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Amazon's Blockbuster Innovation

By strategystreet.blogspot.com
Published On :: Wed, 30 Mar 2011 19:25:00 +0000

In 2005, Amazon introduced its Prime Free Shipping program. This yearly subscription program promised free two-day shipping on any purchase the subscriber made from Amazon. Five years later, 13% of Amazon’s 130 million active users are Prime members. More significantly, 20% of the subscribers who purchased products from Amazon in the last twelve months are Prime subscribers. These Prime subscribers purchase two to three times as much as non-Prime subscribers over the course of a year. This Performance innovation removes an impediment to purchasing on Amazon. In fact, it increases the odds greatly that online purchases will be made on Amazon rather than on a competitive site. This has been a blockbuster innovation for Amazon. The innovation holds a special appeal to the larger customers in the market. The Prime subscribers may also offer Amazon an entry into a business that it has longed to gain, for several years, subscription video rentals. It appears that Amazon will introduce a streaming video product for its Prime subscribers. This new product will not cost the Prime subscribers any more than their normal subscription. Netflix’s Watch Instantly service cost about $96 a year so Amazon may have a price advantage on Netflix. Of course, Convenience and Price are only important provided Amazon offers equivalent Function, that is, streaming video content. We don’t know about that yet. Still, Amazon has proven to be an innovative company who can find ways to build a business in non-traditional ways. It continues to grab market share in the retail business.


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Another Creative Pricing Scheme

By strategystreet.blogspot.com
Published On :: Wed, 20 Apr 2011 23:29:00 +0000

It is not often that you see companies using really unusual pricing to build future business. Here is one that I like.


Every price has three and, usually four, components: the Benefit Package, the Basis of Charge, the List price and usually some Optional Components of price. The Benefit Package includes all of the Function, Reliability and Convenience benefits associated with the main product. The Basis of Charge is the way the company quantifies the unit of sale that it prices with the List Price, which is the stated price per unit of product sold. The Optional Components of price enable the company to leave the List Price unchanged, but to alter the value the company offers the customer by changing Functions, Reliability or Convenience benefits beyond those of the main product. The most creative pricing schemes usually involve the Optional Components of price.


Recently, we described one of these Optional Components of price, a Call, offered by Continental Airlines. In this blog, we will describe a “Put” offered by Best Buy. A Put is an Optional Component of price that enables the customer to sell back a product to the seller at a stated price in the future.


Best Buy recently introduced the Buy-Back program for various electronic gadgets it sells. This program adds a fee to the original List price of the product. In return for that fee, the customer gets the right to bring the product back for up to two years for a return value of a stated percentage of the original List price of the product. These percentages run from 20% to 50%, depending on the time of the return. The value of the return itself comes in the form of a Best Buy gift card. Best Buy hopes the customer will use this gift card to purchase an upgrade on the product that the consumer returns.


This Put may be attractive to consumers concerned about the speed of technological innovation in electronic gadgets. The Put effectively reduces the future price of purchasing a new electronic gadget. It leaves the current List prices and future List prices unchanged. It also increases the odds that Best Buy will be the retailer who delivers the new technologically-advanced product.


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Cable T.V. and Customer Retention

By strategystreet.blogspot.com
Published On :: Wed, 04 May 2011 18:46:00 +0000

Recently, I decided to test the waters for a less expensive television experience. I have been a loyal cable subscriber for thirty-five years, but friends have told me that other systems, especially satellite, are cheaper. I went online to DirectTV.com to check their packages. We have been spending about $112 a month. The equivalent package from DirectTV appeared to be about $81 a month. I was shocked at the size of the price difference. DirectTV was more than 25% less expensive than Comcast, my cable supplier.

Given the size of these price differences, I did some investigation in what is happening in the market. Today there are four potential television service suppliers: cable, telephone companies, such as AT&T and Verizon, satellite and internet companies, such as Netflix and Hulu. The cable companies command 60% of the market. Phone companies have less than 15% of the market. The satellite firms, including DirectTV and Dish, control most of the rest. The internet firms are still small, though they may become larger in the future. Over the years, the cable companies have held a high price umbrella over the satellite companies. Now the phone companies are getting under this umbrella as well. The cable companies lost two million subscribers last year. The phone companies picked up most of that loss, while the satellite firms picked up a bit. The combination of the phone and satellite companies took virtually all the growth there was in the market.


Customer retention is a big deal. Even in fast-growing markets, you would like to be able to retain your customers when competitors seek them out. The cable companies have sought to retain customers by emphasizing more services to higher spending customers. These customers tend to be less price-sensitive. It appears that the cable companies are going to have to alter their courses. They simply can not afford to let their competitors take away their market share. Eventually, the competition will be as big and as strong as they are. They will lose the market leverage that a leader enjoys. For examples see GM in autos, IBM in the PC market and U.S. Steel in the steel market.


The T.V. market is speaking in clear tones. The phone and satellite companies offer a better value proposition. The cable companies have to listen soon.


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The Kindle with Special Offers…not your typical low-end product

By strategystreet.blogspot.com
Published On :: Mon, 16 May 2011 22:26:00 +0000

Amazon has introduced a low-end Kindle product, the Kindle with special offers. This Kindle sells for $114 compared to the standard $139 Kindle with Wi-Fi. This is not a typical low-end product. Low-end products offer fewer benefits than industry-leading products (we call these Standard Leader products) for either the buyer or the user of the product in return for a lower price. We call these low-end products Price Leaders. There are two kinds of Price Leaders. The first, called Strippers, strip out benefits for both the user and the buyer of the product in order to achieve a very low price. The second, Predators, offers the user equivalent benefits to the industry’s main product but fewer benefits for the buyer. On average, Price Leaders cost about 33% less than Standard Leader products.




You will note that the Kindle with special offers does not fit easily into either of these two Price Leader categories. It reduces the user benefits by delaying the use of the product until the customer has viewed advertisements. There is no change to the benefits offered the buyer of the product. The Kindle with special offers deviates from the norms of Price Leader products with its level of discount. The Kindle with special offers sells for about 18% less than the standard Kindle product.



The Kindle with special offers varies from the Price Leader pricing norm in another interesting and important dimension. Some of these “special offers” are really good deals for the average Amazon customer. In one particularly interesting offer, Amazon will sell an Amazon Gift Card worth $20 for just $10. So, an avid fan of the Amazon web site receives additional user benefits with this new low-end product. In many cases, these special offers may more than offset the disadvantage to the user of a delay in using the product while the user views an ad.



This new Kindle with special offers is a very creative product innovation. Congratulations to Amazon.


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Cable T.V. and Customer Retention

By strategystreet.blogspot.com
Published On :: Wed, 25 May 2011 23:02:00 +0000

Recently, I decided to test the waters for a less expensive television experience. I have been a loyal cable subscriber for thirty-five years, but friends have told me that other systems, especially satellite, are cheaper. I went online to DirectTV.com to check their packages. We have been spending about $112 a month. The equivalent package from DirectTV appeared to be about $81 a month. I was shocked at the size of the price difference. DirectTV was more than 25% less expensive than Comcast, my cable supplier.




Given the size of these price differences, I did some investigation in what is happening in the market. Today there are four potential television service suppliers: cable, telephone companies, such as AT&T and Verizon, satellite and internet companies, such as Netflix and Hulu. The cable companies command 60% of the market. Phone companies have less than 15% of the market. The satellite firms, including DirectTV and Dish, control most of the rest. The internet firms are still small, though they may become larger in the future. Over the years, the cable companies have held a high price umbrella over the satellite companies. Now the phone companies are getting under this umbrella as well. The cable companies lost two million subscribers last year. The phone companies picked up most of that loss, while the satellite firms picked up a bit. The combination of the phone and satellite companies took virtually all the growth there was in the market.



Customer retention is a big deal. Even in fast-growing markets, you would like to be able to retain your customers when competitors seek them out. The cable companies have sought to retain customers by emphasizing more services to higher spending customers. These customers tend to be less price-sensitive. It appears that the cable companies are going to have to alter their courses. They simply can not afford to let their competitors take away their market share. Eventually, the competition will be as big and as strong as they are. They will lose the market leverage that a leader enjoys. For examples see GM in autos, IBM in the PC market and U.S. Steel in the steel market.



The T.V. market is speaking in clear tones. The phone and satellite companies offer a better value proposition. The cable companies have to listen soon.




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Nestlé’s Cost Reduction in the Coffee Business

By strategystreet.blogspot.com
Published On :: Thu, 02 Jun 2011 02:47:00 +0000

Nestle is the world-wide leader in the coffee business. They offer coffees at virtually all price points. They invented instant coffee in the 1930s. After the buffets of the commodity markets over the last few years, the company has created a global push to reduce its costs and to increase the quantity and quality of the coffee it buys.




We have found four generic approaches to reducing costs.



• First, reduce the rate of cost of a cost input.

• Second, reduce the cost inputs that do not produce output.

• Third, reduce unique activities and components in processes and the product

• Fourth, spread fixed cost activities over additional product output



Nestle is using the first three of these approaches in its world-wide investment in cost management.



First, Nestle redesigned part of the process. Its scientists developed a new generation of Robusta and Arabica coffee plants for Mexico. The Robusta beans are relatively inexpensive and make up the bulk of the beans in instant coffee. The Arabica beans are more expensive, harder to grow and go to the higher end coffees. Today, Nestle has planted 100 thousand coffee trees in Mexico using its newly designed coffee trees. Once this experiment is complete, the company plans to distribute 220 million plants to coffee growers world-wide over the next ten years.



The use of these new plants will enable Nestle to reduce its rate of cost for the beans it buys. The new plant design increases yields so it eliminates some inputs that do not produce the output of coffee beans. Many long-term coffee farmers are using older trees, which yield fewer beans and lower quality beans. Many of these farmers are leaving the industry since they cannot compete. This magnifies the commodity price problem Nestle faces. Nestle’s new trees fit the region’s climate. They resist disease and allow for larger and easier harvests. These trees will make coffee beans more consistently and predictably available. Nestle will give these trees to the farmers without asking for a firm long-term contract or ownership of any part of the farm. But it should be obvious that Nestle will engender a great deal of farmer loyalty with this program.



Nestle also expects to reduce the rate of cost it pays for its beans with two other cost reduction initiatives. It will offer farming and investing advice to up to ten thousand farmers world-wide. As these farmers become more efficient, Nestle’s costs will drop. In addition, Nestle will also increase the amount of coffee it buys directly from the nearly 170 thousand growers who produce its coffees.



This kind of foresight and innovation suggests why Nestle commands its market leadership.


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The Mobile Phone Industry and Customer Retention

By strategystreet.blogspot.com
Published On :: Thu, 30 Jun 2011 00:14:00 +0000

The mobile phone industry’s growth has slowed.  It is now operating more like a stable, moderate to slow growth market.  This is particularly true in Europe.  To face the challenge of slower growth in the industry, European mobile operators are turning to customer retention, but they are careful of the customers they seek to retain. 

The Europeans have observed that less than 20% of an operator’s customers generate to 80% of the operator’s total revenue.  This pattern repeats itself in many industries.  When we have seen these patterns in other industries, we have also noted that less than 10% of the total customers generate an astounding 50% of total revenues.  These are the really important customers in an industry. 

A company must retain its key customers.  In the mobile phone industry, as in most industries, the largest 20% of the industry’s customers are likely to be what we would call Core customers for the industry’s larger competitors.  A Core customer allows supplier company to earn at least the cost of capital through a business cycle.  The retention of these core customers is of paramount importance to long term company success. It costs a great deal more to find a new customer than to retain and build the relationship with a customer you already have.  In the European mobile phone industry, carriers have found that it costs ten times more to acquire a customer than to retain one. 

The industry has found another important phenomenon associated with customer defection.  Recent research has told it that defection is a social phenomenon.  If defecting customers leave an operator, they usually are not quiet about it.  They tell their friends.  In turn, some of their friends defect as well.  So, the loss of a Core customer to an operator will often bring with it the loss of several other Core customers. 

The mobile phone operators in Europe are working on retention by focusing particularly on those Core customers most likely to defect.  These operators have analyzed the value of their customers and have assigned a rating to each customer.  When a customer calls a call center, the information about the customer, including his rating, is readily displayed on the service representative’s screen.  This customer specific information enables the service representative to respond with different value offers, depending on the importance of the customer.  Most of these offers reflect lower prices for a potential defector.

But the industry is responding to potential defections with more than simple price reductions.  Some companies are developing personal calling rates and plans tailored to individual Core customer habits.  One European company instituted this individual approach and cut its percentage of customers defecting each year in half, from 20% to 10%. 

The industry has found another important phenomenon associated with customer churn.  Recent research has told it that defection is a social phenomenon.  If defecting customers leave an operator, they usually are not quiet about it.  They tell their friends.  In turn, some of their friends defect as well.  So, the loss of a core customer to an operator will often bring with it the loss of several other core customers. 

Customer retention is an important, strategic management imperative, even in fast growing markets


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Does the Withdrawal of Capacity Help?

By strategystreet.blogspot.com
Published On :: Sat, 23 Jul 2011 01:04:00 +0000

As industry prices fall, and companies’ fortunes decline with the resultant squeeze on their margins, some companies, especially the leaders, seek to withdraw capacity from the market.  The leading companies expect the capacity withdrawal to do two things: redress the imbalance between capacity and demand; and raise prices to more attractive levels because of this better balance.  In practice, the withdrawal of capacity often fails to achieve either of these objectives.

Whenever a leader in an industry reduces its capacity to force price increases, it must consider how competitors will respond.  In many, if not most, cases low-cost competitors expand their capacity to make up for the withdrawal of capacity by the industry leaders.  The end result often is even more capacity available in a marketplace and the same or lower prices available for the industry leaders.

After several quarters of improving profits, the airline industry is again slipping into hostile market conditions as rising fuel prices reduce margins and force higher prices.  Higher prices limit demand growth.  In response to the margin squeeze these tougher times bring to the industry, the industry leaders are restricting the growth in their capacity and, in some cases, reducing the capacity they offer in the domestic U.S. market.  The problem is that several of the industry followers are not going along.

United Continental Holdings and AMR Corporation’s American Airlines have both posted losses for the most recent quarter.  Both of these industry leaders plan to reduce their domestic capacity as a result.  They will be reducing seats available flying into and out of selected domestic markets. 

The pattern of leaders reducing capacity and followers adding it seems to be holding in the current airline industry.  Southwest Airlines, JetBlue Airways and Alaska Air Group derive most of their revenues in the domestic U.S. market.  Each of these companies reported profits in the most recent quarter.  This profitability of the three follower airline competitors indicates that their costs are lower than are the costs of the two legacy airlines that have reported losses, United Continental and American Airlines.  Southwest plans to increase its capacity by 5% to 6% in 2011.  JetBlue plans to add 6% to 8% this year, while Alaska Air plans to grow its capacity by 9%. 

The industry followers are able to add capacity in the face of capacity withdrawal by their larger industry-leading competitors because they have these lower costs.  The lower costs enable the follower companies to make a profit while their larger competitors suffer losses.  In the long run, the only way that the industry-leading competitors will be able to stop the expansion of these follower competitors will be to match or beat their lower cost structures


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Benefits of Intense Competition: Lower Prices and Better Products

By strategystreet.blogspot.com
Published On :: Wed, 17 Aug 2011 00:06:00 +0000

No segment of our economy has been under more intense pressure than the manufacturing sector.  Lower labor costs in many parts of the international economy have forced manufactured product prices down and shifted manufacturing jobs out of the United States.  Competition has indeed been intense.

Over the years, we have done in depth studies of more than fifty industries who have faced intense competitive markets.  We found both what you might expect and, also, what you wouldn’t expect.  You would expect that costs in a difficult industry would fall as companies work to make a profit despite the falling prices that accompany intense competition.  What you might not expect is that product quality and supporting service levels increase at the same time as costs and prices fall.  Customers simply will not buy a poor product even if its pricing declines. 

The broad measures of the manufacturing sector illustrate these same conclusions.  Manufacturing in the U.S. is finally growing again.  In 2010, manufacturing jobs increased for the first time since 1997.  Today manufacturing is growing at three times the rate of the domestic economy.  Consider, as well, the following facts as noted by Jerry Jasinowski, a former President of the National Association of Manufacturers:

  • American exports of goods rose 21% in 2010.  Conclusion: the quality of our goods is rising.

  • Manufacturing output in the U.S. today is twice that of the rate of the 1970s, in real terms.  Conclusion: we are more cost competitive today than we were in the 1970s.


  • Between 1987 and 2008, manufacturing productivity grew by more than 100%, while the rest of the business sector’s productivity increased by less than 60%.  Conclusion: we get far more out of our workforce today than we did in 1987 and than many businesses do today.

  • Between 1995 and 2008, manufacturing prices decreased by 3%, while the overall price level in the economy increased by 33%.  Conclusion:  while product quality has improved, and costs have fallen, prices have also declined.

The overall picture the manufacturing sector portrays, over the last twenty-five years, is that hostile market conditions produce better products and lower prices for customers, both at the same time.


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Final Call

By stuckincustoms.com
Published On :: Tue, 15 Oct 2024 16:01:00 +0000

If my timezone calculations are right, today is the final day of the latest Peak Design Kickstarter. They’ve some cool new bags, see below, which you can grab via this link! I’ve gone for the 7L Sling along with a backpack… in cloud. An ideal mix to cover short and long hikes/photo adventures. Oh, and […]

The post Final Call appeared first on Stuck in Customs.


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Can You Help Me With an Experiment?

By stuckincustoms.com
Published On :: Tue, 29 Oct 2024 23:31:00 +0000

Hey awesome blog reader… can you help me with an experiment? Below you’ll find five of my favorite videos from my YouTube channel. A mix that covers photography, travel, post-processing, AI and Machine Elf. I’d love it if you’d pick whichever one appeals most to you and watch a bit. That can be a minute […]

The post Can You Help Me With an Experiment? appeared first on Stuck in Customs.


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Vince Delmonte "Minimum Effective Dose

By timernstfitness.blogspot.com
Published On :: Fri, 24 Feb 2012 14:50:00 +0000




Hey Guys,
 
Hope all is well and you are keeping up with your goals and taking ACTION.
Speaking of action I had this thought the other day of why so many people have wishful thinking and never taking action.  I wrote this short story myself and it will only take a few moments of your time.
 
Now I want to talk about DEATH! DEATH? How often do you think about death, your own death? Most of the population does not think about death. We think we have all the time in the world. Well I can tell you that time is not on your side.

What if one day you're not feeling like yourself and you started to feel a little discomfort? You felt like the best thing to do was to go see your doctor. You walk in and wait nervously in the waiting room and the person at the front desk says your name. Your next. You open the door and walk in behind the wall and down the hall to a room. You sit down and the receptionist tells you that the doctor will be with you shortly. He finally comes in and runs some test. He returns with the results and tells you that you have a diseases that's incurable and that you only have 6 months to live. How will you spend the next 6 months of your life? Now you really don't have time on your side.

I think that most people would come up with their own bucket list and do all the things that they always wanted to do. Well what's stopping you from doing all those things now? You can do anything that you put your mind to. You want to loose weight, do it. You want a different life for yourself? Do it. You want to live healthy and change your physique for good? Then DO IT!

I'm not going to say that it's easy to get the physique you want but, with persistence and focus YOU CAN DO IT!  The choice is yours. I don't know about you, but I don't want to live my life with regrets. It may be hard, but if you stick with it the results are worth it.

I've learned most of my muscle building techniques from Vince Delmonte.  Here is a short video I posted on my site.  Its a really good video.
 
I have been following him for a few years and have met him in person. Here in this video he talks about The Ultimate Muscle Building Tip: "Minimum Effective Dose."

 
Take ACTION,
 
Tim.


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How to Build Muscle and Loose Fat At The Same Time

By timernstfitness.blogspot.com
Published On :: Wed, 29 Feb 2012 15:48:00 +0000

How to build muscle and loose fat at the same time.

By: Tim Ernst

Is it possible to gain muscle while at the same time loose fat? Some argue that you either have to do one or the other. I'm here to tell you that it is possible, but the secret is all about nutrient timing.

There are certain times of the day when you want to be in a caloric surplus. The only way to build muscle is to be in a caloric surplus and the only way to loose fat is to be in a caloric deficit. How do you do both at the same time?

Research shows that your most optimal time for muscle growth is what you consume after your workout. If you are not consuming enough calories after your workout, then you are just wasting your time.

Here is an example on how to start your day.

8:00 am: Low-carb protein shake with a greens product.

10:30 am: 2eggs plus 4 whites scrambled with cheese, spinach, onions, peppers, and mushrooms.

1:00 pm: 2 oz of dry roasted nuts.

3:00 pm: Chicken Breast with sweet potato or brown rice.

5:00 pm (workout) Consume your a favorite pre workout shake if you want for energy but, it's not necessary.

5:30 pm 30 minutes into your workout consume a high carb drink like Karbolyn, Power Carb, or Vitargo.

5:45 pm (immediately post-workout): quickly digested protein/carb beverage.

6:15pm: 2 oz of pasta (dry weight); 4 oz of Ground Turkey mixed with egg whites.; 2 slices of 12-grain bread; package of broccoli or green beans.

7:45 pm: 1 cup brown rice, cous cous, or quinoa 4 oz of chicken breast; 2 slices of 12-grain bread, asparagus.

10:00 pm: Hand full of mixed nuts or avocado and fish oils.

That's it!

Get ready to GROW.


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Lunch Break

By timernstfitness.blogspot.com
Published On :: Fri, 02 Mar 2012 12:43:00 +0000

Lunch Break

By: Tim Ernst

I've been noticing a trend lately at my job of what people are eating for lunch. The people I've been noticing are people in their 20's who have very unhealthy eating habits. Most of these people are skinny guys that appear to be either lazy to eat right or trying to gain weight. I think that in their minds they think that by eating anything they want it will some how help them to gain weight or does it?

These guys are known as hard gainers. They can eat anything they want and not gain weight. What they don't realize is what their putting into their body's will eventually do more harm than good.

Just the other day while I was eating my lunch I saw a guy who looked pretty skinny throw down a whole box of twinkies and washed it down with a bottle of soda. I watched him eat one by one until he was finished. I thought if only he knew what he was doing to himself he might rethink what he was doing. He looked pale, skinny, and just unhealthy.

You see anything you put into your body, it has to break it down. So what happens when you put something unhealthy into your body? Your body needs certain nutrients to break down food so if you are eating unhealthy foods that do not have certain nutrients, your body has no choice but to pull those nutrients from somewhere.
Your body is going to pull those nutrients from either muscle or bones to break it down leaving you looking unhealthy, skinny, and pale.

So the next time you think that by eating a twinkie is going to somehow help with gaining weight, you might want to consider replacing those foods with more nutritious foods. Its like they say, "Garbage in Garbage Out".

Have questions? Post them here and I'll do my best to get back with you.


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21 Must Known Facts To Muscle Building

By timernstfitness.blogspot.com
Published On :: Sat, 24 Mar 2012 15:43:00 +0000

As you continuously approach your fitness goals, you eventually hit a plateau, which occurs when you've nearly reached your ideal fitness level. At this point, you're basically stuck at one level, but you can take it to the next level easier than you make think.

Everyone who does resistance training―from newbies to professional bodybuilders―will hit this point, but what's important is knowing how to increase your productivity and enhance your workout, and with these 21 facts, you can definitely reach your fitness goals faster.

1. Are you exactly the same as your neighbor, or for that matter, even your sibling? Since we'll assume you answered, “No,” you must understand that everyone is different and doesn't respond to the same muscle building techniques; therefore, you should alternate the speed of your repetitions for optimal results.

2. What your parents gave you doesn't have to determine your goals. You should achieve your fitness objectives despite any genetic barriers you may have―i.e. a high BMI.

3. Establish your goals on paper. Research indicates that when a person writes down detailed goals with deadlines to meet, that the individual has a specific path to follow and is more likely to be successful at achieving that goal.

4. Age is nothing but a number, so don't let your age be a factor in achieving your goals, especially since you can't change this number. Focus on what you can control, such as your sleeping patterns.

5. Find a workout buddy. When you have someone to push you, you'll work harder than you would alone.

6. Keep in mind the ratio 10:1, because you generally need to gain 10 lbs for every inch of girth you add to your arm size. For instance, a majority of people gaining 50 lbs during the course of five years will also gain five inches in their arms.

7. Prior to increasing speed or resistance, increase the range of motion first, meaning you should fully contract and stretch your muscles. If you don’t, you’ll only receive partial results.

8. You need at least eight hours of sleep per night to build muscles, so aim to get this many winks as much as possible. Remember, a few late nights won't hurt, but making it a habit will take a toll on your target fitness level.

9. Stay hydrated! Your body needs at least 1 gallon or 16 cups of water per day for proper muscle growth. The composition of your body is 70 percent water, and in order for your body to maintain an anabolic state, water is essential.

10. Consume raw vegetables whenever you can. Cooking veggies removes much of their nutritional value. In fact, boiling these healthy treats removes between 50 to 75 percent of their nutrients. You may steam them, if you can't eat them raw, but never boil them.

11. Eggs are an excellent source of protein and despite their bad reputation, they're one of the healthiest foods you can select, especially for bodybuilding.

12. If you don't have one already, go out and purchase a blender. The amount of calories that you must eat as a bodybuilder are much easier to consume in liquid form. This vital piece of equipment is definitely important if you have a busy lifestyle that doesn't allow you to eat every three to four hours.

13. When you go grocery stopping, stick to shopping in the outer aisles. These aisles are typically where the fresh dairy and meat are located. The inner portion of the grocery store consists of processed foods and canned goods that should be avoided if you want to build muscle fast.

14. Never use a supplement in place of a meal. You must put food before supplements, so that you're consuming all the nutrients you need for bodybuilding. The nutrition you receive from foods surpasses that of a supplement.

15. In regards to supplements, creatine stands out as the top bodybuilding supplement. Beginning in the 90s, creatine has been at the top of supplement charts and has not seen a decrease in popularity since. The daily dosage recommendations vary; however, the most common dosage schedule consists of taking 20-30 grams for the first 5-7 days, then reducing the amount to 3-5 grams per day.

16. Maybe you don't have enough energy to workout, or maybe you want to increase the amount of time you workout. If either of these scenarios are the case, you should choose coffee for a pick-me-up, since it contains a mild stimulant known as caffeine. Caffeine is an inexpensive and safe performance enhancer.

17. You wouldn't drive your car without warming it up on a cold day, so why would you exercise without getting your body warmed up? Get those muscles warm to avoid injury while working out. Complete at least five to 10 minutes of stretching, in addition to some light cardio before you begin heavy lifting.

18. You've heard before that cheaters never prosper, but in certain cases, this isn't true. Although cheating to finish a set quicker or to lift more weight isn't positive, cheating on the last few reps makes the weight feel easier. This stimulates more muscle fibers with greater intensity.

19. Play nice and take turns! The you-go, I-go concept leads to an intense workout, because after you do a set, your partner immediately does one after you, then before you know it, it’s your turn again. You both use the same weights, but you take turns without any rests in between, and you see who can do the most reps per set. Try this technique with your workout buddy when you do barbell curls or other simple exercises.

20. During the 1940s and 1950s, Reg Park and Vince Gironda made a super intense technique for bodybuilding popular, which consisted of doing 10 sets of 10. This old-school procedure may have a modern name of “German volume technique;” however, this has been a preferred method to build muscles for quite some time. It causes your muscles to grow rapidly. Basically, you should do 10 sets of 10 reps for one body part at a time. Then, you should superset at two different body parts each workout. Make sure you don’t rest for more than a minute in between each exercise. Use this regimen for three weeks, and then return to a more traditional approach.

21. Switch up your routine. After three weeks, you should change your program completely. Basically, it should be opposite of the original order you did the exercises in. For instance, if you worked on your chest first, you should do it last next time. If you worked on abs on Monday, you should do them on Friday next time. Change up the amount of sets you do, as well.

Vince Delmonte


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A Beginner’s Guide to a Muscle Building Program

By timernstfitness.blogspot.com
Published On :: Tue, 27 Mar 2012 08:29:00 +0000

A Beginner’s Guide to a
Muscle Building Program

By:  Vince Delmonte 


If you’ve only been training for a under a year, then you’re considered a beginner. For guidance as beginner, you should look toward the muscle-building workout that is illustrated below. The best part of being a newbie is that the most muscle gain will come during the first six to 12 months. This exciting time is when you will see the biggest change in your body and in your life. The only downside is that there isn’t a magic potion or a shortcut to muscle growth. Nevertheless, if you stick to the program, in three month, you’ll be heading in a positive, forward direction, rather than on a negative, backwards path.  Here are a few guidelines to take into consideration prior to beginning:
  • Think big, but too not big.
This is not meant to deter you from wanting big muscles or having big goals; however, you must be realistic or else there’s no real definable point in your goal, and it may actually be counterproductive. Being honest with yourself is crucial to success. Evaluate your level of fitness as it stands to date, and factor that into the equation that defines where you want to be three months from now. Think long-term where you want to be, as well. So set a plan that includes where you want to be in a year and even in two years. You’ll need to be focused on both types of goals, but always keep in mind that short-term goals lead to completing your long-term goals.
  • Don’t assume you weren’t successful if you don’t see overnight results.
My advice to you is to obligate yourself to bodybuilding for at least three months before you evaluate your progress. I’m sure you’re just like me and wish to see results quickly and yesterday. But, this isn’t practical. Overnight results exist, but they’re not the deciding factor, so don’t become frustrated, especially since a total transformation takes time. Celebrate every gain you earn, and make sure you appreciate that sculpting an entire body takes time and patience, and the real victory occurs over time and not in overnight spurts.
  • The time you spend in the gym only comprises part of your to-do list.
When you examine how you’re going to accomplish your goals, the time you spend muscle training is only part of the equation. The time you spend in the gym essentially lays down the foundation for potential muscle growth. Your sleep patterns, the supplements you select, the foods you eat, how much you eat and even when you eat plays a role and acts as the building blocks with which you must lay your foundation. Each one of these aspects will manipulate the rate at which you’ll notice changes in your physique.  We’ve cleaned house; now it’s time to get started on developing your muscle-building program.

A Beginner’s Guide to Muscle Building

When you muscle build as a beginner, you must include 15 different exercises that utilize basic movements You have to factor in a pyramid rep/set scheme, incorporate a change in the order in which you do exercises, train at least three times per week and continue this pattern for three months. You should start every workout with a warm-up consisting of 10 minutes of aerobic exercise, such as running, rowing, walking on an incline or even skipping. Do arm circles (when you move your arms in a circular pattern in both directions) as a light stretching exercise to loosen up tendons, ligaments and tissue in your shoulders. Sweating before you exercise is an excellent way to determine that you’re ready to hit the floor.

Sets, Reps and Rest…oh my!

During your first month, you should perform one to two sets that consist of 15 to 20 reps, increasing the weight of each set. Make sure that each workout is a little heavier than the one before. The time you rest between sets must only be 30 to 60 seconds long.
When you reach month two, you should perform three to four sets that consist of 10 to12 reps, and you should increase the weight after each set. Begin your next workout with a slightly heavier weight than you did the last workout and continue increasing, taking a 60-second breather between each set.
Once you’ve hit month three, start doing three to four sets of six to eight reps, and make sure you’re increasing the weight after each set. Again, begin each workout a little heavier than you did the last one and rest between 60 and 90 seconds between each set.

Switching Up the Routine

If you find that the workout plan is a little too difficult, you may want to break it down into two different days. Do exercises one through seven on Mondays and Thursdays and do exercises eight through 15 on Tuesdays and Fridays. Ultimately, you would have four different muscle building workouts each week, as opposed to two.

Extra Notes
  • · Make sure you are learning the exercises correctly. Either pick up my muscle-building program or hire a personal trainer to teach you the correct way to do each of the exercises.
  • · Think about stretching after each exercise. This benefits your muscle growth and recovery, as well as your flexibility.
  • · Observe the changes you’re making to the order in which you train your muscles, because this prevents muscle imbalance from occurring. Varying your workout regimen gives each muscle group an opportunity to be the first to be trained, which results in these muscles being fresh and being able to go harder.
  • · Familiarize yourself with the exercise. If you’re lifting weights with bad form, you can injure yourself, and you’ll never reach your goal. Remember, it’s not about lifting the heaviest weight.
  • · You’ll have good days and bad days. Some days the weights may seem very heavy. This is normal to have both low-energy days and high-energy days. After you take charge of your diet and recovery, you’ll be able to control your performance better.
  • · Focus on success in the first month, not failure. Reach your rep goals each time and do extra reps for a more difficult workout. Keep progressing each month and just be patient. Know the movements, before you push your weight limits.
  • · In some cases, changes to your body will not occur until your second month or sometimes even the third. Trust the program and allow your motivation to increase - don’t let this hinder you in achieving your goals.
  • · Complete each of your workouts with at least 10 minutes of cardio and conclude with some light stretching that focuses on your tighter muscle groups.
Conclusion

Once you’ve reached your third month, you’ll have a strong base to continue to work on. You’ll be strong with a shapely physique. Even your mental and physical state will have been affected in a positive manner. After you’ve arrived at this pivotal point, it’s time to make alterations to your program and concentrate on the larger goals. With this being said, your first three months need to be the same, in order to create that strong foundation. Remember, there is not a single perfect product or program. You’ll learn what works best for you as you progress. Please leave comments about your training experience as a beginner. If you’re not a beginner, leave some tips for the beginners. If you enjoyed reading this, please click the “Like” button below.


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My Review and Questions Answered on Vince Delmonte's Stage Shredded Status

By timernstfitness.blogspot.com
Published On :: Fri, 06 Apr 2012 08:33:00 +0000

Alright, today we're going to cover some common questions you may have
about the Stage Shredded Status DVD's before
they sell out...

==> Click here to learn how this transformation went down...


If you've seen the video but have some questions before ordering:

Question: Is SSS a documentary of Vince Delmonte's transformation or is there an actual program included?

Answer: Yes, SSS includes an entire program (covered on 3 of the 8 disks) and it was filmed with former NFL lineman and NPC level bodybuilder Ryan Watson! They are both pretty jacked up in this workout so it's pretty motivating too!

What Vince is going to do for anyone who orders is send you the printable workout sheets of the Stage Shredded Status workout program! Just email him your receipt to the help desk for proof of purchase!

You'll love this program because it relies on a variance of rep ranges to target, specifically, the Type 11a & Type 1a muscle fibers which create the training effect of
hypertrophy and strength-endurance. The combos generate a lot of lactate to boost growth hormone levels to assist in fat loss. You don't do super heavy loads because heavy lifting does not involve enough mechanical stress to promote fat loss.
Plus, you would not normally lift super heavy when you get leaner because your joints have less fluid and fat to protect them from the bigger forces.

Question: What if I have more than 50 lbs to lose?

Answer: Heck, Vince had 30 lbs to lose so you're programming
is going to be no different than his. The only difference is that you have an extra 8-10 weeks to travel. Let's go!

==> Get 6-Pack Abs By Summertime!



Question: Is SSS for a complete beginner?

Answer: If Vince only cared about selling his DVD's I would say yes but if you have less than one year experience in his crazy fitness world, you'll probably find his approach a little too hardcore for now. Sit this one up unless you're absolutely intrigued to see how this goes down.

The weight training program is far too advanced and you would be better off learning the nutritional principles in No Nonsense Muscle Building, which focuses on a balanced approach to eating. You need to master a balanced
approach before implementing some of the more advanced things they did.

Question: I noticed you had an ENTIRE cupboard full of supplements.
Am I supposed to take all of those?!?!

Answer: When it comes to supplementation, that's a personal choice.

In the DVD's Vince explains WHY he takes what he takes and encourages you to just sit back and consider it an educational experience. Then, as you choose, start to add one new supplement a month and measure
the response. There are SO MANY supplements he's interested in trying himself but he likes to add one new thing at a time so he will get there when he gets there.

Question: What if I only have 10 lbs of fat to lose?

Answer: Again, the same principles apply and you'll learn how Vince adjusted his cardio intensity and frequency as he gets closer to the show to ensure he does not lose muscle the last few weeks.

You'll see EXACTLY how he changed his diet from phase to phase (He changed it three times throughout the 16 weeks) and you'll see some creative ways to switch around your macros and food sources
that assist with fat loss, WITHOUT dropping your calories.

==> Get 6-Pack Abs By Summertime!

Question: Is Ben Pakulski in any of the DVD's?

Answer: YES! The first 2 DVDs start off in Toronto when Vince is looking pretty bulky and they get 2 hours of coaching on the gym floor with Ben & Intentions! If you bought MI40 then you already have this footage but it's worth reviewing and owning it on hardcopy. I know that every time I watch this footage, I re learn something new and then BOOM, I have a better workout!

If you don't have this footage, heck, the first 2 hours is worth 3x the price of the DVDs because Ben bills $150 an hour! This is the kind of information that propelled him into the ranks of the top ten bodybuilders in the world this past month!

Question: How long are the DVDs on sale?

Answer: It depends... we have about 550 left in stock now and the $50 off sale ends Sunday night or whenever he sells out... Whatever comes first.

Trust that helps and THANK YOU for your interest in Vince's work. This is, by far, the best fat loss resource he's ever released. Grab it while you can!

Here is the $50 Off Discount link to get your DVDs shipped right now!

Get 6-Pack Abs By Summertime!


P.S. Vince ships all over the world!


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Recovery

By timernstfitness.blogspot.com
Published On :: Fri, 13 Apr 2012 13:57:00 +0000

When it comes to building muscle and the ultimate physique you desire there are many factors that come into play.  Going into the gym day in and day out without any type of proper recovery can lead you to over-training.  Your body needs time to recover.  So many people think that if they go to the gym everyday, they'll reach their goal quicker.  This type of mindset appears to make logical sense but, this is not the way to properly build muscle.

You build muscle when you are out of the gym.

Most people don't know that it is when you are out of the gym, you grow.  Recovery is so important to achieving your physique goals.  Do you know that when you are in the gym crushing it as hard as you can, you actually are tearing the muscle and getting smaller.  Getting smaller?  I used to think that by going to the gym you should be getting bigger.  You are actually getting smaller because you are breaking down the muscle.  It's when you recover that you start to build muscle.  Here are some methods to properly recover from your workout

1.  BCAA  BCAA are Branch Chain Amino Acids that are super beneficial to your recovery.  They
help repair muscle when they are broken down.  Try taking at leas 20g during your workout.  You
can take it in pill form or powder form during your workout.

2.  FISH OILS  Fish oils are great to speed up the process of your recovery.  They are considered to
be healthy fats that reduce inflammation.  Take these after your workout and before you go to bed.  Fats
increase testosterone and we all know that testosterone is responsible for muscle growth.

3.  COLD SHOWERS.  Why do you think that athletes soak themselves in an ice bath or a baseball
pitcher rests his elbow in an ice bath?  Cold Showers reduce inflammation and the swelling of your
muscles.  When you take a cold shower your muscles tighten up leaving you feeling refreshed and
ready to get back in the gym.

4.  Green's Product.  Greens products are great if you don't have time to cook a lot of veggies.  Do
you know that after you work out your body becomes very acidic?  When you take a greens product after your workout you alkaline your body and reduce that acidity resulting in a speedy recovery.

5. REST This is a big one that most people screw up. Sometimes more is not the answer. Haven't you heard that less is often times more? Your body needs a lot of rest and you should be at least sleeping for 7-8 hours a night. Working out for 12 weeks consecutively, you should take a week off. For every 6 weeks you should take 3-4 days off. Your workout split could be 3 days on 1 day off, 2 days on and 1 day off. If this doesn't work for you the best thing to do is too listen to your body. Everyone is different. Some recover faster than others. If you are not ready to hit the gym and you are still worn out or sore, don't go. You need to recover longer.

I hope this helps and keep crushing your goals.

Tim


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What supplement companies don't want you to KNOW

By timernstfitness.blogspot.com
Published On :: Mon, 16 Apr 2012 13:59:00 +0000

The Facts You Need To Know About Supplements that have proprietary blends.

Nearly 75% of the world population takes some type of supplement each day. There are literally thousands of brands and millions of products to choose from. Is there really a difference between them?

The FDA allows questionable fillers and binders such as; cork by products, chemical FD&C dyes, sodium benzoate, dextrose, ethycellulose, and propylene glycol to name only a few. Although these ingredients may be legal, what are the nutritional benefits? Reports have indicate that some of these ingredients can be toxic at certain levels with prolong use.
The FDA does not monitor the contents or purity of a supplement nor the source of a nutritional ingredient.

Purity: What does it really mean? ---Defined: The quality or state of being pure or unmixed with any other element.

In most cases, Impure ingredients are used by many companies. The FDA does not require manufacturers to list these ingredients (on the nutritional labels) if they are not added when making the final dosage form. Many times the raw materials may contain only 90% or less of the listed ingredients along with 10% or more corn starch and lactose. Lactose and corn are known allergens for some people. These items have been known to cause digestive disturbances and weaken the immune system. A conscientious company will not compromise the integrity of a product with such raw materials.  There are 3 types of grades but, we are going to talk about 1 here for the purpose of this article.

1.  Pharmaceutical Grade supplements meet exacting pharmaceutical production standards.
Pharmaceutical Grade supplements are manufactured to a very high standards of potency, purity, dissolution, and a higher degree of bioavailability – the degree at which the vitamin is absorbed into a living system.The term pharmaceutical grade was originally taken from the standard of certification of the facilities in which pharmaceutical grade supplements were made.  Pharmaceutical grade also refers to the ingredients in the supplement. Pharmaceutical grade vitamins meet the highest standards for purity and concentration.

Finally, pharmaceutical grade supplements have a high bioavailability. This means that when you take a pharmaceutical grade products, your body absorbs an optimal amount of nutrients. Better nutrient absorption means greater health benefits.

If you want to know what supplements to buy, look for the "GMP" or "CPMG" stamps on the container.  These two stamps indicate that they were manufactured in a pharmaceutical company.  Be careful with products that have proprietary blends.  Proprietary blends have ingredients that are not listed on the container so you really don't know what you are consuming.

choose-health.org 
pharmanutrients.com 2009
healingedge.net 2012


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Video Testimonial/Vince Delmonte

By timernstfitness.blogspot.com
Published On :: Sat, 21 Apr 2012 16:43:00 +0000

Here in this video I talk about where I was and where I am now with my fitness progress. I give a lot of credit to Vince Delmonte pertaining to my fitness achievements and where I am in my personal/ business life.  On this site you will find a lot of my own articles and Vince's articles pertaining to building muscle. You can reach me on my Facebook fan page here http://www.facebook.com/TimmErnstFitness

Vince Delmonte is the real deal and cares about his followers progress and muscle building goals. His philosophy is, "If you can Live Large inside of the gym, You can Live Large outside of the gym.


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Protein/When and How Much?

By timernstfitness.blogspot.com
Published On :: Mon, 23 Apr 2012 21:56:00 +0000

If there is one nutrient that you need to support your training and recovery, protein would be it! All the exercise in the world won’t help you build muscle or get lean if it is not supported with proper nutrition, which should always include a good dose of some high-quality protein or high quality protein powder.
Read the full article here==>How Much Protein?


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Success

By timernstfitness.blogspot.com
Published On :: Fri, 01 Jun 2012 08:43:00 +0000

Met some great people at the Power House Gym in downtown Tampa. Not your average gym! You want to grow and and succeed? Surround yourself with people who are bigger, faster, and better than you.


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SLC-2L-12: Two-Light Bike for the Bucks

By strobist.blogspot.com
Published On :: Thu, 11 Jun 2020 23:18:00 +0000

UODATE: The bike sold, quickly, for the full asking price to the first person who showed up. Which was cool. And even better, the guy was like, "Who did the pictures? They jumped out at me."

(Tiny speedlights FTW...)



Have you tried to buy a new bike lately? Or even a used bike?

The coronavirus pandemic has made them very tough to find. Between homebound people snapping them up and all of the various broken supply chains, most of the bike inventory — other than very pricey specialty bikes — has pretty much vanished.

Which means that if you have a functional bike in your garage that you don't need, it will likely never be worth more than it is right now.

My daughter Emily has an unneeded bike in the garage. It's a Trek 7100, which is decent hybrid. She rode it to middle school. But she's just graduated college and won't be bringing it to her new job.

But right now it should fetch a nice price in the Craigslist Bicycle Hunger Games. Especially if it is photographed and presented well.

So that's exactly what we are going to do today: photograph a bike with a basic two speedlight kit.Read more »


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SLC-1L-11: Planting Rice at Sunrise

By strobist.blogspot.com
Published On :: Mon, 13 Jul 2020 23:24:00 +0000



Seeing as no one is doing much traveling these days, I thought it'd be fun to pay a visit with a Strobist reader photographing somewhere far away.

Up for a little Lighting Cookbook field trip to Indonesia? Yeah? Then let's go... Read more »


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SLC-2L-13: Shoot Through Your Sunset

By strobist.blogspot.com
Published On :: Sat, 22 Aug 2020 20:35:00 +0000

Whenever you have control over the time of day in which you'll be shooting a location portrait, always remember that the hour that wraps around sunset will offer you at least five different lighting environments in which to work. 


And for today's portrait of birders Jo (left) and Bob Solem, we're going to use three of them. 

Read more »


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SLC-2L-14: Fill in the Blanks

By strobist.blogspot.com
Published On :: Thu, 24 Sep 2020 23:10:00 +0000




There are two main schools of thought when it comes to lighting. One is to light your subject in a way that is not grounded in reality but merely looks cool. And the other is to use lighting to translate the way your eye sees light into a way that your camera can better understand it. 

That latter choice is the option we'll be exploring today in a walk-through of a sunset portrait of artist Wendy Ng for the Howard County Conservancy. 

Read more »


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SLC-1L-12: A Garden of Ideas

By strobist.blogspot.com
Published On :: Tue, 27 Oct 2020 01:04:00 +0000



At first glance: a simple, one-light portrait of activist gardener Janssen Evelyn.

Dig deeper: a look at tonal mapping via specular highlights, stretching the range of your modestly powered flash, and how to discover your next project.

Read more »


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SLC-0L-05: Lighting's Gateway Drug

By strobist.blogspot.com
Published On :: Wed, 25 Nov 2020 22:26:00 +0000

















































Quick, guess the lighting.

If you said two lights, and use of high-speed sync to get the shallow depth of field, that's a pretty good guess.

If you said zero lights and a rigid high-efficiency reflector, that's an even better (and correct) guess.

When working with an inexperienced assistant — or looking to introduce someone to the world of off-camera lighting — a rigid/high-efficiency reflector is a fantastic and inexpensive place to start.

Read more »


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SLC-OE-08: Turning the Corner

By strobist.blogspot.com
Published On :: Thu, 31 Dec 2020 15:38:00 +0000



Whew. What a year. 
But if you're reading this, you made it through! 
As we all move into a hopefully much better 2021, here are three things you can do to improve your experience as a photographer for the coming year.
Read more »


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SLC-2L-15: Cross-Pollination

By strobist.blogspot.com
Published On :: Sun, 28 Feb 2021 01:01:00 +0000



Lighting with flash can give you more than just the ability to control the quality of your light. With the inherent consistency of light from (manual) flash, you can layer in slices of time as well. 


But first, you’ll want to lock down two things: the ambient light portion of your exposure, and your camera’s physical position.

Read more »


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iPhone Users: Put an AirTag in Your Camera Bag

By strobist.blogspot.com
Published On :: Wed, 02 Jun 2021 05:35:00 +0000



Apple’s new AirTags are a straight-up gift for photographers. After testing one for the past couple of weeks, I’ll be hiding an AirTag in my scooter, one in my car and another one in my camera bag.
Read more »


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SLC-1L-13: Conservancy Critters

By strobist.blogspot.com
Published On :: Wed, 30 Jun 2021 03:16:00 +0000



When lighting with small subjects, a speedlight is generally all you’ll ever need. Further, because of the scale and distances involved, even with a small flash you’ll be working at low power settings.

For these photos of some of the resident animals at the Howard County Conservancy, we used a single speedlight generally at one-eighth power, and let the environment of the impromptu studio to the rest of the heavy lifting for light modification.
Read more »


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My Social Life

By vickdogsblog.blogspot.com
Published On :: Mon, 20 Jun 2011 22:04:00 +0000



I have been busy this month! I took my mom to Pit Ed a couple of weeks ago to show her the ropes and I got to see some of my special old Bad Rap friends.

I had a "dog sitter" experience this month, too. This man and lady called Aunt and Uncle came and stayed at my house while my family went away for a couple of days. At first I wasn't sure I was going to have fun with them, but once I saw that they had my magical purple leash I figured they must be great. Here I am wrestling with Uncle.



This is my friend Gordon. He belongs to a lady called Grandma. He's 15 years old and can't play much anymore so we lick each other's faces and sniff stuff on short walks. I really like him.



This is my neighbor, Cooper. Even though he is only 9 months old, he is giant. I kind of like him. He has good manners. I think he has potential. Here we are having some down time, but Cooper told me his dad's command for this is "chillax".



So, that's my report on my social life lately!
Grace


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I'm a Canine Good Citizen!

By vickdogsblog.blogspot.com
Published On :: Tue, 11 Oct 2011 16:02:00 +0000


Hi Everyone, it's me, Grace. You might remember that a couple of years ago I earned my Canine Good Citizen award with my foster dad. Well, my mom said to me about a month ago, "Hey Grace, I know you already know this stuff, but what do you say you and I take the Canine Good Citizen test again?" So I told her I would do it again, just for her if it would make her feel good.


So we practiced all these things like sitting, staying, coming, not pulling on the leash, and passing by dogs nicely without staring at them. I didn't mind it at all, because she gave me lots of treats for doing it.




This past weekend I went with my family to this place with a ton of dogs. They called it a "dog show", but there was no TV there. Anyway, I had to wait for a long time and finally, I heard them call my me and my mom's names and we went into this fenced area. There was a lady with a blue shirt and she told my mom to have me do all these things. She kept saying "nice" after I did them.




After about 10 minutes of doing what she asked me to do, my mom looked very happy and gave me a delicious beef tendon and told me we had passed the Canine Good Citizen test. It was a great day.



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Bouncy Uba is BACK!

By vickdogsblog.blogspot.com
Published On :: Fri, 18 Nov 2011 03:33:00 +0000

I thought it would never happen, but the doctor says I'm all better. My naughty knee has gone away for good. I still have to be nice to my new knee for a few more weeks, but I'm allowed to jump up on my mom's big bed and lie in the sun again.
I can run and play in the back yard, and go for walks and best of all go to training classes. We went for a walk in one of my favorite places to celebrate my new knee. I sniffed and sniffed everything and looked at the fat squirrels and it made me smile to be back out in the world.
I got really tired and had to lie down and pant for a long time when we got home. I kept on smiling because my new knee makes me very happy.
Thank you Dr. Sams and all the nice people at the Sams Clinic for taking such good care of me and helping me get my bounce back.

hugs,
Uba


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Dog-sized Christmas Tree

By vickdogsblog.blogspot.com
Published On :: Sat, 26 Nov 2011 21:51:00 +0000



Today my family is getting out this stuff they call Christmas decorations and I'm helping. There's even a little tree just my size in the room where I sleep!



It's kind of exciting, but this decorating thing can make a girl tired!
-Grace


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Come and Meet Us!

By vickdogsblog.blogspot.com
Published On :: Fri, 20 Jan 2012 03:49:00 +0000

In case you missed it, Jonny Justice, Teddles, and me, Uba, will be hanging out at AnnaBee's in Pacifica on Saturday, January 21st. We will be signing books and answering all your important questions. My good friend Sydney will be hanging out with us too.
Come and say hi, we can't wait to meet you!

Hugs,
Uba


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My Precious

By vickdogsblog.blogspot.com
Published On :: Mon, 23 Apr 2012 03:30:00 +0000

After dinner treat
the bouncy red rubber ball
it is mine all mine
I am a lucky dog.
hugs,
Uba


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Just Call Me Super Dog

By vickdogsblog.blogspot.com
Published On :: Thu, 28 Jun 2012 04:12:00 +0000

 This weekend I dressed up and went on a walk with all my friends incognito.

I thought that my outfit would let me enjoy the day quietly and the people would pay attention to my sister, Lulu, and my foster sister, Tallulah.
Thats Lulu on my left and Tallulah on my right.
My plan backfired a little. As we walked the people along the way kept calling me. "Super Dog! Super Dog!" they kept shouting. 


I have to admit it was cool to be Super Dog for a day!

hugs,
Uba


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Surviving The World - classic comics

By survivingtheworld.net
Published On :: Sat, 6 Jun 2020 10:30:00 -0500


This comic was originally posted in 2017.

Thoughts from 6/6/2020: This comic originally ran with pretty straightforward commentary underneath: "White supremacists can go to hell. And any other monsters like them can go to hell as well. And may the rest of us never join them, actively or passively."

I never explicitly said it in STW and I should have, but Black Lives Matter.

When STW ended, we made a book of the best 300 comics. You can buy the PDF of the book right now, and all sales are going to go to support Black Lives Matter, and foodbanks in need because of the coronavirus. And there's more. You can also buy all the videos ever made for STW, including many that were not openly shared, and all sales are also going to the same causes.

This is the bare utter minimum that I can do and will do, but it's a start. Hopefully this will help make the title of this comic be a real-world existence for more people.


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Surviving The World - classic comics

By survivingtheworld.net
Published On :: Sun, 7 Jun 2020 10:30:00 -0500


This comic was originally posted in 2017.

Thoughts from 6/7/2020: The flags at the bottom were for trans rights, given when this originally posted, but given the current Black Rights Matter protest, and JKR even further torpedoing her legacy yesterday with her transphobia (happy Pride, by the way), this comic seems like it meets the current moment well enough.

When STW ended, we made a book of the best 300 comics. You can buy the PDF of the book right now, and all sales are going to go to support Black Lives Matter, and foodbanks in need because of the coronavirus. And there's more. You can also buy all the videos ever made for STW, including many that were not openly shared, and all sales are also going to the same causes.

This is the bare utter minimum that I can do and will do, but it's a start. Hopefully this will help make the title of this comic be a real-world existence for more people.


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Surviving The World - classic comics

By survivingtheworld.net
Published On :: Wed, 10 Jun 2020 10:30:00 -0500

These comics were originally posted in 2011, 2012, 2017, and 2018, respectively.

Thoughts from 6/10/2020: Sprite had to be put down today. We were insanely fortunate to have her as part of our family for so long - we had her since 2006 - but no 14-year-old cat lives forever. She was easily the greatest cat I've ever had, the cat that changed my entire perspective on her species. She used to come running if I called 'henchman!' so she would watch Red Sox games with me. She ate the 4 pet birds we had when she broke their cage open. She would put her cat toys away at night before climbing into bed. She used to let me use her body to erase the chalkboard. She knew she was the boss of the house but she was incredibly sweet. The only reason it took over 800 comics for her to show up on STW before becoming the first cat TA was that I couldn't sneak her into Cornell engineering buildings like I could the dog. I'm heartbroken today.

There are bigger crises at hand right now, and this loss is certainly not equivalent. But it's still a big loss to me.

Black Lives Matter / Coronavirus help: >When STW ended, we made a book of the best 300 comics. You can buy the PDF of the book right now, and all sales are going to go to support Black Lives Matter, and foodbanks in need because of the coronavirus. And there's more. You can also buy all the videos ever made for STW, including many that were not openly shared, and all sales are also going to the same causes.

This is the bare utter minimum that I can do and will do, but it's a start. Hopefully this will help make the title of this comic be a real-world existence for more people.


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Surviving The World - classic comics

By survivingtheworld.net
Published On :: Tues, 16 Jun 2020 10:30:00 -0500


This comic was originally posted in 2010 for the repeal of Don't Ask Don't Tell.

Thoughts from 6/16/2020: Didn't expect that full win yesterday. Thought they would find a way to split the baby. I'll take every simple win they'll give us.

Black Lives Matter / Coronavirus help: >When STW ended, we made a book of the best 300 comics. You can buy the PDF of the book right now, and all sales are going to go to support Black Lives Matter, and foodbanks in need because of the coronavirus. And there's more. You can also buy all the videos ever made for STW, including many that were not openly shared, and all sales are also going to the same causes.

This is the bare utter minimum that I can do and will do, but it's a start. Hopefully this will help make the title of this comic be a real-world existence for more people.


Full Article

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Surviving The World - classic comics

By survivingtheworld.net
Published On :: Tues, 30 Jun 2020 10:30:00 -0500


This comic was originally posted in 2017.

Thoughts from 6/30/2020: There's a lot of pro-LGBTQ comics throughout STW, which was probably a sign to some extent that I was hiding a part of my queerness throughout the run of the comic, even if I didn't know that I was NB until a month or so after this specific comic came out, actually. I can regret the lost time but I don't think I'd be in the solid place I am now if I had come out earlier, so I try to keep that in mind (even if I often fail at doing so). Anyway, today is the last day of Pride Month for 2020 and to keep in mind the protests of the last month, there wouldn't be the degree of LGBTQ rights that there are now if it hadn't been for Black trans women like Marsha P. Johnson leading the way in the first place. So here's to those who fight for who they are and have the courage to exist despite the world trying to keep them in the shadows.

Black Lives Matter / Coronavirus help: When STW ended, we made a book of the best 300 comics. You can buy the PDF of the book right now, and all sales are going to go to support Black Lives Matter, and foodbanks in need because of the coronavirus. And there's more. You can also buy all the videos ever made for STW, including many that were not openly shared, and all sales are also going to the same causes.


Full Article

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Surviving The World - classic comics

By survivingtheworld.net
Published On :: Wed, 1 Jul 2020 10:30:00 -0500


This comic was originally posted in 2009.

Thoughts from 7/1/2020: Halfway through the year and I'm sure those resolutions are going well, right? This year in particular ...

Donate to Black Lives Matter / Coronavirus help: When STW ended, we made a book of the best 300 comics. You can buy the PDF of the book right now, and all sales are going to go to support Black Lives Matter, and foodbanks in need because of the coronavirus. And there's more. You can also buy all the videos ever made for STW, including many that were not openly shared, and all sales are also going to the same causes.


Full Article

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Surviving The World - classic comics

By survivingtheworld.net
Published On :: Fri, 3 Jul 2020 10:30:00 -0500


This comic was originally posted in 2017.

Thoughts from 7/3/2020: The best part about this comic is that it is still true and we can just reflect on a different subset of society this time. For some reason, and I can't figure out why, it's been very hard for me to celebrate July 4th the last few years ...

Donate to Black Lives Matter / Coronavirus help: When STW ended, we made a book of the best 300 comics. You can buy the PDF of the book right now, and all sales are going to go to support Black Lives Matter, and foodbanks in need because of the coronavirus. And there's more. You can also buy all the videos ever made for STW, including many that were not openly shared, and all sales are also going to the same causes.


Full Article