Cider for me is the best alcoholic beverage, from when I was sipping a shared bottle of white lightning in the local park (we’ve all done it) to enjoying a cold one at the pub during the summer months it always has had the same refreshing, relaxing and rejuvenating effect. My appreciation of this beverage has lasted year after year, so this article will hope to enlighten you just a bit more on what is cider, how cider is produced, and what is is the best cider. I hope it’s useful.

Cider is a renowned drink throughout the United Kingdom and Ireland; it comes in a range of forms from the traditional dry cider to the sweet cider, which allows it to be enjoyed by a whole range of individuals.

Most apples grown are suitable for cider making, though in a region like Kent cider-makers prefer to use a mixture of eating and cider apples or just cider apples if you are in the West Country.

On collection of these apples they are immediately grounded down in to what is known as a pomace or pommage. This process back in the day would of been undertaken at cider mills by hand or using either water or horse power. These days most cider presses are electrical, with the whole process looking to ensure the pomace is only exposed to air for a limited amount of time.

After this the all important fermentation process takes place, this is done at a temperature of 4-16 degrees C, which is low for most fermentations but is beneficial to cider at this temperature. Before the fermentation process consumes all the sugar, the cider is moved to a new vat, leaving dead yeast cells and any other undesirable materials at the bottom of the old vat.

Finally the last stage of fermentation creates a small amount of carbonation, which can be enhanced by adding some extra sugar. After a three month fermentation period the cider is ready to drink, but it is commonplace to leave it in vats for up to two years.

They are then removed from the vats and bottled. In some larger-scale cider production they have ciders produced from different varieties of apple, which in this case the cider may be blended to accord with market taste. When the cider is bottled usually some extra sugar is added for sparkle. Cider bottles are normally used but some home brewers use beer bottles, which work well and are inexpensive.

The West- Country is known as a leading cider producing region and one of the best (in my opinion). The majority of ciders in this part of the United Kingdom are known as Scrumpy which is a local term for small or withered apple. They are over 25 Cider produces in Somerset and then following is Cornwall who is another big Cider county for the West Country.

In Cornwall there is a range of traditional ciders such as the previous mentioned Scrumpy Cider which is a strong cyder that can be bought medium dry and medium sweet at 7.4% alcohol volume.

Recently a new Cider has started becoming popular across the UK. The beverage that I speak of is the Cornish Rattler. This cider was originally only available in draught format, but after requests from numerous customers they have now bottled it. Made to be different in taste and appearance, this cloudy Cornish cyder is 6% ABV and sparkling. It was voted Best Bottled Cider at ciderfestivals.co.uk 2008. If I was to recommend you try any Cider it would be the Cornish Rattler, I feel its taste retains the original Cider taste but then adds certain delicate sweetness which is not sickly and compliments the original cider taste well.

So with Rattler now available in your local retailers I would recommend you go and check it out, if you like cider you won’t be disappointed.

Title and Author: I Dare You! by William H. Danforth

Synopsis of Content:

In this mid 20th Century motivational classic the author, a successful businessman and crusader for youth programs in St. Louis, Missouri, William Danforth dares you and any other reader to do great things and to be great. Originally published in 1953 it has been republished by several sources in recent years.

Although the book is aimed at youth and young adults challenging them to become more than they might first believe possible it has motivational value for all ages. Danforth was a strong believer that we limit ourselves and that by seizing opportunity and believing in our virtually unlimited potential we could exceed all expectations, including our own, and dare to be great.

In addition to providing raw motivational material the book discusses seven primary areas, called “dares” where the author challenges the reader to go deeper and strive further in life. They include adventure, accomplishments, strength, creativity, magnetic personality, character, and the willingness to share what you have. These qualities will be recognized as common to most success books and materials published over the past two centuries. What distinguishes Danforth’s little book is his framing his challenge as a dare.

While the attributes which Danforth promotes are found in works by Marsden, Hill and others the daring approach used by this author is unique. It appealed to the young and youthful, whether it be the high school aged children who attended his summer camps or the young men entering the business world.

Readability/Writing Quality:

The Executive Books edition is only 144 pages. It is easy to read, having been aimed at young people. It may appear somewhat naïve and simplistic by today’s standards. However the motivational truths in this work are no less true today than they were over 60 years ago.

Notes on Author:

William Danforth was the founder and long time President of the Ralston Purina Company. He also served as President of the American Youth Foundation and was very active in the YMCA. During his summers he devoted his time to training and helping less fortunate young people at summer camps in Michigan and elsewhere. He died in 1956.

Three Great Ideas You Can Use:

1. “Wealth, notoriety, place, and power are no measure of success whatever. The only true measure of success is the ration between what we might have done and what we might have been on the one hand, and the thing we have made and the thing we have mad of ourselves on the other”.

2. Each of us has four hidden giants or resources which we must develop constantly to attain greatness. These include the physical, the mental, the social and the spiritual aspects. To attain a balanced and powerful life you must nourish each of these aspects fully.

3. Continuous learning and improvement are essential to achievement. The author recommends a program of reading not less than one book per month. It will pay you back many times.

Publication Information:

I Dare You! by William H. Danforth. Copyright 2009 by Executive Books in the form presented in their publication. Published by Executive Books, Mechanicsburg, PA.

Over-all Rating for Book: Fair

In the past few years the Hollywood interest in comic book films has continued to crescendo with huge critical and financial successes such as the Spiderman, Iron Man, and Batman franchises. Aside from being overly saturated by testosterone, such hits have lined summers with blockbuster after blockbuster by sticking to a generic story telling structure of origin stories and world threatening conflict to provide enough action to coerce the adrenaline to come out and frolic. But top tier names are only so plentiful, so the surge in comic book popularity led to various graphic novels getting translations to the silver screen in the form of Watchmen, Sin City, and most recently Kick-Ass. These films focus heavily on action, but the visual flourishes in these films are much more prominent and distinctly separate them form the larger hyped films. So when a director whose claim to fame is his astounding ability to deftly blend genres tackles a film that asks him to combine the entertainment of high action sequences with the charm of a niche graphic novel when I reach a killscreen am I going to want to press continue?

Edgar Wright’s follow up to Hot Fuzz details the life of titular protagonist Scott Pilgrim as he literally fights for the love of Ramona Flowers whilst seeking success with his band Sex Bob-Omb. So, naturally, the film is an action film, correct? Well, not exactly. Edgar Wright makes comedies, and Scott Pilgrim vs. the World is stuffed to the brim with more big laughs and subtle touches than I have had the pleasure of seeing since Superbad. But the film, it’s certainly not a comedy, as the central relationship is far too much of a driving force. So essentially Scott Pilgrim is a video game meets a graphic novel makes love to a comedy spawns a romance and genetically engineers an action film, donning a musical thong. So I can naturally expect this film to have tonal inconsistencies, but Wright avoids this incredibly common pitfall by keeping the film moving at such a rapid pace, and really packing each and every frame with such a completely realized vision that it never has time to stray from the mood set from the opening Universal logo.

What I notice in this film, and even in Wright’s former films, is exactly how much care is placed in every shot. Each use of pixelation, each blur, every censor, all the logos and the outfits, they all establish the world so perfectly. The visual aesthetic works wonderfully with the editing and other visual flairs of the film which include segments that play out at graphic novels and other forms of visual media. But what stands out the most on a visual level is the jaw dropping fight sequences. Each one plays out so differently and allows Wright to showcase a range of film making techniques and styles that synthesize action with comedy, even meshing with music when the script calls for more flashy fights. The more time I have to sit with these sequences and really consider how visually intensive the scenes are, while still maintaining a delightfully charming low budget look, the more I admire the film.

And of course there’s the soundtrack. Anchored by Beck and Broken Social Scene serving a stand ins for Sex Bob-Omb and Crash and the Boys, respectively, the variety of sounds are an absolute delight while still feeling natural and unforced in the context of the film. But not only do the songs serve the overall tone of the film, they also enhance the action and comedy. Rarely have songs ever felt so integrally tied to a film that is not a musical. I suppose the easy comparison to make is to the score in I Am Love; despite the shift in intensity and purpose, the film is elevated incredibly by the use of a very specific type of music employed in a simply masterful manner. But beyond the soundtrack is the film’s score, a string of wonderful compositions littered with signature video game sounds that play lightly in the background of many scenes. These effects create such a wonderfully engulfing mood that I found myself completely sucked in every moment.

However, despite my gushing so far the film is certainly not without its flaws. While the film runs at a neat, and incredibly quick, two hours, I did get the feeling that a complete story is not entirely present. Now I am aware that the film is based on pre-existing source material, so I was able to fill in a few of the holes, but even with this background knowledge I did not find myself incredibly invested in all of the plot lines. Wright juggles so many characters that I was not surprised to see some catch the short end of the stick. The Kim character is treated as such a removed character that one of the emotional pay offs does not work much at all. Perhaps having her not be important is meant to show the distance between her and Scott, which does add up but still does not make the plot nearly as satisfying as many of the other threads running throughout the film. The movie needs room to breathe, to completely bring life to all of these characters, and to better reinforce the intensity of the central romance. These aspects are not the strongest, but one of the strengths in O’Malley’s series of graphic novels is in the ability to insert quietly beautiful meditations on love amidst the action, and the film does capture the occasionally sickeningly, yet always infectious, feelings of human connection near perfectly.

Another aspect of the comic that is captured in the film, and can stand alone without reading any of the graphic novels, is the character of Scott Pilgrim. Scott is meant to be sympathetic, but we are also asked to realize that Scott is both ignorant to the world around him, making him kind of a self centered dick. Cera brings this sense to the character wonderfully, combined of course with Wright’s inventive way of conveying to the audience how exactly Scott’s mind if working. As a viewer I do not always condone Scott’s actions, but I can understand them, and the commentary on the illogical human mind is wonderfully woven in to the film, as well as the idea of a society that promotes such behavior. Of course these qualities all rely on the right type of delivery and Michael Cera further cements his status as the best comedic actor of all time by perfectly delivering Scott’s lines while still conveying his disconnect with his environment. For much of the film Cera does remain in his comfort zone, and the film does really benefit from him doing so, but he does also have big scenes in the action sequences and he further proves his ability to be legitimate ‘actor,’ depending on one’s definition of the art form. Scott is not the drastic change that the Dillinger character is in Youth in Revolt, but not only is he in top form in this film, his ability to work with the fight choreography, both on the ass kicking and ass kicked ends, is simply stunning and further sells what are likely the most enjoyable action sequences I have ever seen.

The film’s diverse cast also boasts a ton of other talented actors, but the one that practically steals the show is Kieran Culkin. He impressed me in Lymelife, though I was certainly not prepared for simply how excellent he would be in the role of Wallace Wells, Scott’s roommate. He floats through scenes with such poise and precision, delivering his dialogue with such sincerity and charm. His performance is truly a sight to behold. Jason Schwartzman is also excellent doing Jason Schwartzman, and actually all members of the League of Evil Exes play their character uniquely and wonderfully. A few of the secondary characters in particular were a huge hit with my audience as well. The females in the film are enjoyable as well, but very few are given very much to do. I wish that more time could have been spent with Envy Adams, not only because Brie Larson is mighty pretty but also because her The Clash at Demonhead performance contains one of the best tracks in the film, and the sequence between her and Scott is even more emotionally resonant. The stand out of the females is found in the form of Ellen Wong as Knives Chau, a heartbreakingly impressionable Scott super fan girl who exists as a wonderfully satirical spin on Caucasian perspective. Many of the supporting characters play one note roles, but each and every one plays that note pitch perfect.

Coming out of the film I was unsure of exactly how much value I found in Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, but as I started writing about the film I not only learned that I enjoyed the film far more than I had initially imagined, but the film is also considerably more admirable than I had realized. The startlingly inventive construction and editing are enough to make Wright’s latest film a truly uniquely enjoyable experience, but the film’s ability to capture such raw moments of beauty in a minefield of laughs cements Wright’s status as one of my favorite filmmakers, despite the abysmal Shaun of the Dead, and – finally – left me completely satisfied after seeing a comedy…as much as the label is applicable. At its worst Scott Pilgrim is a masterclass of filmmaking, but this film exists, on practically every level, as a film constructed for me to love. Scott Pilgrim vs. the World is imaginative, inventive, and a film that truly exists as a representation of the time which spawned it while still holding enough timeless qualities to make it one of the year’s finest.

Ever since this diet was launched, the question “what is the paleo diet” never ceased to be asked. So if someone asked you “what is the paleo diet?” – the answer would be: paleo diet is short for Paleolithic diet which is also known as the caveman diet. A short introduction to the paleo diet is simply that it is a diet that is based on animal nutrition established during the time of the cavemen. It is a diet so appropriate in a biological sense that it is quite astounding.

The paleolithic diet is not merely a diet; it is a lifestyle that gives emphasis to how our cavemen of ancestors lived and ate. In the past, our ancestors ate foods that were easy to hunt or the foods they could find easily in their location. So, the next question would be: what exactly is paleo diet of today?

If you are not getting a clearer, total understanding of this so-called scavenger diet, then this article is perfect for you to read. Basically, it is about eating what you want – any food that you want – with the only restriction that it has to be in the Paleo food list. And what are the foods belonging in this paleo food list any way?

Meat, fish, chicken, fruits and vegetables belong in the paleo foods list, but those that do not belong are legumes, dairy, dairy products and grains. Salt and sugar are also not in this scavenger diet because our ancestors didn’t have the luxury of having seasonings then in their foods. Basically, they just ate whatever animal they could kill and partnered it with leafy greens.

The only liquids that are accepted in the paleolithic diet are water or coconut water. And in this diet, you are only required to drink water when you are thirsty the same way that you can only eat when you are hungry. Organic green tea is also acceptable since it is less processed and there’s less sugar in it. You are not required to eat at a set time because that’s not how our cavemen brothers lived in the past. They didn’t live to eat at all – they ate to live.

The next question to be asked is: who are the followers of this diet?

Those people who are allergic to dairy and athletes are among the many who are avid paleo dieters. And yes, those people who want to avoid “foreign proteins” at all cost. Those who are also trying to avoid cardiovascular diseases, asthma, high blood pressure and diabetes are following the diet.

There are so many books and internet sites that are talking more and more about the paleo diet. When you have the chance to read up, definitely do, do not stop yourself from learning about the many wonderful benefits this diet can bring to you and your life.

The Paleo diet can improve your body and health in a big way — love the men and women who once walked on this earth, follow their diet!

How to Keyword Research AdWords Campaigns

Finding the right place to set up shop can mean the deference between success and failure. This is true for online advertising. Making a sale and increasing your profit is just a kiss away. Here are some suggestions on how to keyword research your AdWords campaign.

Keep it simply successful

This guide provides basic strategy to build a successful advertising campaign online. Preparation and focus are essential to increasing profits. The keeping it simple method (KISS) is my way of maintaining focus.

This is how online marketing works: I purchase a keyword to have my ad display when a person types my keyword into a search bar. This keyword is the location of my store window. I place an ad in the window to draw these people into my store.

Understanding your goal

Showing my store window, my ad, is the way to accomplish my goal. I want to make money. In order to make money I need to find people and pitch my product.

Google AdWords Pay Per Click

I’m using PPC because it’s cost effective. Google has the largest audience. There are other platforms for advertising using PPC model. I prefer Google over Bing, MSN and Bidvertiser.

How To Research Keyword

Who is my Audience

If you’re just beginning online advertising, you may make this simple mistake. Marketing to everyone who types in your seed word. One word terms are not very good at showing intent.

Example, I have a candy store and want to advertise online. I decide ‘candy’ is the term I’ll target.

Start Big

Use a keyword research tool to help you see how your search term will work. The keyword planner is a free tools and WordTracker has a free trail.

In the keyword planner, type in your keyword and you’ll get a list of results that will trigger your ad to display. I’m using the basic Google search to build my list in this example.

My goal is to find more interest based words related to my seed word.

I find out people also search terms related to candy and add these to my keyword list.

Dig Deep

Next I dig into each of the result. I’m going to limit my example to ‘chocolate candy’ audience.

At this stage, your keywords are showing intent. These are very specific terms. Let’s go wide from here to capture more leads.

Go Wide

Going wide is like brain storming. What other word might be used instead of candy? What specific candy do you sale? Let’s use truffles for our example.

chocolate truffles

truffles price

truffles recipe

truffles in NC

Keyword research summary

The purpose of advertising is to accomplish a goal. Increasing your profits from online sales. Make sure you remain focused on words relevant to your product.

Keyword research is the way to find your audience. Start big, go deep and wide to cover your bases. Stay within your window to remain relevant and related to keyword searches being made for your product.

Resist the urge to show off your store to related groups, stay relevant to your products.

This article is a very basic summary of how to keyword research for AdWords to increase profits from online sales.

One key ingredient missing is negative keyword list. Another is how to track your return on investment.

AdWords platform is very powerful. Create a simple campaign you can monitor and improve over time. People search differently over time and seasons. What is working today, may not work as well tomorrow.

Keyword research is an ongoing process. Think big, go deep and look wide for your success is as close as a kiss away. Keep it simply successful.

We have all seen them, services that are offered to us at no charge, the e-books, videos and reports that are generated to entice us to click the Submit button.

They offer us for FREE, all the information we are seeking and all we have to do is fill in the form and click next.

These are called your Opt-In Offer.

Your Opt-In Offer is usually the starting point of the online marketing cycle. It’s the first peek of who you are and what you’re about. It’s one of the ways to grow and gather your customer list.

Many of us when first starting don’t want to think of selling ourselves, but in a small way that is what you are doing. The opt-in offer is the beginning of your “sales funnel” which is a tool to help you grow your potential list.

The thought behind the opt-in offer is to build your own personal list of customers. This can be used as a mailing list, email list, sending a sales letter, special offers, promotions and product offers, the list can be endless.

Returning Customers are your raving fans. They are the ones that enjoy your products and see the value of them. And most of the time they are the ones that will spend the extra money on your new products or services because they already know the quality of your work.

When going out to eat to that special restaurant that you only go to now and then. You are excited and willing to wait all day because you know the quality of the meal you’re going to get. You already know the appetizer you will order because you sampled it before. Your mouth is watering as you wait for it to come to your table. You can already anticipate its taste and smell the aroma; it is making your mouth water…

This is the scene you want to portray with your opt-in offer. You want people anticipating its arrival. And when it comes, they jump on it.

To create your offer, you’ll want to use some of your best work. You want to give others the ability to see your potential as well as giving your readers the ability to envision themselves applying the tips you are offering. Thinking this process through and what the message you’re sending is is very important, so take your time with this stage. Your goal is to have your customers… Want More.

You want them coming back time and time again because you are speaking to their needs. You have given them the ability to apply one small nugget to their online marketing or whatever niche you find yourself in. You have offered them the results they have been looking for.

Creating an offer that will continue to give back to your readers or customers is the goal of creating a powerful opt-in offer.

Remember my friends… “Success Is Not An Accident”

Make it a Great One

Donna

Search Engine Marketing is one of the core elements to your businesses online success. I offer a custom service especially for the small business owner that would like to make their local community aware of their services.

If you’re lucky enough to find hardwood floors hiding under your tired carpeting, you might feel like covering the wood back up. That’s understandable because refinishing the floors yourself seems like an impossible task.Hardwood floors were a common feature in houses until the 1960s. Before that, having wall-to-wall carpet was considered a luxury upgrade. From the 1970s on, most homes had wall-to-wall carpet in nearly every room. However, tastes change, and over the last couple decades, hardwood floors have once again become fashionable and desirable. Oftentimes, when I’m talking with someone about fixing houses, they ask if refinishing hardwood floors is something they can do themselves. Unless the person has a physical reason why they can’t do it, I generally say yes. However, I also remind them that redoing hardwood floors takes a great deal of time, sweat, and elbow grease.

As a general rule, floors of fifty square feet or less can be sanded by hand, but for any floor larger than that, rent or buy a small orbital sander. Everything necessary for doing it yourself will be available at your local hardware store. You can buy a pretty good electric sander nowadays for less than $100, which can be a good investment, especially if you’re planning to work on your home on a regular basis.The first layer to be removed is often a thick wax coating, followed by a coat of either polyurethane or varnish. A heavy duty commercial wax stripper can remove the wax, and then a lacquer thinner or acetone can be wiped on to prepare the wood for the next step. If there are any carpet tacks or pieces of old nails in the wood, remove them first. The remnant of a nail can tear up sandpaper, damage a sanding pad, and do serious damage to the palm of your hand, so check carefully to make sure all remnants of tacks and nails are gone before you begin sanding. Fill all nail holes with a quality wood filler, matching the color as closely as you can, and let it dry. Then you’re ready to begin sanding the floor with 220-grit sandpaper, whether by hand or with a sander. When you’re done sanding, wipe the entire floor with a damp cloth to remove as much sanding dust as possible. Damp cloths work better than vacuum cleaners. Let the floor dry, and then wipe it again with a tack rag, which is a cloth impregnated with resin to pick up fine dust particles. Again, your local hardware store will have what you need.After the floor is as clean as you can get it, apply three coats of polyurethane with a paint pad, allowing each coat to dry thoroughly, lightly sanding with 220-grit paper, and wiping the floor with a damp cloth and a tack rag between coats. If you prefer an old-fashioned finish, you can use a 50/50 mixture of linseed oil and mineral spirits and then wax the floors with beeswax or paste wax. Take caution with the chemical mixture and the rags because they can catch on fire.

You can refinish hardwood floors yourself. It just takes time and effort–and a good set of kneepads wouldn’t hurt, either! Once you finish, you’ll have a gorgeous floor to be proud of and ready for that next “do it yourself” project–perhaps the next room with hardwood floors.