WebTurd - Web Dumps Served Hot n' Fresh

The Wampas are on the loose! Looks like we can actually get our first chance of measurable snow this weekend here in Monticello Indiana. We’ve had a few light traces but nothing to brag about yet. Some parts of Indiana have already seen some inches due to lake effect snow over the past week…but still nothing for my area.

And now a word from Mike Prangley…

A few good reasons why I like the thought of snow…and I am sure all these will change come February when the snow is still lingering around.

There is something about snow falling and collecting on the ground. It creates an abnormal acoustic ambience that I am not used to hearing. The atmosphere seems quiet and peaceful…until a local hillbilly zooms by in his limited snow plow package edition, super loud monster truck.

With snow, there’s sledding. Its a cool and fun way to kill a couple of hours.

All vegetation is frozen, there is no lawn to mow and weeds to whack.

Since its unbearable to go out in the cold and get any form of exercise, the cold weather makes for a great excuse to stay inside and get fatter and play video games.

Here are few sites and sources that I will be checking to track the possible snow:

http://www.johndee.com/forecast_graphic.htm
http://lotsofbarkandbiteinyourforecast.blogspot.com/
http://www.wunderground.com/wundermap/?lat=40.63480&lon=-86.86890
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Now that Thanksgiving is processed and flushed down the toilet, I thought that it would be time for a cool Xmas layout. After a quick change of the site header and some css mixing, I now present you with the WebTurd 2008 Christmas version!
Yeah, its a little dark but it helps the blues flow better.

If you are into changing up your site, check out an old post at Smashing Magazine that provides some free Christmas icons, Christmas layouts and more Merry inspiration.

" Christmas is coming. As the holiday approaches, it?s time to get into
{sidebar id=1}the true Christmas spirit, decorating your personal desktop and adding
some Christmas flavour to your recent designs or weblogs. And to
decorate them accordingly, you might want to use some nice icons,
wallpapers or even change your Worpdress-blog to a new Christmas theme. "

Link source: http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2007/12/19/christmas-icons-and-christmas-wordpress-themes/
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Just a quick note and sketch to wish all the webturd.com readers out there a Happy Thanksgiving.

Here are some Thanksgiving quotes that I find interesting.

1. Thanksgiving, after all, is a word of action.  ~W.J. Cameron

2. Thanksgiving Day is a jewel, to set in the hearts of honest men; but be careful that you do not take the day, and leave out the gratitude.  ~E.P. Powell

3. Thanksgiving is America’s national chow-down feast, the one occasion each year when gluttony becomes a patriotic duty.  ~Michael Dresser

4. An optimist is a person who starts a new diet on Thanksgiving Day.  ~Irv Kupcinet

5. Got no check books, got no banks.  Still I’d like to express my thanks – I got the sun in the morning and the moon at night.  ~Irving Berlin

An we can’t forget about my all time favorite Thanksgiving internet image.

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Toon Cave just released their newest vector cartoon wallpaper! Here are the details.

Presenting our next free vector Thanksgiving wallpaper listing just in time for Thanksgiving!

This fun fall themed wallpaper features our Chubby Turkey cartoon mascot and some fall colored scenery complete with falling leaves.

There are 4 different variations of this Turkey Day Wallpaper, so its ok to be picky. Each Thanksgiving vector wallpaper comes in a super high resolution of 1600 x 1200 pixels so there are plenty of details to enjoy.

Grab the download link and enjoy!

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I’ve always liked this song and it just happened to pop up on a mix cd that I was listening to on the way back to work today. I don’t necessarily think its about leaving a place…its about making a change…kind of inspirational in a way.

Like an earlier Outkast track, Spottieottiedopaliscious, I love the horns in the track.

So here we go with the track of the week…

Outkast – The Train

[youtube 4h_CN2WZQqQ]

[Big Boi]
All aboard!
Or, are all y’all bored?
It’s good to have y’all back now
Ladies and gents
Y’all already know what it is

[Sample from the movie IDLEWILD]
God don’t make no mistakes
God don’t make no mistakes

[Big Boi]
Little do they know when I was brought up in this game
Twenty always been the five (?) so spittin’ I made a change
Like the diaper on the bottom of my baby daughter
I wasn’t ready to be no father, made me kind of …
‘Cause when I saw her, I sweat and made a tear fall
Not tears of sorrow, but of joy, so listen here, y’all
I grab the mic and move the crowd and disappear
Dog, back in ’94, that was the motherfucking year home-boy
Then that Southernplayalistic went platinum, stacks on deck
Claims (?) tellin’ us to pay our taxes
Walkin’ round the table in the kitchen just for practice
Reciting rhymes to sharpen mine, now (?) to the masses

[Sleepy Brown (?)]
It’s been a good long road
Now it’s time for me to go
I say, Goodbye
(Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye)

Time to spread my wings
So high up in the sky
I can’t even fly
(I fly, I fly, I fly so high)

[Big Boi]
Welcome to my life, I think it’s time we take it back
I gotta give you all the facts so you see what type of cat
That you dealing with, now in ATLiens she was killin’ it
And then my Auntie passed, she was like my mother, I was illin’ it
The first person close to me to die needed healing
But I see her as an angel when I look up at the ceiling
Like my daddy, angry daddy, Uncle … was steady chilin’
So you gotta keep on livin’ like … the beginin’

It’s your birthday
Even on your worst day
Be like the first day
I’m Antwan Andre
Or General Patton if you know about … got hurt
I-I-I be on that Kryptonite
That means I can’t be hurt

[?]
Gotta leave this place
It’s been cool
But I gotta go

[Sleepy Brown (?)]
It’s been a good long road
Now it’s time for me to go
I say, Goodbye
(Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye)

Time to spread my wings
So high up in the sky
I can’t even fly
(I fly, I fly, I fly so high)

[?]
Livin’ on a train
Shoulda asked you for remains (?)
I’ll be back again

[Sample from the movie IDLEWILD]
I know we’ve been through a lot, and I ain’t perfect, but I swear to you, I’m a changed man.

[?]
Livin’ on a train
Shoulda asked you for remains (?)
I’ll be back again

[Big Boi]
And now it’s time to say goodbye
They should’ve turned me loose
I was all about my team
But now I call upon my crew
I’m a family type of person
But I’m deadly … too
You can achieve anything
That you put your heart in to
See, the second hand won’t ever stop
And neither will the clock
Nigga Big still hit the stage
By himself and still rock
‘Cause when your faith is in the right place
See, He ain’t gon’ let you flock
You can say whatever you want
I bet you can’t do it like ‘Boi Stop’

[Scar]
Before you say you …
Please no excuse this time
Don’t be afraid to fly, fly, fly

You never know what day the doors will close
It’s time to say goodbye
Time to pack up and ride, ride, ride

[?]
Gotta leave this place
It’s been cool
But I gotta go

[Sample from the movie IDLEWILD (?)]
I can take it from here, ladies. Y’all done a good deed tonight.

[Sleepy Brown (?)]
It’s been a good long road
Now it’s time for me to go
I say, Goodbye
(Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye)

Time to spread my wings
So high up in the sky
I can’t even fly
(I fly, I fly, I fly so high)

[Fade out]
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The new Xbox Experience is finally here! I’ll be getting the update at lunch today to check it out. Here is more info on the huge Xbox 360 update.

In 1954, the introduction of color TV heralded the dawn of a new era
in entertainment. On November 19, more than 50 years after that
dramatic shift, a new era in home entertainment begins with the New
Xbox Experience, as millions of Xbox 360 consoles transform in an
instant through the power of software.

Your Avatar is your online identity.

A
bold new future begins now, where high-definition (HD) entertainment is
delivered in an instant, the best games share the stage with the best
movies and TV shows, and every experience is shared with friends and
family in the same room or around the world.

Industry-Defining Milestone
By
the end of this month, Xbox 360 will reach another industry-defining
milestone: 25 million Xbox 360 consoles sold worldwide. It has taken
the leading next-generation game and entertainment console just three
years to eclipse the total lifetime number of original Xbox consoles
sold.

Change your Avatar to suit your mood.

“The
future of home entertainment is Xbox 360?it’s on-demand, it’s
high-definition, it’s always social, it’s all in one place,” said Don
{sidebar id=1}Mattrick, senior vice president for the Interactive Entertainment
Business at Microsoft Corp. “With the New Xbox Experience, we will
reach the next generation of Xbox owners, 25 million and beyond. We are
at a watershed moment, backed by the largest entertainment brands, with
an incredible lineup of entertainment unmatched in any industry.”

Browse Netflix movies from your console or PC.

Friends and Favorite Entertainment
With
the launch of the New Xbox Experience, Xbox 360 owners have a limitless
world where the best games, movies and TV shows are ready to share with
friends across the globe through Xbox LIVE:

• Netflix instantly streaming in HD: The New Xbox Experience isn’t the only thing that will look great on
  your TV. Netflix is taking the first step by instantly streaming movies
  and TV episodes in high definition with the introduction of
  approximately 300 choices in HD via Xbox 360, including La Vie en Rose,
  Flawless, and Heroes. Xbox 360 is the only Netflix-ready device to
  offer high-definition movies and TV episodes.
• Xbox LIVE Party: Use Xbox 360 to create a virtual party on your TV with up to seven
  friends. With Xbox LIVE Party, use voice chat while you play games,*
  share photos in real time, and entertain friends all over the world.
• Personality plus: Create a customized, animated avatar and literally jump into the world
  of Xbox LIVE. Your avatar is your game face throughout the New Xbox
  Experience and represents your personality, whether you are serving as
  an Xbox LIVE Party host, playing a game of Scene It? ® Box Office Smash, or chatting with a friend.
• On-demand entertainment: Xbox
  360 is home to the best TV and movie entertainment, including more than
  12,000 movies and TV episodes from Netflix and a large online library
  of more than 15,000 on-demand high-definition TV shows and movies from
  global partners such as Constantin, The Walt Disney Studios,
  Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios (MGM), NBC Universal, and Warner Bros.
  Entertainment.
• Your personal game room: Play revived classics such as PAC-MAN Championship Edition??, Galaga Legions, and Portal: Still Alive, alongside games that put your avatars in the action, such as A Kingdom for Keflings, UNO®, and Hardwood Hearts exclusively for download from Xbox LIVE Arcade. Xbox LIVE members also
  will be able to access all of Xbox LIVE Marketplace, including Xbox
  LIVE Arcade, and even queue content to download straight from Xbox.com.
• Games for the community, by the community: For the first time in the history of console gaming, thousands of games
  developed by the creative community will be available to the public.
  The Community Games channel on Xbox LIVE will include games made by
  students, hobbyists and maybe even your next door neighbor, and will be
  exclusive to Xbox LIVE.

Check out the latest offerings in Marketplace.

Biggest Names in Entertainment
No
device offers more entertainment than Xbox 360. In addition to Netflix
in the United States, major film studios around the world unveiled
their plans to offer feature films on Xbox LIVE in Canada, Italy, and
Spain, truly transforming Xbox 360 into the world’s largest online
entertainment center.

• Magnolia Pictures: The studio that released such groundbreaking and award-winning feature
  films as The World’s Fastest Indian, The Host, Enron: The Smartest Guys
  in the Room, and Ong-Bak: The Thai Warrior will be bringing its slate
  of compelling feature films to Xbox LIVE in Canada and the U.S.
• MGM:MGM
  is bringing its library of blockbuster movies to Xbox LIVE in Italy and
  Spain. MGM, already available in Canada, France, Germany, the U.K., and
  the U.S., will offer films such as Carrie, Rocky, and Species on Xbox
  LIVE around the world.
• Paramount Pictures: Paramount Digital Entertainment will mark the two-year anniversary of
  making its movies available on Xbox LIVE by becoming a content provider
  in Italy and Spain. Films such as Iron Man, Stop-Loss, and The Ruins
  will be made available worldwide this fall.
• Warner Bros. Digital Distribution: Warner Bros. Digital Distribution will make 100 movie titles available
  on Xbox LIVE in Italy, including Interview With the Vampire and The
  Matrix Trilogy. Xbox LIVE in Spain also will offer 100 movie titles,
  including Sweeney Todd and One Missed Call. Currently the studio offers
  content in Canada, Germany, France, the U.K. and the U.S.

“The future of home entertainment is Xbox 360?on-demand, high-definition, always social, all in one place.”
?Don Mattrick, Microsoft

In the Spotlight This Holiday
While
Xbox 360 has evolved into a world-class entertainment device, it
remains the best place to play. In concert with the launch of the New
Xbox Experience, two entertainment heavyweights step into the
spotlight, ready to wow audiences across the world. Today is the launch
of Lips and You’re in the Movies, two games that promise to get you on your feet and performing like a star.

• Lips is an all-new music franchise exclusively for Xbox 360. Lips is the only singing game that offers wireless, motion-sensitive
  microphones and the ability to sing to a diverse list of included songs
  representing multiple musical genres, ranging from pop, rock and dance
  to hip-hop, country and R&B, as well as compatible songs from your
  music collection.**
• You’re in the Movies brings
  out the movie star in everyone this holiday season with its release
  exclusively on Xbox 360 November 18. It’s the first and only game of
  its kind that transports players into a magical world of cinema and
  hilarious improvisations. Using the Xbox LIVE Vision camera, friends
  and families choose a script, act it out and in minutes watch the often
  hilarious, always entertaining results.

Article Source: http://www.xbox.com/en-US/live/nxe/
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In my constant quest to master SEO, I’ve been honing in on the new concept of Google crawling flash swf files now.

I have recently came by an interesting website that has been performing different flash and seo experiments. What Flash n’ SEO is doing is pretty interesting and is worth the follow. Check out some of their experiments for more info.

But now for my flash and seo experiment…

{sidebar id=1}I’m not into making flash websites anymore because of many reasons. For one, its hard. Number two, its a thing of the past. And third reason, I just don’t like all flash sites…I always have that "trapped" feeling when I am on one. I’m more into banners or smaller website additions…where text and images simply cannot do the job. Yeah that’s me, Mr. Practical. ;)

Getting back to the experiment, I have had this thought in the back of my head…and so far, its working. My thought was to create some text content that is "off-canvas". By saying that, I mean that the content is not visible to the human eye. Check out the screen show below for a better idea.

The image above is that of what it may look like when creating a banner in flash. Since the banner or swf file is set to 460 x 60, the off-canvas content will not be seen, but is exported and included with the swf file.

The proof is in the pudding…

Just a week ago, I create a banner for a new website that I have been working on that looks like this and put it up on a partner website found here: www.valuecushions.com

In the off-canvas content, I put the keyword text " outdoor fire bowls and fire pits "…wow omg, the swf file has been crawled and indexed by google! Check the results here: http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=outdoor+fire+bowls+and+fire+pits+valuecushions

So, it works but what’s the point? Nothing really useful unless that content was within a site that actually could benefit from those keywords. At the time of this particular experiment, I only wanted to see if a Google Bot would actually read the off-canvas content. Because all other content except for the link target was images, that’s all that it had to crawl…which was good thing if I want my next experiment to work.

My next swf and seo experiment…

Since I now know that Google will successfully crawl a swf or flash banner, why not experiment with back linking? Every web designer knows or should know that back links are a big part of SEO so the more, the merrier. If you can use a simple phrase or set of keywords on a totally different site with a link back to the site that you are attempting to market, its always a huge help.

In this new swf back link experiment, I’ve created new off-canvas content with different keywords and also give it a link target. The swf file still contains the original link from the button as well as the linked keywords. My goal is to be able to achieve crawlable back links through a flash file.

If this works out, it would be
the best of both worlds. Getting back links where you need them to go with a target url and having a cool animated graphic to display as well. Thinking deviously, we may have to watch out for that guy that offers "free flash seo banners" with his links embedded in them. Mwhahaha!

I’ve just published this google flash back link seo banner experiment about 30 minutes ago, so I will have to report back in once I see some results. At the time of this posting, I’ve decided to keep the test locations discreet.

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