MDIBDC site has just launched! Check it out at mdibdc.com

Congrats guys.

This article is a continuation from the last Business View entry where the most important ingredients of a successful website were discussed.  So in case you missed it, feel free to go back and take a look at the last issue.

This month we’ll discuss easy tips that you can use on your own website to raise its ranking in search engines!

#1: Be Easy To Find (continued) – Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

If the only way people can find your website is entering the address they find on your business card, well you’ll have a ton of networking to do and even fewer visits to your website.   Today there is a better way to get found called Search Engine Optimization!  SEO is a range of techniques that are used to improve your websites ranking in search engine results and can be one of the most useful marketing strategies available today.

As I’m sure you’ve found in your own home, few people use the phonebook these days.  In fact, 70% of adults “rarely or never” use their phone book while 60% of them use the Internet to find contact information (Harris Interactive Survey 2011). 

While I’m sure few find this surprising, the real surprise comes when you hear that some businesses are still paying lots of money advertising in the Yellow Pages.  However, for consumers, they would rather pull out their laptop, tablet or smart phone and search for whatever they need at that moment.  That is why Search Engine Optimization has arisen as such a useful marketing tool.

So here are some easy to implement tips on how to increase your websites ranking in Search Engines that don’t cost anything and will increase the amount of calls your business receives!

1. First choose your main keywords for your business.  Imagine yourself in your potential clients shoes and try to understand what words they would type into a search engine to find your business.  They may be things like, “marketing Saskatoon, welding Warman, etc.”

2. Pick your main keyword for every page and focus on using that word in many places throughout it.  Be careful though, if you use this word too many times you run the possibility of the page losing importance, as it will confuse Search Engines.  Essentially write for humans first, search engines second.

3. The placement of your primary keywords is also important.  Make sure to have your main keywords included in not only your body content but also your headline and sub-headline.

4. Include keywords in images and URL of the website.  When you have a picture on your website, make sure the file name has your keyword in it (ex: mykeyword.jpg).  Also, it helps if your website address has your keywords in it (ex: www.stealthwd.ca/saskatoon-web-design).

5. Creating links for other web pages to your website.  This has been the trump card of getting your website to the top of search engines since the dawn of the Internet and is still one of the most important elements to SEO today.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is a science in itself so it’s difficult to include everything but hopefully these tips will get you started.  If you need any assistance with this please feel free to give me a call and I’ll walk you through it.

Have a great month and be sure to check out next months article where I’ll give you tips on boosting your business with Social Media!

Cheers and talk soon,

Ryan S. Yedersberger

Having trouble with your current website?  Need someone to talk to regarding a website idea?  Contact my team at Stealth Web Designs located on 8th Street East right here in beautiful Saskatoon.

Through piecing together some stuff I found online and my own tom-foolery I managed to create a little CSS chunk that disables filter on all elements in IE9

:root body *{
    filter:none !important;
}

Since IE8 and lower don't support the :root selector, only IE9 and greater will pick up the css.

Enjoy

-Jared

Design Duties Include:
- The re-launch of product websites and micro-sites
- 70% daily production work: photo cropping, button design, page
layouts, ad banner management, product updates via CMS, site
graphic updates, assistance to the senior web designers.
- Online marketing campaigns: the design and production of e-
blasts, banner ads, contests and all related page or microsite
creation/support

Office Duties Include:
-Reception work including answering and directing all incoming
calls
-Greeting and directing all visitors to the office
-Organizing conference calls
-Handling collection and distribution of all internal and external
mail.
-All company courier requirements
-Ordering office supplies

Requirements:
-Design graphics and page layouts for ongoing site and content
updates
-Ad media design and production
-Provide production support on medium and large-scale projects
-Maintain and adhere to site design standards
-Deliver solutions within existing constraints and limitations
-Accountable for accuracy, project deadlines, and contributing to
project completion
-Apply knowledge of current web trends, user experience and the
project process
-Posses a positive attitude: flexible, enthusiastic and professional


Qualifications:
-Minimum 1 year of relevant experience
-Design portfolio that clearly demonstrates required skills and
experience
-Excellent knowledge of current web trends, image optimization
and production best practices
-Proficiency using industry standard tools including; Photoshop
and/or Illustrator 
-Beneficial but not mandatory to be proficient in front-end web
production using HTML and CSS
-Highly organized and accountable self starter who is able to
juggle multiple priorities
Strong attention to detail and time management
Exceptional communication and interpersonal skills
 
Skills And Abilities
Area of Design Specialization
 - General graphic design
Work Setting
 - Graphic design firm
Essential Skills
 - Continuous learning
 - Computer use
 - Job task planning and organizing
 - Working with others
 - Oral communication
 - Reading text
Additional Skills
 - Estimate costs of materials and time to complete graphic designs and illustrations
Specific Skills
 - Consult with clients to establish nature and context of designs and illustrations for reproduction
 - Prepare specifications for design
Business Equipment and Computer Applications
 - Photoshop

Apply by March 16, 2012

Send your resume and cover letter to: cara@stealthwd.ca

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Answer:
-%u9F8D (Chinese character for dragon)
-number '12' (in red) for 2012

Ryan S. Yedersberger

Having trouble with your current website? Need someone to talk to regarding a website idea? Contact my team at Stealth Web Designs located on 8th Street East right here in beautiful Saskatoon.

Also, a big thanks to Rene Prefontaine for the fantastic photography for Business View magazine, it was a big help! Visit his website at http://www.reneprefontaine.com.

 

Thanks guys it was a pleasure to work with you!

Check our the site here.

Check out the site here.

Stasia Boutique had honourable mentions in:

- Best Clothing Store (Gals) Hip & Trendy

- Best Store for Second-Hand Find

- Best Store for Unique Find

Dragon's Den had an honourable mention in:

- Best Hobby Shop

Esteem for the Home had honourable mentions in:

- Best Locally Owned Shop

- Best Home Decor Store

Geransky's Moving had an honourable mention in:

- Best Movers

Great job guys, keep up the good work!

Something we do from time to time is create script tags dynamically. This is pretty straight forward until you want a function to run once the script has finished loading.

In non-IE browsers you simply need to do something like this...

var newScript= document.createElement('script');

newScript.onload = function(){//function code here}

In IE, you don't use the onload propert, instead you use the onreadystatechange, but, there's a problem...

When you're trying to determine if the script is loaded, IE doesn't always hit the "completed" readyState, sometimes it will just do the "loaded" readyState, skipping the "completed" one.

Someone else talks about it here...

http://unixpapa.com/js/dyna.html

The solution I've come up with is check for both the complated and loaded readyStates, and once one is hit make the onreadstatechange an empty string. This seems to of worked fine for me. Here's a code example on how to do it...

                if(newScript.onreadystatechange){
                    newScript.onreadystatechange = function() {
                        if (newScript.readyState === 'complete') {
                            newScript.onreadystatechange = "";
                            runFun();
                        }
                        else if (newScript.readyState === 'loaded') {
                            newScript.onreadystatechange = "";
                            runFun();
                        }
                    }
                }
                else{
                    newScript.onload = function() {
                        runFun();
                    }
                }

If anyone else has a better way to over come this or some feed back on my approach let me know in the comments below!

-Jared

He was an amazing public figure and entrepreneur who made an incredible impact on the world.  Right now, I'm typing this on a product he created and as President Obama mentioned, that is a true testament to his success.

So as a small tribute to this creative genius and superstar entrepreneur here is a list of my favourite quotes by him:

1. "Being the richest man in the cemetery doesn't matter to me.  Going to bed at night saying we've done something wonderful... that's what matters to me.

2. "Sometimes life is going to hit you in the head with a brick.  Don't lose faith."

3. "Do you want to spend the rest of your life selling sugared water or do you want a chance to change the world?

4. "Sometimes when you innovate, you make mistakes.  It is best to admit them quickly, and get on with improving your other innovations."

5. "Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life.  Don't be trapped by dogma - which is living with the results of other peoples thinking.  Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown our your own inner voice.  And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition.  They somehow already know what you truly want to become.  Everything else is secondary"

RIP Steve Jobs, we'll try hard to continue your mission of making the world a better place!

This new iPhone is still really cool even though there was a wave of disappointment after it's announcement.

Here are some highlights of it's new features:

- A new assistant feature called Siri.  This new assistant can not only recognize the words you say but also what they mean.  This seems very useful but they did mention that it was perfect so we'll see how it works.

- Dual-core A5 chip.  This chip has two cores in it to make it have 7 times faster graphics and twice the power (which is much needed).

- New 8 megapixel camera with a better lens - they did a lot in this update regarding the camera.

- Antenna problem fixed?  This was my big question but it sounds like they found a solution as Phil Schiller, senior vice president of worldwide product marketing at Apple Inc, talked about how Apple implemented 2 antenna's and the engineers at Apple built a system that can, "switch between send and receive to make even better quality".  So we'll see how it works in the end.

Anyways I think the new iPhone is pretty cool but is worth upgrading an iPhone 4 to the new S? I would say no but what do you think?

In IE (at least 8 and lower, I haven't tested 9 yet) if you create an element dynamically, its onclick event, and possibly other events won't register. So say for example if you create a button with an onclick, the onlick will do nothing. There is a quick and easy way to fix this, and that's to refresh the HTML of the button once you created it, like so...

childElement.outerHTML = childElement.outerHTML;

IE has the property outerHTML which is the same as innerHTML but also includes the tags for the element your referencing.

Graphic Designer: view details

Front End Web Programmer: view details

Marketing Award - The Cupcake Conspiracy

New Business Venture Award - Lead Pilates & The Cupcake Conspiracy

Small Business of the Year Award - Cravings Maternity and Baby Boutique

One of the most famous dumb idea's that turned out to be brilliant. The concept was simply get a rock, put in a box with hay and sell it for the low price of $4.99.

Who knew such a ridiculous idea would sell millions.


2. Billy the Big Mouth Bass


I'm sure everyone remembers "Billy the Big Mouth Bass". This was a novelty that routinely sold out as people wanted to adorn their cabins and trailers with them.


3. Antenna balls

Who thought Styrofoam balls on your car antenna would be such a money maker? Many businesses gave these away as they were pretty low cost and people loved them.


4. Mood Rings

Everyone remember's these. They're quite ugly but fun as they were supposed to show you your mood. That being said, do you really need a ring to tell you your mood?


5. Tumbleweed Farm


The Prairie Tumbleweed Farm is selling tumbleweeds to places all over the world. Who would of thought people would buy weeds?


6. The Flowbee


A very ridiculous product that was part clipper and part vacuum. It was said to give a "precision haircut" with little mess.


7. Santa Mail


I think this is a simple but brilliant idea. Charge $9.95 to get a reply letter from Santa. It say's they've already done 300,000... with simple math that works out to A LOT OF MONEY.


8. The Million Dollar Home Page


Wow, you could have bought a piece of this blog for only a dollar! Seems like a pretty goofy idea but this 21 year old entrepreneur sold them all... not bad for a one page website.


9. Berlin Wall Pieces


Now this is a great opportunity! For only $55 you can buy a small piece of the Berlin Wall, $80-$150 for a medium piece and only $290 and up for an "Executive Piece". Great deals except for the fact that they could just send you a piece of concrete on a plaque and take your money. But it sounds like he has done pretty good.


10. Doggles


Who would have thought that making glasses for dogs would be such a big money maker? However, I'm not too sure how these people got these on their dogs...

For the full blog click here.

Cheers,




Ryan


FIND US ONLINE:

Twitter

LinkedIn

Facebook

Saskatoon web design artists making quality websites that Stand Out!

http://www.stealthwd.ca

- Cara L

- Cara L

- Cara L

Ever so often you come across something that inspires you and pretty much makes your day. I have been posting inspirational video's on our facebook page (check it out here) for some time now and I believe I have come across some pretty amazing ones thus far. So in order to inspire you, I wanted to give you a collection of the top 5 best inspirational video's on the Internet. Hope you love em!

Fifth Place

Fourth Place

Third Place

Second Place

First Place

If you liked these video's be sure to go like our Facebook page. By doing so, you'll get great inspirational posts that will make your day time and time again!

Have a great day and talk soon,

Cheers,

Ryan

FIND US ONLINE:

Twitter

LinkedIn

Facebook

Saskatoon web design artists making quality websites that Stand Out!

http://www.stealthwd.ca

Take (Please!) the revolutionary concept of the lunch meeting. While years ago lunch was a time to eat a white-bread sandwich from a tin lunch box and to grab a quick nap, today we have taken over that precious hour and repurposed it into a necessary time to do business. As an abstract the idea of meeting someone at a restaurant to discuss business seems like a grand idea. Food can make many things more enjoyable. But there is more to a lunch meeting than the name suggests. Yes, you meet a client, or a partner, or a colleague. Yes, you get to order lunch. But you must also eat that lunch while listening, speaking, and staying on topic. And you only have roughly 45 minutes to do so. It’s a complicated dance of chew, swallow, speak, and comprehend, wrapped up in etiquette and politeness. It has its challenges (how to not slop pasta sauce down your shirt) and rewards (expense accounts), which makes it either a minefield or a gold mine, depending on your level of preparation.

I’ve found, through extensive research in the field, that it’s best to order, or bring something, to a business lunch that you are able to eat with a fork. Often “hand-held” foods such as sandwiches or burgers are precarious to eat. Once you pick them up it is nearly impossible to set back down for fear of a complete dissolution of the sandwich. If you’re committed to idea of eating with your hands, an expertly folded wrap is a good alternative. Otherwise, I’d stick to utensil aided eating. But take note that one should consider the level of difficulty the fork-food possesses. For instance spaghetti is hard to eat with a fork and not look like a four-year old, but a salad with properly torn lettuce is easy.

Secondly I’ve noticed that dining out takes time. In a restaurant you must wait to be seated, wait to order drinks, and then wait to be waited upon. Next, the food must be prepared and brought to you. Then it has to be eaten. While it would be nice if a business lunch contained more than 60 minutes, it commonly doesn’t. Therefore, I’ve found, when ordering, it’s best to keep it simple. Sure, the slow roasted duck sounds tasty, but if it takes a half hour to prepare, I won’t have time to eat it. Sure, there is always a doggie bag and a desk to eat at afterwards, but isn’t the point of ordering food to typically eat it while it’s hot?

The real problem I have with a lunch meeting is when to bring up the business at hand? Before the food comes? After we order? Do we stop when I have a plateful of delicious food in front of me? It would be nice if I could just focus on getting food into my body without having to talk about ‘synergy’ while doing so. Speaking is easier when my mouth isn’t otherwise occupied in the production of saliva; and set before me a plateful of steaming, aromatic, fish and chips, and my mind simply, goes blank.

So, if there was one part of the common practice of multi-tasking that I would do away with, it would be the business lunch. Yes, I love to text and talk. Yes, I couldn’t function without call waiting, and I often pray for more hours in the day but I would like to spend my lunch hour eating. It’s something, I think, that should be done right.

- Cara L

You’d think that keeping a well-lit white box clean would be easier. You’d think that when you open it somewhere between five and 500 times a day you’d keep a close eye in the situation. You’d especially think that when you can’t remember the last time you had tomato soup, you’d make the move to throw it away as soon as your eye spots it. But you don’t. Or rather I don’t. You think that maybe someone else put that soup there and was saving it for a special occasion. I think that no matter what the calendar says, those peppers are probably still okay. They’re still red, aren’t they? It never fails that no matter how long I put it off, and no matter how quickly I shut the door, the fridge has to be cleaned out. More food has to be added. More saran-wrapped packages of leftovers, and Tupperware containers of soup need to be placed on the wire shelves, only to be immediately removed from our memory. And that mantel often falls to me.

Some of that food is mine, I suppose. I must have purchased it. I use the condiments on the door on occasion, but anything on the inside seems highly suspect. Did this Parmesan come with the fridge? It must have. Why would I have bought three jars of pickles? And would I seriously open all three jars, eat half of them and leave them, if they were mine? I think not.

Yes, I remember ordering that pizza last week, it’s mine, but the only reason the empty box is still in there is because the garbage can was full and I wasn’t taking it out till the morning. And when I took the garbage out I forgot to look in the fridge. But besides that there isn’t anything in here that I can remember. When was the last time I had Kraft Diner? November?

Although it goes against my better judgment, I open, with just the very tip of my shoe, the crisper on the bottom. Where food goes to die a slow, quiet, and lonely death. Deprived of sunlight, or fridge-light, the food there is always darker, always more mysterious, and therefore far more dangerous than the rest of the food. In textures I cannot describe, the murky liquidity inside what I can only assume is a produce bag, tries desperately to seep out and attack me on its way to the garbage. With all the spray disinfectant I can direct into one spot, the cleaning of the crisper is done with a silent, steely determination to not freak out.

But this is when I am prepared. This is when I buy the right fridge cleaning ingredients. When I buy extra garbage bags, and baking soda. When I have it planned out in my head, the act of cleaning out the fridge isn’t so bad. But when it reaches the point where it absolutely has to get done, I freak out. If I could, I’d close the door and ignore everything, but I can’t. I eat things that come from that fridge. So I suffer through the cleaning of the fridge, in silence. A thankless job I feel I have to remind people I do, but only on certain days.

Happy Valentine’s Day.

- Cara L

On Monday, I wake up early to account for the time it takes for my car to warm up. I wear hats that make my hair static-y, and mitts that make fine motor skills impossible. I wear bulky sweaters and thermal socks, all this, in an attempt to combat the elements. It’s the winter on the prairies and I’ve come to live with it. It gets cold, and we get through it. Months go by and we carry out our business. I’m okay with that. Until it gets to Tuesday…

Tuesday, I follow the same routine. I wake up early, and go through the motions except, when I go outside, the world isn’t the same. The ground is wet, and not as covered with snow as the night before. When I walk out the front door the cold doesn’t knock the wind out of me. It’s a balmy -2 degrees and I don’t need my hat. I could go without mitts if I was irresponsible, and if my mother never found out. Instead of synthetic unpronounceable or long-winded words like Gortex or polyester-brushed-nylon, my coat is made of wool. I run back inside and put away the Sorel boots and wear shoes that resemble common foot coverings, not articles from a military grade arctic exploration mission. Sure, I use a lot of window washing fluid on my way to work because the roads are disgusting, but I enjoy the reprieve.

Wednesday, the weather does not change. The good graces we’ve entered into with Mother Nature gives us a climate one can almost enjoy not hide from. It seems, with the temperature this high, the sun shines brighter, there are more birds, and I hate taking out the garbage less. You could really get used to this…

Which is when Thursday comes and slaps me across the face. In a day and a half I have time-travelled to spring. I don’t want to get up before sunrise, and I don’t want to wear a jacket more than a quarter inch thick, but the weather outside says otherwise. In a few hours temperatures have dropped drastically. Gone is spring like weather; now we have weather, which makes me think we’re not meant to live here. Did I plug my car in the night before? No! I was too busy skipping around on a square inch of bare asphalt. How does it get so cold so fast?

Just in time for the weekend, Friday’s temperature rises a little; if only just to screw with us. Not as bitterly cold as the day before, it is the go between day we could have used to acclimate ourselves. Now, on the wrong side of minus 40, we take it the wrong way. The cold is over, we tell ourselves. Now it will warm up again. Does it? No.

Saturday is just as cold as Thursday if not more so. Our silly optimism has done nothing but raise our hopes. We were expecting to be able to let the car run for a mere five minutes, but it needs a full 15. A groundhog made us think the worst was behind us, selling us lies with its beady little eyes. Stupid rat.

And Sunday? Who knows? Will be is raining? Will there be a sprinkling of snow, or a thick layering? That is both the joy, and downfall of living our lives north of the 49th parallel. Will I ever get used to it? Probably not.

- Cara L

We understand. Saskatoon has ice-y roads. The streets shine with an eerie translucence as you drive along them and accidents are bound to happen. The lines that distinguish the lanes are thickly covered with snow and dirt and won’t be revealed till late April. Breaks don’t work as they should, and frost or slush covers the windows. Cars kiss each other with little bumps, or embrace fully with heavy crashes. So it is in the winter in our fair city, and so shall it always be. It’s not nice when it happens. It’s scary and frightening and it’s always a miracle when everyone come out alright. But when the road is littered with confetti like scraps of busted plastic bumpers, and often tear streaked cheeks exchange insurance information; an audience is not needed. It is not nice, when you are the accident-ee to look over while standing on the side of the road to find sets of eyes transfixed upon you. Eyes, that don’t look away as they crawl past in cars still intact. Eyes attached to necks that resemble an owl’s, as the turn around, inhumanly, to keep you in their sights. These eyes and their owners would be put to better use avoiding their own accidents, or interpreting my hand-gestures. As I said, I’ve glanced and wondered with a type of morbid curiosity, always hopeful that no one was hurt. But I’ve been on the outside watching as the cars drive past and it’s the gawkers that get to you.

Even worse is trying to follow behind such a person. They slow down. Then slow down even more. Finally they come to almost a complete stop that it seems they are going to get out and grab a bag of popcorn. You follow as closely as possible, but leave a safety net of space because they could slam on the breaks if they see a fleck of paint on the side of the road needing immediate examination. There head, which you can see through the back window turned a full 90 degrees away from the road. A herd of elephants could be coming down the road towards them and still fail pull their attention from that fender-bender. The accident-voyeur is certain type of person; a type of person with a certain reservation on a certain level of a certain underworld.

- Cara L

I schedule my days in a strict regiment. I wake. I shower. I go to work and for around 4 hours I am productive. Then my stomach starts to make weird noises and my limbs get weak. I seek sustenance and then because I live outside the city, and because I hear the call of my own four walls at the end of the day, I run some errands.

Really an errand can be a variety of tasks. It can involve going to the doctor and getting a weird skin tag looked at. It can involve going to pick up your dry cleaning, or buying groceries. It can even involve picking out the exact perfect googgly eyeballs for that voo-doo doll your making. But the tasks I run at lunchtime are mostly tied to my work, and therefore I like to think of them has having the slightest degree of importance. These are things that have to get done. And have to get done now. A business is run, after all; not walked. So when I go forth to perform certain tasks for my business and find that my destination is closed I get a little upset.

I take a lunch break, and I understand that most everyone does too. The Achilles heel of the human race is the fact that from time to time we require re-fueling. I am not saying that people that work at certain retail outlets, or businesses shouldn’t eat. No! All I am suggesting is the centuries old idea of the staggered lunch break. Back in the Roman times they did not simply empty out the coliseum, stick a note to the outside column saying “Back in 15” just because it was lunchtime. They had people take separate breaks. The lion tamer went to eat at 11:30, with the shield polisher going after him and so on. It was a good system. I read about it in “Meals in the Ancient World.” But it doesn’t seem to have caught on here in Saskatoon. Because often I find myself using my time and gas to go clear across the city to find a business closed at lunch.

I know that sometimes stores have to close and I am not the center of the universe. And yes I made that book about ancient meals up, and clearly I don’t really know all that much about Rome, but I know if you have more than three employees closing up shop isn’t necessary. Having one person there to watch the phone and open the door and hand me the packages of materials I’ve ordered makes me want to come back and do more business. Wasting my time, and the expensive gas it takes to get to a “Closed” sign makes me want to write a letter to the editor. I have about one hour in my day to go out to get my errands checked off my list, and I know that anyone else with a lot to do would feel the same.

- Cara L

The air was thick and warm with the flavor of anti-bacterial spray. The door behind me closed with an eerie–SWOOSH- and I was clearly not in Kansas anymore. The well-lit foyer before me was all balsam wood and rubber flooring with what I think was a ficus in a corner. The perky blonde girl behind the counter was all perfectly aligned teeth the color of which was suitable for a toothpaste commercial. Her skin was bronzed, and when she shook my hand to say hello I could feel and see the tendons in her arms. She was fit and I was attempting to become like her. I signed my name upon the dotted line, promising to pay them exorbitant amounts of my hard earning money for the privilege of utilizing this space, but yet I never did.

When I toured the facility and saw the workout rooms and changing areas, the sauna, and the attached spa I was not only amazed by the shear amount of fresh white towels, I was able to visualize myself using them. I saw myself sipping lemon-cucumber water after a lengthy workout, leaving me energized not exhausted. I had a very clear premonition of how I would look and feel after training my body with the state of the art equipment. But alas it was not meant to be.

The month after I signed up I failed to make it to the gym at all. Work was stressful and I felt like everyday I was mentally run the equivalent of a 5km marathon. The month after I seriously thought about canceling my membership but I never got around to it. The month after that I had a resolve to use the gym because I realized that I sat at a desk for eight hours a day and wasn’t actually getting that much exercise. But I didn’t cancel. Something, perhaps optimism or embarrassment, kept me from halting payment. I wanted to whip myself into shape, but I didn’t have time for the gym.

I understand that I could, quite simply, strap weights to my ankles and do sit-ups at lunch for less money, but there was something about keeping the gym on the payroll that made me feel fitter. I could use the gym whenever I wanted but I had such a busy lifestyle. Any guilt I felt was diverted by a quick recap of my daily physical activities: walking to the car, walking from the car to the door, pushing a grocery cart. All of which, I am sure, are classified cardio-vascular activities. Therefore the justification for not going to gym was because I was simply too active!

But one day, as I walked to my house from my car, I pictured actually making it to the gym. A day where I use the fresh white towels I’ve helped fund, and drink the lemon water I’ve helped to purchase; a day full of endless possibilities. And, right then it struck me that I was wasting my money. I needed to change. So, filled with a new resolve, I turned on my heels and headed back to my car. And I drove to the gym and cancelled that stupid membership and then I went and bought some new towels.

- Cara L

I typically enjoy going to a movie. I like sitting in the dark and watching pretty people up on the big screen. I don’t even have to enjoy the movie because what I enjoy is the experience. But to be honest, I enjoy my experience. I like getting to the movie when I want; which is typically anywhere between a half to three hours before the movie starts. I like picking out a seat in the very back against the right wall. I like leafing through the magazines and reading my horoscope. There is nothing more calming than sitting in the dark theatre and knowing you have made it. There is no rush and hustle. All you have to do it be there and be entertained. When things go simply and when I am in control going to the movies can be a walk in the park.

But not everything always goes as planned. You can text your friends, work out seating charts and snack buying scenarios, but that doesn’t make you the master of the universe. Because what are we greeted with, when we stumble into the theatre, a rag tag group of friends? A “SOLD OUT!” sign running across the illuminated billboard. Back to the drawing board.

- Cara L

The outside of the package boasts "instant" so I assume it is safe for me to attempt preparing. Usually, when providing myself with sustenance I stick with a few keywords: boxes that list less than three ingredients, the aforementioned "instant", or things that need only to be heated. While I do enjoy food well cooked, I never make it myself. So as I heat the two "at home" ingredients, preparing to add the powdery contents of the vacuum-sealed pouch, my focus is pulled by the thought of why it is I don't take up cooking…

The access to fresh ingredients is convenient. I can walk out of my house and drive to a store and get all the vegetables, or weird fruits, or exotic breads that I see on the covers of magazines. The helpful people in the store are sure to direct me to what a fresh zucchini should look like, so I can't claim helplessness. The prices might even be lower for food with some assembly required. Yet, I never attempt it.

Food also comes with instruction manuals. Recipe books have pictures and diagrams and measurements and some have very specific instructions within them that make it virtually impossible to screw up. I even own a few, and if I didn't the internet is almost full with all the sites instructing me, begging me, to try my hand at food preparation. But I never take advantage of them.

And lastly, I have a room in my house dedicated to this art form. A whole room to peel and slice and julienne a temple of would be culinary creations sitting unused. It seems a waste. I have a kitchen but don't cook; yet I gift-wrap far more often, and don't have a designated wrapping centre. Therefore I reach the conclusion that I should really try to step outside the box and try to cook something- anything- from scratch.

And the smoke alarm goes off.

In my haste to analyze the reasons why I am not a gourmand, I neglected the little cooking I was attempting. The blackened sludge on the bottom of my pot, which would be my dinner, has reminded me of something I forgot. My talents are served up better elsewhere.

- Cara L

In our industry we register domain names for websites all the time however, in some cases, when the website name is put together it can have disastrously hilarious results.

For example here are the Top 10 Unintentionally Hilarious Company Domains (list from agylen.com):

1. A site called ‘Who Represents‘ where you can find the name of the agent that represents a celebrity. Their domain name… wait for it… is www.whorepresents.com

2. Experts Exchange, a knowledge base where programmers can exchange advice and views at www.expertsexchange.com

3. Looking for a pen? Look no further than Pen Island at www.penisland.net

4. Need a therapist? Try Therapist Finder at www.therapistfinder.com

5. Then of course, there’s the Italian Power Generator company… www.powergenitalia.com

6. And now, we have the Mole Station Native Nursery, based in New South Wales: www.molestationnursery.com

7. If you’re looking for computer software, there’s always www.ipanywhere.com

8. Welcome to the First Cumming Methodist Church. Their website is www.cummingfirst.com

9. Then, of course, there’s these brainless art designers, and their whacky website: www.speedofart.com

10. Want to holiday in Lake Tahoe? Try their brochure website at www.gotahoe.com

We want to hear what you think... feel free to leave a comment!

Cheers,

Ryan

Stealth Web Designs
Ryan S. Yedersberger – Partner and Chief Operating Officer

Your Competition Won't Know What Hit Them!

Office: (306) 978-9018 Cell: (306) 251-1005
E-mail: ryan@stealthwd.ca Web: www.stealthwd.ca
1107 8th Street East, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan Canada


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For a more in-depth story click here.
Cheers and have a great weekend!




Ryan

Stealth Web Designs
Ryan S. Yedersberger – Partner and Chief Operating Officer

Your Competition Won't Know What Hit Them!

Office: (306) 978-9018 Cell: (306) 251-1005
E-mail: ryan@stealthwd.ca Web: www.stealthwd.ca
1107 8th Street East, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan Canada


FIND US ONLINE:

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Saskatoon web design artists making quality websites that Stand Out!

http://www.stealthwd.ca

- Cara L

The invitation probably went out weeks ago, but it’s been holed up in a corner of your mind for a long time. You were asked to bring a gift for the gift exchange and you can’t get your mind off what happened last year. You opened the perfect gift only to have it stolen out from under you in the next round of a sick-twisted present swapping game. Believe me. We’ve all been there. You slowly unwrap the missing piece of your soul (from pretty wrapping; for under $10) and you end up going home with a pre-lit candle that smells like concentrated Bounce sheets, unceremoniously stuffed into a paper bag. But what you need is to remember to stay positive going into holiday season. Focus on what is important-getting the best present. When saddled with a gift-lackluster keep in mind it is a known fact that people are more likely to steal your present if you really like it. People are just like that. So when you don’t actually like something you unwrap say, a half eaten box of chocolates, really sell it. Talk about how you know it’s not poisoned, and how portion control is so important over the holidays. This will entice the people whose turn comes after yours to see the gift you opened in a new light. And hopefully take it off your hands. To get he greatest gift, if you are lucky enough to go last, it is best to pick what you think is the most expensive. Never underestimate the appeal of re-sale value.

But remember the spirit of the season is giving. Give in gifts, and in spirit and remember that you are fortunate already for having a job and getting a gift, and that is pretty special. Also, there is always next year…

- Cara L

Brian Mackay of "Thoughts on Changing Technologies" illustrates the point of needing someone experienced to help create a website that people will like:

First of all every time you go outside things look different. Everything is white and fresh. Snow has the power to magically transform even the ugliest parking lot into a winter wonderland. Sure you have a greater chance of getting stuck, needing to warm your car up makes quick getaways an inconvenience, and forget about finding your buried treasure till spring, but everything looks a bit prettier covered in a blanket of white. The street lights twinkle brighter, there are no more dead leaves to look at, and the garbage in the gutter looks like amorphous blobs instead of old McDonalds wrappers. Snow adds a much needed pleasant aesthetic to the season, making it almost bearable to live here.

Secondly, you can see your breath. Pretending to smoke looks a lot less crazy when every time you exhale your breath appears to be carcinogenic. Which is pretty cool.

Thirdly, you look healthier when you have that nice, flushed, wind burnt, rosy-cheeked look. Dashing from your car to your own front door can make you flushed and with all the required layers, can burn a lot of calories. And if you are physically inclined you can partake in the plethora of outside activities that winter offers up. Be it snowshoeing, ice hockey, or elaborate snowman building competitions, the activities of winter can bring color to your cheeks and exhaustion to your limbs.

There you have it, Saskatoon. Winter is upon us now, it’s cold fingers wrapped tightly around our scarf-swaddled necks, not to release until April. But at least when you look up to the clouds, dumping inches of white fluffy snow upon us, you can find the silver lining.

- Cara L

TOASTED SKIN SYNDROME!

Apparently, if you are constantly resting your laptop on TOP of your LAP, you could be a candidate for toasted skin syndrome.

What it is is a rash that occurs as a result of prolonged exposure to heat without an actual burn. The rash produces a brown/reddish splattered sponge effect on the skin.

There aren't any serious side effects though... Just a funny looking rash.

I guess this was pretty well documented in old dermatologist textbooks; people experienced it when sitting near a fire or stove too often.

So if you're scared of it, you could go get a laptop cooling pad! They're all pretty cool looking, check 'em out here

-Shawn Dempsey

Most of us love the Internet for its vast landscape of information, it's ability to connect us together and, of course, it's entertainment value.  However, few of us could predicted that it could make an unknown person extremely famous in simply a matter of just a few days.

Well just that has recently happened to a girl in the United States.  A hilarious video of a girl laughing while messing around with "photobooth" on her Apple computer went viral on November 2nd, 2010.  Now, on November 19th, 2010 (just 18 days later), the uploaded video now has nearly 20 Million videos!

Here is the video below and I'm sure you'll see why people are enjoying it so much.

Now this is where the story gets interesting.  Very soon after the video above was up, a user actually was able to get rid of the effects she was laughing so hard at.  The result, a hilarious video of a girl just laughing for 2 minutes... enjoy!

Have a great weekend guys and talk soon.

Cheers,

Ryan

Stealth Web Designs
Ryan S. Yedersberger – Partner and Chief Operating Officer

Your Competition Won't Know What Hit Them!

Office: (306) 978-9018 Cell: (306) 251-1005
E-mail: ryan@stealthwd.ca Web: www.stealthwd.ca
1107 8th Street East, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan Canada


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Saskatoon web design artists making quality websites that Stand Out!

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With the new office, we don’t have the warehouse to play hacky sack in anymore. We usually play in the alley now, careful to avoid cars and the loose gravel patches.

Because of the bad weather we haven’t been able to play as much. And I’m starting to notice a trend in the office... everyone is getting sick. We used to play everyday with almost no sick days recorded. Now there is a least one or two sicks days used a week. I know it’s fall and it’s normal to see the cold or flu start up, but last year our track record was just as good.

If anyone knows of a room at least 15x15 that could house a pleasant game of hacky sack and close to 8th Street please let us know. Games usually last 15 to 20 minutes (depending on how badly Ryan is losing). Fellow hacky sack enthusiasts (or those looking to learn) are more than welcome to join us.

- Cara L
www.stealthwd.ca

Have a great week!

Cheers,



Ryan

Stealth Web Designs
Ryan S. Yedersberger – Partner and Chief Operating Officer

Your Competition Won't Know What Hit Them!

Office: (306) 978-9018 Cell: (306) 251-1005
E-mail: ryan@stealthwd.ca Web: www.stealthwd.ca
1107 8th Street East, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan Canada


FIND US ONLINE:

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Saskatoon web design artists making quality websites that Stand Out!

http://www.stealthwd.ca

1) Experience - The more I can learn now means it will be easier for me to win next time.

2) You never know - A stroke of luck, a fluke, whatever you call it just may happen and you go down in the history books in fine fashion.

3) Reputation - Word gets around if you always give your all. Strike fear in your enemies and inspire you allies.

4) Opportunities - You tend to find yourself always in the right place at the right time for new ventures.

My friend Val sent me this video about an amazing goal keeper who didn't give up. I have no idea who won the game, but there is probably only one memory for a lot of people. And I bet this keeper was presented with some amazing opportunities later on.

- Cara Lauscher

www.stealthwd.ca

Keep voting for our good friend of Saskatchewan, Kelly Chase as he continues his mission to raise money for our much needed Children's Hospital!  Kelly and his partner Kyoko Ina are doing great representing our province on the national stage and we need to repay them with our support!

Call 1-877-844-8156 to vote for Kelly and Kyoko or text 56 to 777111 (15 cents per vote) or cbc/battle and click "vote".

Let's all band together and make this happen not only for Kelly, not only for Saskatchewan, but for the Saskatchewan Childrens Hospital Foundation!

Cheers,

Ryan

Stealth Web Designs
Ryan S. Yedersberger – Partner and Chief Operating Officer

Your Competition Won't Know What Hit Them!

Office: (306) 978-9018 Cell: (306) 251-1005
E-mail: ryan@stealthwd.ca Web: www.stealthwd.ca
1107 8th Street East, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan Canada


FIND US ONLINE:

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Saskatoon web design artists making quality websites that Stand Out!

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Hey readers,

I have recently heard that Kelly Chase (a former Saskatchewan blade) is going to be appearing on "Battle of the Blades" on CBC. This stuck me as odd since Kelly has been known as a very good fighter in the NHL and I had a hard time seeing him as a figure skater (since he had such a tough guy appearance I thought he had probably beat up figure skaters as a kid).

But interestingly enough, Kelly turns out to be a great guy! Even though he was an enforcer in the NHL, I have only heard great things about him. He is a guy who truly cares about his community and has in fact joined up with one of Saskatchewan's favorite charities, "The Children's Hospital Foundation" to raise some money for the new hospital!

So here is where Kelly and the Children’s Hospital need your help. As a Saskatchewan kid we need to support him and vote as many times as possible so he gets far and raises lots of money for our new kids hospital! The first episode airs on September 26th, 2010 so check it out and vote lots!

Also, at the bottom of this blog, I have embedded some great fights Kelly has done in the past. That way, you can contrast these examples of pure testosterone with the triple sow cows he will be doing on Battle of the Blades!

Have a great week and see you next Friday!

Cheers,
 

Ryan

Stealth Web Designs
Ryan S. Yedersberger – Partner and Chief Operating Officer

Your Competition Won't Know What Hit Them!

Office: (306) 978-9018 Cell: (306) 251-1005
E-mail: ryan@stealthwd.ca Web: www.stealthwd.ca
1107 8th Street East, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan Canada


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I love the city of Saskatoon and always have but lately there has been some ridiculous controversy over a problem that should be straightforward. There is a bridge in our great city called the Victoria Bridge. The nice people of Saskatoon know it as the, "crappy little bridge that you feel like you're going to scrape against every car you pass or rip your side view mirror off on the railing" bridge.



In September of 2005, the city of Saskatoon closed it down for inspection. They found major problems in corrosion along with many other dangerous elements that could cause the thing to keel over at any time. Anyone who has taken a close look at the bridge knows this as it looks like a rusted out Cadillac El Dorado. That's why we were all surprised when they re-opened it to the public and had been until recently (late August 2010).

Now, I know what you're saying, who cares about a boring old bridge? I agree but this story becomes more interesting when the discussions begin on what to do about the decrepit bridge. The rational side is saying to take the thing down and build a strong, mighty, new and improved bridge. This would cost the city a bit of money but it's a main part of our infrastructure and needs to be taken care of. I live on Broadway and without that bridge it makes traffic horrendous around my area so I'm all for the quick and clean fix.

The other side of the argument is interesting but difficult to side with. They did win the city officials over way back in 2005 by saying that the bridge is an important part of our history (which it is). Since then, the city has put some Elmer's glue on the trusses and let the citizens to continue to drive over it for over 5 years because it looks pretty and people like the rush they get when they come in near death experiences driving across it.

The city also decided it would be a great idea to put Christmas lights on it... get this, year round! Yay!

Hey, I'm very much an optimist and for me, Christmas is the best time of the year! But even I think flashing colored lights on a landmark will make it look tacky. I think we should take this same philosophy to the Louvre and add strobe lights to the Mona Lisa! That would be a great idea!

But the tackiness of the year round Christmas lights aside, are you wondering how much it cost? What's your guess? K, you may want to guess big. I mean, it is only Christmas lights but you have to keep in mind the city is putting them up. So are you ready for the real number? IT WAS $462,000 OF TAX PAYERS MONEY! The real lesson to be learned here is don't hire the city of Saskatoon to put up your lights this winter or you may have to re-mortgage the house.

So should we keep the Victoria Bridge? The answer is no. Why? Because we can either keep spending hundred's of thousands (if not millions) continually inspecting it, adding Christmas decorations and adding Elmer's glue so we can just to delay the inevitable OR just do the dirty work and replace a rotted bridge with a new shiny one.

We are an amazing city with a great economy and friendly people. Do we really want the City of Bridges to start crumbling? I think not.

Cheers,



Ryan

Stealth Web Designs
Ryan S. Yedersberger – Partner and Chief Operating Officer

Your Competition Won't Know What Hit Them!

Office: (306) 978-9018 Cell: (306) 251-1005
E-mail: ryan@stealthwd.ca Web: www.stealthwd.ca
1107 8th Street East, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan Canada


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- Cara L

 - Cara L

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The solution to this seems to be refreshing the HTML of that element. You can do this using the IE property outerHTML.

So say we created a new button with the id "newBtn", we could do something like this....

document.getElementById("newBtn").outerHTML = document.getElementById("newBtn").outerHTML

and presto, our events will work. If there is a more elegant solution to this problem in IE, I'm all ears, but for the time being this slightly hacky solution is pretty easy to implement.

An entertaining new YouTube trend is taking over the Internet.  A guy named Michael Schmoyoho Gregory has been headlining this trend and his claim to fame came first with "Auto Tune the News" where he and his band would take normal news casts and use the audio effect, "Auto Tune" to manipulate the newscasters and politicians voices and turn them into songs.

This was very successful but now "Auto Tune The News" has began doing pretty much any popular YouTube video under the YouTube name, "Schmoyoho".  Their most famous one so far is called "BED INTRUDER SONG!!! (now on iTunes)" which has over 18 million views in just over a month!  It is based off a newscast in the projects where the bed intrusion crime took place.  Now, the people behind Schmoyoho have been making quite a bit of money from the song on iTunes and are even donating a percentage of their proceeds to the family in the video.

Here is the original video called, "(STEREO SOUND) Antoine Dodson warns a PERP on LIVE TV!"

This is the Remix made by the Gregory brothers under the YouTube name, Schmoyoho.  Again it has over 18 million views in a month!

Here is the high school band, NC A&T Blue and Gold Marching Machine performing their rendition of the "Bed Intruder Song".

Cheers,

Ryan

SASKATOON WEB DESIGN:

http://www.stealthwd.ca


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You are driving along a country road, full of love for humanity but unaware that a 40-ton milk tanker is about to lumber out of a hidden side turning, just around the next corner. Your car knows, though. Sensors have identified its size and shape and predicted its course and speed. On-board computers have calculated an avoidance strategy – a quick burst of acceleration and a directional tweak.

Without any human intervention, the car speeds up slightly, the steering twitches slightly and the lorry pulls out with a couple of inches to spare. You can now concentrate on Chris Evans's breakfast show and live happily ever after.
 
Science fiction? It is at present, but Volvo wants to make it a reality within a decade. It wants to build an uncrashable car and has set ambitious targets. "Our aim is to build cars that do not crash," says Jan Ivarsson, the company's safety strategy chief. "By 2020 no one should be killed or even moderately injured in a Volvo."

This would be a great idea, but there is one major flaw in this plan - you still have a human involved. People will become lazy or reckless and assume the car will fix any mistake they may make.

But, not to be a Debbie Downer, this would be fantastic if people continued driving as they do now.

I recently took holidays in BC and was informed by a local that there has been 51 fatalities on the highway around Golden BC this year alone! Most of the accidents have been attributed to tourists stopping on the highway to take pictures of wildlife. Being such a twisty, turning road, the large trucks going through are oblivious to the car stopped in the middle of the road right around the next bend.

If they applied this technology to larger vehicles like buses, semi units, and RVs (who are less likely to drive like maniacs with fancy technology - hopefully) that would reduce so many accidents! Good job Volvo for actually trying to apply this technology, I just hope the general public doesn’t screw it up.

Ah ha! So the bridge is in worse condition than everyone thought! The fact that City Engineers are nervous it may buckle under it’s own weight is slightly terrifying. We’ve been driving and walking on a bridge that is barely able to hold itself up :(

We had lunch in the park at RiverLanding today (great hot dogs btw), and I couldn’t help but imagine what it would be like without the bridge there. Everything would be so green! Right now the steel trusses are blocking quite a bit of the view - something I never really thought of as we all are just so used to the bridge being there.

This debate has seemed to create a divide in the company, Team Bridge and Team No Bridge. Clearly Team Bridge agrees with all my points and is just arguing for something to do :)

As a man, you have always wondered what it would be like to smell like Chuck Norris. Since that feat is not only absurd but also impossible we have now uncovered the next best thing! Now, through a sophisticated, pain stackingly strenuous process of swabbing Bruce Willis's armpits with Q-Tips they have now come out with the manliest scent possible!

It has been released recently that the name of the Cologne will be "Bruce Willis". This is clearly far from original and quite boring so in my opposition to this ridiculous naming of a cologne with so much potential I have developed the name, packaging, slogan and everything else so they can simply change their entire marketing plan to accommodate my indifference :).

Cheers and your welcome Bruce Willis,




Ryan

SASKATOON WEB DESIGN:

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- Cara

So a lot of business owners these days have decided to start Facebook groups for their company.  Here are a few tips on how to promote your group or fan page so that you have a few more fans!

Facebook Ads

If you hope to send your Facebook fans to your website and convert them to customers, whether through an ecommerce purchase, clicking on an AdSense ad/Affiliate link/advertising banner, or getting them to sign up for your newsletter/email list/etc, spending a few dollars each month to get highly targeted customers is worth it.

Facebook Photo Tagging

Want to reach friends of your current fans? Ask your fans to:
    •    Take a picture with you/your business/product/something related
    •    Upload the picture to your Facebook page
    •    Tag themselves in the picture they just uploaded
Just as an example, I could have people upload pictures of cocktails to my page then tag themselves. Those photos would then appear on my Facebook fan page in a "Fan Photos" folder, but more importantly, those photos will appear in the fan's profile stream and their friends -- who may not yet be fans of your page -- will see those photos and that someone/your page is tagged.

"Follow Me" on Facebook

This one is simple: at the end of your blog posts, add a clickable link (whether through straight html or one of the social bookmarking plugins) that suggests that if the reader liked the content, they become a fan of yours on Facebook.

Encourage Comments

Post questions and polls and post timely information to encourage current fans to comment, share, and "like" your posts. Every time a fan comments or likes a post, your post will show up in their friends' Facebook stream, making your page visible to an untapped group of potential fans.

Ask Your Friends

If you're just starting out with a Facebook Page and have zero followers, asking your friends for a mercy "Like" might be a good starting point. All of your other marketing efforts will be in vain if a potential fan sees that no one else likes your page.

To ask your friends to "Like" your Facebook page, visit your page and click on the "Suggest to friends" link under the profile picture on your page. A pop up box will then appear that asks you to select which friends should get your invitation, and you'll also have an opportunity to write a message.

Use Keywords

Facebook and Google announced that they would be indexing Facebook posts as long as those posts and pages weren't private, so ensure that your posts, page, and URL is optimized for popular keywords.
A popular keyword for a URL (such as facebook.com/twitter) means that with enough links, your Facebook page could appear in search engines when someone searches for Twitter. Similarly, your Facebook page could appear in search engines for your name, company name, or one of your products or services.

Linkbuilding

The more high quality links there are to a site, the more likely that site is to appear within the search engines.  This is a very complicated process that we have looked into for years.

Post Regularly

Last but not least, you have to maintain your Facebook Page so that you don't lose your current fans, but also so that potential fans have incentive to join (to get up to date information) and to encourage current fans to help promote your page. If you're only checking in on your page once a month and posting irregularly, you're likely to lose fans -- especially if they joined then forgot about you and all of a sudden see your post in their stream. If you keep your fans up to date and post regularly, they'll become familiar with seeing your page in their stream and are less likely to click "unlike." Just make sure to continue posting relative, timely, and informative content.

Cheers and good luck,

Ryan

SASKATOON WEB DESIGN:

http://www.stealthwd.ca


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Perhaps there have been times when you wanted search for specific web app, but you weren’t exactly sure what it was you were looking for.  You’ve tried a Google search, but after sifting through a dozen pages of results, there wasn’t any luck. Here are a couple tools I use to discover some very useful and valuable sites/apps on the internet.  Many of these gems I would have not have found if I haven’t used these tools.

Go2Web2.0 
StumbleUpon

- Jason K.

Darlene Williams - Ballet

Kara Dubyk - Jazz, Tap, Lyrical & Stretch/Progressions

Kelly Woodley - Tap & Jazz

Andrea Fontaine - Jazz & Hip Hop

For more information on this exciting new venture, or to register, you can check out their website at www.aspire2dance.com

For the full blog post with all the images included click here.

1. Labuat - One of the most amazing user integration designs I have experienced, you'll love it! - click here to check it out


2. Monoface - A hilarious way to pass the time and a brilliantly creative website for the advertising firm Monoface - click here to check it out


3. Toyota Prius - A very cool and unique layout with innovative character development - click here to check it out


4. AgencyNet - A strange but innovative site. It's loading menu's are just as cool as the site itself - click here to check it out


5. Jim Carrey's Website - A website as weird, creative and funny as the man himself - click here to check it out


6. Getty Images, Moodstream - A strange website that allows the user to manipulate nearly every part of the photo experience - click here to check it out


7. Don't Click It - A flash site designed in such a way that you don't need to click - click here to check it out


8. Coke's Happiness Factory - Great loading menu's, character design and games ... and we would expect nothing less from Coke - click here to check it out


These are extremely innovative websites that took a lot of time and money to create but as you can see, they are completely worth it. If done right, flash websites can create an experience for your target market that can't be duplicated by any other medium. Stay away Steve Jobs!

Cheers,



Ryan

ryan@stealthwd.ca

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For those of you who don't know what Machinima is, it's using a real-time 3d engine, usually a video game, to make movies. A very popular example of this would be Red vs Blue. They use Halo as their game of choice, and super-impose their voices over the Halo character models to make a comedy show. Given the technical limitations its very well done, and entertaining.

Now for those of you who played Starcraft 2 have probably been at least mildly impressed by the mission briefings and the character models. If you remember one of the opening briefings, it has the main protagonist, Jimmy Raynor, pouring a drink into a glass and squashing out a fly with a cigar. Well, apparently anything and everything in the game can be made using the include map editor. You can choose camera angles, interact with your environment, even render the expressions on your characters faces.

Below is an example of a mission briefing. Rendered on the fly, and, according to Blizzard, can be accomplished using the map editor.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=09mad8H4GwM

It's like a CG movie studio in a box. I'm pretty excited to see what Mechanima projects this will lead too.

Jared

Here is the most popular shark jump video on YouTube - you may recognize it from the Planet Earth series.  It is estimated that the shark reaches 23ft out of the water... I guess he was really hungry.

And if you ever find yourself in the water and you happen to see a shark coming, this is good stuff:

-Cara L.

-Jason K.

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Now it seems we're given computer hardware right now out a science fiction book from 20 years ago, and we don't know what to do with it. Sure we have lots of cool software, but compared to the hardware we're given it doesn't look so hot. Lots of software languages are geared towards making software quick and easy, not efficient. Another issue is writing really advanced software is difficult and can require a lot of mathematics.

Well, I'm sure we are making progress in the right direction and here is a great example. This sort of thing wouldn't seem too impressive if it was in a Hollywood movie, but considering this is all done in real time, its quite amazing. Hopefully within the next few years this kind of technology will enter the gaming world. Until then I'll just stare longingly at my screen and dream.

-Jared

- Jason K.

I read an interesting article in the The StarPhoenix on the weekend, Internet shoppers' top choice.  To quickly sum it up, Canadian consumers say the Internet is twice as important to them as any other medium.

Being so important to the consumer seems to be getting across only to a small portion of the business community. I'm not saying that newspaper or radio, etc... is bad - each media has its purpose and place. I just find it funny that a media with that much influence isn't getting the respect it deserves. It seems like everyone has accepted the value of the other media types and is still shy to invest in an online presence.

I guess we are to expect growing pains in our industry. Someday we will join the elite media club and we can reminisce over the days when websites were the cheapest option around.

- Cara L

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It seems every day that passes our lives become more engrained with technology, and the more our lives become engrained with technology, the blurrier the boundary between the digital world and the real world becomes.

A simple example that effects just about everyone.... Facebook. It seems everyone is talking to everyone on Facebook these days. People are forging relationships and keeping in touch with people that they never would of before, because of Facebook. A stronger example would be WoW (World of Warcraft). For those who have no idea what World of Warcraft is, it's a Massively Multiplayer Online Roll Playing Game, where character take a roll in a virtual game world through an avatar that they create. World of Warcraft has has a huge influence on the real world... Here are some examples....

Virtual currencies are affecting real world economies....

http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=24247

Why not get MARRIED in a virtual world...

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/149965/want_to_get_married_in_world_of_warcraft.html

Or divorced because of one...

http://www.widowsofwarcraft.com/

As soon as my kids are old enough to click a mouse....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gold_farming

Hopefully you can start to get the point, but it doesn't stop there. Virtual real estate is becoming a huge market.... sex.com is expecting to snag tens of millions when it finally sells. Thats the equivalent of an empty lot selling in the real world...

http://money.cnn.com/2010/03/18/technology/sexcom_auction_postponed/

Some more on virtual real estate...

http://realestate.msn.com/article.aspx?cp-documentid=13107800

As usual when I start to think about this stuff, I start to think of where will we be in the future? The Internet has only been in the public eye for 15-some-odd years and already things are looking like they're from a science fiction book. What about 15 more years, 30 years, 50.. 100 years? I can't tell you, but these things do seem to have a snow ball effect so I'm sure its not going to end up the way I picture it.

All of this talking about virtual-digital-interweb stuff has made me hungry. I better login to Habo Hotel and get a bite to eat.

-Jared out

Like this one:

So far the average response time is around 2 hours. So that brings up the question, if Old Spice can create a video in response to a random message from twitter in 2 hours, why can't most people reply to an email within a week??

Anyway, I'm glad a company that was getting an older image has jumped on the social media train. They have turned themselves into the cool company in just a few days. I can't wait to hear what kind of profits have been produced because of this advertising campaign.

Does this inspire you? The Internet is a great equalizer and can allow for the smallest business to compete with the big corporations. If you need access to a studio to make your own, just give us a call!

- Cara L

- Jason K.

Arnold Schwarzenegger is one of my main inspirations.  Why?  Arnold has a legendary work ethic and has accomplished a ton of things throughout his lifetime.  He grew up in a very small, isolated Austrian village and turned to body building as his ticket to a better life and has earned it.  He has strived to be the best at what he does in many areas and has achieved the impossible many times over.  Watch these Youtube clips to better give you an idea of what I am talking about and be inspired!

Cheers,

Ryan

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http://zoomquilt2.madmindworx.com/zoomquilt2.swf

It's been around for awhile now, I think I saw the first version online 5 or so years ago. The thing I appreciate most about it, isn't the wonderful artwork they put into it, but the idea. They came up with something original, that didn't require the team from NASA to execute. Kudo's to the individual that thought this up, and to the artists that got many a hand cramp creating this.

Documents are typed, spreadsheets tabulated and exciting battle plans are formulated. That is what I mean when I say the rain is good for our businesses. We spend so much time just trying to keep up with our to-do lists and providing great customer service (which we all know takes quite a bit of time and effort), that we stop looking at the big picture.

Everyone knows that a well thought out business plan increases the odds of a new business surviving. Tracking results and comparing them to that plan will help ensure the company is sailing smoothly or will require a change in course.

- Cara L

I found this interesting video from our free LinkedIn group, "Linked n Saskatoon" where Clayton Lane from Investors Group posted this fascinating TED talk from the owner of 1-800-GOT-JUNK, Cameron Herold.  The talk is called "Let's Raise Kids To Be Entrepreneurs" and is worth checking out.  In the talk, Cameron talks about how society teaches kids to shoot for becoming lawyers, doctors, dentists, teachers, writers, actors, etc. when it should be pushing them to be entrepreneurs.  Personally, I was lucky enough to have two wealthy uncles that I always looked up to that were and are passionate business owners that have taken up a main section of my motivation for years but many kids aren't so privileged.  Many only know that they should strive to do well in school and their life will be successful.  Unfortunately, not everyone is the same and I agree with Cameron Herold in that some people were never meant to work the traditional jobs.

In his talk, Cameron touches on five ways parents can teach their kids to break the mold and become more entrepreneurial.  They include things such as; teaching them not to waste money, getting them to negotiate for allowances, letting the kids tell you stories, and to manage their own money.  But the main point that he touched on was to be constantly nurturing entrepreneurial traits in them including: sales, networking, handling failure, customer service, attainment and many others.

This was a brilliant speech by Cameron and I would say I have to agree with him and when I have kids, they will be raised as entrepreneurs.

Cheers,

Ryan

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-Jason K.

It's called "Chewy's First Day of School" and was created by Bobby Chiu of Imaginism Studios.

I laughed when I first saw it - it's so darn cute! Then I started creating a story in my head that connected this image to the older, adult character in the film. This consumed almost 30 minutes of my time today. Then I checked on Bobby's website (which took more time, but worth it).

With enough effort and creativity, one image really can have a huge impact. So just putting this out there... what if you had a whole website that could create this kind of impact? Have you had the opportunity yet to get the "out of the blue" calls or emails from strangers ready to meet you and buy your products or services? It's a great feeling!

Don't rush your website and skip the creativity. The more effort at the beginning will result in higher quality leads later - sound familiar ;)

- Cara L

Crysis 2

Besides being the sequal to the most visually realistic game to date, the impressive thing about this title is that they got it running on aged hardware like the Xbox 360. When the first Crysis was originally released Crytek, the developer, said it could be ported to the consoles because they simply weren't powerful enough, but here we are 3 years later. And now only is it running on Consoles, but it looks BETTER than the first. Kudo's to Crytek for pushing the technical envelope on this one.

Nintendo 3DS

The entertainment\tech industry is riding the 3d wave which has only gotten larger thanks to hit movies such as Avatar. But before we even had time to get too excited about 3d movies, Nintendo has announced a new and improved portable console that is 3d and doesn't require glasses! Will this be a gimmick, or the next big thing? Hard to tell, but given Nintendo's recent track record this could be huge.

Kinetic

Excited, yes. But also prepared for disappointment. This looks like it could take gaming forward in leaps and bounds, but unfortunately it looks like it's being geared towards the casual market. Sure this may not be great for all game types, but wouldn't it be cool to play a RTS minority report style? Only time will tell if MS drops the ball on this one.

Well that's all for now. e3 had literally HUNDREDS of games being shown, and there is lots to talk about, but these are the key things that peaked my attention.

The 2010 FIFA World Cup is well underway in South Africa. Here's a collection of some of the most creative and memorable FIFA World Cup advertising campaigns out there.

• Building your brand: Either the customer found you for the first time or they are checking you out before doing business with you. A website ensures you are the one providing information you would like them to see
  
   
• Provide information to drive local sales: Many companies do not sell directly to the public but advise them of where the closest dealer can be found. By offering this service, you generate more interest and will attract potential dealers for your product.
  
   
• Sell products or services directly over the internet: The world becomes your market place.
  
   
• Provide customer service and support: Websites are great places for troubleshooting guides, FAQs and technical guides. This reassures potential customers that you can be depended upon if required.
  
   
• Create business efficiency: Stop telephone calls that ask the same questions over and over.

If your decision is based solely on having something for your receptionist to do, or your buddy wants to build his portfolio, or your competition has just released a website - have a serious talk with yourself to ensure your website is done correctly the first time. Contrary to popular belief, it is better not to have a website at all rather than a mediocre website that could potentially ruin your reputation.

CONTENT DEVELOPMENT

The most important part of your website is the content. Period. If there is no valuable substance to your website, users will quickly see through your pretty graphics and ditch your website and your company completely.

All the words, pictures, tables and videos constitute the content of your website. The decision about what to include should be considered by:

• the purpose of the website (thank goodness you have already determined that)
   
• what your target market would like to see
   
• the format of the content (if a file takes forever to load, it’s likely skipped)
   
• legal issues (copyright)

When preparing the content keep in mind that further resources may be required. You may need to hire a photographer or purchase stock images. You may need someone to edit your website to check for factual accuracy, spelling, grammar, sense, relevance, and vocabulary level.

Remember that your website will need to be updated regularly (stale websites drop in search engine ranking), so try to set-up a system that allows you to easily add/change content. If you are a specialist in a certain area, do not spend months perfecting an article on 10 particular points. Each week add one point to your website and tell the reader there is more to come. Now you are making search engines happy, you have secured more traffic for the future, and you do not have to struggle developing new subject matter.

The internet has made it so easy to be lazy and publish less than spectacular websites that we find ourselves drowning in bad examples. So is a website worth it? It’s simple, you have heard this statement a million times “the more you put into it, the more you get out of it”. By putting your focus on purpose and content, the rest of the pieces fall easily into place.

- Cara Lauscher

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I know that may sound a little harsh but it's true! The other day I was watching, “Finding Nemo” and my niece got upset in the beginning because Nemo's mother died. For whatever reason I then began to think about it and you know, many of Disney's most classic movies have nurturing good mothers until one day, BLAMO! The mother gets killed off quicker than a dumb blonde in a horror movie. So now lets go through the Disney Classics to further prove our point.

7. Pocahontas
    - Her mother had died while giving birth to her.

6. Cinderella
    - Mother dies leaving her alone and her father remarries leaving her with a mean step-mother.

5. Aladdin
    - Aladdin’s father left and mother died leaving him an orphan.

4. Beauty and the Beast
    - Belle’s mother dies and she is raised solely by her father.

3. Tarzan
    - Tarzan’s mother dies of natural causes leaving him in the Jungle alone with the apes.

2. Jungle Book
    - Mogali's parents die leaving him alone to be raised by wolves.

1. Bambi
    - Possibly the most emotionally scaring of all the Disney mother deaths; Bambi’s mom gets blown away by a hunter and single handedly made 1,000’s of life long vegetarians overnight.

Interestingly enough, there are only two Disney movies with both parents present and don't die during the movie (do you know which ones?). The legend goes that after the massive success of his first major production, Snow White, Walt Disney purchased a new home for his parents. The furnace in the house was faulty and eventually led to his mother dieing from asphyxiation. This deeply hurt Walt Disney and is thought by some to be the main cause of the lack of maternal figures in his movies. This incident had happened before the production of Bambi which clearly display's Walt Disney's feelings for his mother.

So it seems that there is a logical explanation for Disney's killing of mothers in it's movies. If you can think of the two Disney movies that don't have dead parents in them be sure to leave a comment.

Cheers,



Ryan

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The first example I'd like to show is a raycasting engine written in 5k of Javascript. Raycasting, for you not-so-nerdy types, is the technique used to make such classic computer games as Wolfenstein3d and Doom. Though these games appear 3d, they are really 2d but appear 3d through some rendering tricks.

http://www.wolf5k.com/faq.html

5k is an extremely small for anything, especially a raycasting game.

The second example, isn't anything to practical, yet, but makes awesome use of Javascript and the canvas tag. Image the types of things we could do with this if IE supported canvas!

http://www.andrew-hoyer.com/experiments/cloth

The last example, is a brilliant example of what could be when HTML5 becomes standard. I put a emphasis on "could be" since, to my knowledge, MS hasn't made anything regarding the canvas tag official with IE 9. IE is really the bottle neck holding back this sort of thing from becoming more mainstream, but regardless, check it out, and marvel at the brilliance of yet another 20% time Google project.

http://code.google.com/p/quake2-gwt-port/

Now I know what you’re thinking, “this is a web design business writing an article about why I need a website? Ppffff I’m skeptical” and, as in most cases, this would be the right approach to take, so I commend you. But in this blog entry, I am going to realistically describe why, in our province, any reputable business should at least be thinking about bringing their company online.

As we all know quite well, Saskatchewan and its cities are the best kept secret in Canada! Even with our long winters, the people here are the friendliest and most courteous you will find anywhere (take a trip to New York for a good contrast), the summers are beautiful and so are the women. In fact, Macleans magazine recently described Saskatoon as “Paris of the Prairies” and went a step further, saying Saskatoon “topped the list” as the most socially engaged and most literate cities in Canada! But even more interesting than this is that according to the most recent study by Statistic’s Canada, Saskatchewan cities have the highest web-usage in the country! Saskatoon has the highest with 89%. That is nine points above the national average!

So what does this mean? Well from a logical perspective, any business that doesn’t have a website will most likely be missing out on a tonne of business!

If you’re still not convinced, here is “The Top 5 Reason’s Saskatchewan Businesses Need Websites Now!”

1. Levels The Playing Field and Expands Your Market!

This is one of the best things about the Internet and it scares some of the biggest companies in nearly every industry. Even if you’re just starting out, if you have a website that looks credible and professional, you can compete with anyone, including the big boys.
By having a website, your market will expand greatly and customers that you never thought possible will begin to contact you. In fact, as of December 2009, over 1.8 billion people now have access to the Internet in 123 countries.

Also, the online market is a great place to refer potential investors, tell them the story behind your company, how it achieved what it has and what it can achieve in the future.

2. Websites Are Very Cheap Compared To Other Forms of Advertising!

Here’s a test, what do most people these days do when they hear about a business?

a) Look it up in the Yellow Pages
b) Type the industry (ex: Saskatoon Landscaping) in an online search engine (Google, Bing, Yahoo)
c) Type the business name (ex: Stealth Web Designs) in an online search engine (Google, Bing, Yahoo)
d) Both b) and c)

Correct Answer: If you answered d) you are right! But depending on the industry, Yellow Pages can still be a phenomenal place to put an ad for your business but the questions is that once you have a Yellow pages ad, where do you direct people to learn more about your business?

3. Websites Never Close!

Today, office hours are gaining importance as customers are raising their expectations for how long businesses should stay open. Luckily, with a website you don’t have to turn customers away anymore when you have to close down shop or feel bad when you shut down for the holiday’s. It’s open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and 365 days a year.

4. Gain Credibility!

With a well designed and programmed website, you can take your businesses reputation to the next level. This way you can “wow” your customers even while you’re sleeping!

5. Add Value To Your Service!

If you offer your customers the convenience of a website you improve your customer service and in turn, you add an element of value to your product or service that your customers will appreciate and get satisfaction from. With the right content, you can offer the customer value through advice, tips and other industry specific content that will keep them coming back for more.

There are many other reasons to get a website these days but ultimately the decision is up to you. With nearly every business in every industry going online, it may be time for you to consider it as well.

Stealth has been helping Saskatchewan businesses big and small go online since 2006 and would welcome the opportunity to meet you.

We make websites that stand out… in a good way! Get a Stealth Website; Your Competition Won’t Know What Hit Them!

Cheers,

Ryan

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A “Speed Painting” is a popularized term used to describe a time-lapse digital painting. This digital art form employs a screen recording application in conjunction with a tablet and graphic editing software. The real-time recording of the finished work undergoes an editing process where elements are added or removed and the frame rate accelerated. The completed speed painting presents a unique viewing experience, showing the construction of an image in a matter of a few minutes.

Below, are a few examples of the many notable speed paintings out there. Watching a speed painting video can be quite the learning tool. So much information in terms of approach, technique and application can be acquired from viewing them. I was curious and excited to make a speed painting video of my own.

Ironman by Daniel Diaz

Neytiri by Mike Groe

Mona Lisa by Jason Baalman

Jessica Alba by Josiel Souza

Sarah by Chris Scalf

Captain Jack Sparrow by Martin Missfeldt

Batman by Manlio Noto

Bumblebee by Nico Di Mattia

As history has demonstrated, nothing lasts forever. New ideals replace the old, and if you aren't flexible enough to adapt you'll be put out to pasture, no matter what type of empire you've built up. It would seem that we are at a major evolutionary point in the IT industry. Yes, you might say the IT industry is always changing, which it is, but the changes occurring now are more much clearer than previous changes. Even though the changes we are seeing now are rapid and radical, lots of them been quite predictable.

Ten years ago if you were to take a guess at where we'd be now it would be pretty clear that mobile computing would be that status quo, and here we are. Yet despite this predictability Microsoft has failed to keep up with the times. They are the undisputed leader in desktop computing, but in terms of online platforms or mobile, they have fallen far behind. Not because their products are sub-par. On the contrary. Bing, Zune.... these are highly acclaimed technologies that they offer, but they are both years too late. Years too late in the tech industry doesn't cut it. As great as those products are people's thirst for personal, mobile, connected computing is being quenched by the likes of Apple (iPhone), (who a little more than a decade ago was on their death bed), Google (Android), Rim (Blackberry), and many many many miscellaneous mobile platforms. So what went wrong with Microsoft? Try as they may, their vision of mobile computer never caught on. Pocket PC's remained a niche market for technology enthusiasts and the first generation of tablet pc's didn't quite cut it with the masses. Both technologies were a little to soon, a little too clunky, and a little too uncool.

Apple on the other hand, waited until the fruit was ripe for the picking. The PC market had grown stale, and users were bored with their plain-jane cell phones and desktop pc's. Even if the iPhone wasn't a perfect product right out of the gate, its what people needed. It was fast, cool looking, and easy to use. It was design from the ground up for mobile computing. It wasn't Windows stuffed into a little device. Also, it appealed to the masses. It didn't have a watered down version of MS Office like it's windows CE predecessors, but who wants that anyways? Only 0.5% of the human population want a dummied version of excel, but everyone and their dog wants to be tweeting and connecting through facebook on a sleek, light-weight smart phone.

That with the power of the app-store is where Apple hit the nail on the head. Microsoft might of dominated the pc world, but Apple is dominating all the other consumer level hardware form factors. So what does this mean? Well, 10 years ago, anyone with an interest in technology could of told you that mobile was the big thing. Everyone saw it coming. But what is the next big thing now? Well I guess we'll have to wait and see, but if we can learn anything from history, it's that it probably won't be from Microsoft or Apple, but some other smaller company that with skill, vigilance and a little luck will bring IT to the next level.

Seriously?! A dolphin gets one before I do - am I that late for jumping on the iPad bandwagon or can we all just agree that dolphins are our equals now? Someday I'll show that dolphin...

- Cara

Since it’s nearly impossible to be positive and happy 100% of the time (although some can get pretty close) many turn to music to help get that extra boost of confidence and energy to help overcome pretty much anything from relationships to hurdles in business. That is why we delved into research to develop the perfect top ten list to keep you inspired and motivated throughout your day. We shall call it:

Stealth’s Top Ten Most Inspiring and Uplifting Songs of All Time!

We would love to hear what music inspires you so be sure to create an account and share your playlist with us in the comment section below.

1. Somewhere Over The Rainbow – Israel Kamakawiwo’ole

2. You Gotta Be – Des’ree

3. Tub Thumping – Chumbawamba

4. Man in the Mirror – Michael Jackson

5. Live Like You Were Dying – Tim McGraw

6. What a Wonderful World – Louis Armstrong

7. You Had A Bad Day – Daniel Powter

8. I Believe I Can Fly – R-Kelly

9. Hope – Twista featuring Faith Hill

10. When You Believe – Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston

Stealth’s Top Ten Most Inspiring and Uplifting Songs of All Time’s Runner Up’s

1. Have A Nice Day – John Bon Jovi

2. Highway to the Danger Zone – Kenny Loggins

3. I’m Alive – Celine Dion

4. I’m Walking On Sunshine – Katrina & The Waves

5. We Will Rock You – Queen

6. Lovely Day – Bill Withers

7. I Feel Good – James Brown

8. The Final Countdown – Europe

9. We Are The Champions – Queen

10. Chariots of Fire


Thank you for taking the time to read the Sharky Blog!  There will be much more to come soon so stay tuned.  We would love to hear what songs have inspired you in your life and career and we are always sure to read every one so be sure to share with us in the comment section below.  Have a great day!