want to use every marketing channel at your disposal, SEO is one of the most cost-effective marketing channels to bring in people who don't already know about you but want exactly what you offer.
Search engine optimization could be a tiring task but with time it sure helps you get better traffic. For a Free Web Site Evaluation VisitSEO-Specialist-Online.com
From Google to Yahoo! to Bing, search engines are a leading resources used by consumers looking for products and services from your business.
In fact, 8 out of 10 internet users now use search engines to find your business. So it makes sence that businesses with a presence on search engines are in the best position to grow.
To help your business harness the power of the web, Seo-Specialist-Online invites you to learn more about the importance of Search Engine Marketing and why you need to join the party.
Measurable and Immediate solutions to grow your business: > What does Search Engine Marketing mean to you and how specifically others are using it. > How driving traffic drives results to your bottom line. > Tools available to boost your page ranking from inside out through website optimization, pay per click programs and keyword creation. > You also have a chance for a free website evaluation
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A Search Eulogy For Yahoo And then there were two.
Make no mistake, Yahoo’s out of the search game. I know the spin. Better user interface, new ways to innovate, a winning play. Let’s not kid ourselves. They’re done. Not today, not necessarily in a year, but down the line at some point. Done, as reported by Danny Sullivan
And it’s sad, because they were one of the originals. There was a time when the mighty Yahoo roared above all other search engines. When people were so worried about being listed in Yahoo that they pondered lawsuits over the issue, because not being in Yahoo was like not being on the internet at all.
Sound familiar? Yeah, Yahoo was the Google of its day. Funny to write that — it should be Google is the Yahoo of its day, but that’s how the tables turned in the search space.
Yahoo started out in search as a human-compiled directory. Editors, finding sites, writing short descriptions about them. It worked at first. When it didn’t, Yahoo had partners that “crawled” the web automatically to provide “backup” to its directory results. Open Text was its first partner. Later came AltaVista, then Inktomi, then eventually Google.
Ah, Google. It demonstrated that you could index millions (now billions) of pages AND have relevancy. Why use a card catalog-like human directory when you had a tool like Google that could read every page in every book in the library and pull back the matching pages?
Eventually, Yahoo decided it needed to own crawler technology. In 2003, it bought Inktomi and AllTheWeb. It also bought Overture, to have paid search technology and got AltaVista as part of the deal. All these things it needed to own, we were told, because search was so essential that you couldn’t outsource:
Given how important search is to our businesses, we really needed to control our own destiny in this space and not be dependent on any one third-party provider
That’s what I was told at the beginning of 2003 by Jeff Weiner, then senior vice president of search and marketplace at Yahoo. What’s changed since then? How did search go back to being a commodity to Yahoo?
Microsoft squeezed it. No blame to Microsoft. Yahoo was sitting there with leadership that couldn’t communicate clearly how it was a strong second-place player to Google. It seemed weak, ripe for the picking, and Microsoft went to pluck it last year. Google tried for Yahoo itself through a partnership deal. The US Department of Justice, like Amy Winehouse, sang “No, no, no.” Do that, and we’ll take anti-trust action against you, Google.
Microsoft never went away, though to its credit, it continued to improve its own search offering making it even more credible. Bing’s a long way from being proven. Perhaps it might never have succeeded. But it got buzz. Not only was it not embarrassing, it was impressive to some. Yahoo didn’t seem as necessary to Microsoft’s plans.
We’ll never know if Bing could have succeeded on its own. Or, maybe we will, if the proposed deal doesn’t go through. It’s still just a proposal, subject to investor and regulatory approval. But if it does go through, Microsoft becomes the number two search player. It controls the core search technology. Yahoo will have “parity” with Microsoft to use the search technology, we’re told. Soothing-sounding words, but parity doesn’t matter when Yahoo seemingly has given up on search as a top attraction overall.
Yahoo CEO Carol Bartz has made plenty of noise about how Yahoo isn’t just a search engine. Or not even a search engine, at times. How Yahoo has some of the web’s top destinations. That’s true, all true. But search was a leading property as well, for Yahoo. Yahoo wouldn’t consider outsourcing its email or IM services. Wouldn’t decide that its Yahoo Finance area could be powered by someone else. So why’s search got the boot?
Because Microsoft wants it, and they weren’t going away. Neither was Bartz standing up to definitively say that in the long term, it made more sense for Yahoo to keep search as a core technology. That few companies had such crown jewels. That technology alone a year ago worth $1 billion to Microsoft didn’t suddenly become worth no upfront payment a year later.
But also because Yahoo seems to have no choice. It keeps losing talent. It’s fine to have a great machine, but someone’s got to run it — keep developing it. So if I sound harsh about Yahoo getting out of search, I’m also understanding. It would have been incredibly difficult to keep it.
AOL and Lycos are two examples of portals that gave up their own search technologies and watched their traffic drop. Perhaps Yahoo will be the exception. Perhaps it will surprise me and be a long-time search player — a place where substantial amounts of searches happen. Part of me hopes it plays out that way, if only for nostalgic reasons.
But I doubt it.
Search engine optimization could be a tiring task but with time it sure helps you get better traffic. For a Free Web Site Evaluation Visit SEO-Specialist-Online.com
This SEO update is brought to you by SEO Specialist Online, Professional SEO Consultant and Content Writers for all your SEO needs. For a Free Web Site Evaluation Visit Here
Recession Sends More and More Americans Online
The recession has affected Americans in many ways, forcing people to cut back on their spending and in some cases, out of their homes. According to a new study, it seems that more and more U.S. residents are heading online in search of solutions to their financial woes states Brandon Dimmel.
In the past, community leaders and social workers were relied upon by Americans looking for help during tough economic times. However, today there's an easier way to consult experts for assistance.
Americans Hope for Quicker Solutions Online
A recent study by the Pew Internet & American Life Project found that most Americans have ventured online to get help with their economic problems. In fact, the study estimates an astounding 88 per cent of all American Internet users have employed the web in order to research the recession and solutions of their own financial concerns. (Source: Internetnews.com)
Pew director and report co-author Lee Rainie believes the results reveal Americans' desire to get the information they need to help get through this difficult period. "People are anxious about these hard times," said Rainie. "They are more information-hungry than in normal times." (Source: reuters.com)
Web Used as Multi-Purpose Tool
The unemployment rate continued to grow last month, hitting 9.5 per cent across the U.S. With more people out of work, the Internet has received increased traffic with people both searching for solutions and creating their own blogs to help resolve the problem.
However, the web isn't just being used to search for jobs or financial advice. Many Americans are using it to research products they might have otherwise purchased more impulsively.
And that means several things: for one, there is a greater market than ever before for sites dedicated to protecting and educating the average consumer. However, it could also mean more Americans vulnerable to Internet predators. The challenge for security experts will be to keep the sharks at bay with more fish in the sea than ever before.
Statistics on getting to the top of the of the Top Ten search engines
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Statistics on getting to the top of the of the Top Ten search engines
77% of people skip over sponsored listings and click on the natural search results.
Source: Enquiro Research
When making a purchase, 67% chose organic over sponsored listings.
Source: Enquiro Research
Why Search Engine Optimization? No pay-per-click fees - No competitors or "researchers" clicking away on your sponsored link advertising and running out your budget! Levels the playing field between your website and your competitor's website by allowing your website to be displayed on the 1st page rankings of the search engine results as well.
No need to worry about ever increasing per-click fees.
More visitors to your site since your site will be appearing on the left side of the search results. The English speaking world reads left to right. In addition, the left side is more trusted as it is part of the natural search engine results. Consistent search engine ranking and visibility of your site for as long as you are a client with us.
Excellent return on investment Low cost - Save $100s, sometimes $1,000s!
We do all the search engine optimization work for you. We do both on-site and off-site optimization! Almost every customer asks, so might as well say it here, although we still create custom meta tags for the site, meta tags play a very small role in the overall search engine optimization process of the site. There is quite a bit more search engine optimization work involved in placing a site on the first page of the Top Ten major search engines.
What do we Mean by Keywords, and Why do They Matter?
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What do we Mean by Keywords, and Why do They Matter?
Keywords are the foundation of any Search Engine Optimization or Search Marketing campaign. If you don’t know what keywords are being used in searches by the people you want to attract to your Web site, you can’t effectively market through the search engines to those people.
The terms keyword is often used as shorthand for keyword phrase. When we use the term keyword, we mean the word—or words—that may be typed into a search engine by someone carrying out a search. In fact most searches these days are not single-word searches … most searchers now type two or more words in their searches.
If you’re reading this, you probably already understand why you need to know the keywords people use when searching for products or services such as those promoted by your Web site. Just in case …
• If you don’t know the keywords, you can’t optimize your Web site properly. • If you don’t know the keywords, you don’t know what keywords to put in links pointing to your site. • If you don’t know the keywords, you don’t know which keywords to bid on in Pay Per Click programs.
Selecting keywords, then, is important. But there are two ways to select the keywords you need for your campaigns: • Guess • Do a full keyword analysis
The most popular method is to guess at the keywords. The most effective method, however, is to do a full keyword analysis (which actually begins with you guessing at what keywords you think are important, then using a free KeyWord tool to “dig” into databases of actual search terms).
What happens if you simply guess at the search terms you need, and don’t do a full keyword analysis? Typically two problems arise:
• Many of the keywords on your list will be more or less irrelevant. People simply aren’t using them in searches. • You’ll miss keywords that people are using to search for your product or service.
What Does an SEO Specialist Do?
Essentially, a SEO Specialist does two things:
• Helps you develop a list of likely keyword phrases. SEO Specialist searches other Web site’s KEYWORDS tags and searches a thesaurus, to help you create a preliminary list of keyword phrases.
• Based on these keyword phrases, it shows you what people using the Web’s search engines are actually typing into the search engines.
Given the economic problems around the globe, home based business opportunities usually flourish during recessionary times. Faced with layoffs, downsizing and closures, affected employees look for alternate ways of earning an income. Entrepreneurial spirit is kindled when options are scarce and people turn to the Internet..... continue reading
This SEO update is brought to you by SEO Specialist Online, Professional SEO Consultant and Content Writers for all your SEO needs. For a Free Web Site EvaluationVisit Here
How to accept credit cards for small business
The benefits of accepting credit cards almost always outweigh the risks, and the chances of this are greatly improved if you do your homework before opening a merchant account. In this article I’ll talk about the importance of accepting credit cards, what to expect as you compare merchant accounts and how to keep your merchant account in good standing once you begin processing.
Convincing a business owner that they need to start accepting credit cards isn’t as tough as it once was and it’s getting easier every day. Credit and debit cards are a staple in consumers’ wallets and the trend isn’t showing signs of letting up any time soon. For merchants, the ability to accept credit cards often translates to larger average tickets and greater gross monthly sales volumes. Of course, along with the greater sales volume comes the expense of processing credit card transactions. Fortunately, profit from increased sales typically far outweighs processing costs.Here are a few helpful points that you should know before beginning your search for a merchant account.
Merchant account fees are not standardized
Merchant account Rates and fees vary widely from one provider to the next. Aside from the amount of fees charged, some accounts will have entire categories of fees that others won’t. As you being to research your options, look at every account as an individual.
Credit card processing rates and fees are not written in stone
Haggling is the name of the game when it comes to negotiating the best merchant account rates and fees. Consider the rates and fees of an initial merchant account quote as a starting point from which you can start to reducing costs.
There are a lot of providers competing for your business
Don’t begin and end your search at your local bank or even with the providers in your town. There are thousands of merchant service providers all competing for your business. Use this competition to your advantage to get the best rates possible. Consider using a web site like CardFellow.com to get quotes from multiple providers from a national market.
Once you begin contacting merchant service providers, you should expect to encounter some pretty good sales people that may employ high-pressure sales tactics. The key is to remain methodical in your search process and look at the facts surrounding an account, not the salesperson’s interpretation of them.
The best and truly knowledgeable salespeople will use the rates and fees of their merchant account quote to help portray the benefits of their offer. They’ll take the time to learn about your business, present calculations and estimations of processing expenses using an effective rate, and they’ll take the time to answer your questions in a consultative manner. These are the salespeople to look for, but not necessarily the ones to expect.
Once you decide upon a merchant account provider and start accepting credit cards, your education about credit card processing has just begun. Don’t look at the task as complete, but as just beginning. The bankcard industry is always changing and new regulations that affect you are commonly brought to legislative attention. The phrase “knowledge is power” translates to merchants in the bankcard industry as “knowledge is money.” The more you know about credit card processing, the more you will be able to save yourself in processing expenses.
Once you begin processing credit cards, frequent reliable and unbiased sources on the subject to keep yourself up to date about the industry and ways you can optimize your merchant account to lower costs. The best sources of merchant account information are the ones that aren’t trying selling you processing services.
A wealth of Information to help businesses that start accepting credit cards find the best merchant account is available at the MerchantCouncil.org.
Search engine optimization could be a tiring task but with time it sure helps you get better traffic. For a Free Web Site Evaluation Visit SEO-Specialist-Online.com
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Given the economic problems around the globe, home based business
opportunities usually flourish during recessionary times. Faced with layoffs,
downsizing and closures, affected employees look for alternate ways of
earning an income. Entrepreneurial spirit is kindled when options are scarce
and people turn to the Internet..... continue reading
Search Engine Optimization could be a tiring task but with time it sure helps you get better traffic. For a Free Web Site Evaluation Visit SEO-Specialist-Online.com
SEO – The Powerful Marketing Tool
These days, SEO has become the most effective characteristic of the websites that help the administrators to enjoy the productive results. Most of the website owners consider SEO to be the most powerful tool for marketing, as Search Engine Optimization has reduced the need for door to door marketing. SEO is actually a process through which the websites can rank higher in the search engines by drawing quality traffic. However, the process of creating SEO rich websites is not that easy as it seems to be.
Some people are new to this term, but they desire to take the advantage of the technology. For such people, SEO Campaign Management sources are the best alternatives, these days that can actually help the administrators to rank higher on the search engines. These sources guide the website owners, provide an appropriate SEO strategy for their websites and make use of the SEO tricks to exert a pull on the quality traffic. In addition to this, these SEO Campaign Management sources are well acquainted with the SEO news, which helps them to incorporate the latest SEO tricks in the websites so as to serve people with the best of their services.
The SEO Campaign Management sources can also provide website owners with Professional SEO Consultants that can guide people with the finest strategies for their website. These strategies are very useful while working with keywords and keyword phrases. So, if you also want to enjoy the improved position n the search engines, opt for SEO Campaign Management sources.
Keywords: content writers | professional seo consultants | seo news tricks | SEO Campaign Management
Share Shaklee During the Holidays! Make use of the most of the holiday season to build your business in Shaklee. Top leaders in Shaklee who have something very special in common: they were all sponsored during the holiday season!
I was sponsored in the month of November and immediately got serious about the business. My wife and I Shaklee-ized our home and gave a lot of Shaklee products as Christmas presents. It was good advertising and we earned a bonus on the volume. We gave my parents a basic nutrition program on December 1st and told them that their Christmas present was that they would feel better by Christmas. They rolled their eyes, but took the products, saw the difference, and have been one of our best customers ever since. We went to see my uncle's family over Christmas and sponsored some of them. This business is about people and the holidays give a terrific opportunity to connect and reconnect.
It is a great time to start. The holidays are the best time to connect to people because there are lots of parties and functions. You see people you have not seen in awhile. You meet new people. It is a great time to develop rapport. Keep your ears open and listen to things people say. There will be people complaining about health, jobs, the economy, etc...keep a mental note. Then call them back the next day to set appointments to share Shaklee. A lot of Shaklee business owners have their best months in December because they have open houses and offer their own product specials. It’s a great way to increase your commission and promote Shaklee products.
Join Free with 50 PV - Now through Jan. 16, 2010:
Give the gift of health and prosperity this holiday season with Join Free with 50 PV! For a limited time, Shaklee is waiving the $19.95 fee for new Members who join with a 50 PV order. This is a great way to build product customers while you grow your organization with the “3 & 10—Do it Again!” duplication system and earn points toward Imagine 2010. Take advantage of this great offer today; Join Free with 50 PV ends Jan. 16, 2010.
6 Months of PWS with GOLD - Now through Jan. 16, 2010:
Sponsor new GOLD Ambassadors through Jan. 16, 2010, and Shaklee will give them an extra three months of access to a Personal Web Site at no additional charge. That’s a total of six months of Personal Web Site - an additional value of about $45 on top of the over $500 worth of products, services, and discounts they already receive. Now your new GOLD Ambassadors will get even more for their money when they sponsor with this valuable way to join Shaklee.
Growing Your Team for Successful Internet Marketing
For Shaklee business success, staying connected to your team is an important part of maintaining your team spirit, advancement and growing beyond in marketing online. I use events, appointments, conference calls and webinars to reach out to our new people and Leaders and make sure each person on their team is incorporating principles of successful business building. Not only that, in order to make sure that you are doing your part as a business leader, I help team members to stay in touch with their dreams, their vision and the marketing plan they’ve created for themselves as they work toward their goals.
One of the ways our team maintains the growth we’ve achieved is by leveraging incentives and other sales programs that Shaklee offers. Incentives help us keep motivated as we’re working to grow our teams and volume…and the benefits are incredible! I have earned over $1000 as well as numerous incentives just following the established plan . And not only have I been inspired to continue to grow my business, but my team has been inspired as well.
Share ideas about what you can do to continue that growth trend, maintaining your Business Leader quality and your momentum. Keep going ---
Success is inevitable. Once you do, you'll want to do two things: 1) celebrate - enjoy your accomplishment and be sure to recognize your builders who've helped along the way; and 2) keep going! and reach for the next milestone that you ave set up in your marketing plan.
It is Income Producing Activities that will keep your business growing. This includes
Sponsoring - bringing new business partners on board, and finding customers in the process, are your most important activities for continued growth. This is critical to your business growth.
Presenting the Opportunity - setting appointments to share everything Shaklee offers with new people on a regular basis leads to sponsoring.
Meetings - hold regular meetings in which you present the Shaklee Products and Opportunity. Group meetings leverage your time, new contacts, and new potential business builders and customers.
Training and Orienting Builders and New Members - the time you spend helping new people get to know and understand Shaklee, and then get started by either Shaklee-izing their home if they are a new builder, or choosing the right products for themselves and their families, is time well spent.
There's no right or wrong way to fit these essential activities into your life. The important thing is that you do, so that you can continue along the career path that Shaklee offers, and earn the even greater rewards just ahead...
Ideas about how to make the most of social gatherings, give the gift of health, or help people earn extra cash? Let us know how you use Shaklee products and the opportunity to keep your business growing in the holiday season.
The table is set for success. Shaklee has cutting edge products of the highest quality, the future-facing leadership of our Chairman & CEO Roger Barnett, and now...we have a clear and compelling career path in Shaklee that you can share with anyone.
What's needed is your vision of the future and clear goals to get you there. New goals always require two things: New thinking and new behavior.
Having a duplication process is an important part of sharing Shaklee. It allows you to create, perfect, and then teach a process that you and your downline can use again and again. Duplication is in the working when you share with prospects the GOLD Ambassador Mission PAK!
Shaklee offers three levels of involvement. Starting with the Gold Ambassador Mission PAK is one way. There are other ways to join, but it is the only way I can recommend getting involved with a good conscience. For only $299, you receive over $500 in value! This program really is the best option for just about everyone.
A choice of one of 6 Product Action Kits (PAKs) that include all sorts of products based on your interests (GOLD Premier, Vivix® Tru-Infinity™, Cinch®; Enfuselle® Nutrition Therapy Skin Care; Healthy Home, Healthy You; and Kosher).
Free product coupon for next order worth up to $100 in retail value.
Distributor Welcome Kit ($39.95)
Global Ambassador status ($99) - This gives you the ability to build an international, global business. That means that anywhere in the world that Shaklee has an open market, you can build a business. That is really powerful!
3 months of a Shaklee Personal Website (PWS) – Choose from one of six beautiful, video-centric templates. And change your template in minutes anytime you like. ($60)
15% off SRP of all Shaklee products
You’ve taken the first necessary step to qualifying for all of the ways to earn in the Shaklee Compensation Plan.
Shaklee also plants 5 trees in your honor to offset the carbon emissions of shipping the PAK.
What is considered to be the most important point is that by being a GOLD Ambassador, you can earn money in all of the ways that Shaklee allows you to earn money, including GOLD Ambassador bonuses, Tru-Infinity™ and FastTRACK. If you are not a GOLD Ambassador, you will be leaving money on the table and who wants to do that?!
My recommendation is to enroll with the GOLD Ambassador Mission PAK because you will get over $500 in value for $299 along with all the benefits.
Posted by Seesan Ed | an Internet Marketing Professional | CEO, Seesan and Associates, LLC | 1-501-640-5805 | skype: seesan1
You know someone who might need to earn an extra $1000, right away?
Everybody knows someone who is concerned about how they will survive the current economic climate. Share this powerful eClip that talks about the Shaklee opportunity and the stability we can offer families during times of economic challenge.
There are many ways to earn extra $1000 dollars in Shaklee.
Harrison Luke and his wife in thier first month, earned over $3500 dollars and, combined, their team produced nearly 18,000 BGV within their first month at Shaklee. That is not including the $1500 in Power of 10 Bonuses they have earned as a team.
Your job as Business Leader is to help people with a clear path to success. But first you have to be convinced yourself that success in Shaklee is possible. Then when you share it with others, you don't even have to ask them to sponsor. When they are convinced, they will ask to be a part of what you are doing.
Michael and Jennie focus primarily on helping their team members understand the value of a Shaklee business. "I ask people to take out a check and write a check for a quarter of a million dollars," says Michael. "Then I ask them to write down the first 10 things they would do if they had just bought a business for a quarter of a million dollars." The results prove eye opening. "If you had just spent that much money on a business no one would have to tell you to call your upline. You would be calling them to learn everything you needed to be successful."
Within their first month of joining Shaklee, Michael & Jennie Lee broke out as Directors and within 5 months, they have doubled their BGV and have 27 GOLD Ambassadors sponsored in their Personal Group—16 of whom they have personally sponsored. They earn an average of $1000 a month and are on pace to have their best month ever. They are also currently in the top three among all Directors in group sponsoring for The Power of 10 Incentive. "This business will pay out exactly what you put into it," Michael says matter-of-factly. "When people can wrap their arms around the value of the business, they won't wait to do anything! They'll be on the Member Center right away learning all they can—they'll be calling everyone they know."
I used to be concerned about retirement. I found a company that allows me to continue what I'm doing and build a residual income on a part-time basis. Now I feel a lot more secure about my future. Would you or someone you know be interested in...learning how you can build a more secure future?
This may be the best time for you to get into Shaklee opportunity. Click on the following link to watch a flash video. It is about The Shaklee Opportunity, an introduction to our income opportunity with Roger Barnett with exciting testimonials from a host of Shaklee Business Leaders offers all the reasons why Shaklee is
unique and why, in good times and bad, Shaklee is the best company
to help you build an incredible future. View this flash video!
a presentation to be a powerful introduction to Shaklee.
And you can pass them out to everyone you know.
Ever wonder how some people seem to be able to find prospective business builders and customers, no matter where they are? In the dentist's office, at the airport, in a taxicab? Does it take an extrovert or an expert in Public Relations to know how to strike up those conversations?
Do only the most aggressive marketers know how? What skills does it take to be able to introduce Shaklee in comfortable conversation with almost anyone?
All it takes is following a simple 4-step process for inviting people to learn more about Shaklee.
But first, know what you're inviting them to. Spend a few minutes and decide first what to do when someone says 'yes.' Knowing what you're inviting someone to will take a lot of the uncertainty out of your approach.
The Invitation is a Four-Step Process
Once you're clear on what you'll invite people to do, each invitation is actually a simple process in four parts.
Remember that these four parts can happen very quickly, in only two or three minutes, or they can take longer.
1. Get to Know- People want to do business with others whom they know, like and trust. Building that connection with someone you don't know can start with anything, like a sincere compliment for great service. Ask rapport building questions - questions that are not confrontational and are not about Shaklee. Like "What do you do?" And a favorite follow-up? "How do you like it?"
Find something that gives you a connector, and that's when you tell your story. Telling your story builds trust too, so that's an important element of this step.
2. Build a bridge - This takes very careful listening,
because what you want to do is make a small progress between
the very specific rapport you've built with the person
you're talking to, and the invitation to learn more about
Shaklee. Once you know what that connection is, then try to
know more about them.
3. Give the invitation - This could be to an event, or to
review an article, DVD, or web site. Be sure to ask for your
new friend's name and e-mail, and then for their phone number
after they've given their name and e-mail.
4. Set an appointment - Ask permission to follow-up or call to
remind them of the appointment. Thank them, and let them know
it helps you to remember the appointment as well if you can
do that.
Expect that many people don't keep their first appointment.
Don't let that put you off. It may take as many as 5-9
contacts before you can engage someone in the business.
So Always stay friendly, never become irritated or upset.
Go after your best prospects, not just your easiest ones.
Sharp, busy people are your best potential business builders.
They may not be the easiest precisely because they are busy
and probably think they're maxed out timewise. But they are
the ones who are most likely to be successful and help you
in your business, and ultimately can truly benefit from what
they build.
Understanding the Shaklee Business Model
What does it take to build a career level of income in Shaklee? How do you create a thriving enterprise that can offer you and your family the resources and freedom to devote your time to the things that matter most to you?
Master Coordinator Matt Paddock explains, "Career income is derived from building a network of people, each of whom is working for themselves, engaging in the same activities you are - building a team, developing leaders who also develop leaders - and this grows into an organization."
Are there other ways to build a business in Shaklee? Definitely. Many have built comfortable incomes by simply focusing on sharing the best products in the world with people, some through sophisticated marketing techniques. But large, residual income generating businesses are built through the concept of "leverage."
What's leverage, and what does it mean for your ability to create wealth for generations to come? Leverage means the ability to start something, and to have others duplicate what you started, multiplying your effort geometrically, in a way that benefits everyone.
Here's a concrete example (with a little bit of math, but not too much) that demonstrates how leverage works:
If you share a 50 PV product with each of 4 people, you'll generate 200 PV points. 50 + 50 + 50 + 50 = 200.
If each of those people joins you as a business builder, then you teach them, and they also share with three people each. Each of those 50s now becomes 200. 200 + 200 + 200 + 200 = 800.
As those four continue to share, the numbers grow geometrically. And that's the power of leverage.
Here's an illustration from the First Step Training Manual about how adding a business builder to your group can multiply your ability to earn and grow, geometrically.
You also can listen to our recent teleconference by calling 1-512-703-6147
Posted by Seesan Ed | Internet Marketing Professional | CEO, Seesan and Associates, LLC | ph:1+501-640-5805 | skype: seesan1 |
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SHAKLEE DISTRIBUTOR Opportunity
What is Shaklee?
A Healthier Life for Everyone and a Better Life for Anyone™
Maybe you’re looking for a way to get healthier. Or a way to make a healthier income. Maybe you’d like both. Maybe there are things that matter more to you than money.
We get it. Life can be better. You can live healthier, you can make a healthier income, and you can do it by making people and the planet healthier too.
Do something different
If you’re here, you already know why there’s never been a better time to do something different. For reasons that are yours. We’d like to hear what they are.
If you’d like to make a change in your health and vitality, make a change in how you earn an income, and help make a positive change in the world, let’s talk.
What Makes Shaklee Different?
Our mission at Shaklee is to provide a healthier life for everyone and a better life for anyone. We do it by making natural products that are so exceptional, you just have to tell your friends. Every product that goes into every Shaklee bottle is designed to improve health, work without compromise, and be gentle on the planet. That’s the short answer.
The longer answer involves all the other things we do better than anyone else:
Being the number one natural nutrition company in the US
Becoming first in the world to be certified Climate Neutral™ (totally offsetting our carbon emissions resulting in a net zero impact on the environment)
Powering 54 Gold Medals with our products
Investing over $250 million in clinical testing, research and development
Testing for purity and safety with over 80,000 quality tests each year
Joining forces with explorer Jacques Cousteau, 2004 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Dr. Wangari Maathai, and other earth advocates
Winning awards for our sustainable business practices and in green design for our world headquarters
Recycling 1,000,000 pounds of cardboard from other companies
We also pioneered a business model that empowers people to work from home, spending more time doing the things that matter most to them, and earning a healthy income by helping others. Imagine a business where you can earn financial rewards, luxury trips to exotic locations and recognition for helping people, while making a difference for the planet.
That’s part of what makes Shaklee different. The other part is the uncompromising excellence of our shaklee products.
Posted by Seesan Ed, Internet Marketing Professional | CEO, Seesan and Associates, LLC | AutomatedMarketingSystem |phone: 1+501-640-5805 |skype: seesan1
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Here is the proof! Harrison Luke and Vicki Ebesu, Senior Executive Coordinators and Jennifer Yang, Senior Coordinator, have been in Shaklee since November 1, 2008, and their team has grown quickly.
As a mother of three, when Jennifer joined Shaklee she was willing to give 100% effort, but only 10% of her time. Amazingly, Jennifer achieved Director qualifications in one week, and closed out her first month earning an income of about $1,000†. In her next month, she promoted a Director and became a Senior Director, doubling her income to make $2,000! By month three, she was a Senior Coordinator, increasing her income significantly each month. By month six, with the help of her team, Jennifer had earned $15,000 with the Power of 10 incentive!
View this video with everyone!
Take that first step and you can also build your won business working from your home. JOIN as GOLD AMBASSADOR
Veretekk- automated marketing system Over 10 Years... it has been in the making ... We have been building and upgrading this system since 1996.
Veretekk has been a gigantic undertaking, but it was worth it!
Do you want to make an additional income and at the same time seriously and successfully promote your primary opportunity(s)?
The compensation plan is real easy to explain and to understand. Basically we pay out 90% of the setup fee and 50% of the monthly subscription fee when someone under you upgrades to Veretekk Gold.
We could have made it a business opportunity when we started, but we didn't feel that was honest.
How many times have you joined an opportunity only to hear the typical baloney that the services will be launched next month or get in at the top before we launch the great service we are promising? We could list the companies but that would take to much bandwidth.
VERETEKK COMPENSATION PLAN:
Veretekk offers one of the most basic, yet lucrative compensation plans in the business. Even free Silver subscribers can earn commissions without ever having to spend a penny! The plan is designed to help you establish a large, but more importantly stable
residual income stream by paying out larger monthly amounts on lower levels.
An illustration,
if you signed up 3 who signed up 3 and they signed up 3, your monthly income would equal $450/month pretty fast!
Your results may differ better or worse. Some will make more and others less, but with only 100 on your third level you would receive over $1,500 per month from that level alone. You also need to consider this... Veretekk works right now.
We are not promising something in the future. We are delivering a lead and marketing system that has been tested and proven to work beyond expectations, since 1996!
But it gets even better... Veretekk offers Full Compression! That means as a Veretekk Gold subscriber you will receive all of the commissions that pass by the Silver subscribers below you - until they decide to upgrade to Gold themselves!
This offers you the ability to use a very powerful downline building technique... By placing new Silver subscribers one below another in your downline.
As soon as one upgrades to Gold the rest start receiving monthly notices letting them know about the commissions they are missing (which they can start getting by simply upgrading themselves!)
As an example, let's say you have 3 Silver subscribers in a straight line below you and that the person below them upgrades to Gold. The Silver subscriber directly above them will receive the standard $60 set-up commission for the upgrade.
Then on a monthly basis since the person 2 levels above the upgraded subscriber is Silver, they do not get the $5/month second level commission. But instead of just keeping it for the company, Veretekk looks above that subscriber to find the next Gold person in the upline and gives them the level 2 commission!
To continue the example, let's say that after a month one of the silver subscribers between you and the upgraded person decides to upgrade to Gold themselves. By doing so they will immediately start receiving the level 2 commission for the person on their second level, but since the person above them (and below you) is Silver they are not eligible to receive the $15/month level 3 commission... so it compresses up to you!
In addition you start receiving the $5/month level 2 commission for the new upgrade!
By building your downline smart, the net effect of full compression is that it allows you to receive 3 levels of commissions from any depth in your downline! There's no need to worry about commissions getting pushed away... with full compression you are able to maximize the compensation plan!
P.S. Don't get intimidated by the look of the Veretekk website. There are free online training provided daily by our internet marketing experts. Veretekk HomebasedOnlineBusiness
Become a Shaklee GOLD Ambassador. No sales leader becomes an Executive, or any other rank alone. We do this together. Maria Cloutier, Executive Coordinator, with her Shaklee business is able to stay home with her 2 children. She saw that what she did mattered. Shaklee changed her life in many profound ways by helping others and earning an income at the same time.
Watch her inspiring story and share with everyone you know! Cick here to watch!
Lifetime Master Coordinator Jim Burke recently stated that most lucrative careers in the world have been built on the premise of "doing one thing well." And building a large organization that can generate residual income in Shaklee is no different.
Here's Jim's outline for creating a plan to become a Director. It's one very experienced and successful leader's approach for helping others to become a Director in the first 30-90 days in Shaklee!
1. First, commit to following the plan
2. Become a GOLD Ambassador (this opens the door to all of the different ways you can be paid in Shaklee)
3. Set up an office in your home
4. Learn and understand the Director position with all of its benefits and importance
5. Hook up with all support systems (Shaklee University, EXCITE training meetings, conference calls, team meetings)
6. Learn how to do a new Member orientation: This means helping your network (see point #9) to Shakleeize their home and also set up a Shaklee office
7. Purchase a small inventory – certainly not a requirement, but a great commitment
8. Learn how to present the compensation plan.
9. Build a network of 20 or 30 people†
10. Build to Director – if you can’t make it to Director, you can’t help create a Director
Do you enjoy having a whiff of your favorite coffee brand every morning? Do you savor every sip from your coffee mug at any time of the day? Then you are one of those interesting people who think coffee-drinking should not just be an everyday habit but should be a great experience as well!
Drinking coffee is such a common experience that people have decided to enhance the experience. If you happen to love drinking coffee, you would have heard of organic coffee beans by now. If you haven’t, then you came to the right place.
The first question you probably want to ask is what are organic coffee beans? To answer that, we have to distinguish this type of beans from other coffee beans.
Organic coffee beans have a rich and tasty flavor as compared to ordinary coffee beans, which are heavily sprayed with chemicals. This is because these coffee beans are grown by environmentally-friendly ways which means nasty pesticides and harmful fertilizers weren’t used. They are grown using natural processes or methods.
Coffee bean farmers simply use what nature has provided for them. What would that be? The use of different shade trees, of course!
The various shade trees used act as protective coverings for coffee beans as they grow. These trees also do what they do best: purify the soil. This allows coffee plants to flourish without any hindrance.
These trees also attract birds and provide nesting areas for them. These birds in turn eat their natural food – bugs that may harm plants. This leads to the reduction in the use of pesticides.
In the United States, for coffee to be certified as organic, it must be produced in compliance with U.S. standards. Pesticides or other prohibited substances must not have been used on land where the beans will be grown for about three years. There should also be enough buffer space between the organic coffee beans and the nearest conventional crop. Crop rotation plans are also implemented so as to prevent soil depletion and erosion. Pest control becomes possible through this method.
Organic coffee beans are grown all over the world. Countries that lead in organic coffee production are Peru, Ethiopia and Mexico. Other than these countries, organic coffee can also be found in Bolivia, Brazil, China, Costa Rica, Cuba, India, Kenya, Philippines and other Asian countries.
People nowadays are more health-conscious and prefer foods that are not only grown organically, but also without preservatives. It comes as no surprise then that the global market for organic coffee beans is steadily increasing. As of 2006, 148 million pounds of coffee were sold all over the world. Forty-four percent of the total was consumed in the United States alone. Since 2003, global sales have increased by 56 percent.
Organic coffee beans are sold in different kinds in the market. These include caffeinated or decaffeinated, instant and flavored. People have even become more creative and now organic coffee ice cream and yogurt are available. And if you have a sweet tooth, you’d love them in hard candies or you can even have them chocolate-covered. Not bad for a simple coffee bean!
Short Rib Recipe Made With Fresh Roasted Coffee Beans (Espresso)
We at Sono Coffee Beansthink foodthinkers by Braville did an absolutely brillant job of laying out, explaining and showing the wonderfully delicious results of this fresh roasted coffee beans recipe, so please head on over to foodthinkers by Breville to get instructions and see the step by step of concocting this tasty little recipe.
Fresh Roasted Coffee Beans - Roasted and Shipped to You the same Day.
With more than 400 billion cups of coffee consumed every year, coffee is the world’s most popular beverage.
Coffee has a long history of being blamed for everything from stunted growth to cancer. But, recent research from Harvard Medical School finds that moderate coffee consumption is actually good for you.
So, sit back, enjoy your coffee and learn about the health benefits you may be getting in that cup of joe.
Cancer: Several studies show that coffee drinkers have lower rates of colon and rectal cancers and are 50 percent less likely to get liver cancer than coffee abstainers.
Type 2 Diabetes: Coffee is thought to contain chemicals that lower blood sugar because heavy coffee drinkers may be less likely to get diabetes than those who drink little or no coffee.
Parkinson’s disease: Coffee seems to help protect men from Parkinson’s disease, but not women. Researchers say the difference may be because of estrogen.
Heart disease: Coffee is not linked to the development of heart disease. Coffee has been shown to be safe, even for heart attack survivors. Scientists think it is the antioxidants in coffee that may reduce inflammation and protect blood vessel walls.
Life span: Recent studies suggest that drinking coffee decreases the risk of premature death, especially in women. Women who drank at least five-to-seven cups a week had a death rate 26 percent lower than noncoffee drinkers.
Liver disease:
A study from the National Cancer Institute showed that people with chronic hepatitis C and advanced liver disease that drank three or more cups of coffee a day cut their risk of disease progression by 53 percent.
Whether the coffee had caffeine did not seem to matter in these studies.
A word of caution about caffeine, though. More than 200 mg of caffeine per day can increase the risk of miscarriage. (One cup of coffee typically has 100-150 mg caffeine).
Excessive caffeine may increase blood pressure, cause anxiety and insomnia. Caffeine increases the loss of calcium in the urine, so if you have osteoporosis, it’s probably best to keep you caffeine intake to under 300 mg a day, or take an extra calcium tablet for each cup of coffee you drink. Caffeine is addictive and withdrawal from caffeine can cause unpleasant side effects.
Like anything, moderation counts. So go ahead and enjoy your coffee guilt-free. Just remember that although coffee is calorie free, the cream and sugar you may add provides unnecessary calories, fat and sugar in your diet.
Anita Marlay, R.D., L.D., is a dietitian in the cardiac rehab department at Lake Regional Health System in Osage Beach. origanal article found at http://www.lakenewsonline.com/lifestyle/health/x1672006782/Nutrition-Tip-of-the-Week-Enjoy-that-cup-of-coffee
Enjoy a cup of coffee today, made with fresh roasted Sono Coffee.
Packaging ideas for keeping coffee beans fresh for a longer time.
If one has to get good self life after the coffee is roasted and packed following things should be kept in mind....
Many factors adversely affect coffee. The most detrimental are oxygen and moisture.
Fresh Roasted coffee beans should be air cooled instead of water quenched. And coffee should be immediately put into air tight container after roasting.
Without the valve, you can not package fresh roasted coffee into Laminated Pouches, cardboard cans, Aluminum cans, polyethylene bags or in any other packaging material. Freshly roasted coffees liberate large amounts of coffee gases for at least a week. If fresh roasted coffee is packed immediately after roasting into sealed pouches without valves, ypu can expect explosions. In terms of pouch packaging for fresh roasted coffee beans, if a bag without a valve is sealed at this stage, initially a brick is formed when the air is sucked out. Bricks hold their shape only if the packaged coffee beans have been fully degassed, which means, basically, you can package only stale coffee beans (fully degassed coffee beans) into bricks. Don't pack bricks in coffee.
Fresh roasted coffee beans must be packaged in a valve bag in order to allow the coffee to degas naturally for a week. Coffee packed without valve or any other way, it is not fresh coffee. Without a degassing valve, the bag or pouch would explode. And a valve on a cardboard can is useless because cardboard has a high oxygen permeation rate, meaning it's little more than a sieve to molecular oxygen.
Most coffee companies do not do this. What they do is either wait till the coffee is fully degassed or wait about a week then package. You can tell easily. Fully degassed packages do not have a valve and they are not expanding. Close to degassed coffee beans have bags that are bulging. The coffee bag looks like they are going to burst. Even the bulging packages can be stale but the odds are that at least they were originally packaged fresh.
Here is an interesting and easy test to see if your supplier is selling you stale coffee beans. Purchase the roasted beans at your local store. Take the beans home and immediately fill an air tight freezer wrap ziplock bag with the roasted beans. Air tight freezer wrap bags are also located at most grocery stores. Any way, leave coffee in the ziplocked bag out at room temperature and if after a day or so, the bag does not expand, then the beans are degassed and are stale. It takes a little more than a week to fully degass roasted coffee beans, so you know the roasted beans you purchased are at least a few weeks old. Conversely, if the bag does puff up, you know they are relatively fresh. If very freshly roasted, the bag will puff up and pop open from the pressure within hours.
Oxygen will affect the taste. If you are purchasing high priced specialty coffee beans, especially Kona Coffee Beans and , the odds are they will be sitting around the store getting shop warn because of the higher price. Coffee beans, no matter what type they may be, will taste different the longer they sit around. Fresh roasted coffee beans will taste different than week old roasted coffee beans, week old roasted coffee beans will taste different than month old roasted coffee beans and for heavens sake, year old roasted coffee beans a store shouldn't sell you. Virtually all the coffee beans which are sitting around in an open hopper on a store's shelf are subject to the air. Oxygen and moisture will interact with the internal molecular structure of the roasted coffee bean to change the characteristics of the bean's molecular makeup. It is quit simple. It is scientific coffee should be packed into air tight moisture proof bags with valve immediately after roasting.
The actual question here is what is it you want? If you are buying a type of roasted coffee for the taste, you must ask yourself, do you want the coffee to taste the same with each purchase?
If you don't care about fresh roasted coffee beans taste, then why buy expensive beans? Always buy coffee beans properly packed in foil bags with valves. Almost all old roasted coffee beans will take on the taste of the house, refrigerator, cupboard, or wherever. They'll also deteriorate to a point where you can't tell the difference between Jamaican or Mexican beans. It becomes questionable to motive why one would buy $30/pound for roasted coffee beans which will taste like $2/pound beans due to aging by not packing it properly?
Then on the other hand, even a $5/ pound coffee will have crisper sharper taste when it is packed in proper foil packing and valves.
Visit Sono Coffee Beans @ http://www.sonocoffeebeans.com - Josh Schrock
Bulk coffee beans are available online at a significant discount. Keep in mind that shipping costs are a factor since the coffee beans are shipped in 5-25 pound bags. Make sure that the coffee bean distributor you choose to order your fresh roasted coffee beans from has flat rate shipping or you know what the shipping cost is before you buy your coffee beans. This will help cut down on delivery costs and delivery times.
There are many bulk coffee programs out there. You can usually save if you join a plan where a certain amount of coffee beans are shipped to you each month. How much coffee you have to order varies by company so be sure to check the terms of each plan. Most house blend coffee beans that are up for sale come from various vendors. Expect to see a blend of coffee from Kenya, Sumatra, South America and Central America. You should test the quality of the coffee beans by buying the lowest quantity you can. Personally, I like to buy coffee in small amounts and I only buy the best. If you have a coffee house, diner or restaurant, then you will probably have need of lots of coffee beans.
As I said before, you probably own a restaurant or large office if you are buying bulk coffee beans. It is a good idea to get a commercial grade coffee machine if you are going to make large amounts of coffee. Regular home coffee makers are very slow at making coffee and they don't make the water hot enough to extract the optimum flavor from the coffee beans. If you are wondering why your home brewed coffee does not taste the same as it does in the store, this is one of the reasons why. Water temperature during brewing matters a lot. If you don't need lots of coffee, don't buy large bags. Yes, you can save money if you buy a 25 pound bag, but if it takes a year to use up so much coffee then don't do it. The last cup will be totally devoid of any flavor. Only buy as much coffee as you'll be using in the next month, or two maximum.
Josh Schrock encourages you to check out Sono Coffee for the best fresh roasted coffee beans
Green coffee beans are berries from the Arabica plant or robusta plant, which have been processed for roasting. Coffee aficionados would never call the green coffee beans, “beans” since they are actually twin seeds of a plant; much like the cherry. We'll call them beans for all extensive purposes.
Green coffee beans go through a vast processing system before they reach the customer. There are two main coffee bean processes:
The most popular method for processing green coffee beans:
* The coffee fruit is red and is picked as it ripens.
* The coffee plant's fruit is stripped down to a pulp and all the debris is removed.
* The beans are fermented to remove the pulp.
* The beans are dried and the peanut-like skin is stripped;
* The fruit is now a green coffee bean.
The alternate method for processing green coffee beans:
* The coffee's fruit, leaves, twigs, undesirable unripe fruit and sometimes insects and dirt are thrown to the ground.
* The mélange is left to dry and is stripped, revealing the green coffee bean.
* Resulting in a completely different taste due to the addition of other material. The coffee may taste may be like compost.
Another interesting fact to consider.coffee trees are grown between the Tropic of Cancer & The Tropic of Capricorn (perhaps, Henry Miller was drinking coffee when he wrote those books).
In North America, it is becoming trendy to not only buy whole beans, but to home roast the green coffee beans as well. Home coffee roasters are decreasing in price and green coffee beans can be ordered online or at a local coffee house. original article found at http://www.coffeebeanqueen.com/coffee-beans/
Coffee beans are the roasted seeds that coffee comes from. It was first exported to Ethiopia from Yemen.
Coffee beans are distinguished by distinctive flavor, caffeine content, and acidity. These characteristics, in turn, are dependent on the local growth environment, method of processing, and the genetic subspecies or varieties.
Two coffee bean varieties are often blended for more flavor and variety. Among the most popular variety of traditional blends is the Mocha-Java, a combination of beans of the same name. The popular chocolate-inspired beverage called Café Mocha is believed to have been invented due to the unavailability of mocha.
A lot of processes and human labor are needed before coffee berries and their seeds can be processed and turned into fresh roasted coffee beans. These include picking, wherein laborers picked coffee berries by hand and in turn received payment by the basket. Up to seven baskets a day can be picked by an experienced coffee picker. Defruiting involves soaking, scouring the flesh of the coffee berry.
Drying is the process whereby coffee beans are spread over a wide concrete surface and then dried by air and sunlight. The beans are then sorted by color and size. Another process is called aging; some believe that green coffee improves over time, while others dispute this belief saying that it loses its flavor as it ages. The roasting process is an integral part of a great-tasting coffee. The green coffee bean expands its size and changes color and texture when roasted.
On the other hand, the process involved in producing coffee grounds prior to brewing are grinding, chopping, and pounding. Grinding involves tearing the coffee bean. Coffee experts consider burr grinders to be the best way to grind coffee. Chopping the bean into pieces through blade grinders that smash the beans with a high-speed blade is another method. The third process is called pounding, whereby beans are pounded by the use of mortar and pestle.
Remember the next time you see a coffee bean, you now know the exciting journey it went through before finding the way to our coffee mug.
original article found at http://www.beantrends.com/articles/2006/06/09/coffee-beans/
From you friends @ Sono Coffee Beans, Josh Schrock - Coffee Lover
Chicory has been used as a substitute for coffee beans, But in my opinion chicory is no match for fresh roasted coffee beans.
Common chicory (Cichorium intybus) is a bushy perennial herb with blue, lavender, or occasionally white flowers. It grows as a wild plant on roadsides in its native Europe, and in North America and Australia, where it has become naturalized. Common chicory is also known as blue sailors, succory, and coffee weed. It is also called cornflower, although that name is more properly applied to Centaurea cyanus. The cultivated forms are grown for their leaves (var. foliosum), or for the roots (var. sativum), which are baked, ground, and used as a coffee substitute and additive. Common names for varieties of var. foliosum include endive, radicchio, Belgian endive, French endive, red endive, sugarloaf or witloof.
Chicory is also the common name in the US (and in France) for curly endive (Cichorium endivia). There is considerable confusion between Cichorium endivia and Cichorium intybus.
Description
When flowering, chicory has a tough, grooved, and more or less hairy stem, from 30 to 100 centimetres (10 to 40 in) tall.
The leaves are stalked, lanceolate and unlobed.
The flower heads are 2 to 4 centimetres (0.79 to 1.6 in) wide, and bright blue. There are two rows of involucral bracts - the inner are longer and erect, the outer are shorter and spreading. It flowers from July until October.
The achenes have no pappus (feathery hairs), but do have toothed scales on top.
Leaf chicory
Chicory may be grown for its leaves, eaten raw as a salad. It is generally divided into three types of which there are many varieties:
* Radicchio usually has variegated red or red and green leaves. Some only refer to the white-veined red leaved type as radicchio. Also known as red endive and red chicory. It has a bitter and spicy taste, which mellows when it is grilled or roasted. It can also be used to add color and zest to salads.
* Sugarloaf looks rather like cos lettuce, with tightly packed leaves.
Witloof
* Belgian endive is also known as French endive, witlo(0)f in Dutch, witlo(o)f in the United States, chicory in the UK, as witlof in Australia, endive in France, and chicon in parts of northern France and in Wallonia. It has a small head of cream-colored, bitter leaves. It is grown completely underground or indoors in the absence of sunlight in order to prevent the leaves from turning green and opening up (etiolation). The plant has to be kept just below the soil surface as it grows, only showing the very tip of the leaves. It is often sold wrapped in blue paper to protect it from light and so preserve its pale colour and delicate flavor. The smooth, creamy white leaves may be served stuffed, baked, boiled, cut and cooked in a milk sauce, or simply cut raw. Slightly bitter, the whiter the leaf, the less bitter the taste. The harder inner part of the stem, at the bottom of the head, should be cut out before cooking to prevent bitterness. Belgium exports chicon/witloof to over 40 different countries. The technique for growing blanched endives was accidentally discovered in the 1850s in the Josaphat valley in Schaerbeek, Belgium. Endive is cultivated for culinary use by cutting the leaves from the growing plant, then keeping the living stem and root in a dark place. A new bud develops but without sunlight it is white and lacks the bitterness of the sun-exposed foliage. Today France is the largest producer of endives.
Flower of Cichorium intybus
Belgian endive
Belgian endive
leaves unlobed and pointed
note two rows of bracts
Although leaf chicory is often called "endive", true endive (Cichorium endivia) is a different species in the genus.
Root chicory
Root chicory (Cichorium intybus var. sativum) has been in cultivation in Europe as a coffee substitute. The roots are baked, ground, and used as a coffee substitute and additive, especially in the Mediterranean region (where the plant is native), although its use as a coffee additive is also very popular in India, parts of Southeast Asia and the American South, particularly in New Orleans. Chicory, with sugar beet and rye was used as an ingredient of the East German Mischkaffee (mixed coffee), introduced during the "coffee crisis" of 1976-9.
Some beer brewers use roasted chicory to add flavor to their stouts.
Around 1970 it was found that the root contains up to 20% inulin, a polysaccharide similar to starch. Inulin is mainly found in the plant family Asteraceae as a storage carbohydrate (for example Jerusalem artichoke, dahlia etc.). It is used as a sweetener in the food industry (with a sweetening power approximately 90% less than sucrose) and is sometimes added to yogurts as a prebiotic. Inulin can be converted to fructose and glucose through hydrolysis. Inulin is also gaining popularity as a source of soluble dietary fiber.
Chicory root extract is a dietary supplement or food additive produced by mixing dried, ground, chicory root with water, and removing the insoluble fraction by filtration and centrifugation. Other methods may be used to remove pigments and sugars. Fresh chicory root typically contains, by dry weight, 68% inulin, 14% sucrose, 5% cellulose, 6% protein, 4% ash, and 3% other compounds. Dried chicory root extract contains, by weight, approximately 98% inulin and 2% other compounds. Fresh chicory root may contain between 13 and 23% inulin, by total weight.
Chicory root extract is high in inulin, and used as a high-fiber dietary supplement.
Agents responsible for bitterness
The bitter substances are primarily the two sesquiterpene lactones Lactucin and Lactucopicrin. Other ingredients are Aesculetin, Aesculin, Cichoriin, Umbelliferone, Scopoletin and 6.7-Dihydrocoumarin and further sesquiterpene lactones and their glycosides.
Herbal use
Chicory (especially the flower) was used as a treatment in Germany, and is recorded in many books as an ancient German treatment for everyday ailments. It is variously used as a tonic and appetite stimulant, and as a treatment for gallstones, gastro-enteritis, sinus problems and cuts and bruises.
Toxicity
According to traditional folklore, long-term use of chicory as a coffee substitute may damage human retinal tissue, with dimming of vision over time and other long term effects. Modern scientific literature contains little or no evidence for or against this notion.
Medicinal use
Root chicory contains volatile oils similar to those found in plants in the related genus Tanacetum which includes Tansy, and is similarly effective at eliminating intestinal worms. All parts of the plant contain these volatile oils, with the majority of the toxic components concentrated in the plant's root.
Chicory is well known for its toxicity to internal parasites. Studies indicate that ingestion of chicory by farm animals results in reduction of worm burdens, which has prompted its widespread use as a forage supplement. Only a few major companies are active in research, development, and production of chicory varieties and selections, most in New Zealand.
History
The chicory plant is one of the earliest cited in recorded literature. Horace mentions it in reference to his own diet, which he describes as very simple: "Me pascunt olivae, me cichorea, me malvae" ("As for me, olives, endives, and mallows provide sustenance").[15] Lord Monboddo describes the plant in 1779 as the "chicoree", which the French cultivate as a pot herb. In the Napoleonic Era in France, chicory frequently appeared as either an adulterant in coffee or a coffee substitute; this practice also became common in the United States and the United Kingdom, e.g., in England during the Second World War and in Camp Coffee, a coffee and chicory essence which has been on sale since 1885.
In the United States chicory root has long been used as a substitute for coffee (instead of using coffee beans) in prisons.
Chicory is a common ingredient in typical Roman recipes, generally fried with garlic and red pepper to add its bitter and spicy flavor to meat or potato dishes. FAO reports that in 2005, China and the USA were the top producers of lettuce and chicory.
Chicory is also mentioned in certain sericulture (silk-growing) texts. It is said that the primary caretaker of the silkworms, the "silkworm mother" should not eat or even touch it.
The chicory flower is often seen as inspiration for the Romantic concept of the Blue Flower. It was also believed to be able to open locked doors, according to European folklore.
original article found at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicory
Sono Coffee Beans does not sell chicory this article is here for your reading and learning enjoyment.
To buy fresh roasted coffee beans at Sono Coffee BeansCLICK HERE
Fresh roasted coffee beans and beautiful coffee presses. Buy at
SonoCoffeeBeans.com
Sono Coffee has the most unique gifts. Did I say Unique? Well here is
a coffee press that fits that description. The La Cafetiere "Unique"
Coffee Press
La Cafetiere Unique
The Unique thermal cafetière features a double-walled 18/8 stainless steel body and lid, which means that it keeps coffee hot for three times as long as standard cafetière. Practical and elegant, it comes in an 8 cup size.
Product Features
* Classic styling
* French press
* Thermal carafe
* Safe to use in the dishwasher
* 8 Cup capacity
Product Details
* Product Dimensions: 5 x 4 x 7.5 inches
* Shipping Weight: 3 pounds
* Item model number: UQ080200
Be sure to use fresh roasted coffee beans
Espresso coffee beans are the perfect match for any home or commercial espresso maker. Espresso coffee beans are also a great blend for an excellent cup of coffee. We recommend trying this blend with an Aerobie Aeropress (this is the preferred coffee and espresso maker of Sono Coffee Shop owners Josh Schrock and Jeremiah Reynolds)
Costa Rican Tarazu
Costa Rican Tarazu coffee beans. Moderate acidity, good body with a hint of toasted marshmallow.
Colombian Supremo
Colombian Supremo coffee beans. Sweet, moderate body, and balanced
These coffee beans are roasted fresh from light to dark.
Size: 16 ounces - Sealed in Bag with One-Way Degassing Valve for Freshness.
Animalcoffee is the original source of authentic kopi luwak coffee beans on the internet.
Based in Indonesia we have been supplying genuine wild collected kopi luwak coffee beans from Sumatra, Java and Bali since 2002. Our kopi luwak coffee beans are sourced directly from coffee bean plantations as luwak scats (droppings) so there is no ambiguity regarding the authenticity of our coffee beans and we are the ONLY source of natural, unprocessed kopi luwak coffee beans.
Animalcoffee was consulted by Warner Brothers for the movie The Bucket List starring Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman
Animalcoffee Gift Boxes featured in the 2006 Emmy Award Celebrity Gift Bags
Animalcoffee Gift Boxes are currently on display in the new COFFEE section of the Eden Project in the U.K.
Animalcoffee is a proud supplier of coffee to the Baron De Gagarin of Monaco and Urban Fare Gourmet Supermarket
Animalcoffee regularly supplies kopi luwak coffee beans to Canada's Guelph University for research purposes
Animalcoffee Kopi Luwak Gift Boxes make ideal gifts.
Our range of Kopi Luwak Gift Boxes include a beautifully finished presentation box hand crafted from Indonesia teak, fresh roasted kopi luwak (ALL orders are roasted to order, we do not keep stock of roasted coffee beans), a sample of raw/ unprocessed kopi luwak in a block of lucite and a Certificate of Authenticity.
Animalcoffee also offers Kopi Luwak Coffee Pouches and Raw Kopi Luwak Pouches in a variety of sizes.
Please enjoy exploring the site, we hope it will answer any questions you may have about Kopi Luwak coffee beans.
Article found at http://www.animalcoffee.com/
Thank You for your interest in fresh roasted Kopi Luwak coffee beans. Sono Coffee Beans - Josh Schrock
Decaf Coffee Beans- Whats all the fuss about caffeine?
Every time you go to a coffee shop for a cup of coffee you buy decaf. Why exactly is that? Do you know what the difference is besides the caffeine in regular coffee versus decaf coffee? It's funny how we go through much of our lives doing things, such as drinking decaf coffee, not really knowing much about them. I'm here to educate a little about that coffee beans especially decaf coffee beans. You might actually learn something about decaf coffee beans that you would have never thought.
Lots of Info On Decaf Coffee Beans
Decaf coffee is coffee that has had the coffee removed from the coffee beans. The process of removing the caffeine from the beans is more complicated than you might think. Many people assume the coffee beans can simply be grown without the caffeine. That's just not the case. The decaffeination process for coffee beans is always done on green coffee beans or un-roasted coffee beans. There are several different methods of removing the substances from the beans but it usually involves an initial steaming of the beans. After steaming the coffee beans are usually rinsed in a solvent eight to 12 different times until the coffee beans either meet an international standard, or when 97% of the caffeine from the coffee beans has been removed. By EU standards the coffee beans need to be 99.9% caffeine free by mass when they are ready for consumers to buy.
The great thing about the decaf coffee rinsing process is that it has proven to remove just the caffeine from the beans, not any of the important essential oils or other chemicals that are important not only to the taste of the coffee, but also the smell of the coffee, which is equally important to coffee drinkers. While there are not any coffee beans that naturally have little or no caffeine, Arabica coffee beans contain less caffeine than do Robusta coffee beans, making this an obvious choice for those that want as little caffeine as possible.
Decaf coffee beans are a subject of great debate, if you can believe that. Many people say that it should not be sold as decaffeinated but as low caffeine because all of the coffee contains small or trace amounts of caffeine. While it does not seem like a big deal to most of us, those that are very sensitive to the chemical might appreciate knowing that they are still getting trace amounts of caffeine that may make them excitable or unable to sleep.
If you want less caffeine you will want to buy decaf coffee. While there is .01-3% caffeine it is much less than what you will get if you drink regular coffee. You should simply know that when you drink any coffee you may still be getting some caffeine, even if it is a small amount.
Coffee presses you can use to make your fresh roasted fresh ground coffee with.
La Cafetiere "Unique"
Fresh Coffee Beans Coffee Press
"Unique"
The Unique thermal cafetière features a double-walled 18/8 stainless steel body and lid, which means that it keeps fresh coffee hot for three times as long as standard cafetière. Practical and elegant, it comes in an 8 cup size.
Product Features
* Classic coffee press styling
* French press
* Thermal carafe
* Safe to use in the dishwasher
* 8 Cup capacity
Product Details
* Product Dimensions: 5 x 4 x 7.5 inches
* Shipping Weight: 3 pounds
* Item model number: UQ080200
This La Cafetiere Unique Coffee Press makes a great Christmas gift for any coffee drinker. Add a pound or two of fresh roasted coffee beans to make it winning Christmas gift box set
See Sono Coffee Beans to order the La Cafetiere Unique today CLICK HERE
Sono Gift Box
Sono Christmas gift box with fresh roasted coffee beans.
Sono Gift Box
Handmade red cedar gift box neatly filled with:
1- La Cafetiere "Classic " Coffee Press
1- Set of 2 La Cafetiere "Oscar" coffee or tea cups
2- 1lb. Bags of fresh roasted Sono coffee beans
3- Biscotti
Product Features
* A wonderful coffee gift item
* Handmade Design
* Long Lasting Use
Product Details
* Product Dimensions: 12 x 12 x 7.5 inches
* Shipping Weight: 6 pounds
* Item model number:SGBC
See Sono Coffee Beans to order the Sono Gift Box CLICK HERE
Sono Coffee Beans, Coffee Roasted fresh daily. Josh Schrock
Tonight I am making one of my favorite coffee recipes! It is fast, there is not baking required and it is mmm mmm delicious! I’m talking about the coffee-coke floats. Here is how I made it…
!! Warning this recipe contains lots of caffiene and sugar. Enjoy with caution !!
stuff you need to make awesomeness
2/3 cup half and half (light) cream
2 1/2 cold cups fresh sono Espresso blend coffee, or strong dark roast coffee
4 scoops coffee ice cream or more
1 -2 liter bottle of Coke
1/2 cup Kahlua
4 frosted glasses
Okay here we go.
Mix the cream with the fresh cold coffee
Add 2 tbs Kahlua to each glass
Add Ice Cream!!!
The recipe calls for one scoop of ice cream per glass… Are you kidding? More like two or three!
Divide they coffee between each glass then fill up the rest of the way with Coke.
Coffee + Coffee Ice Cream + Coke = super Delicious!
This recipe was found on the web creator unknown but whoever you are thank you soooo much from Josh Schrock @ Sono Coffee Beans.
Don't forget to us fresh roasted sono coffee beans.
Posted by Josh Schrock of Sono Coffee Beans on Monday, December 7, 2009 Under: coffee gifts
Coffee gifts and coffee gift sets are perfect if your recipient loves coffee. I personally love when people send me gifts of various coffee related items. There are many choices out there and we'll explore the options.
When giving any gift, you should at least know something about the person you are giving the gift to. If they love coffee, that's great, but what else do you know about them? What kind of coffee maker do they have? Do they buy fresh roasted coffee beans? How about things that go with coffee? I could think of lots of things I eat with my coffee. Here are a few suggestions: biscotti, chocolate, cookies, biscuits. Hmmm... I love biscotti with my coffee. Presentation is important as nothing ruins a nice surprise like a poorly presented gift. If you are shopping online for your coffee surprise, make sure they have pictures of the final product to assure it is up to snuff. If you are getting chocolate to go with that coffee, then I reccomend dark chocolate. Dark chocolate is high in antioxidants and is actually good for you. Another side benefit to giving chocolate is that it does not expire immediately so you don't have to worry about spoilage.
Coffee gifts are perfect seasonal gifts. During the holidays each year, it is pretty safe to give the gift of coffee, since most house holds in the U.S. have one or more people who love coffee. Now that I think of it, Valentine's Day is a great holiday to give chocolate and coffee gifts. Women love chocolate so what better accompaniment is there than coffee? Need I say more?
With Christmas just around the corner let me show you some coffee gift ideas form Sono Coffee Beans.
Lets start with the La Cafetiere Wave Gift Set it comes with a nice coffee press and 2 matching cups and pairs nicely with fresh roasted Sono coffee beans.
For something a little more unique that will add color and flair to any kitchen why not check out the La Cafetiere "Rainbow Polka Dot" Gift Set.
If the complete package is what you want then what you must have is the handmade Sono Gift Basket.
1- La Cafetiere "Classic " Coffee Press
1- Set of 2 La Cafetiere "Oscar" coffee or tea cups
2- 1lb. Bags of fresh roasted Sono coffee beans
3- Biscotti
And this all comes neatly packed inside a Handmade red cedar gift box.
For many more fantastic Christmas Coffee gift ideas go to http://www.sonocoffeebeans.com/Gift-Sets.html.
Sono Coffee Beans - Fresh Roasted Coffee Beans Dailly - Josh Schrock - Coffee Lover
McDonald's vs. Starbucks: A Milky Skirmish in the Coffee Wars
By Kenneth Davids with Ted Stachura
The latest front in what the business press likes to call the Coffee Wars is clearly more a battle about frothed milk, whipped cream and syrup than about coffee. McDonald's is rolling out its McCafé line of espresso-based (OK, milk-based) beverages with a national advertising assault of old-fashioned scale and intensity, while Starbucks, the Chain that Brought the Caffè Latte to Main Street (plus strip malls, high-rise lobbies, et al) has retaliated with full-page ads in the The New York Times, ads of the reasonable-sounding, text-heavy type that non-profit organizations run to set the record straight on political, social and economic issues of great importance to the Republic.
The business press calls winners on the basis of the bottom line, and generally appears to be of the opinion that the Arches will wreak considerable havoc on the Mermaid. The battle front that seems to have escaped much comment so far, however, is how the beverages themselves stack up. Frothed milk can be frothed in different ways, some syrups are better than other syrups, and the drinks can be assembled differently. Finally, coffee is buried in the drink somewhere, and its character and quality does have an impact on how much pleasure we take in all of the milk and the syrups.
The Test
Hence our McDonald's/Starbucks espresso beverage taste test: one skirmish observed in the Great War.
We sampled four different hot, espresso-based beverages in two McDonald's Northern California locations offering the new McCafé menu, and the analogous four beverages at two nearby Starbucks locations.
Our choices: A cappuccino, caffè latte, caffè mocha (espresso, frothed milk and chocolate syrup) and caramel latte. (Note that Starbucks retains the traditional "caffè" in "caffè latte" and "caffè mocha," whereas McDonald's reflects current vernacular by shortening the names to "latte" and "mocha.") We bought the modest, twelve-ounce size of each of the four beverages ("tall" at Starbucks, "small" at McDonald's). Our assumption was that by attentively sampling the four we could get a general idea of how the programs generally match up from a sensory perspective.
In reporting our evaluations, we decided against deploying the usual Coffee Review 100-point rating system as too recondite when applied to what are essentially coffee-powered versions of fountain beverages. Instead we used the familiar schoolroom A through F scale.
Big Menu, Small Menu
A pure taste comparison of two sets of similar beverages overlooks other major differences between the two programs, of course. For example, the potential number of variations available to the consumer (in syrups, in milks, etc.) is much larger at Starbucks than at McDonald's. McDonald's offers a choice of five syrups. The local Starbucks offered twelve. McDonald's offers two milk options, Starbucks five, including soy (for 40 cents more). The Starbucks website claims that if one considers "our milk options, number of shots, various syrups and the choice of whip or no-whip, we have up to 87,000 different drink combination." You can squeeze a lot of options out of the much simpler McDonald's menu too, but nowhere near that daunting number.
Then there is the "we know coffee" angle pushed by the Starbucks New York Times ads. An ordinary straight espresso without milk was not a menu option at the two McDonald's we visited, for instance. When I asked whether I could order one, the counter person consulted a manager who indicated that this was possible, but even after a button-poking run through the cash register data base she could not tell me how much that simple drink might cost. Admittedly a pure shot of espresso is not a frequent order at Starbucks either, but it is on the menu. In fact, if you look unhappy or Italian enough, the staff may even rummage in a cabinet in back of the cash register and produce a properly scaled, ceramic demitasse for your straight shot. Both programs are heavily automated, but McDonald's is more so. Starbucks uses what are called automatic espresso machines, devices that grind the beans and brew the coffee at the touch of a button. But at Starbucks the barista still froths the milk and combines it with the coffee, a step that is automated as well at McDonald's.
The trade-off, presumably, is price. McDonald's is cheaper: about 17% to 18% less for the cappuccinos and caffè lattes we sampled in our part of California, 26% less for the caffè mocha.
So on to the test: Are you likely to find 17% to 26% more pleasure in your beverages at Starbucks than you would in the less expensive versions at McDonald's?
The Cappuccino
For the record, neither Starbucks nor McDonald's produced anything like a classic Italian cappuccino, in which milk brought to a dense-textured, soupy froth is poured into a single serving of espresso. In the classic cappuccino the densely bubbled milk draws the espresso up into its heart, and the two settle out deliciously into liquid as one drinks. Instead Starbucks served us a "dry" cappuccino, a Seattle-inspired version of the beverage in which a stiff, fluffy head of froth floats atop a short, strong mixture of coffee and milk. The McDonald's cappuccino, on the other hand, consisted of a more coffee-heavy version of a caffè latte, ten ounces of milk and coffee topped by a thinnish head of big-bubbled froth. In our ratings, by the way, we did not punish any of these beverages for straying from their classic antecedents. We simply asked ourselves how generally pleasing a combination of coffee, milk and (when relevant) syrups they represented.
The Starbucks Tall (12-ounce) Cappuccino
The drink: Two servings of espresso topped by about the same volume of 2% milk plus a head of fluffy, meringue-like froth that reached the top of the twelve-ounce cup. The milk and coffee together supply about five to six ounces of powerfully coffee-influenced liquid under the cup-filling white fluff.
The price (at our Northern California Starbucks): $2.65, tax included.
The quality: Starbucks' sharp, dark-roasted coffee dominated the small volume of milk, with little tendency to display the rounder chocolate and caramel notes that milk can coax out of a darker roasted coffee like Starbucks'. Nevertheless, we found the rough, slightly burned, roasty notes bracing, the mouthfeel naturally full and syrupy, the finish dry but with a hint of chocolate. The white fluff was irrelevant, aside from the threat it posed to one's nose during the initial attempt to get down to the liquid underneath. Grade B-.
The McDonald's Small (12-ounce) Cappuccino
The drink: Considerably milkier than the Starbucks version. Two servings of espresso in about ten ounces of hot whole milk with a thin layer of coarse-bubbled froth topping the mix of coffee and milk. Essentially a caffè latte with emphasis on the caffè.
The price: $1.99, or $2.19 with tax.
The quality: A pleasant beverage, with a good balance of coffee and milk flavors. Unfortunately, the coffee contribution seemed woody and inert, sparing us the slightly burned sharpness of the Starbucks coffee but without replacing it with anything livelier or more interesting. Grade: B-.
The Cappuccino Challenge: Slight edge to Starbucks, though some may prefer the more coffee-muted McDonald's version with its larger proportion of milk to coffee.
The Caffè Latte
Both McDonald's and Starbucks served very similar versions of the caffè latte, a rather simple beverage involving a lot of hot milk topped by a thin layer of froth with just enough espresso (in the case of our samples, one serving) to make the milk taste vaguely coffee-flavored.
The Starbucks Tall (12-ounce) Caffè Latte
The drink: See above. Made with the Starbucks default 2% reduced fat milk.
The price (at our Northern California Starbucks): $2.65, tax included.
The quality: The coffee presence was muted but pleasing: the sharp, slightly burned coffee flavor dominant in the Starbucks cappuccino softened here to chocolate and caramel, with even a hint of mint in the finish. One of our two sample drinks was flatter than the other, with less chocolate suggestion. Nevertheless, a good version of the beverage. Grade: B-.
The McDonald's Small (12-ounce) Caffè Latte
The drink: See above. Made with the McDonald's default 3% whole milk.
The price: $1.99, or $2.19 with tax.
The quality: The milk seemed to intensify the flat woody character of the coffee without promoting much in the way of compensating flavor. The coffee imparted no natural chocolate or caramel suggestions to the milk that I could detect. Grade: C+.
The Caffè Latte Challenge: Definite edge to Starbucks, which was similar to the McDonald's but with a livelier coffee flavor.
The Caffè Mocha
The mocha is a sweet-tooth favorite in American espresso cuisine. Contemporary versions put a serving of espresso plus chocolate syrup into a caffè-latte quantity of hot milk, topped by a thin layer of froth and, at the customer's discretion, a modest mound of whipped cream. This was clearly the featured beverage at the McCafé locations we visited, where banners and signs pictured it in creamy splendor, the whipped cream topping crisscrossed with a golden-arches grid of chocolate syrup dribbles.
The Starbucks Tall (12-ounce) Mocha
The drink: About ten ounces of milk flavored by one serving of espresso and a discreet shot of sweetened chocolate syrup, topped with whipped cream (whipping cream from a dairy supplier with vanilla and propellant but no other ingredients added).
The price (at our Northern California Starbucks): $2.95, tax included.
The quality: The milk was sweetly but subtly flavored with what seemed to be good quality chocolate syrup. The coffee flavor was difficult to clearly pick out behind the chocolate, milk and whipped cream residue; nevertheless it made its presence felt, giving the chocolate sweetness a pleasingly bittersweet, grown-up edge. Grade: B.
The McDonald's Small (12-ounce) Mocha
The drink: A caffè latte with a lot of added chocolate and sugar, topped with Reddi-wip Original (canned whipped cream with significant additional ingredients).
The price: $1.99, or $2.19 with tax.
The quality: Sugar and cheap-tasting chocolate syrup dominated both milk and coffee. Distinctly oily, chemical-tasting finish. Better when ordered without the Reddi-wip. Essentially came across as a not-very-good hot chocolate with bonus caffeine. Grade: D-.
The Mocha Challenge: Edge to Starbucks big-time, although the Starbucks version costs 76 cents more than the McDonald's.
The Caramel Latte
I am told that vanilla and caramel syrups reign as the public's favorite additions to milk-based espresso beverages (following chocolate, of course). A caramel latte does not appear on either McDonald's or Starbucks menus, but is one of the favorites among the 87,000 beverage variations Starbucks boasts about, and the counter person at McDonald's certainly knew what I was asking for: A caffè latte with an added shot of caramel syrup. At both McDonald's and Starbucks the caramel latte is not served with whipped cream unless the customer requests it. We tried it without.
The Starbucks Tall (12-ounce) Caramel Latte
The drink: A caffè latte made with the default 2% reduced fat milk with a generous squeeze of either caramel sauce (the kind that is added to sundaes) or caramel syrup. We chose caramel sauce.
The price (at our Northern California Starbucks): $2.95, tax included.
The quality: A very distinct, heavy-bodied caramel flavor dominates the drink, though without excessive or cloying sweetness. Only the remotest hint of the presence of coffee. Grade: B-.
The McDonald's Small (12-ounce) Caramel Latte
The drink: A caffè latte made with the default whole milk with added caramel syrup.
The price: $2.29, or $2.51 with tax.
The quality: The caramel presence is less dominating than the chocolate added to the McDonald's mocha; nevertheless it is cloyingly sweet, shallow in sensation and distinctly metallic-tasting, especially in the finish. Grade: D.
The Caramel Latte Challenge: Chalk up another one for Starbucks.
The Bottom Line
It appears that at this front of the war you get what you pay for, particularly when it comes to drinks that include syrups and whipped cream.
Although we preferred the more intense Starbucks cappuccino to the milkier McDonald's version, many consumers understandably may prefer the McDonald's. The difference in caffè lattes was subtle, perhaps not worth fussing over for most palates, although we found the Starbucks version livelier and more nuanced.
However, the superiority of the Starbucks versions of caffè mocha and caramel latte was dramatic, and significant, given consumer preference for espresso beverages involving added syrups. From what we could tell, Starbucks simply used considerably better quality syrups and whipped cream and added them with a subtler, more controlled hand.
Finally, it appeared to us that the darker roasted, sharper and more pungent Starbucks espresso blend, although much derided by coffee insiders ("Charbucks"), nevertheless contributed a livelier and more complex coffee flavor to the milk and flavorings than did the apparently rather woody and flat McDonald's blend.
Readers of Coffee Review know that I am not a Starbucks basher of the kind typical in the specialty coffee industry. On the other hand, it should be clear from the pattern of our review ratings that we do not cut any slack for Starbucks either. And I am certainly not a McDonald's basher, harboring as I do considerable gratification at the success of the McDonald's premium drip program in revealing that many Americans prefer a classic traditional drip coffee to the dark-roasted Starbucks style.
In other words, with this article we are not taking sides in some vaguely ideological conflict between corporate styles and customer demographics. We are simply doing our best to describe what you are likely to taste at the point you pry the plastic top off your logo-adorned cup of milk, coffee and syrup.
Article found at http://coffeereview.com/article.cfm?ID=158
Thank you from Sono Coffee Beans and Josh Schrock
The Big Question: Do you think coffee beans roasted fresh are better than coffee beans that are more than 2 weeks old?
You comments are appreciated.
Across the river in our sisterland Europe, Coffee was all the rage in the 1600's. The little coffee bean was causing an uproar over it's sudden popularity. By the 1700's, Coffee houses made their way , from Turkey to France, Germany, Italy, and England. As you may fully know, the Revolutionary War was also in that era .
When more and more weathly families, seeeking to enlarge the family title, brought over their teas, they also brought along their coffee beans, even though it was not used as much. It hadn't become as popular as it was over in Europe .
But when King George raised the taxes on tea, there was a great uproar as the colonists protested by having the "Boston Tea Party". Of course the King then responded by closing the harbor and not allowing trade to flow through. As more and more colonists refused to drink the English tea, more and more of them found a substitute in coffee.
Fresh Micro Roasted Coffee Beans at our online store CLICK HERE
Sono Coffee Beans Has More Than Just Fresh Roasted Coffee Beans
Sono Coffee Beans, offering only the best. From La Cafetiere coffee and tea presses to fresh roasted coffee beans and organic fair trade Numi and Quayaki teas.
- La Cafetiere Tea Fusion -
* The La Cafatiere Tea Fusion is simple to use and allows you to infuse your choice of loose teas, fruit or herbal infusions with no mess or fuss
* Capacity: 2-1/2-Cups
* Safe to use in the dishwasher
* Works for hot or cold drinks
* Beautiful styling
For an easy to use in your cup tea maker try the Tea Swizzle by La Cafetiere.
- La Caffetiere Tea Swizzle -
*The Tea Swizzle is easy to clean and store.
*Ideal for making a standard cup of tea.
*Made from Stainless Steel
*Safe to use in the dishwasher
*Fill your tea swizzle with your favorite full leaf tea, slide on the cover and place in a cup of hot water and swizzle.
*Finish by enjoying your favorite swizzeled tea.
*Beautiful styling.
Visit Sono Coffee Beans online Shop CLICK HERE. Josh Schrock
WELCOME, we at sono coffee beans pride ourselves in creating the finest fresh roasted coffee beans available to man (that was just a figure of speech our coffee beans are available to men women and children alike). This is accomplished because of our close attention to detail from selecting the finest green coffee beans to roasting the coffee beans and finally we educate the brewers in the fine arts of coffee brewing and tasting.
Also on Sono Coffee Beans Online Store you will find a variety of my favorite organic fair trade teas including Numi and Quayaki.
Coffee & Tea Presses
from Lacafetiere - Welcome to La Cafetière
Innovative, stylish and original, La Cafetière products
lead the way in the hot drinks market.
In fact, we have done so for some 40 years. Ever since
our Classic Cafetière made its first appearance to
universal acclaim from the public and the design
world alike.
Today we offer an ever-expanding range of cafetières,
coffee machines, chocolatières, teapots, infusers,
tableware, gift sets and accessories to help your
customers bring a little genuine café culture into
the heart of their home. We’re finding favor in the
catering trade as well, with ever more style-conscious
hotels and restaurants taking up La Cafetière
products. And at the last count we were exporting to
over 45 countries.
All of which makes us a preferred choice within the
hot drinks market.
Unrivaled Trade Support
Behind our success lies a dedication to satisfying
the needs not just of consumers, but of our sales
partners too.
We’re constantly looking at new ways to help you
capitalize on the growing popularity of our brand.
From our new product development work with
leading UK and overseas designers to POS,
marketing, packaging and in-store sales displays,you can rely on La Cafetière to deliver the support
you need.
At Sono Coffee Beans we proudly make Lacafetiere products available to you. To visit our online coffee beans, Teas and Lacafetiere store CLICK HERE - Josh Schrock
It's what happens when the alarm rings at 5:30 in the morning and we wake up to the spirit-crushing realization that we are out of coffee beans.
Someone has to go for supplies or we're going to die. Typically, I invoke a Bette Midler solo ("Did you ever know that you're my heeeeroooo?"). Either Sal finds this endearing or it makes his ears bleed, because he usually stumbles onto his bike to take the bullet.
Luckily, there's a new hero in town. His name is Joel Domreis and, in addition to roasting some of the best beans in Portland, he makes house calls. Early ones. By bike.
That's right -- a weekly supply of fresh-roasted beans delivered to your doorstep by 6 a.m.
L
Home delivery: CCR makes fresh coffee bean deliveries in Southeast and Northeast Portland (as far east as 82nd Avenue with an approximate northern boundary of Lombard and a southern boundary of Tacoma). They will also deliver downtown and in Northwest, but don't yet service the West Hills.
Taste it yourself: Stop by the roasting room and Joel Domreis will gladly offer you a coffee tasting. Call ahead to set a time to ensure they're not out on delivery. You can purchase coffee beans while you're there.
Domreis started the business, Courier Coffee Roasters, in 2006 after a few quality months spent experimenting with roasting beans in his backyard.
The operation is now a three-man show (he employs two friends to help with deliveries, bookkeeping and roasting) based out of a small converted garage space near 40th and Hawthorne.
The decision to integrate bikes into the business plan was a no-brainer. Domreis is neither a racer nor a commuter evangelist, and he's never been a messenger. He's the quintessential "everyday cyclist" -- a person who uses a bike for transportation and doesn't think twice about it.
"I actually do have a car," he says, "and I have to remind myself to go out every three weeks to take it around the block to keep it running."
Moving amid a tangle of bikes, roasting equipment, tools and paperwork, the 29-year-old Portland native has an unmistakable mad-scientist vibe. Stacks of dog-eared spiral-bound notebooks contain notes on tasting, temperatures, technique and results. Clever ink drawings depicting daily events are taped to the sliding doors.
Beans are delivered in glass Mason jars, with accompanying information about the source of the coffee beans, time of the crop arrival, and the date and time of roasting.
So far, residential delivery runs are small enough to handle with a messenger bag, but Domreis and his crew use a cargo bike for the bigger deliveries to clients such as the Little Red Bike Cafe in North Portland.
The heaviest thing Domreis has ever transported by bike? Four hundred and five pounds of green coffee beans over three miles.
"The speed bumps were a killer."
Thank you for Heidi Swift for the great article I posted this because it reminded me of me.
Thanks From Josh Schrock, Sono Coffee
original article found at www.oregonlive.com/cycling/.../heidi_swift_fresh_coffee_beans.html
The coffee plant Coffea arabica is a small tree, but is pruned into a large bush to make harvesting easier. It produces sweet-smelling white flowers; these are followed by green berries which turn red when ripe. Each berry contains two seeds, which are processed to make coffee for drinking.
Enlarge picture
A contemporary picture of a coffee house from about 1700. Coffee, chocolate, and tea were all introduced to England in the mid-17th century, and coffee houses rapidly became popular meeting places for the discussion of business affairs and literature.
Coffee beans ripening in the Blue Mountains, Jamaica. Coffee was first imported to Jamaica in 1728 and rapidly gained importance as a cash crop. The unique soil of the Blue Mountains region produces a quality of coffee which has gained a reputation among connoisseurs as one of the best in the world.
Central Valley coffee region of Costa Rica, Central America. Most of Costa Rica's coffee is grown here; the climate, altitude, and soil type combine to create the optimal conditions for coffee production.
Drink made from the roasted and ground beanlike seeds found inside the red berries of any of several species of shrubs, originally native to Ethiopia and now cultivated throughout the tropics. It contains a stimulant, caffeine. (Genus Coffea, family Rubiaceae.)
Cultivation
The shrub, naturally about 5 m/17 ft high, is pruned to about 2 m/7 ft; it is fully fruit-bearing in 5 or 6 years, and lasts for 30 years. Coffee grows best on frost-free hillsides with moderate rainfall. The world's largest producers are Brazil, Colombia, and Côte d'Ivoire; others include Indonesia (Java), Ethiopia, India, Hawaii, and Jamaica. The Association of Coffee Producing Countries (ACPC) was founded in 1993 to represent its 28 members, of whom the 14 ratified members produce over 60% of world coffee supply. Since the 1990s the world coffee market has suffered from over-supply, and in September 2001 the price of coffee sank to its lowest level in three decades as the ACPC scrapped a failed buffer-stock scheme. Tens of thousands of labourers were laid off in Latin America as coffee prices fell below production costs.
History
Coffee drinking began in Arab regions in the 14th century but did not become common in Europe until three hundred years later, when the first coffee houses were opened in Vienna, and soon after in Paris and London. In the American colonies, coffee became the substitute for tea when tea was taxed by the British.
After the USA became an independent nation, coffee remained the national drink and is so popular that ‘coffee breaks’ are negotiated into work contracts. Coffee is usually drunk hot, black or with cream and sugar; it is also drunk cold as iced coffee, especially in summer.
In 2004 the first commercially viable, naturally decaffeinated coffee-producing plants were found by Brazilian researchers. After breeding 3,000 Ethiopian coffee plants with the aim of producing low-caffeine strains of coffee beans, the researchers found that three coffee-producing shrubs, derived from the Caffea arabica species, produced beans that were naturally decaffeinated, possessing only one-fifteenth of the caffeine content of commercial coffee-producing plants.
Mankind (and womankind) has been drinking coffee for thousands of years. There are several stories about how the coffee bean was discovered and by whom, but it doesn’t really matter much. Today coffee is brewed and severed in countries around the world.
Coffee are named many times for the region in which the beans are grown; Blue Jamaican Coffee, for example. Sometimes, though, coffee is named for the country or area that brews it; Turkish coffee, Italian coffee, etc. Coffees are varied, and so are the methods used for brewing it.
Turkish Briki: The coffee that is used in the Briki is powdered. It takes between 7 and 11 minutes to make a cup of coffee using the Briki. The coffee is very strong but clear.
Espresso Machine: Very fine coffee grounds are used in an espresso machine. It takes between 12 and 17 minutes to make 5 cups (4 oz) of coffee using an espresso machine. The coffee is very strong and muddy.
French Press Plunger: This coffee pot does not use any paper or cloth filter so there will be grinds and a white powder in the finished coffee. It takes between 5 and 8 minutes to brew 4 cups of coffee. Either regular or coarse ground coffee is used in a French press plunger.
Automatic Drip Coffee Maker: The coffee that is made in an automatic drip coffee maker is not as hot. It is clear, though. Fine ground coffee is most often used in automatic drip coffee makers. It takes between 6 and 10 minutes to make 6 cups of coffee using an automatic drip coffee maker.
Percolator: An electric percolator uses regular grind coffee. It takes between 13 and 18 minutes to brew 6 cups. The coffee made in an electric percolator is hot, clear, and has a lot of taste.
Don't forget the Aeropress (my favorite) View our other coffee beans article to hear more about the Aerobie Aeropress. Aeropress
If you are like me and you love coffee, you are probably consistently searching for that perfect cup. Well, the perfect cup starts with the perfect bean. And the perfect bean is largely based upon the combination of soil quality and climate. So when you think of the perfect country for coffee bean growth what comes to mind? Probably, somewhere tropical. A place with regular rain and sun. If you are like most people you will undoubtedly say "Brazil". It's true, Brazil is the biggest dog on the block accounting for a whopping one-third of all coffee bean production. Its climate is ideal for coffee bean production. It's no wonder they hold top spot. But, do they make the best bean?
Ironically, coffee bean production did not start in Brazil. It actually began in Ethiopia. Even though they can still be seen there they're popularity has spread. Today you can find coffee beans being produced in many countries throughout the free world. Matter of fact, there are now about seventy some countries officially growing coffee beans. Unfortunately, only a few of these countries actually have the most ideal situation for producing beans of a high quality. Aside from Brazil, some of the most popular destinations for coffee bean production are Columbia, Indonesia, Hawaii and Mexico.
We must not forget that aside from climate and soil quality, the altitude at which beans are grown has a significant impact on their quality. The higher they are grown the better. With this in mind we must give some attention to Columbia. They certainly produce some of the best beans in the world. However, its poor economy and underdeveloped infrastructure makes transport to processing plants difficult. Therefore, I am sure we are not seeing the best that that country has to offer.
If you have ever had Hawaiian coffee, you probably will swear up and down that it is the best in the world. Well you could be right. Even though they don't produce large quantities Hawaii's volcanic ash, large amounts of rainfall and hot sweltering sun create the perfect environment for production. There is, also, probably something to the small quantities they produce. The small crafted feel no doubt enhances Hawaii's mystic as a supreme coffee bean producer. Much like we see here in the states with regards to small-batch Bourbons.
Lastly, a very popular place that could possibly win the best coffee bean award would have to be Indonesia. The countries humid climate is ripe for perfect growth. Also, they have taken the production of coffee beans to new heights. They use very advanced technologies that help them grow beans in remote places like Java and Sulawesi. Coffee is so popular from this area that we often euphemistically refer to our coffee as a "Cup of Java".
As always wwe hope you enjoyed reading. Please visit our website. Sono Coffee Beans. Thank You, Josh Schrock :)
Ever thought about opening a coffee shop but don't know how or where to find supplies? Many people are not aware of this, but coffee shops order coffee beans and supplies from the web then have it delivered to their coffee shop. This allows for them to run their business smoothly, getting the coffee beans they need when they need them, but not putting any more effort into the ordering and receiving process than is absolutly necessary.
Efficient coffee shops order coffee beans online, but they do not order just coffee beans online. There are so many great resources on the internet for business owners and individuals alike that just about anything you could possibly want can be found, ordered, and delivered to your front door. Ordering online makes sense for so many reasons, reasons that as a new coffee shop owner you may not have ever thought about.
One reason that coffee shops order coffee online is because it is easier. They can simply go into an ordering interface and point and click and everything is handled. This is a nice way to ensure that you get all of the coffee beans that you need, but you do not have to spend time shopping and you do not have to wait for a local company to come bring the coffee beans to your door. Instead, they comes in the mail fresh right when you need them.
Coffee shops order coffee beans online because it can be automated. Instead of waiting until you are almost out of coffee you can set up your account so that you are sent coffee beans every few days or every few weeks. This takes the frustration out of ordering coffee beans and also does away with a lot of the ordering problems that people often have with manually placed orders. Many coffee shop owners like this way of ordering because it saves them time and they never have to stress out when they realize too late that they do not have enough coffee beans!
Many coffee shops order coffee online because they can benefit from a substantial savings and find fresh roasted to order coffee beans. There are some online companies that are able to offer you discounts when you order in bulk or when you set up an automatic ordering account where coffee is shipped to your home or coffee shop regularly.
There are many reasons that coffee shops order coffee beans and supplies online. You can get what you need conveniently without any frustration and you can also save a lot of money in the process. If you want to run your coffee shop as efficiently as possible, you will definitely want to look into this ordering method.
To your success, Josh Schrock - Sono Coffee (Online Store)
Coffee shops that are very uniquely American can be found all over this great country of ours. There are coffee shops in big American cities and coffee shops in dusty little off-the-beaten-path towns that you have probably never heard of. Now I am not talking about big chain coffee shops like Starbucks here. I’m talking about the locally famous coffee shop that are the gathering places for friends or an escape hatch for those who can’t stand being chained to a desk for even one more minute.
In many of the large American cities, locally famous coffee shops offer wi-fi Internet service, sometimes even for free. In those small, out-of-the-way towns, there is rarely a wi-fi connection offered, but you can find out who is getting married, divorced, having a baby, or the going price of cows and hogs.
There is one thing that coffee shops all over America have in common, though. They all smell the same. There is a particular smell of an American coffee shop that you will find in no other place on earth. It is impossible to describe this unique smell accurately. There is, of course, the smell of coffee and coffee beans, and maybe that is the predominate smell; but it certainly isn’t the only one. Underlying the smell of the coffee beans is the smell that cannot be described, but that you recognize immediately when you walk into an American coffee shop. The smell is clean, warm, and welcoming and like no other.
The local coffee shop is where life happens, whether the “local” is in a big city or in a small town. People arrange to meet at the local coffee shop…lovers, business associates, friends, etc. Everybody knows where the local coffee shop is, and that it is “neutral” territory and a natural gathering and meeting place.
Because we’re working with an agricultural product, the flavor nuances and fluctuations created by the weather really do inform the more artistic elements of coffee beans overall. The ‘third wave’ of the espresso industry was largely brought about by the ability to source very specific coffee beans from estates around the world. Instead of buying huge blended batches of beans from an exporter, roasters started to go to the plantations themselves and trying different coffee beans, charting how they changed over time — sometimes the plantations produced an amazing coffee, other times they would maybe be just good or not-so-great.
Obviously, the specific plants and the altitude/growing style, as well as how the coffee is processed, will inform the flavor, but a big unknown every year is how the weather impacts the growing cycle. Similarly to how wine vintages are known for having a particularly good weather year, imbuing the grapes with the perfect balance of sugar and acids to make a great bottle of wine, the coffee cherries themselves produce different flavors every year depending on how the weather was in a particular region. This is why a blend you loved a few years ago may have changed in flavor over time — and why there is often a little bit more art than science involved with making really great espresso.
The Fair Trade/Direct Trade movements over the past few decades have helped bring about the opportunity to appreciate coffee on this very micro level, but while they have done a lot to contribute to the sustainable and cultural development of farming communities around the world, this excellent article by The Guardian outlines how contending with global climate change will require a more comprehensive, orchestrated approach. Last year, the rains hit India at the wrong time — a long drought resulted in intense flooding once the rains finally came — and this year they arrived at just the right time. That’s not always going to be the case; in fact, the global climate change projections indicate that this bust-then-boom weather is likely to increase.
Given that coffee is the top tropical commodity in the world, and given that most of the farmers who grow it already spend a few months of year in poverty — despite Fair Trade/Direct Trade/sustainable movements — this is not a pretty picture on the horizon.
Original article found at Brown Bean BlogWelcome Sono Coffee Beans to our Veretekk SEO team!
Have you ever thought you have the magic software program, the ebook and all the other tools that say that they can, and will, show you how to make the first page of Google? Hey, take a deep breath and know this. There is nothing, that competes with Veretekk and the Veretekkies who use this powerhouse system. I was probably just like most people learning to market online when I found Veretekk. I had spent way to much on ebooks, software, programs and tools to learn online marketing. That money leak stopped when I found Veretekk and started applying what I learned.
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For your convenience here is a video that show you how to make a great cup of coffee or an espresso using the Aerobie Aeropress.
Below the video you will find exact directions to compliment the video. Remember for best results always use fresh ground, fresh roasted coffee beans
http://www.sonocoffeebeans.com
The AEROPRESS ™ is an entirely new way to make coffee.
• Water and grounds are mixed together for ten seconds.
• Then gentle air pressure pushes the mix through a micro-filter in 20 seconds.
• The total brewing time of only 30 seconds results in exceptionally smooth flavor.
• Tasters ranging from professional cuppers and author Kenneth Davids, to coffee aficionados all praise the smooth, rich flavor.
Getting the Most from Your AEROPRESS™
Coffee and Espresso Maker
Congratulations. As the owner of an AeroPress coffee
maker, you could have in your hands a device for making the
best coffee or espresso you've ever tasted. It's easy
and fun. BREWING:
You can make from one to four cups per pressing.
Each pressing only takes about a minute, so you can
serve a houseful of guests in a few minutes. Just
follow these easy steps.
1. Remove the plunger and the cap from the chamber.
2. Put a micro-filter inside the cap and twist the cap
onto the chamber.
3. Stand the chamber on a sturdy mug. A glass mug
is fun. It lets you watch the process.
4. Put ground coffee into the chamber - one scoop for
each espresso or five ounce American cup, up to a
maximum of four scoops.
Grinding Coffee:
We recommend drip grind when
using two or more scoops because
it's easy to push and yields rich
flavor. For single-scoop pressings,
espresso grind will yield more
flavor yet still be easy to push.
A funnel is provided for use with a coffee bean grinder. Use
the scoop to measure the coffee beans into the grinder. Grind
only the scoops you need for each pressing. Then use
the funnel to empty the coffee bean grinder into the AeroPress
chamber.
Coffee lovers agree that grinding just before brewing is
important for great flavor. Remember too, that freshly
roasted coffee beans yield a richer flavor.
5. Pour heated water slowly into the chamber. Water Temperature:
Everyone we tested, from coffee lovers to professional
coffee tasters, preferred coffee brewed with the water
temperature between 165 and 175o F (75 to 80o C).
Lower temperature water makes a smoother brew.
If you have instant hot water in your kitchen, spend a
few minutes adjusting the temperature to 175o F (80oC).
That's also the best temperature for tea.
Be careful, hot liquids can cause serious injury.
If you heat the water in a microwave or kettle, experiment
with time. About three-quarters of the time to the first
bubbles will yield the ideal temperature.
Measuring and Pouring the Water:
The chamber is marked 1, 2, 3, and 4 for the number
of scoops of coffee which corresponds to the number
of servings.
With 1 or 4 scoops, just fill with hot water to the number
1 or 4 on the chamber.
With 2 or 3 scoops you can choose from the bottom of
the ovals marked 2 or 3 for a richer brew to the top of the
ovals for an average strength brew.
If American coffee is your goal, use the top of the ovals.
For espresso, adjust the quantity of water to brew the
strength desired. For latte, use the bottom of the ovals.
A richer brew makes the best tasting latte.
Dribble the water slowly into the chamber for the first
few seconds to wet the grounds. Then fill to the desired
level. Never fill higher than number 4.
The plunger can be used to measure water. Just fill to
the appropriate number. You can also use the plunger
to heat water in a microwave oven.
165 - 175oF water tastes best.
Do not use boiling water.
6. Stir the water and coffee together with the paddle
for about ten seconds.
7. Wet the rubber seal and insert the plunger into the
chamber. Press the plunger downward.
After the plunger has moved a short distance, you will
feel the air pushing back at you. Continue pressing
gently to maintain pressure and the air will push the
brew through the grounds. The plunger will sink slowly
and reach the grounds in about twenty seconds for a
double, slightly less for a single or slightly more for a
triple or quadruple. Then let the coffee drip a few
seconds. Invert the AeroPress as you lift it off the cup.
Pressing slowly is the key to a rich brew and an easy
push. If it feels too stiff, just press more gently.
8. If espresso is your goal, you're done. Remember
that you can make up to four single servings with
each pressing. An easy way to divide multiple
servings is with the scoop. Each scoop holds a
typical single espresso (about 36 cc).
9. For American coffee, add about four ounces of hot
water to each single espresso or eight ounces to each
double espresso.
We included a year’s supply of micro-filters with your
AeroPress so you are set for a long time. When you
need more filters, visit www.sonocoffeebeans.com.
CLEANUP:
10. Remove the cap, hold the AeroPress over a
wastebasket, and press the plunger to eject the "puck"
of spent grounds.
11. Leave the plunger pushed fully in and rinse the
rubber seal. Brush or wipe it to remove the coffee oils.
Always store the AeroPress with the plunger pushed
all the way in, or completely removed, to avoid
compressing the seal.
Never put the AeroPress in a dishwasher
LATTE:
When a latte is your goal, make a richer espresso by
filling the water to the bottom of the appropriate bar.
You can also try slightly hotter water to extract more
“edge” from the coffee. Add the espresso to milk and
enjoy it cold or warm the mix in the microwave.
CAPPUCCINO:
Cappuccino is simply espresso capped with a layer
of foamed milk. The traditional way of foaming milk
is with hot steam. But those who have tried foaming
mixers agree that they do a great job and are much
easier to use.
STEEPING TIME:
If you've used a French Press, you may be tempted to
let the mix steep for several minutes before pressing.
But long steeping only adds bitterness and acidity.
RE-USING MICRO-FI LTERS:
Two thousand filters use about as much paper as
one city newspaper, so you needn't feel guilty about
discarding filters. But you can also re-use each filter
many times just by brushing it off under running
water. The choice is up to you. When re-using a
filter, remove the plunger and twist the cap containing
the wet filter onto the chamber. This will keep it flat
as it dries and you'll be ready for the next pressing.
TIP: THE KEY TO A SMOOTH AMERICAN CUP:
Brewing espresso and then diluting it with hot water
makes a smoother American cup of coffee than
pressing an entire cup of water through the grounds.
Pushing too much water through the grounds produces
bitterness and acidity.
You can store espresso as concentrate for use several
days later. The flavor will remain smooth because the
micro filtering removes all coffee grounds.
Aeropress is a trademark of Aerobie, Inc.
Green coffee beans are a major income earner for a number of nations since they are just behind crude oil as a source of income by only one point. The coffee beans are favored since they allow coffee lovers to brew coffee from their homes with their own guidelines. The green coffee beans can be roasted to your taste and percolated to fit the acidity and tastiness you need in your beverage. I prefer an Aerobie Aeropress.
Green coffee beans have a good history where they are first credited to have been utilized by Sufi clerics in Yemen back in the 15th century. Since then, the food substance has had many followers for the stimulating properties given to people. Coffee beans have become a global commodity since their introduction into the other parts of the world from the Arab world. The fresh smell of gourmet style coffee can be gotten from several brands and is brewed to different tastes. Check out Sono Coffee Beans click here.
Whenever I have a friend traveling to Hawaii I insist they bring me back a bag of the famous Kona Peaberry coffee. Kona coffee beans are known for thier smooth and mellow yet full-bodied flavor, a very deep, rich coffee bean producing a very aromatic cup of coffee. Kona’s elevated location is perfect for growing the best coffee beans. Its climate of sunny mornings, cloudy or rainy afternoons, combine to make a superior coffee bean.
Kona coffee beans can only be called that if it is grown within the district of Kona on the Big Island of Hawaii. It is grown in a small area only one mile wide by 30 miles long. Coffee beans grown in any other area of the islands can only be called “Hawaiian.” Even coffee beans grown in Kona is called “Hawaiian” if it falls below the “Prime” grade.
Because Kona Peaberry coffee beans have a lower acid content than other beans it brews a smoother tasting cup of coffee. This rare coffee bean is unusual due to its cylinder shape, producing one bean instead of two, and makes up only five
percent of the coffee crop. Some believe that because of its differences it yields a darker and stronger but smoother bean.
The best way to experience this bean is to brew the Kona Peaberry coffee in a French Press coffee pot. Melding together the best bean with best process of brewing to yield the smoothest and at the same time, boldest cup of coffee. The Peaberry bean can be sampled, thoroughly enjoying its robust flavor. It doesn’t get much better than this!
To be sure you are getting Kona Peaberry coffee check the label carefully. It can only be labeled Peaberry if it is one hundred percent Peaberry. Just because you are spending more and it says “Kona Blend” or “Estate” does not mean it is Peaberry coffee. Most Hawaiian coffees are blends of several different types of coffee berries roasted together to create the blend.
If you are willing to spend a little more you will receive double the flavor on your next cup of coffee if you have purchased 100% Kona Peaberry Coffee.
Fresh Roasted Coffee Beans - Could drinking coffee help prevent Alzheimers
Here is some excellent, fasinating, good news for all of us fresh roasted coffee beans coffee drinkers! There is reliable scientific information that suggests that coffee drinkers are much less likely to suffer from Alzheimer’s disease or dementia than non coffee drinkers.
The next time somebody tells you some nonsense like coffee is going to give you ulcers, just tell them that you are drinking coffee for the medicinal purpose of preventing Alzheimer’s disease, and that you can prove it.
The first known study of determining whether coffee drinking could prevent Alzheimer’s disease was conducted in Portugal in 2002. The researchers set out to discover whether the caffeine in coffee could prevent or delay the degeneration of the brain that occurs before Alzheimer’s is diagnosed. They chose 54 patients who already had Alzheimer’s disease for the study. The researchers discovered that the caffeine in coffee was a significant factor in reducing the onset of the disease as well as the progression of the disease.
Another study in Berlin failed to find that the caffeine in coffee prevented Alzheimer’s, but it did establish that possibility of a link between caffeine consumption and overall neurological health.
The largest study about the relationship between drinking coffee and preventing Alzheimer’s was done in Canada. The Canadian Study of Health and Aging studied more than 6,000 people over the age of 65. It was found that consuming coffee was a significant factor in reducing the risk of Alzheimer’s disease.
Granted, none of the studies to date firmly establish that coffee drinking can prevent Alzheimer’s disease altogether, but there is enough positive information to warrant more studies be conducted in the future, and also to hand some valuable ammunition to coffee drinkers around the world.
Fresh Roasted Coffee Beans are available for purchase at Here with flat rate shipping. The more coffee beans you buy the cheaper it is. And remember Sono Coffee Beans always roast you coffee beans just before they are shipped to you for extreme freshness.
A couple of weeks ago there, was a story about drinking coffee being one of the most dangerous activities to do while driving. A man in Oregon decided to prove it, by dropping his coffee cup, accidentally hitting the accelerator and driving his car into an apartment complex swimming pool. They can blame the coffee all they want, but I’m going to have to put the blame on the driver – spilling the coffee is coffee abuse and that’s the real crime.
Article found at dailyshotofcoffee
Sono Coffee - Coffee Beans - Which to Choose - Species and Varieties
All coffee beans we grind and use to brew that delightful cup of coffee come from the Coffea evergreen bush, that grows in about 50 countries around the world. Each year, the Coffee bush will flower and develop a cherry-like fruit. Inside the coffee cherry there are typically two small seeds or coffee beans. There are 10 different species of Coffea bush, the first of which was discovered in Ethiopia some thousands of years ago. Once man discovered coffee beans, the coffee beans cultivation and use migrated to the Middle East, Europe, Asia and beyond. Today, much of the coffee we drink is made from coffee beans that were grown in Latin America, Western Africa, Indonesia and the Philippines, and continental southeastern Asia. Two species of coffee beans -- Coffea Arabica and Canephora -- constitute more than 90 percent of the coffee beans sold on the international market. Depending on the region, species of coffee beans, roasting, and preparation, coffee beans can infuse a cup of coffee with a variety of flavors and textures. See Coffee Cupping
The seeds of the Coffea Arabica bush are grown all over the world and account for 75% of the coffee beans we use to make our coffee drinks. Arabica coffee beans are very flavorful and contain less caffeine than Canephora coffee beans. Coffea Arabica bushes are grown principally in Western Africa and Latin America. Different regions of these countries are known for producing a different type of coffee beans; that is, coffee beans lending a different flavor when brewed. These different region types are called varietals. The climate, soil, weather, and particular plants and seeds give regions their distinctive coffee bean tastes. In Africa, Arabica bean cultivation can be found in Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, and the northern Muslim countries, among others. Ethiopian coffee beans have an easy, smooth flavor and are delightfully accented by floral notes. Kenyan coffee beans are also smooth, but a bit tartier than Ethiopian coffee beans. They have a pleasantly fruity aftertaste, as does coffee brewed from Tanzanian coffee beans. These beans are a lovely afternoon coffee, with a milder texture and flavor than its northern counterparts.
The Descriptions of theses coffee beans will vary slightly from season to season and between different farms, but this will give you an Idea of the characteristics of coffee beans.
A great variety of coffee bean flavors come from Latin America. Coffee beans grown in Brazil lend coffee a slightly bitter cocoa flavor with rich nutty undertones. A favorite of many, Columbian coffee beans are very rich and bold, a great morning coffee, with a thick, dark texture and a walnut finish. Costa Rican coffee beans are similar to Brazilian, but have a lighter, sharper, almost tangy flavor. Mexico is also a great producer of coffee beans. The beans here vary in flavor and texture, from dry and light to thicker and deeper in complexion and flavor. Although many of the beans grown in Latin America are of the Arabica variety, some regions grow Canephora bushes. The seeds of the Coffea Canephora bush have fewer oils -- and in lesser quantities -- than Arabica beans do. Less oil and higher acidity give coffees brewed from these beans a slightly more bitter quality. Despite this, Canephora is still a very popular coffee bean, used worldwide in cheap, canned coffee blends and expensive espresso roasts. Canephora coffee beans typically have almost 50% more caffeine than Arabica beans.
Canephora coffee beans are more widely cultivated in Asia than Arabica. These varietals are known for having a more acidic and bitter flavor. Most of the coffee beans Americans use come from island nations in Asia, such as Sumatra and the island of Komodo. Coffees brewed from these regional beans have a full texture and a slightly acrid, herbal flavor. Java and Kona varietals are especially popular and make a wonderful morning coffee due to their almost stringent quality.
Other factors that influence the taste of a coffee bean or cup of coffee are roasting methods and final preparation. As a rule of thumb, the greater the amount of time spent roasting, the darker, more full-bodied, and flavorful a coffee will be. Although coffee beans lose essential oils -- and caffeine -- during roasting, they change chemically during the roasting process, and acquire new, different and flavorful oils. Coffee is often prepared using the drip method. Some people choose to use a French press, the use of which results in a stronger flavor and oily texture. Using an espresso machine to brew coffee also lends the coffee a strong flavor, as well as higher caffeine content.
Coffee cupping or tasting is the practice of observing the aromas and tastes of brewed coffee. Though coffee cupping is a professional practice, anyone can do it, even at home. The basic procedure of coffee cupping includes sniffing the coffee deeply and slurping the coffee loudly, such that it spreads to the back portion of your tongue. Various aspects of coffee’s taste, including the sweetness, body (mouth feel or texture like oiliness), flavor, acidity, aftertaste and sweetness are checked during coffee cupping. It is best to use fresh roasted coffee beans.
Following are some of the aromas used to describe coffee odor during coffee cupping:-
1. Animal-like – This form of odor is comparable to smell of animals. It has a characteristic odor of sweat, hides, leather, fur or urine.
2. Ashy – This has an ashtray like odor – the smell emanated during the fireplace cleaning.
3. Smoky/Burnt – This flavor and odor descriptor is comparable to that observed in burnt food.
4. Medicinal/Chemical – This odor descriptor has the smell reminiscent of medicines and chemicals.
5. Caramel – This flavor is reminiscent of odor produced during sugar caramelization process.
6. Toast-like/Malty/Cereal – It includes odors characteristic of toast, malt and cereal.
7. Nutty – This aroma is similar to the flavor and odor of fresh nuts and not bitter almonds.
8. Floral – This is similar to a flower fragrance and associated with scent of different varieties of flowers including nettles, dandelion, jasmine and honeysuckle.
9. Woody – This descriptor is reminiscent of smell of cardboard paper, oak barrel or dry wood.
10. Rubber-like – This descriptor is characteristic of smell of rubber stoppers, rubber bands and hot tyres.
11. Fruity/Citrus – This aroma resembles the taste and odor of fruit. Highly associated with such an attribute is the natural aroma of berries.
12. Floral – This odor descriptor is reminiscent of flower fragrance and is associated with scent of different flowers that includes nettles, dandelion, jasmine and honeysuckle.
13. Herbal/Green/Grassy – This odor descriptor incorporates three terms that are associated with odors resembling those of green beans, green foliage, fresh green grass, unripe fruit or fresh herbs.
14. Rotten/ Rancid – It includes two terms that are associated with odors reminiscent of oxidation and rancidification of several products.
15. Acidity – The odor associated with it is characterized by an organic acid solution.
16. Sweetness – It is a basic descriptor of taste characterized by fructose and sucrose solutions usually associated with caramel, chocolate and fruity.
17. Saltiness – This odor has a primary taste characterized by solution of salts like sodium chloride.
18. Sourness – The basic taste descriptor has an extremely unpleasant, biting and sharp flavor (such as acetic acid or vinegar). It is usually related with the odor of fermented coffee.
At Sono Coffee beans we want to achieve and maintain strong and close relationships with our customers, just like the strong flavor and aroma of our coffee beans.
Our freshly roasted organic coffee beans are sure to change your mood and enhance your day, both on a mentally and physically.
Josh Schrock - coffee lover Fresh Roasted Coffee Beans
For so many people coffee is a magical elixir, better than a sprint around the track or an ice-cold shower to get them going in the morning or to keep them going late at night. Coffee has been used as a instant pick-me-up for over a thousand years, its popularity reaching around the world.
Coffee beans were first roasted and brewed in Arabia around 1000 B.C.E., though tales of raw bean-eating pre-date the advent of the modern coffee concept. From the time the first coffee shop opened its doors in Constantinople in 1475 to the current time of coffee shop abundance, coffee aficionados gradually spread their palatal wings.
Today, a you can choose from seemingly endless choices of coffee beans and coffee drink options for satisfying your coffee craving. Espresso shots, café lattes, and cappuccinos are among the most well known incarnations of the brewed coffee bean beverage. Of course, some people like their coffee a little fancier sweeter or flavored. Add a bit of chocolate and throw in a splash of caramel or any flavor you like to your coffee compliment your taste.
In recent years, however, a different sort of novelty coffee has gained increasing popularity among American consumers. This variation on the traditional brew has nothing to do with sweet add-ins or frothy milk mixers. As coffee lovers become more aware of the roads their beloved coffee beans travel on the way to American auto-drips, percolators, french presses and now the Aerobie Aeropress more and more are demanding the coffee beans they purchase be Fair Trade (produced under fair working conditions).
Coffee is the number-one food import into the United States. The coffee beans brought into the States originates primarily in Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, Guatemala, and Vietnam, and the wages coffee beans producers receive often is not enough for them to sustain their families without going into debt. So how do concerned coffee bean purchasers satisfy their consciences as well as their taste buds? One way is to purchase coffee beans that are Fair Trade-certified.
Proponents of the Fair Trade movement work to reconcile economic globalization and ethical market practices. In order to be sold as Fair Trade, the coffee beans must meet certain standards laid out by organizations such as Fairtrade Labeling Organizations International (FLO).
Transfair USA, one of twenty FLO members, is an independent, third party certifier, similar to organic certifiers such as Quality Assurance International or California Certified Organic Farmers. In the United States, Transfair USA helps ensure that goods such as coffee beans that are sold under the Fair Trade label meet FLO standards.
Fair Trade standards for coffee beans require that farmers receive fair wholesale prices for their coffee beans. This currently translates to a price of about $1.26 per pound of raw coffee beans in a market that can shell out as little as $.60 per pound.
The Fair Trade movement traces its roots to the Alternative Trade Organizations, or ATOs, of 1940s Europe and North America. These groups were founded by church activists seeking financial relief for struggling refugees.
Certification for Fair Trade goods began in the Netherlands. During the late 1980s, when coffee bean prices experienced a steep decline, the Max Havelaar label came into being. The label was named for a fictional Dutch character who was opposed to the exploitation of coffee bean pickers in Dutch colonies, and sparked the development of Fair Trade certification criteria.
Transfair USA, which has been selling Fair Trade certified coffee beans since 1999, reports that the product now represents the fastest-growing specialty coffee market in the United States. This is evident, as well, by the growing number of American coffee shops and retail shops offering Fair Trade products.
Expect to see Fair Trade solutions increase in the near future. As awareness increases and more and more restaurants and retailers recognize the growing trend, Fair Trade coffee beans are likely to continue thier rapid increase in the specialty coffee market. There is much to learn about purchasing Fair Trade goods. Go to Sono Coffee Beans
When we drink coffee, a typical question is, "Regular or decaf?" But when we talk about Coffee Beans, the question should be, "Robusta or arabica?" That's because robusta and arabica are the two most common types of coffee beans roasted in the United States and through out the world.
The history of coffee beans began in the ninth century, when it first was discovered in Ethiopia by a goat herder. Coffee Beanslater made their way across the Red Sea to be cultivated as an agricultural crop in Yemen.
Arabica coffee beans are grown at high elevations. They produce coffees with more palatable tastes and less caffeine than robusta beans, which are grown at lower elevations and will usualy bring a more astringent flavor with the some extra caffeine.
Sites like Coffee Beans 101, CoffeeSage and Sono Coffee Beans make an excellent source for coffee bean news and basic knowledge about coffee beans, coffee bean grinder, coffee makers and related products.
The Internet provides coffee lovers the ability to try more than big-roaster brands like Starbucks and Maxwell House. Specialty fresh roasted coffee beans from fair-trade roasters like Sono Coffee Beans are available for purchase online.
Kona coffee is the market name for a variety of coffee beans cultivated on the slopes of Mount Hualalai and Mauna Loa in the North and South Kona Districts of the Big Island of Hawaii. These coffee beans has developed a reputation that has made it one of the most expensive and sought-after coffees in the world. Only coffee from the Kona Districts can be legally called as "Kona". The Kona, Hawaii weather pattern of bright sunny mornings, humid rainy afternoons and mild nights creates favorable coffee beans growing conditions.
Processing and Growing Kona Coffee Beans
Kona coffee bean plants bloom in February and March. They produce small white flowers that cover the tree and are known as Kona Snow. In April, green coffee berries begin to appear on the trees. By late August, red fruit, called "cherry" because of the resemblance of the ripe berry to a cherry fruit, start to ripen for picking. Each tree will be hand-picked several times between August and January, and provides around 20-30 pounds of coffee cherries.
Within 24 hours of picking, the coffee cherry is run through a pulper, the coffee beans are separated from the pulp, and then placed in a fermentation tank overnight. The fermentation time is dependent on the temperature and therefore on the elevation; about 12 hours at a low elevation or 24 hours at a higher elevation. The coffee beans are rinsed and spread to dry on a "hoshidana" or drying rack. Traditional hoshidanas have a rolling roof to cover the coffee beans in the event of rain. It takes 7-14 days to dry the coffee beans to an optimal moisture level of between 10-13% (by Hawaii Dept. of Agriculture regulations: 9.5-12.5%). From here, the coffee beans are stored as "pergamino" or parchment. The parchment is milled off the green coffee bean prior to roasting or wholesale.
It takes seven to nine pounds of coffee cherries to make one pound of roasted coffee beans. Therefore 100 pounds of coffee cherries will produce about 12 pounds of roasted coffee beans.
Kona coffee beans are classified according to the seed type. Type I coffee beans consist of two beans per cherry, flat on one side, oval on the other. Type II coffee beans consist of one round bean per cherry, otherwise known as a peaberry. Further grading of these two types of coffee beans depends on size, moisture content, purity of coffee bean type and size. The grades of Type I Kona coffee beans are Kona Extra fancy, Kona fancy, Kona Number 1, and Kona Prime. The grades of Type II Kona coffee beans are Peaberry Number 1 and Peaberry Prime. There is also a lower grade of coffee beans called Number 3 which can not legally be labeled as "Kona".
The Kona coffee beans plant was first brought to Kona in 1829 by Samuel Reverend Ruggles, from Brazilian cuttings, although it was not until much later in that century that it became a consistent and worthwhile crop. It was grown on large plantations, but the 1899 world coffee market crash caused plantation owners to have to lease out their land to their workers. Most of these workers were originally from Japan, brought in to tend and harvest sugar cane. They worked their leased land parcels of between 5-to-12 acres as family concerns, producing large, quality coffee beans crops.
The tradition of operating family farms has continued throughout Kona, Hawaii. The Japanese-origin families have been joined by Filipinos, mainland Americans, and Europeans. There are approximately 800 Kona coffee bean farms, with an average farm size of less than 5 acres. In 1997 the total Kona coffee bean area was 2,290 acres (9 km2) and green coffee bean production just over two million pounds.
b>Blends of Kona Coffee Beans
Because of the rarity and price of Kona coffee in the marketplace, some retailers sell so called 'Kona Coffee Bean Blends'. These 'Kona Coffee Bean Blends' are not a combination of different Kona coffees but rather a blend of Kona and Colombian, Brazilian or other foreign coffee beans. These blends usually contain only 10% Kona coffee and 90% cheaper imported beans. It takes about 30% Kona coffee beans in a blend in order to recognize the kona coffee.
Current Hawaiian law requires blends to state the percentage of Kona coffee on the label. There is no matching Federal law. Some retailers use terms like Kona Blend, Kona Roast, or Kona Style. To be real authentic Kona coffee, the State of Hawaii's labeling laws require the prominent display of the words '100% Kona Coffee'.
Purchase 100% Kona coffee beans and 100% Kona peaberry coffee beans @ Sono Coffee Beans
(HealthDay News) -- Just smelling the first hot cup of coffee in the morning may help ease some stresses you might be feeling, a South Korean study indicates.
When rats inhaled the aroma of roasted coffee beans, a number of genes were activated, including some that produce proteins with healthful antioxidant activity, the researchers reported.
This Article on this blog posted by Josh Schrock of Sono Coffee Beans (Sono Coffee Beans) To read more about this study on coffee beans and stress from the original source click on the link below:
Coffee is a brewed beverage prepared from roasted coffee beans (seeds), of the coffee plant. Caffeinated coffee has a stimulating effect in humans(and animals for that matter). Today, coffee is one of the most popular beverages in the world.
Coffee was first consumed in the ninth century, when it was discovered in the highlands of Ethiopia. From there, it spread to Egypt and Yemen, and by the 15th century, had reached Azerbaijan, Persia, Turkey, and northern Africa. From the Muslim world, coffee spread to Italy, then to the rest of Europe, to Indonesia, and to the Americas.
Coffee berries, which contain the coffee bean, are produced by several species of small evergreen bush of the genus Coffea. The two most commonly grown species are robusta coffee beans and arabica coffee beans. These are cultivated in Latin America, Southeast Asia, and Africa. Once ripe, coffee berries are picked, processed, and dried. The coffee beans are then roasted, undergoing several physical and chemical changes. They are roasted to varying degrees, depending on the desired flavor. The coffee beans are then ground and brewed to create the drink we call coffee. Coffee can be prepared and presented in a variety of ways.
Coffee has played an important role in many societies throughout modern history. In Africa and Yemen, it was used in religious ceremonies. As a result, the Ethiopian Church banned its secular consumption until the reign of Emperor Menelik II of Ethiopia. It was banned in Ottoman Turkey in the 17th century for political reasons, and was associated with rebellious political activities in Europe.
Coffee beans are an important export commodity. In 2004, coffee was the top agricultural export for 12 countries, and in 2005, it was the world's seventh-largest legal agricultural export by value.
Some controversy is associated with coffee cultivation and its impact on the environment. Many studies have examined the relationship between coffee consumption and certain medical conditions; whether the overall effects of coffee are positive or negative is still disputed. There is a separate article you can read on this issue Read Here
To gain understanding of what coffee and coffee beans are, we first must start at the beginning. The coffee plant is a tropical evergreen shrub that grows to about 15 feet tall, and has branches that grow broad, waxy, green leaves. The coffee beans are actually the seeds from the fruit, which is round and red like a cherry, and grows in clusters. In addition, the coffee shrub produces an abundance of jasmine scented flowers. There are usually two coffee seeds, or coffee beans, in each fruit, which grow nestled against each other. If one of the coffee beans does not develop properly, the other coffee bean will grow extra large, and more rounded. These are called peaberry coffee beans
.
The coffee shrub has been used for more than just our favorite beverage. There have been liquors made from the tangy coffee fruit, tea has been made from the coffee leaves, and the beans have been rolled with animal fat to form a sort of early energy bar.
Since since the coffee plant discovery in Arabia in the ninth century, the coffee plant has become one of the most popular agricultural products. Coffee ranks second only to oil in volume of trade. Coffee is one of the most labor intensive food products, needing 17 different processing steps on the way to your cup.
We hope you enjoy your coffee, Sono Coffee Beans - Jeremiah & Kassandra Reynolds and Josh & Sarah Schrock - Owners/Coffee Lovers
Yes you can. Anecdotaly, there are several stories to mention: Monks used to eat coffee beans before long prayer sessions, African tribesmen used to eat coffee beans before going on long hunts. Keep in mind that thirty five to forty coffee beans is all you use for just one cup of coffee, and you're getting it in its pure form - 100% vs. the caffeine that is extracted as the water moves through the coffee grounds-- So coffee beans pack a good strong punch.
If you decide to eat coffee beans you may prefer the taste of chocolate covered coffee beans. Although coffee beans aren't to bad tasting.
Buy fresh micro roasted coffee beans at Sono Coffee Beans.Click Here Josh Schrock
Here is a story about how the humble coffee bean becomes a world celebrity. It is not about the German Shepard named Coffee Beans belonging to the Sheriff's Department sniffing drugs and bombs. This story is about the coffee beans we are all familiar with. It's about the fragrant aroma that stimulates our senses and arouses our taste buds in the morning. The tingling sensation we get when we take the first sip. How we manage to get an extra boost of energy whenever we feel tired and weary. Let us take some time to ponder the processes the coffee beans have to go through before they can be marketed.
Processing The Coffee Beans
After the coffee berries have been harvested, it needs to undergo a process where the flesh of the coffee berries is removed. The coffee berries are placed in special machines separating the flesh from the seed. This coffee seed is commonly called "coffee beans". The coffee beans will now undergo a fermentation process for a period of time. This process is done in order to remove the slimy mucilage coating the coffee beans.
After the coffee beans have undergone the mandatory fermentation, they are thoroughly flushed with clean water. This process is to remove the foul smelling residue due to the fermentation process and the waste water is a main cause of pollutant.
The coffee beans are then dried under the sun or by machines, until the moisture level is about 10% before they can be packed for storage.
Another method of getting to the coffee beans without undergoing the fermentation process is to dry the whole berry in the sun. It normally takes about 10 to 14 days to complete the process with constant raking of the coffee beans to prevent mildew from forming. This method is popular and widely used by coffee producers where water is scarce. The dried flesh is then physically removed leaving only the coffee beans.
The dried coffee beans is then sorted and graded before they can be stored or shipped to buyers. At this stage, the coffee bean is called green coffee beans.
Sometimes the coffee beans will undergo an additional aging process. The reason for this is because when coffee was first introduced into Europe, the coffee beans have undergone a journey of about six months. Europeans have already developed a preference for this taste and therefore to simulate the taste, the coffee beans are further aged.
Roasting The Coffee Beans
Roasting is the final process the coffee beans have to undergo before they are commercially marketed. It is also possible to purchase un-roasted coffee beans that you can personally roast them yourself.
When the coffee beans are subjected to heat, there's a chemical reaction happening within the coffee beans where the sugar and acid will begin to react releasing its aroma. The coffee beans will turn darker due to caramelized sucrose. When this happens, the coffee beans are quickly cooled to prevent damage to the coffee beans.
When roasting the green coffee beans, a lot of carbon dioxide is released as a by-product. The carbon dioxide helps to "seal" the coffee beans from loosing its flavor and aroma. Depending on how the coffee beans are stored, it may take some time before the optimum peak flavor. After reaching its peak, it will start loosing its flavor again.
If you are trying to roast your own coffee beans at home, be aware that you may not be successful during the first few times. You might over-burn your coffee beans during your first few tries. Never be discouraged, but try until you get the taste and flavor that appeals to you. Remember to process in small amounts to maintain freshness of your coffee.
Grinding The Coffee Beans
Before the roasted coffee beans can be used, you need to grind the coffee beans first. The coarseness of your coffee depends on your preference and the type of coffee-brewing method. It can range from coarse to very fine as in the Turkish grind. For example, if you're using a percolator, a course coffee powder is suitable but if you are using an Espresso machines, an extra fine coffee powder is required.
In Finishing
The coffee beans have to undergo a number of processes before they can be consumed. The final flavor of the coffee depends on the journey the coffee beans take in order to reach its final form. Different methods and different techniques will give rise to a varied coffee flavor. This is the reason why there are so many flavors to the simple coffee bean.
Many flavored and origin coffee beans are available @ Sono Coffee. You may say we are bias but we think our coffee beans are the best.
Coffee is a popular any time drink and one with a taste that can vary depending on how the coffee is brewed and the type of coffee beans used. If you want to have control over the taste of your coffee, you might want to roast your own coffee at home. This is a simple process that requires minimal equipment. However, this may take some experimenting. You may need to try a few times first in order to obtain the coffee taste that you desire.
To roast coffee beans at home without a coffee roaster you will need a standard frying pan. The size of the pan varies depending on how many beans you are roasting. Also, you will need dry, unroasted (green) beans that you can purchase from www.sonocoffeebeans.com. Put the coffee beans in the pan and turn your stove on to medium-high heat. while the beans roast you must turn them constantly to avoid burning. Normal roasting time is approximately 15 minutes. During the roasting process you will notice the beans changing color from light green/brown to a darker brown. In addition, a coffee aroma will be generated from the pan. It is very important that the beans be turned constantly as they roast. This preserves the beans aroma and flavor.
When the beans have roasted for a few minutes, you will notice that they will become oily. This occurs as the natural oils within the beans are released during the roasting process. Once the oils appear on all the beans, the roasting process is finished. At this time, if you like a stronger or more bold coffee taste, continue to roast the beans an additional 5-7 minutes. After the beans are roasted, remove them from the pan and place them on a plate that is covered with a paper towel or cloth. Keep the beans on the plate until they are cool to the touch. Once cooled, you can ground them for use or move them to a coffee bean storage container. The beans are at peak freshness 24 to 48 hours after roasting.
Choosing beans to roast depends entirely on the taste that you want your coffee to have. Besides the country where coffee bean are grown, coffee beans differ in quality depending on the altitude at which they are grown. Lowland, high altitude, and higher altitude beans all have different tastes; the higher altitude beans have more flavor and aroma than the lower altitude coffee beans. It is important to note the blend type of the coffee. For example, Arabica is a mixture of beans that were originally grown in the Middle East but which are now grown worldwide. This coffee type produces a strong coffee with a harsher taste and is typically used in espresso and Turkish coffee. Meanwhile, mountain-grown blends are milder, more flavorful, and are popular as general all-purpose coffees.
Because coffee companies produce many variations on coffee blends you may want to inquire first about the types of beans used in a blend before you purchase them for roasting. Additionally, if you are willing to experiment, purchase bean types separately and make your own mix for roasting.
At Sono Coffee Beans we take time to choose only the best quality coffee beans. We micro roast each batch of coffee beans with an enthusiastic attention. We want only the best coffee experience for you. All Coffee beans ordered from Sono Coffee Beans are roasted and shipped the immediately to you.
Owners and coffee lovers Jeremiah & Kassandra Reynolds and Josh & Sarah Schrock
To visit our website Sono Coffee Beans Click Here
Look for a post in the future about how to roast your own coffee beans at home with a hot air popcorn popper. Thank you, Josh Shcrock
COFFEE
3/4 cup double-strength coffee cold
1 cup low-fat milk
3 tbl granulated sugar
2 cup ice CARAMEL
3 tbl caramel topping
Whipped cream for topping
Additional caramel topping for drizzling MOCHA
3 tbl Hershey's chocolate syrup
Whipped cream (optional)
Coffee:
Make double-strength coffee by brewing with twice the coffee required by your coffee maker. That should be 2 tablespoons of fresh ground coffee beans per each cup of coffee. Chill before using.
To make the drink, combine all ingredients in a blender and blend on high speed until ice is crushed and drink is smooth. Pour into two 16-ounce glasses, and serve with a straw.
Caramel:
For this version, add 3 tablespoons of caramel topping to the original recipe above and prepare as described. Top each glass with whipped cream and drizzle additional caramel over the whipped cream.
Mocha: For this version, add 3 tablespoons Hershey's chocolate syrup to the original recipe and prepare as described. Top each glass with whipped cream if desired.
This recipe yields 2 16 ounce drinks. Comments: It was in 1995 that Starbucks stores started selling this frozen drink, one of the company's most successful new products. The Frappuccino is blended with strong coffee, sugar, a dairy base, and ice. The drinks come in several different varieties, the most popular of which I've cloned here for your frontal lobe-pounding, caffeine-buzzing pleasure. Make double-strength coffee by measuring 2 tablespoons of fresh ground coffee beans per cup (serving) in your coffee maker. The frappuccino will be even more tasty if you use fresh Sono Coffee beans and grind them yourself just before brewing. Here now is an improved version of the recipe that was first posted here on this site, plus the new addition of a mocha version of one of world's coolest cold coffee drinks. Please enjoy.
Sono Coffee Beans, owners Josh & Sarah Schrock and Jeremiah & Kassandra Reynolds invite you to try our fresh roasted coffee beans and give us you feedback. Visit Us Here
Coffee is one of the most common drinks in America, and is a favorite of many. The smell alone means a lot to coffee lovers. A single cup of coffee can really take all the worries off your mind, and get you back to work with more vigor and a fresh attitude. Here are some tips for you to grind coffee beans to get the best coffee. If you're a coffee lover, these tips are sure to help you to make your coffee the best possible.
To grind coffee you should to have the right grinding machine for the task.
The grinding period is considered directly proportional to the brewing period. For instance, the finest ground coffee is called espresso which takes about 27 seconds to extract (brew). On the other hand, a drip coffee pot requires water for brewing the coffee beans. If your coffee beans are ground well, it will greatly influence the quality of brew. When grinding coffee beans, it's better not to use cheaper grinders as they will give you a coarse grind. Rather go for a good quality burr grinder that can grind you fresh coffee beans from coarse to a fine powder or anything in between.
How to distinguish the grind and acknowledge the right level.
A coarse grind is likely to give you a view of distinct thick particles, or in other words, they would appear more like salt particles. A medium grind is one that may resemble more like sand particles. Fine grind can be felt with the touch of the hand, where extra-fine particles will be like talcum powder.
There are two main types of coffee grinders.
One is a normal blade grinder and the other is called a burr grinder. Blade grinders use metal blades to grind the coffee beans(similer to a blender). You can control the fineness of the coffee beans by grinding them for a longer period. If you use a blade grinder make sure you do not grind for a long period to get a fine cut, as it will produce heat in the grinder. So grind the coffee beans for a few seconds then take a few seconds break then grind a few seconds and so on until you reach the grind you desire. It helps to shake the blade grinder while grinding the coffee beans.
With burr grinders, you need adjust the position of the grinding blades to get the desired fineness. In burr grinders itself, there are two types of blades for the user to choose. They are called wheel burr and conical burr.
Wheel burr grinders are less expensive than the conical burr variety. Wheel burr grinders spin the fastest, which causes them to make a lot of noise while grinding coffee beans. They can mess up grinding if their rotation speed is increased.
Conical burrs are the best blades, which spin slowly and are less noisy than wheel burrs. Conical burr grinders are the best for dark roast or oily coffee beans witch are the ones which can clog while grinding. You can get a conical burr grinder with cast iron or stainless steel blades.
For more information or to purchase fresh roasted coffee beans Click Here Josh Schrock
Coffee has long been considered a stimulant. It is due to this reason that it is consumed in the mornings while the body tires itself. However, great health benefits from this bean have somewhat been overlooked.
Current research has brought to light several stimulating coffee effects not related to the caffeine content. However, scientists are yet to find the chemical agent that stimulates the production of adrenaline and cortisone – two stimulating hormones.
For those who want to enjoy coffee and its flavors without any stimulation, a decaffeinated version of coffee called decaffeinated coffee is also available. In this form of coffee, most of the caffeine is removed with a unique procedure called the Swiss water process. This involves the use of methylene chloride or trichloroethylene.
Below mentioned are some of the health benefits of coffee:-
Reduced risk of Dementia and Alzheimer’s disease – Numerous studies that compare light coffee drinkers (less than a cup per day) with moderate coffee drinkers (about 2 cups a day) observed that the people who drank excess coffee had fewer chances of development of Alzheimer’s disease. Studies conducted in 2009 have found out that moderate drinker of coffee (3-5 cups of each day). Reduced gallstone disease
In two studies performed by Harvard School of Public Health, the act of continuously consuming caffeinated coffee has resulted in lower occurrence of gallbladder and gallstone disease in both women and men.
Reduced risk of Parkinson’s disease
A study that compared non-drinkers with heavy coffee drinkers (3.5 cups per day) observed that coffee drinkers had lesser chances of contracting Parkinson’s disease. In the same sense, a second study observed an opposite effect between the likelihood of development of Parkinson’s disease and the amount of coffee regularly drunk.
Analgesic enhancement
Coffee has caffeine, which increases the pain killer’s effectiveness, especially headache medications and migraine. This is the number one reason why numerous headache drugs contain caffeine.
Antidiabetic
Intake of coffee reduces chances of type 2 diabetes by 50 %. Though this was initially noticed in patients who drank a considerable amount of coffee (seven cups each day), the relationship was later observed to be linear.
Quit Drinking Coffee?
You might see this as a direct contradiction to my website (sonocoffeebeans.com), but hear me out. I am also a bit of a health nut and believe this should be taken in moderation.
I think coffee is very good and good for you, but in healthy doses. Take a look at the article below and enjoy your coffee responsibly!
If you think coffee aficionados have come up with the most unique ideas, just wait till you hear about these coffee beens. It will leave you holding your breath (or nose)! I introduce to you Kopi Luwak. An extremely rare coffee been due to the fact that the beans are first processed through the intestinal track of an Asian Palm Civet. This cat or weasel like animal has a sickly-sweet odor reminiscent of a striped skunk and loves the cherry like fruit that covers the coffee bean. Yes, ingested and deposited shortly thereafter, the beans are ripe for the picking. Once thought as a pest to the crop, these civits are now welcomed friends. Coffee pickers comb the civet's droppings for the berries and remove the husk. These yummy, choice beans are thoroughly washed, in other words, decrappinated, then light roasted and ready for brewing. What an aromatic brew it would be.
On a More Serious Note:
Kopi Luwak or Civet coffee is coffee made from coffee berries which have been eaten by and passed through the digestive tract of the Asian Palm Civet (Paradoxurus hermaphroditus). The civets eat the berries, but the beans inside pass through their system undigested. This process takes place on the islands of Sumatra, Java and Sulawesi in the Indonesian Archipelago, in the Philippines (where the product is called Kape Alamid) and in East Timor (locally called kafé-laku). Vietnam has a similar type of coffee, called weasel coffee, which is made from coffee berries which have been regurgitated by local weasels. In actuality the "weasel" is just the local version of the Asian Palm Civet.
Origin and Production
Kopi is the Indonesian word for coffee, and luwak is a local name of the Asian Palm Civet. The raw, red coffee berries are part of its normal diet, along with insects, small mammals, small reptiles, eggs and nestlings of birds, and other fruit. The inner bean of the berry is not digested, but it has been proposed that enzymes in the stomach of the civet add to the coffee's flavor by breaking down the proteins that give coffee its bitter taste. The beans are defecated, still covered in some inner layers of the berry. The beans are washed, and given only a light roast so as to not destroy the complex flavors that develop through the process. Some sources claim that the beans may be regurgitated instead of defecated.
In early days, the beans would be collected in the wild from a "latrine," or a specific place where the civet would defecate as a means to mark its territory, and these latrines would be a predictable place for local gatherers to find the beans. More commonly today, captured civets are fed raw berries, the feces produced are then processed and the coffee beans offered for sale.
Economics
Kopi Luwak is the most expensive coffee in the world, selling for between $120 and $600 USD per pound, and is sold mainly in Japan and the United States. It is increasingly becoming available elsewhere, though supplies are limited; only 1,000 pounds (450 kg) at most make it into the world market each year. One small cafe, the Heritage Tea Rooms, in the hills outside Townsville in Queensland, Australia, has Kopi Luwak coffee on the menu at A$50.00 (=US$33.00) per cup, selling approximately four cups a week, which has gained nationwide Australian press.[2] In April 2008, the brasserie of Peter Jones department store in London's Sloane Square started selling a blend of Kopi Luwak peanut and Blue Mountain called Caffe Raro for £50 (=US$99.00) a cup.
A popular and intuitive hypothesis to justify this coffee's reputation proposes that the beans are of superior quality before they are even ingested.[citation needed] At any given point during a harvest, some coffee berries are not quite ripe or overripe, while others are just right. The palm civet evolved as an omnivore that naturally eats fruit and passes undigested material as a natural link to disperse seeds in a forest ecosystem. Where coffee plants have been introduced into their habitat, civets only forage on the most ripe berries, digest the fleshy outer layer, and later excrete the seeds eventually used for human consumption. Thus, when the fruit is at its peak, the seeds (or beans) within are equally so, with the expectation that this will come through in the taste of a freshly brewed cup. As this may be true for the beans derived from wild-collected civet feces, farm-raised civets are likely fed beans of varying quality and ripeness, so one would expect the taste of farm-raised beans to be less.
Further research by Dr. Massimo Marcone at the University of Guelph (CA) has shown that the digestive juices of the civet actually penetrate the beans and change the proteins, resulting in their unique flavor.
Thank you for your interest in these unique coffee beens, Josh Schrock www.sonocoffeebeans.com (read more)
09. Fresh Roasted Coffee Beans
The Importance of Coffee Bean Storage
Coffee beans are part of a living plant, and just like a living plant they have a limited shelf life. Like most organic products, you can increase coffee beans shelf time by storing them properly. More importantly - at least to most coffee enthusiasts, proper coffee beans storage preserves the flavor of the coffee. Coffee beans contain volatile oils and chemicals that give coffee its characteristic flavor. Those oils are released by the roasting process, and decay quickly once the coffee beans have been roasted. Grinding the coffee beans quickens flavor loss expedentialy. Because of the difference in the way that those oils behave, there are different methods of coffee storage that are best for coffee beans at the different times in its life.
To get the absolute best flavor from your coffee, it should be brewed within two weeks after roasting, and immediately after grinding. In fact, coffee beans are at there peak flavor about 48 hours after being roasted. This gives the oils time to come to the surface of the coffee beans. If you buy your coffee as fresh whole roasted coffee beans, you can make a point of looking for the date that the coffee was roasted - but you’ll seldom find it (at www.sonocoffeebeans.com we only roast your coffee the day we ship it to you so when you recieve it the coffee beans are at there peak freshness).
Coffee Beans Storage
Coffee roasters frequently are asked questions about coffee storage. Should coffee beans be stored in the The freezer? Away from sunlight? In a sealed container?
The truth is that there are many myths about coffee storage, some of them repeated often enough that they’ve been percieved as truth. The truths about coffee storage may surprise you.
Truth or Fiction about Coffee Storage
What do you do with that two pounds of coffee that you just bought? If you ask that question most groups of people and usually at least one person will talk about storing your coffee in the freezer. Another will tell you to leave it in the vacuum stored bag it was bought in. A third will probably tell you to keep it in a glass container, and a fourth is sure to tell you that it really doesn’t matter at all. The truth is that each of these methods of coffee storage is the right answer - in certain conditions. Here are some tips on coffee buying and coffee storage from sono coffee and other coffee experts that will help you get a great tasting, fresh cup of coffee every time.
Coffee Buying Tips and Recommendations
The first rules of proper coffee storage have nothing to do with containers or temperatures. They have to do with how you buy your coffee.
A. If you can, buy from a local roaster who will tell you when the coffee was roasted. Then you know that you’re starting with fresh coffee.
B. Buy coffee in vacuum sealed bags or cans. Those lovely self serve coffee bean displays with a dozen different varieties of coffee beans are pretty to look at - but the bins allow air to attack the coffee beans, and you have no idea how long the beans have stood there.
C. Buy only a two week supply of coffee beans at a time if possible. After two weeks, even freshly roasted coffee will begin to lose its flavor, but will still be pretty good for 30 days.
Coffee Storage Tips and Recommendations
When considering coffee storage, keep in mind the two main enemies of fresh coffee flavor - air and moisture. Your coffee storage solutions should prevent either from getting at your coffee beans.
A. Don’t store ground coffee. Buy your whole coffee beans, and grind it when you’re ready to brew. If you do buy ground coffee for the convenience, store it at room temperature in an airtight container after it’s been opened. A ceramic canister with a vacuum seal is a good choice - but avoid clear glass. Sunlight and heat are not good for your coffee. If you store your coffee in a bag make sure it has a one way degassing valve because fresh coffee will degas and cause the bag to blow up and possible burst.
B. Store up to a one week supply of whole coffee beans in an airtight canister at room temperature. You can use those pretty ceramic canisters, but they’re really not necessary. Any canister that you can seal with an airtight seal is fine, including the can that you bought it in.
C. If you find yourself with more coffee than you’ll use in one week, you can store up to another week’s supply in the freezer - but you should take some precautions to keep the air and moisture away from it first. Here’s how to store coffee safely in your freezer:
- Put the beans in an airtight canister.
- Or - put the beans in a zippered plastic storage back. Whoosh out all the extra air, or use a straw to suck it out. Then wrap the bag in one or two layers of plastic wrap and finish up with a layer of aluminum foil.
- In either case, once you take the canister or package out of the freezer, don’t put it back in. Refreezing your coffee will only dehydrate it and hasten the flavor decay.
Experience only the finest coffee, Josh Schrock Visit Us Here
Cupping (tasting) is one of the coffee evaluating techniques used by cuppers to profile the aroma and flavor of coffee beans. To understand the differences between coffee bean growing regions, it is important to cup coffees from around the world side-by-side. Coffee cupping is also used to evaluate defective coffee beans or to create coffee bean blends.
Setting Up the Coffee Table
I prefer to set the coffee cupping table with 6 to 10 cups per coffee. These are set up in a triangular manner. At the top of this triangle you should place a small sample of the roasted coffee beans and a small sample of the green coffee beans. In the center of the table place a cup of room temperature water and an empty cup containing the coffee cupping spoons. Cover both the green coffee beans sample and roasted coffee beans sample until the cupping session is over and the coffee aroma, fragrance, and flavor profile have been written. After this time, the coffee samples should be uncovered and additional comments can be documented on appearance.
Preparing the Coffee Samples
Place 2 tablespoons of freshly roasted and freshly ground coffee in a 6 oz cup. Ideally one should use 55g of coffee per liter of water. The grind should be medium (between a French press size and a drip coffee size). The coffee should be roasted light. Roast about 30 seconds into the first crack long before the start of the second crack. This allows you to completely evaluate the coffee for defects, sweetness and aroma that are burned off at darker roasts. The roast should be similar for all coffee beans being cupped. During each coffee cupping the roasts should be similar, this can be verified visually by grinding a portion of each coffee beans sample and lining the ground coffee bean samples up next to each other on a black sheet of paper.
Analysis of Coffee Fragrance and Aroma
Smell the coffee grounds and write down your observations. The smell of the grounds is referred to as the fragrance.
Next add fresh hot filtered water (just off the boil) to each cup. So that the spoons stay at the same temperature as the coffee add hot water to the cup containing the spoons also. Smell each cup without disturbing it and write down your first observations of the coffee aroma.
Wait 1-2 minutes then Put your nose directly over the cup and break the crust of the coffee with one of the preheated coffee cupping spoons by pushing the coffee down . This is the most potent burst of aroma you will have during cupping and is the best time to evaluate the coffee aroma. Now stir the cup a little to make sure all of the coffee is immersed in water this will help the coffee sink to the bottom of the cup. Write down any further description of the aroma that you notice at this point.
Rinse the spoon in hot water before going to the next coffee sample. After evaluating the aroma of all of the samples, scoop out any grounds that continue to float. Most of the lightly roasted coffee grounds will sink to the bottom of the cup Due to thier high density.
Analysis of Coffee Flavor
When the coffee has cooled enough to taste, spoon up some coffee and slurp the coffee strongly to aspirate it over the entire tongue. It is important to aspirate strongly since you are trying to cover the entire tongue evenly. Aspirating strongly will also cause some coffee to be distributed into the throat and nasal passage. The nose is another powerful tasting tool. Most of the flavor observed in a coffee is a result of aromatic compounds present in the coffee. This can be experienced by plugging your nose while drinking coffee. While your nose is blocked, the coffee will likely taste similar to instant coffee due to its lack of aroma. When the nasal passage is opened, a full rainbow of flavors will immediately become evident.
After every time you taste each coffee, document your observations of coffee taste, acidity, aftertaste, and body. Move to the next cup and try to compare the different cups. As the coffee in each cup cools, it is often possible to detect new flavors. Therefore, it is important to cup a coffee when it is both warm and when it has cooled to just above room temperature. The best coffees will have positive characteristics at both ranges of temperature.
If you're cupping more than two or three coffees, it is recommended you spit out the coffee after observing it. When cupping several coffees it's possible to get too much caffeine, which can adversely alter your ability to properly taste the coffee.
Conclusions of Coffee Cupping
One of the keys to cupping coffee is practice and humility. Some of the best cuppers I know are modest and always want to learn more. Even some of the best cuppers in the world do not always agree. The beauty is that they agree to disagree while respecting and trying to identify the characteristics that other people find.
Do not be intimidated by people that try to impress you with some abstract description of a coffee. This is more of a romantic tribute to a coffee rather than a reality. Cupping coffee should be fun and interesting, but not a contest of who is more articulate. However, your evaluation should be more in depth than a reiteration of a textbook definition of a coffee.
Coffee cupping may seem strict and scientific, but the method outlined in the coffee industry is varied and most of the good coffee cuppers will follow thier own permutation. Cup under standards you are comfortable with, but try to stay close to the industry standards in case you cup with other people.
Becoming a good coffee cupper (taster) is easy if you take the time. Learn by practicing regularly and be humble enough to learn from others.
Coffee for the birds! Better Taste - Better for Your Health
The connection between your morning cup of coffee on the patio and the sweet melody of morning songbirds.
New, or conventional coffee plantations are replacing wildlife habitat at an astounding rate. The significant decline in the number of songbirds across North and South America has been widely noticed. Shade grown organic coffee bean farming is recognized as a promising alternative.
History
In the past all coffee was shade grown.
Most varieties of coffee are naturally intolerant of direct sunlight, and grow better with a canopy of shade trees. The trees not only filter sun light, they also mulch the soil with their fallen leaves which helps retain soil moisture.
The nitrogen-fixing shade trees enhance the soil, and also provide habitat for birds. The birds provide natural insect control with their constant foraging which enables this sustainable method of farming to use little or no chemical fertilizers, pesticides or herbicides.
In 1972, new hybrid varieties of coffee beans were developed to help increase production of the coffee crop. These new varieties produced significantly more coffee beans, were smaller and easier to harvest, and produced best in direct sunlight.
A big majority of growers cut their shade trees and switched to the new hybrid varieties. Out of the 6 million acres of coffee lands, 60% have been stripped of shade trees since 1972. Only the smaller farms preserved their shade trees.
Unfortunately, the new varieties of "sun" coffee came with an additional cost: the hybrids were dependent on high doses of pesticides and chemical fertilizers. Soil erosion, water runoff and soil depletion caused coffee bean growers to clear vast tracts of rain forest for new field land to plant their coffee bean crop, and it became apparent that this new method of growing coffee beans was unsustainable.
The loss of shade trees on such a large scale caused an estimated 20% decline in migratory bird populations in the last decade, due to loss of habitat.
The declined songbird population has been noted as far away as 1500 miles from the coffee growing regions.
In 1996, the movement to support shade grown coffee was sparked by the Smithsonian Institute's Migratory Bird Center, which gathered environmentalists, farmers and coffee companies to address the problem and promote awareness of shade grown coffee.
Sales of Organic, Shade Grown Coffee are Increasing
Recent sales of organically grown, shade coffee represent about 1%, or $30 million, of the U.S. market for coffee beans.
The best way to encourage organic, shade grown coffee bean farming is to buy the organic, shade grown coffee beans. Production follows demand, and many farmers are switching back to shade grown methods as consumer awareness and demand increases.
To take a virtual tour of a shade-grown coffee farm which is committed to sustainable coffee farming, Click Here
Cost and Selection
How do I know if my coffee is organic, shade grown:
Look for coffee plantations which state in their literature, or on their website, that they produce "shade-grown" coffee and use no pesticides or herbicides.
Country of origin is an indicator. Although there are exceptions, coffee produced from southern Mexico, El Salvador, Peru, Panama, Nicaragua and Guatemala are primarily shade grown. Coffee from Sumatra, Timur, New Guinea and Ethiopia are mostly shade grown. Coffees from Colombia, Brazil and Costa Rica are more likely to be "sun" coffees, but there are some shade producers from these regions.
Cost:
Shade grown coffee ranges in price from $8 - 12 per pound for roasted blends. Although more expensive than regular coffee (because less coffee beans are produced for the same amount of labor), there is far less cost to the environment.
Benefits
Taste.
As the coffee beans mature more slowly in the shade, natural sugars increase and enhance the flavor of the coffee.
Healthier.
Next to tobacco, coffee is sprayed with more chemicals than any other product consumed by humans. Shade grown coffee is most often organically grown, free of chemical use.
Promotes healthy environment.
Shade grown coffee requires little or no chemical fertilizers, pesticides or herbicides. The shade trees filter carbon dioxide which causes global warming, and aid in soil moisture retention which minimizes erosion.
Provides bird friendly habitat and greater biodiversity.
Migrating bird populations have been in rapid decent since the introduction of "sun" coffee and the consequent destruction of rain forest for more coffee bean plantations. As many as 150 species of birds have been identified on shade coffee farms.
Helps sustain rain forests.
Coffee plantations which are chemically dependent suffer from soil depletion and increased erosion.
Rain forest is stripped to provide more field land.
Most shade coffee farms are organic and sustainable.
Reverses the trend to chemicals.
Shade coffee farms traditionally use little or no chemical fertilizer. If they are also organic there is no chemical fertilizers, pesticides or herbicides used.
To learn more or to purchase organic, shade grown, fair trade coffee beans visit www.sonocoffeebeans.com or Click Here
Sono Coffee owners and Coffee Aficionados Jeremiah & Kasandra Reynolds and Josh & Sarah Schrock thank you for your support to organic, shade grown coffee bean farmers.
Original article can be found at
http://www.eartheasy.com/eat_shadegrown_coffee.htm
Every year coffee is harvested in the dry season when the red coffee cherries are bright, glossy, and firm.
How Coffee Beans are Harvested
Ripe red coffee cherries are harvested by hand, stripped from the trees with both unripe and overripe beans, or all the coffee beans are gathered using a harvesting machine. These procedures are called selective picking, stripping, and mechanical harvesting. To maximize the amount of ripe coffee harvested, it is necessary to selectively pick the ripe coffee beans from the tree by hand and leave behind unripe, green beans to be harvested at a later time.
There are some books that will give you more info. on coffee beans harvesting and equipment.
I will recommend some in a blog at a later date.
Brazil's Procedures to Harvest Coffee Beans
Harvesting the same coffee tree several times is less cost effective than separating and discarding the unripe or overripe cherries. Therefore, Brazil typically harvests using the stripping method when 75% of the coffee crop is perfectly ripe. Stripping is cost effective in Brazil due to the uniform maturation of Brazilian coffees. When harvested by stripping, the coffee beans are removed from the tree and fall to the ground where they are caught by sheets. The coffee beans are separated from unwanted debris by tossing the coffee beans in the air allowing the wind to carry away sticks and leaves. The coffee is then put in 60 L baskets, which is the tool of measurement used by coffee producers to determine wages. Some coffee estates, such as Fazenda Monte Alegre in Sul de Minas Brazil, have a computerized system to determine wages for harvesting coffee beans. This system accounts for the amount of coffee collected from each person, the difficulty of the coffee harvesting conditions, and the production of the region being harvested.
The Weight of Coffee Beans
About 12-20 kg of export ready coffee beans will be produced from every 100 kg of coffee cherries harvested.
For information about fresh roasted coffee beans, click here.
Cupping is how coffee tasters evaluate a coffee's characteristics. If you really want to learn more about the different traits of coffees, here is how to learn.
Just the fact that you are willing to learn means you’re well on your way to becoming a true coffee aficionado! So let’s get started.
First, you will need the following:
A variety of fresh, whole coffee beans. You can find these by clicking here.
Grinder(we highly recommend a burr grinder)
Tea kettle for near boiling water
Tablespoon
Porcelain cups (8 oz.) for each coffee
Silver cuppers spoon (not necessary but more precise)
A cup (for spitting the coffee out)
Aroma is a major component of taste, do your cupping where there are no strong, perfume-like smells in the air.
Here are the procedures for cupping :
1. Grind each different coffee beans to a medium-course ground similar to course sand or raw sugar. Do not grind coffee too fine or it will become over-extracted and taste bitter.
2. Fill cup with 2 heaping tablespoons of the ground coffee.
3. Add 6 oz. of nearly boiling water (about 200 degrees)
4. Steep for 2-3 minutes. The coffee should form a crust or “cap” on top of the water. While steeping, check the coffee for any sour smells. Sour smells are bad and could indicate old or rancid coffee.
5. Gently break the crust with your spoon by pushing the grounds back exposing the water. You should notice a fine-celled foam. If there is no foam, the coffee may not be fresh. Again smell the coffee because much of the fragrance is trapped under this crust. Pay extra attention to the fragrance because it is so important to the taste. As you continue to break the crust, the grounds will sink to the bottom of the cup.
6. Fill your spoon with the brewed coffee avoiding the floating grounds.
7. Slurp the coffee into your mouth with some force. This will mix air with the coffee and disperse it evenly throughout your mouth.
8. Swirl the coffee around your mouth to get a good feel for the overall flavor.
9. Spit the coffee out and rinse mouth with water before tasting another.
While you are tasting the coffee, here are the major characteristics you should be paying attention to:
Acidity - The sensation of dryness in the back and under the edges of your mouth. This is a desirable quality and not to be confused with sour (which is considered a bad quality of coffee). Acidity creates a lively, bright taste which without it, the coffee would taste flat.
Aroma – Without aroma, we could only taste sweet, sour, bitter and salty. This is where we get the subtle differences such as floral, nutty or fruity.
Body – The way the coffee feels in your mouth, its viscosity or heaviness. The best way to describe it is the comparison to how whole milk feels in your mouth compared to water. If you are unsure as to the level of body in the different coffees, add an equal amount of milk to each one and the one with the heavier body will retain more of its flavor when diluted.
Flavor – This is the overall perception of the three characteristics above. Flavor can be rich (full bodied), complex (multi-flavored), or balanced (no one characteristic over powers the other.
Here are some terms used to describe DESIRABLE flavor qualities:
Bright or dry – highly acidic leaving a dry aftertaste
Caramelly – caramel like or syrupy
Chocolaty – aftertaste similar to unsweetened chocolate or vanilla
Earthy – a soily-like quality (sometimes unfavorable)
Fragrant – an aroma ranging from floral to nutty to spicy, etc.
Fruity – having a citrus or berry scent
Mellow – a smooth taste lacking acidity but not flat
Nutty – similar to roasted nuts
Spicy – an exotic aroma of various spices
Sweet – a lack of harshness
Wild – a gamey flavor rarely, but sometimes considered favorable
Winy – aftertaste resembling a mature wine
Here are some terms used to describe UNDESIRABLE flavor qualities:
Bitter – aftertaste perceived on the back of the tongue
Bland – neutral in flavor
Carbony – burnt charcoal flavors
Earthy – a musty, soily-like quality
Flat – lacking aroma, acidity, and aftertaste
Grassy – aroma and taste of grass
Harsh – a caustic, raspy quality
Muddy – thick and flat
Musty – slightly stuffy smell (sometimes desirable in aged coffees)
Rubbery – a smell of burnt rubber
Sour – a tart flavor such as unripe fruit
Turpeny – a flavor resembling turpentine
Watery – a lack of body
Wild – a gamey flavor
Tasting the different coffee bean roasts
As coffee beans are roasted, they go from a sharper, more acidic taste, to a smoother more full bodied taste, and finally to a full bodied, almost charred taste. Here is a breakdown of the typical roasts followed by the flavor characteristics.
Light Roast (Light brown and dry surface): a bright, acidic taste.
Medium or Regular Roast (Milk chocolate brown with a dry surface): acidic and bright.
Full City or Dark Roast (Darker brown with a satin appearance): Slight bittersweet tang with less acidity.
French, Italian, or Espresso Roast (Dark chocolate with patches of oil): Very little acidity and noticeably bittersweet.
Dark French or Heavy (Almost black and very oily): Almost no acidity and very bittersweet.
We believe farmers should receive a fair price for the time and effort required to produce quality coffee beans.
Organic coffee beans is coffee grown without the use of pesticides, herbicides or artificial fertilizers. Choosing organic coffee beans frees farmers from working with harmful chemicals, and protects fragile mountain ecosystems and water supplies.
The issue of fair trade coffee is a little more complex.
Fair Trade Coffee and Social Conscience
Fair trade is about paying farmers a fair price for their labor.
There are two reasons to consider organic coffee in the context of fair trade.
A. Coffee is the most traded commodity on the planet, second only to oil. This means that its price is determined in significant part by traders on Wall Street and other large trading centers. The farmers themselves have no control over the price they need, or can ask for.
Even though you and I have been paying about the same price for coffee over the last few years, the actual amount the farmers recieve has been falling most of that period.
B. Coffee plants have to be grown in sub-tropical or tropical environments. Hence, certain areas of the world dominate coffee production and output. Currently, Columbia, Brazil, Indonesia, India, Vietnam, Puerto Rico and Mexico top in coffee production. Yes, it is grown in developing countries.
In fact approximately 60% of the world's coffee is grown by small farmers, many of whom are paid less that it costs them to grow the beans.
As discomforting as it may feel, the coffee we enjoy in our homes is grown and harvested by farmers in the South who are often caught in a cycle of poverty, debt and desperation.
This is where Fair Trade comes in...
To become Fair Trade certified, an importer must meet a number of strict international standards.
They must pay a minimum price per pound of $1.26 and provide credit to farmers. And if the fair trade coffee is grown organically, the amount paid increases to $1.41.
In addition, they are obliged to provide helpful assistance, such as helping farmers switch to sustainable farming practices.
It’s worth contemplating. When you buy organic fair trade coffee you are actively suporting and contributing to the betterment of a person's life, and to thier family and the community they live in.
At Sono Coffee we fully support buying organic fair trade coffee beans, and believe it's worth paying a little more to ensure that each cup of coffee we drink is doing good for our bodies and the farmers who grow it.
Looking for organic and fair trade coffees, try our fair trade organic Nicuragua Coffee beans or one of our other F.T.O. coffee beans selections at Sono Coffee. Jeremiah & Kassandra Reynolds and Josh & Sarah Schrock
The difference between light and dark roasted coffee beans is simple. To achieve a dark roast the coffee beans are left in the roaster longer and taken out just after second crack. To achieve a light roast the coffee beans are taken out of the roaster just before or just after the first crack. Light roast coffee will have more character of the area from where they where grown while dark roast will mask some of the original flavor and have less brightness. The roast of coffee has nothing to do with the strength and actually light roasted coffee beans have more caffeine because the roasting process removes some caffeine.
Not all coffee beans are created equal. Therefore at Sono Coffee every unique batch of coffee beans are custom roasted. Coffee roasting is not a science it is more of an art. We at Sono Coffee dedicate ourselves in the Art of Coffee. We are pleased to offer artistic blends and meticulously roasted origin coffees. The taste difference between light/dark roast is personal preference. Thank you all, Josh Schrock - Coffee Aficianado. www.sonocoffeebeans.com
03. Fresh Roasted Coffee Beans - Five Different Roasts
Fresh Roasted Coffee Beans - Five Unique Colors
There are several different roasted coffee bean types. The color simply denotes the degree to which the coffee beans have been roasted. Roasting begins with green coffee beans, or in other words un-roasted coffee beans, when roasted the coffee beans eventually turn, first into yellow and then on to various shades of brown. During the initial stages of roasting, the beans tend to stay dry, then when roasted darker they develop an oily shine on their surface.
Lighter roasted coffee beans tend to retain more of their original flavor. By original flavor, I am talking about the distinctive taste of a coffee bean which is largely affected by the quality of the weather and soil where the coffee bean was grown. Darker roasted beans retain less of their original flavor, due to the roasting process.
Light roasted coffee beans are characterized by a flavor that is light-bodied and with more acidity. They have less roast flavor. This is the preferred type of bean by American commercial roasted coffee bean producers. This type of roasted coffee bean is also characterized by the stage in roasting referred to as first crack. The bean is removed from the roaster when it has increased in size and has cracked. New England, half city and cinnamon roast are some examples of this type of coffee bean roast.
Medium roasted coffee beans are preferred by specialty coffee shops in the United States. In terms of flavor they are sweeter, and they show a greater and more balanced aroma, and complexity of taste than light roasted coffee beans. Examples of medium roasted coffee beans are full city, breakfast, regular, American, and brown.
Dark roast coffee beans are coffee beans that have reached that point in roasting called second crack. By this time, the bean cracks once more, and the coffee beans start to show oils an the surface. The flavor of dark roast coffee beans show less complexity of taste. However, there is a notably increased roast flavor and aroma, with a heavier body. Examples of dark roast coffee are full, espresso, Italian and High.
Double roast coffee beans are made with even longer roasting of the coffee beans, to the point of the beans starting to smoke. At this time the sugars of the bean have begun to carbonize, and you will notice the surface to be oily. In terms of flavor, it is quite bitter and smoky, retaining much less of the original flavor of the coffee beans. It also has a charcoal aroma. An example of such is French roast.
Coffee beans will show you to what level they need be roasted, just you pay attention. When roasting coffee beans notice the beans consistently getting darker, up to a certain point. Then they will hold that color for awhile. To get the coffee beans darker you have to force them by turning up the heat on the roaster or roasting them longer than normal. www.sonocoffeebeans.com Josh Schrock
The Secret behind the Coffee Shop's Gourmet Coffee
Just like a connoisseur of fine wine will quickly distinguish between different types of wines, a coffee aficionado can also differentiate between several types of coffee and can amaze you with their instant decision about the coffee beans origin. It all depends on their ability to recognize the distinctive character of different varieties of coffee beans. This article quickly explains the important role of coffee beans in rendering distinct color, texture and aroma to your cup of coffee.
Have you noticed the taste of franchise coffee shops coffee greatly differs from that of your local coffee shop? Next time when you visit a serious coffee shop, just take notice of the range of coffee beans in display there and you will know the answer - it is the different kinds of coffee beans that are freshly roasted on a daily basis in the coffee shops that make for the distinguished taste and aroma of the beverage that you have come to enjoy in different coffee shops.
It is the coffee beans that shape up your drink the way you like it
It is the working of different quality coffee beans that help coffee shops serve up the coffee you adore most.
But the matter does not end with the places where the coffee beans are roasted, but the quality also depends on where the coffee beans are grown.
In fact, the taste of your drink can even be influenced by each single-origin bean that comes with its unique tenets which in turn are conditioned by the farm where it was grown.
What are coffee beans?
A coffee plant will generally take three to four years to mature fully; it is the time when the plants bear clusters of fruits of deep red color.
These red fruits called coffee cherries contain two stones like pits with their flat sides together - these are the coffee beans. They are actually seeds of the coffee plant.
Endosperm is the main substance making coffee beans. Endosperm on the other hand contains 0.8 - 2.5 % caffeine.
You can find endless types of coffee beans
After researching and learning you can now sip the caffeinated drink and know the diference between the diverse species that go by the general term of coffee. Taste of the coffee differs with the coffee beans and the characteristics of the coffee beans differ with the different species of coffee plants they grow from.
Different types of coffee plants include Arabica, Benghalensis, Canephora, Congensis, Excelsa, Gallienii, Bonnieri, Mogeneti, Liberica, and Coffea stenophylla. Arabica varieties are believed to produce the highest quality beans.
The long process between the coffee fruits and the drink.
The seeds or coffee beans are extracted from the fruit through a forced manual process. The coffee beans, fter being removed from the fuit are first soaked in cool water and then are dried in the open sun.
Coffee aficionados often insist on buying green coffee beans and roasting them at home for the freshest experience. Today most of the manufacturers possess appropriate equipment for roasting the coffee beans and sell coffee as roasted whole coffee beans.
The invigorating taste you experience with every sip of your coffee is actually the combination of factors such as aroma, acidity, body and flavor. The stronger and more aromatic the drink, the more it is appreciated by the connoisseurs. If you want to enjoy your cup like a true enthusiast then do some homework and make sure of the coffee beans you are using. Source of FINE coffee beans
Other factors of coffee taste include the grind of the coffee beans and the method or coffee maker used to extract the coffee from the coffee beans.
www.sonocoffeebeans.com always fresh roasted and of the highest quality. Josh Schrock and Jeremiah Reynolds - coffee aficionados
Scientists at the University of Reno, Nevada researching the prospect of extracting oil from coffee grounds that have already been used report that the process is not very difficult. The in-expensive and environmentally friendly biofuel from ground coffee beans is plentiful enough to potentially manufacture several hundred million gallons a year to power vehicles.
The idea was formed by accident says the chief researcher. “I had left my coffee out one night, and the next morning, I noticed that there was a kind of oil around the edge of the cup,” Mano Misra, a professor of engineering said. “Every cup of coffee has it. I decided to do some tests on the oil.”
The analysis proved that the grounds contained roughly 10 to 15 percent oil by weight. The researchers then extracted the oil with standard chemistry techniques and converted it to biodiesel.
For the study, the team collected leftover grounds of espressos, cappuccinos and other coffee preparations from the Starbucks coffee chain.
Being that the process is not particularly energy intensive, the researchers estimated that biodiesel could be produced for about a dollar a gallon.
According to the Department of Agriculture, the world’s coffee production is more than 7.2 million tons per year.
The study was first reported near the end of last year in The Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.
The resulting coffee-based fuel –which smells like java– is more stable than traditional biodiesel due to coffee’s high antioxidant content, according to the researchers.
“We have found that biodiesel created from spent coffee bean grounds is stable over a longer period of time than other forms of biodiesel that have been created from feed stocks such as soy and corn,” Misra said. “Biodiesel from spent coffee bean grounds is a low-cost ‘green’ form of fuel that shows a significant reduction of carbon dioxide emission. It’s an excellent source for biodiesel.”
One hurdle, Dr. Misra said, is in the organized collection of the spent coffee beans. Therefore, the researchers plan on setting up a pilot operation this year using waste from a local bulk roaster.
It won’t be a complete fix for reducing America’s dependence on oil, but it can be a help while at the same time providing a nice aroma for those nearby. Researchers report that the exhaust actually smells like coffee.
“It won’t solve the world’s energy problem,” Dr. Misra said of his work. “But our objective is to take waste material and convert it to fuel.”
Our opinion is that every little bit helps. We found this idea interesting and give it a thumbs up.
www.sonocoffeebeans.com
Josh Schrock
A message from... Cindy McAsey-Marketing Strategies Coach
Welcome Sono Coffee Beans to our Veretekk SEO team!
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Personally I have been teaching and training folks online how to use Veretekk to grow their business for several years. Once per week in my state of the art web conferencing room, I host advanced training sessions on marketing strategies using Veretekk. If you start with the affiliate system, you will have the advantage of learning from someone who can guide you through the Veretekk marketing mass step by step. Learn advanced marketing strategies that will empower you to success online.
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• Promote energy, stamina, and improved mood • Keep your memory sharp • Provide focus to help you concentrate and stay on task • Reduce the risk of age-related brain and heart diseases, including Alzheimer’s
“Sublingual” means “under the tongue.”
You simply place a Sublingual B-12, B-6 & Folic Acid tablet under your tongue and allow it to dissolve completely to speed these essential B vitamins directly into your bloodstream!
Regular oral B-12 tablets have to take a long trip through your complex digestive system before being absorbed by your body. And, your ability to absorb B vitaminsfrom food and regular oral pills decreases as you age.
Your body needs this vitamin, in combination with other B vitamins, to maintain a healthy nervous system, maintain energy levels and production of good DNA. All are very important processes to your everyday existence.
TheThe number one symptom for Vitamin B12 deficiency
The number one symptom for Vitamin B12 deficiency is feeling tired and lethargic. The B-Complex vitamins play an important role in carbohydrate digestion and energy production. Without all of the proper components this system can breakdown and cause these symptoms. If left without diagnosis or treatment, B12 deficiency can lead to a serious medical condition, Pernicious Anemia.
The symptoms of B12 deficiency include; shortness of breath, fatigue, rapid heart rate, loss of appetite, diarrhea, tingling and numbness of hands and feet, sore mouth, unsteady gait especially in the dark, tongue problems, impaired smell and bleeding gums.
This condition is easily fixed by adding B12 rich foods to your diet or taking vitamin supplements. In most cases, Vitamin B12 should be taken in conjunction with a Folic Acid supplement and a B-Complex vitamin.
There has been a significant increase in Vitamin B12 deficiency
Because of changing diets, and highly processed food, there has been a significant increase in Vitamin B12 deficiency. Vitamin B12 is found in red meat, eggs, dairy and fish. There are no known sources of Vitamin B12 in vegetables. At one time it was quite common to feast on organ meat, but you would be hard press to find a fast food restaurant serving steak and kidney pie or liver and onions! The modern diets have led to a decline in nutritionally balanced diets.
The highest sources of B12can be found in mollusks/clams (85 micrograms per 3oz portion) and beef liver (47 micrograms per 3oz portion). Over cooking can lead to the breakdown of thevitamins. If those are not to you your liking then salmon, trout and beef are moderate sources with about 5 micrograms per 3 oz portion. Over cooking these foods can significantly reduce the quantity and quality of nutrients.
Sonoran Bloom Nopalea is the name of a new health
and wellness product line launched in March/09 by a well established Arizona Pharmaceutical Company after 2 years of clinical studies and
over 80 different scientific tests. Quite simply, Sonoran Bloom works to fight
inflammation with its revolutionary new product called Nopalea.
Your body’s every day threats of
inflammation
Your body is constantly being threatened every day by toxins, pollutants, bacteria, viruses
and chemicals into your body from the air you breathe, the water you drink, the foods you eat and even the things you touch. Furthermore,
your body’s health is also undermined by emotional stress, nutritionally deficient diets, metabolic wastes and physical injuries and
trauma and numerous other health issues that can cause inflammation.
How your body responds to
infectious health problems
When your body is subjected to
threatening elements or events, it counters these attacks with your body’s defense mechanism called “inflammation”.
Inflammation is characterized by increased blood supply. It is the basic way in which the
body reacts to infection, irritation or other injury, the key feature being redness, warmth, swelling and pain.Inflammation is now recognized as a type of nonspecific immune response.
Inflammation is the root of many
chronic diseases that people have been suffering from many, many years.Inflammation
is the body's immune reaction to presumed foreign substances like germs.Inflammation
doesn’t just happen in your muscles and joints. It also happens everywhere else throughout your body, wherever your cells are
being stressed or attacked.
Inflammation can be very
dangerous
Right now, as you read this, you could be suffering from any of these examples of
inflammation and their related health problems:
Muscle, joint and bone inflammation – causing ongoing body pain
Pulmonary inflammation – causing allergies and asthmatic
reactions
Arterial inflammation – causing high blood pressure
Digestive tract inflammation – causing ulcers and IBS
Widespread body cell inflammation – causing overall
tiredness
Nopalea – Fights
inflammation
Nopalea is your premier wellness partner in your body’s
never-ending, daily battle for good health. Working in two vital ways, Nopalea helps to:
Neutralize your
body’s inner toxins, and
Reduces inflammation.
Together this means your body gets the great relief it needs today and which helps
protect it from contracting debilitating illnesses in the future.It is the new healthy
solution for today's unhealthy world. Daily use of delicious Sonoran Bloom Nopalea helps the body reduce inflammation,
relieve pain, improve breathing, reduce swelling, and normalize blood pressure.Nopalea is a breakthrough wellness product that delivers results against the fight on
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Sonoran
Bloom wellness products are made from premium botanicals carefully harvested from the
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Inflammation is the
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So many astonishing benefits in a bottle! Experience
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Millions of People Worldwide Are Plagued With Allergies…Are You?
Millions of people worldwide are plagued with allergies, which are most often triggered in early spring by pollens, molds or other airborne allergens. The first step in treatment is to reduce exposure to these allergens or use medication to manage your allergy symptoms.
Americans spend nearly $5 billion annually on medications and health care consultations to treat their allergy symptoms according to the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology.
Get Tested – Find Out What Your Allergies Are: Before you know what allergens to avoid, you first have to know if you are allergic and what your specific allergies are. Physicians can determine what you're allergic to by reviewing your personal and medical history and by doing a physical exam. In some cases a skin patch or blood test may be used to confirm suspected allergens.
Reduce Exposure: Initially, you should reduce your exposure to specific allergens that you are allergic to. If that's not possible, managing symptoms through medication is often next.
Create An Allergen Free Environment: Use an air conditioner whenever possible, reduce dust mites in your home by frequently vacuuming the entire home and by using hypoallergenic products. When planning a trip outdoors, check pollen counts before going out. If they're high, stay inside or consider wearing some type of allergen protection mask when outdoors.
Obtain Medical Advice – Prescriptions: Antihistamines reduce symptoms and work best if taken before exposure to allergens. Decongestants should only be used for a short time as they can worsen the condition. Nasal sprays, known as inhaled steroids, are another option.
OTC Options: Doctors may recommend over-the-counter (OTC) medications as a first-line treatment. Those that include diphenhydramine have been an allergy staple for years but can cause drowsiness. Newer non-sedating antihistamines, such as Claritin, are now available without a prescription. OTC’s are usually far less expensive than prescription drugs and may be covered under pretax health care accounts. Be sure to check with your pharmacist and doctor to see if there are any new medications on the market that are better than those mentioned here.
Generic Options: They can be as effective as brand-name medications and cost 30 to 80 percent less. Popular allergy medications Allegra and Flonase are now available as generics-fexofenadine and fluticasone. According to a recent Medco analysis, 80 percent of all Allegra prescriptions were filled with a generic at retail pharmacies within 30 days of its introduction.
If you suffer from an allergy, it is critical that you seek the advice of a medical professional and not rely on a self-diagnosis or the advice of a well wishing friend. You need to have a serious discuss with your doctor to determine if in fact you do have an allergy and if so, what the allergens are that cause your specific allergy symmptons.
With the right knowledge and treatments, you can better manage your allergy symptoms (i.e. watery eyes, a runny nose and etc) and improve your overall health and quality of life.
Allergy Symptoms are a common problem for an increasing number of people. Allergies are not curable but can be managed effectively to ensure better living.
Allergy symptoms alert affected individuals of pending health problems.
These days of increasing pollution levels mean that more and more people are becoming victims of a variety of allergens, which are the various substances that cause allergy symptoms leading to potentially serious allergic reactions.
Allergy Symptoms:
We say we have allergies when we experience a certain set of symptoms (watery eyes, runny nose, scratchy throat, etc.) in response to a trigger such as pollen or dust. These allergy symptoms can be reactions to anything from a certain type of food coloring to pet dander or even a certain chemical that is present in seafood. There are also more and more children being born with allergies, so there is an all-over rise in the incidence of allergies.
One of the most common allergies is stated as being allergic to “dust”, this is however a misconception. There are very few people who are actually allergic to dust, but there are a very large portion of people who are allergic to dust mites and their excretions. These dust mites are commonly found in household dust, pet dander and feathers.
There are very few people that can create an environment that is completely free of these allergens without going to massive expense. There are however products available that can decrease the amount of these allergens in the immediate environment, particularly in the bed room.
Certain people have allergies while others don’t. And certain people experience asthma while others don’t.
The difference between those with allergy symptoms and other people is found in antecedents (literally “what comes before”). Antecedents may be:
Genetic (rare)
Trauma from smoke, chemical burns, etc. (more common)
Emotional distress (far more common)
Toxins from the environment that permeate our air, water and food (the most common antecedent for allergies, and asthma)
Allergy Symptom Triggers:
Triggers are the myriad products or processes in our internal and external environment that create allergy symptoms. For one person, wheat triggers symptoms. For another person cat dander triggers symptoms. Almost everyone reacts to ragweed!
Your symptom triggers are unique because of the way your personal, internal chemistry interacts with the antecedents that come before allergies.
Inflammation
Inflammation is the final reaction in this chain. The symptoms we experience are all related to inflammation. Examples of inflammatory mediators are histamines, prostaglandins and leukotrienes. These are strange and difficult words that are all too familiar to people that suffer from allergies and asthma. Other newly developed over the counter products are now becoming available to help reduce the stress of allergies on the body and provide long term relief.
Given the impact that allergies and allergy symptoms can have on a person’s life, there are a variety of devices and new products available that can help to decrease the advent of certain allergens in a specific environment. This has helped make the lives of many people who have severe allergies a lot easier and raised their quality of life.
There are, however, no known methods of curing allergies and therefore the best preventative measure that can be taken is to create an environment where the occurrence of the allergens is greatly reduced. Treating inflammation is also a good way to reduce the pain and suffering of allergic symptoms.
The severity of the allergy also has a bearing on what measures must be taken to ensure that there are no allergens present in a given environment. For example, if the allergen is contained in food then especially stringent measures must be taken to ensure that none is mixed with other food, since the worst type of allergy reactions tend to be when somebody swallows something that contains the allergen.
Anaphylactic shock
The worst allergic reaction is when a person goes into anaphylactic shock, which can lead to death if not treated in time. Even if the allergy is not as severe as that, there is still the everyday discomfort that will lower the quality of life for anyone who has to live with this health problem.
The type and severity of the allergy will be the determining steps when deciding what steps need to be taken to ensure that person suffering from the allergy is kept out of harms way. The simplest step is to avoid the source of the allergens, but in some cases this may well be impossible. Implementing a self wellness program is another preventative measure.
There are products available that can decrease the occurrence of allergens that commonly occur in the home. These can help to return the standard of living for those with mild allergies to that of those who do not suffer from allergies. These products can also help those who suffer from severe allergies, but are unlikely to completely eliminate the source of the allergy, depending on what exactly the source is.
Consult with your Doctor or Medical Professional
Anyone suffering from allergies or any other health issues is hereby cautioned to always seek advice from your Doctor or Medical Professional before relying on the advice of any non-medical personnel, such as the writer of this article, regarding preventative measures and/or products for use on all of your health problems.
P.S. In conclusion, it is common knowledge that for temporary relief, you may want to keep a constant supply of anti-histamines and other reliable new products on hand to help to stop the further aggravation of the allergic symptoms.
• Promote energy, stamina, and improved mood • Keep your memory sharp • Provide focus to help you concentrate and stay on task • Reduce the risk of age-related brain and heart diseases, including Alzheimer’s
“Sublingual” means “under the tongue.”
You simply place a Sublingual B-12, B-6 & Folic Acid tablet under your tongue and allow it to dissolve completely to speed these essential B vitamins directly into your bloodstream!
Regular oral B-12 tablets have to take a long trip through your complex digestive system before being absorbed by your body. And, your ability to absorb B vitaminsfrom food and regular oral pills decreases as you age.
Your body needs this vitamin, in combination with other B vitamins, to maintain a healthy nervous system, maintain energy levels and production of good DNA. All are very important processes to your everyday existence.
TheThe number one symptom for Vitamin B12 deficiency
The number one symptom for Vitamin B12 deficiency is feeling tired and lethargic. The B-Complex vitamins play an important role in carbohydrate digestion and energy production. Without all of the proper components this system can breakdown and cause these symptoms. If left without diagnosis or treatment, B12 deficiency can lead to a serious medical condition, Pernicious Anemia.
The symptoms of B12 deficiency include; shortness of breath, fatigue, rapid heart rate, loss of appetite, diarrhea, tingling and numbness of hands and feet, sore mouth, unsteady gait especially in the dark, tongue problems, impaired smell and bleeding gums.
This condition is easily fixed by adding B12 rich foods to your diet or taking vitamin supplements. In most cases, Vitamin B12 should be taken in conjunction with a Folic Acid supplement and a B-Complex vitamin.
There has been a significant increase in Vitamin B12 deficiency
Because of changing diets, and highly processed food, there has been a significant increase in Vitamin B12 deficiency. Vitamin B12 is found in red meat, eggs, dairy and fish. There are no known sources of Vitamin B12 in vegetables. At one time it was quite common to feast on organ meat, but you would be hard press to find a fast food restaurant serving steak and kidney pie or liver and onions! The modern diets have led to a decline in nutritionally balanced diets.
The highest sources of B12can be found in mollusks/clams (85 micrograms per 3oz portion) and beef liver (47 micrograms per 3oz portion). Over cooking can lead to the breakdown of thevitamins. If those are not to you your liking then salmon, trout and beef are moderate sources with about 5 micrograms per 3 oz portion. Over cooking these foods can significantly reduce the quantity and quality of nutrients.
Sonoran Bloom Nopalea is the name of a new health
and wellness product line launched in March/09 by a well established Arizona Pharmaceutical Company after 2 years of clinical studies and
over 80 different scientific tests. Quite simply, Sonoran Bloom works to fight
inflammation with its revolutionary new product called Nopalea.
Your body’s every day threats of
inflammation
Your body is constantly being threatened every day by toxins, pollutants, bacteria, viruses
and chemicals into your body from the air you breathe, the water you drink, the foods you eat and even the things you touch. Furthermore,
your body’s health is also undermined by emotional stress, nutritionally deficient diets, metabolic wastes and physical injuries and
trauma and numerous other health issues that can cause inflammation.
How your body responds to
infectious health problems
When your body is subjected to
threatening elements or events, it counters these attacks with your body’s defense mechanism called “inflammation”.
Inflammation is characterized by increased blood supply. It is the basic way in which the
body reacts to infection, irritation or other injury, the key feature being redness, warmth, swelling and pain.Inflammation is now recognized as a type of nonspecific immune response.
Inflammation is the root of many
chronic diseases that people have been suffering from many, many years.Inflammation
is the body's immune reaction to presumed foreign substances like germs.Inflammation
doesn’t just happen in your muscles and joints. It also happens everywhere else throughout your body, wherever your cells are
being stressed or attacked.
Inflammation can be very
dangerous
Right now, as you read this, you could be suffering from any of these examples of
inflammation and their related health problems:
Muscle, joint and bone inflammation – causing ongoing body pain
Pulmonary inflammation – causing allergies and asthmatic
reactions
Arterial inflammation – causing high blood pressure
Digestive tract inflammation – causing ulcers and IBS
Widespread body cell inflammation – causing overall
tiredness
Nopalea – Fights
inflammation
Nopalea is your premier wellness partner in your body’s
never-ending, daily battle for good health. Working in two vital ways, Nopalea helps to:
Neutralize your
body’s inner toxins, and
Reduces inflammation.
Together this means your body gets the great relief it needs today and which helps
protect it from contracting debilitating illnesses in the future.It is the new healthy
solution for today's unhealthy world. Daily use of delicious Sonoran Bloom Nopalea helps the body reduce inflammation,
relieve pain, improve breathing, reduce swelling, and normalize blood pressure.Nopalea is a breakthrough wellness product that delivers results against the fight on
inflammation.
Sonoran
Bloom wellness products are made from premium botanicals carefully harvested from the
Sonoran
Desert . Nopalea is derived from the Nopal
Cactus which blends the antioxidant-rich Nopal Cactus super fruit with naturally sweet Agave nectar to bring you a deliciously unique
concentrated wellness drink that has demonstrated pain reliefbenefits to
individuals suffering from the affects of inflammation of the body.
Inflammation is the
Problem, Nopalea is the Wellness
Solution
So many astonishing benefits in a bottle! Experience
Nopalea, the delicious drink that can help your body:
Relieve all types of pain
Normalize blood pressure
Improve breathing difficulties caused by allergies or asthma
Support cardiovascular health
Energize your life
Nopalea – the new health solution for today’s unhealthy
world.
Learn more about the World's First Energy Think Drink 
In order for athletes to compete in sports, especially at higher levels, including the Olympic Games, substances consumed by the athlete must not contain performance-enhancing substances. If you are a serious athlete you are most likely familiar with the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). WADA is the international independent organization created in 1999 to promote, coordinate and monitor the fight against doping (using banned performance-enhancing drugs and steroids) in sport in all its forms. 
