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themoneybuff-blog · 5 years

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Nine Secrets of Successful Homebuyers

A popular real estate website recently compiled a list of the six habits all successful homebuyers have in common. As someone whos approaching the one-year anniversary of owning my own home, I found the topic fascinating. Not because I possessed so many of the habits outlined. But for the opposite reason. When I purchased my house, I winged it, for the most part. I didnt do a lot of research about the home buying process. I also did not shop around extensively for mortgages, which was mistake number one. Nor did I shop around for real estate agents (lesson learned!), or tour a long list of houses. Though I looked at dozens of properties online, I only did two or three actual walk-throughs before settling on the home I purchased. Reading about the habits of all successful homebuyers, which were mostly financial habits, made me wonder how much different my outcome might have been had I seen the list ahead of time and adopted the behaviors outlined. I also felt the list was far too narrowly focused and left a lot out. While I didnt possess all of the attributes mentioned, I brought other skills to the table that werent included, which helped me successfully purchase a home in Southern California, one of the most competitive and high-priced real estate markets in the country. All of which inspired me to solicit opinions from a broad group of real estate agents from across the country to do my own survey of what makes a successful homebuyer, beyond just the financial habits. Heres what the agents I polled had to say. Secret #1: Successful homebuyers are goal-oriented. One of the top-selling real estate brokers in New York City, Sheila Trichter of Warburg Realtyhas 25 years of experience working in the Manhattan market, another one of the priciest and most competitive places in the country. According to Trichter, the most successful buyers know what they want and they pursue that goal with their actions. That means, Trichter explains, that such buyers are actively working toward their goal regularly, beginning with familiarizing themselves with the market and then staying on top of new listings. They should be regularly looking and know what the market is like, said Trichter. That doesnt mean they need to be on every single real estate app every day, but they need to pay attention. And the more specific a buyer they are, the more they have to pay attention, because things come and go. This skill even applies to first-time homebuyers, says Dana Bull, a Boston area realtor who specializes in helping those new to the buying process. The most important thing I see in first-time buyers, in particular, that makes them successful is their ability to plan and strategize, said Bull. Buyers who get what they want, or recognize a great deal when they see it, are usually those who have spent a lot of time researching the market, including touring a home even if they think its not for them so that theyre completely aware of whats out there, what its selling for, and where the opportunities may lie. Secret #2: Theyre organized, too. Having your act together as a homebuyer takes on many forms, says Snezhana Conway, of Washington D.C.-based Snezhana Homes Group of Keller Williams Capital Properties. Buyers who are organized from the very beginning are attending the homebuyers seminars to learn about the homebuying process, theyre collecting a file of their favorite home styles and amenities, and theyre organized with their personal finances such as tax returns and pay-stubs, said Conway. Being organized also means ensuring your credit score is mortgage-ready well in advance of the purchase, and carefully determining what sort of home budget youre comfortable with, says real estate agent John Myers, of Myers & Myers Real Estate, in Albuquerque, N.M. Having your finances in order makes the homebuying decision much easier, said Myers, noting that this habit allows purchasers to clearly understand exactly how much they want to spend and to stick to that budget. Secret #3: They avoid excess debt and pay bills on time. Another critical note on personal finances: Your credit score will have a huge impact on the mortgage youre able to qualify for, potentially costing (or saving) you tens of thousands of dollars over time. And most lenders want to see a low debt-to-income ratio. So successful homeowners understand that this is not the time to start opening a variety of new credit cards, running up balances, or making late payments on your bills, said Trichter. Running up a lot of debt will make it more difficult to buy a home, explained Trichter. So, successful homebuyers dont go into every store that offers 10% off on a purchase if you get their credit card and open an account. All those [new] credit cards lower your credit score. You dont want to be a person with a credit card in every store in town, thats not really keeping finances in order. And they dont close credit cards, because that lowers your credit score. Secret #4: They stay realistic. Successful homebuyers have sensible expectations and clearly understand what their home needs are. This is not fantasy, this is a reality, said Trichter. Sure, you want to dream and have your home be wonderful, with bells and whistles. But only the bells and whistles you can afford. To that end, its important to define exactly what it is you want and, more importantly, what you actually need, says Michael Schaffer, broker and owner of Denver-based Reason Real Estate. This effort should also include narrowing down the geographic area youll consider to a realistically manageable area. It should not be the entire major metropolitan area, said Schaffer. This way you wont be so overwhelmed with the listings that you wont be able to give adequate consideration to any of them. Ultimately, buyers who understand the concept of balance and keeping their homeownership goals practical will usually make the most rational decisions throughout the buying process, added, Amanda Martin, of Fort Lauderdale-based The Real Estate Shoppe. Secret #5: Theyre not afraid of a certain amount of risk. As with any major financial decision, buying a home presents a certain amount of risk. And while you absolutely need to do your due diligence, Trichter says, successful homebuyers dont dwell on what-ifs or allow doubts to paralyze their decision-making. There are plenty of risks. And people shouldnt take undue risks they should be sure they can afford the house, and that its not sitting on a swamp, Trichter said. But there are certain people who say What if the sky falls in? What if theres a terrorist attack? What if the banks fail? Buying a home involves some risk, and you need to be comfortable with that. Secret #6: Theyre careful about choosing a real estate agent. Dont make the same mistake I did and choose the first real estate agent who comes along. In my case, that decision turned into a nightmare worthy of another story. If I had to do it again, I probably would have listened to the recommendations of good friends who provided glowing reviews of Realtors they had worked with, because my personal belief is that a recommendation from a friend whos had a good experience is invaluable. Gary Lucido, president of Chicago-based Lucid Realty, says a real estate agent should have certain key attributes. Get a really smart Realtor. Not the top producer. Not a self-proclaimed neighborhood expert. Not someone with signs all over the neighborhood. Not a neighbor, relative, or friend. But someone who is resourceful, knowledgeable, and responsive, said Lucido. Secret #7: They shop for a mortgage early. Mortgage shopping should be done early in the search process, not after youve laid eyes on the home you absolutely must have. For one thing, getting preapproved helps you know for sure how much house you can afford. And in a competitive housing market, youll generally need a letter of preapproval from your lender if you want to stand a chance in a multiple-offer situation. Plus, shopping for a mortgage before you absolutely need one will give you time to find the very best rates. Once you have a contract, you need to move quickly to get your mortgage, and you dont have time to shop around, said Lucido. Embarking on mortgage shopping early also allows buyers time to thoroughly educate themselves about the various types of financial products available, noted Luke Babich, co-founder of the nationwide referral brokerage Clever Real Estate, and a licensed real estate agent in Missouri. Secret #8: They set aside enough time for house hunting. The market moves fast, and buying a house isnt like picking out a new coffeemaker on Amazon. So if youre serious about your search, Conway says, its a good idea to budget time every week or weekend to see homes. Schedule the time in advance with your real estate agent, she adds. No last-minute frantic calls to try to squeeze showings in. Secret #9: They think long-term. When searching for a home, think about where you might want to be in five, 10, or 20 years, and how this purchase might help get you there, says Bull. A great buy thats not a long-term fit might be perfect for now and make a fantastic rental down the road or allow you to sell high and upgrade, said Bull. Having that vision helps buyers make informed decisions. The Bottom Line This is by no means an exhaustive list. But nearly all the Realtors I spoke to agreed that there are indeed some fairly consistent habits among home buyers who are ultimately the most successful. And while having your finances in order is a tremendous help, being organized, informed, prepared, and engaged during a home search will also play a vital role in making your homebuying experience a good one. These habits are important because a real estate transaction can take all the time you have and can be at times stressful, said Conway. And by starting smart and making the right choices, you can eliminate or reduce those instances of fatigue, failure, or heartbreak, including missed dream homes, broken contracts, unethical Realtors, and not being ready to buy financially and emotionally. Read more: https://www.thesimpledollar.com/five-secrets-of-successful-home-buyers/

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we-johnnygonzalez-blog · 5 years

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Do Businesses Really Use Google My Business Posts? A Case Study

Posted by Ben_Fisher

Google My Business (GMB) is one of the most powerful ways to improve a business’ local search engine optimization and online visibility. If you’re a local business, claiming your Google My Business profile is one of the first steps you should take to increase your company’s online presence.

As long as your local business meets Google’s guidelines, your Google My Business profile can help give your company FREE exposure on Google’s search engine. Not only can potential customers quickly see your business’ name, address and phone number, but they can also see photos of your business, read online reviews, find a description about your company, complete a transaction (like book an appointment) and see other information that grabs a searcher’s attention — all without them even visiting your website. That’s pretty powerful stuff!

Google My Business helps with local rankings

Not only is your GMB Profile easily visible to potential customers when they search on Google, but Google My Business is also a key Google local ranking factor. In fact, according to local ranking factor industry research, Google My Business “signals” is the most important ranking factor for local pack rankings. Google My Business signals had a significant increase in ranking importance between 2017 and 2018 — rising from 19% to 25%.

Claiming your Google My Business profile is your first step to local optimization — but many people mistakenly think that just claiming your Google My Business profile is enough. However, optimizing your Google My Business profile and frequently logging into your Google My Business dashboard to make sure that no unwanted updates have been made to your profile is vital to improving your rankings and ensuring the integrity of your business profile’s accuracy.

Google My Business features that make your profile ROCK!

Google offers a variety of ways to optimize and enhance your Google My Business profile. You can add photos, videos, business hours, a description of your company, frequently asked questions and answers, communicate with customers via messages, allow customers to book appointments, respond to online reviews and more.

One of the most powerful ways to grab a searcher’s attention is by creating Google My Business Posts. GMB Posts are almost like mini-ads for your company, products, or services.

Google offers a variety of posts you can create to promote your business:

What's New

Event

Offer

Product

Posts also allow you to include a call to action (CTA) so you can better control what the visitor does after they view your post — creating the ultimate marketing experience. Current CTAs are:

Book

Order Online

Buy

Learn More

Get Offer

Call Now

Posts use a combination of images, text and a CTA to creatively show your message to potential customers. A Post shows in your GMB profile when someone searches for your business’ name on Google or views your business’ Google My Business profile on Google Maps.

Once you create a Post, you can even share it on your social media channels to get extra exposure.

Despite the name, Google My Business Posts are not actual social media posts. Typically the first 100 characters of the post are what shows up on screen (the rest is cut off and must be clicked on to be seen), so make sure the most important words are at the beginning of your post. Don’t use hashtags — they’re meaningless. It’s best if you can create new posts every seven days or so.

Google My Business Posts are a great way to show off your business in a unique way at the exact time when a searcher is looking at your business online.

But there’s a long-standing question: Are businesses actually creating GMB Posts to get their message across to potential customers? Let’s find out...

The big question: Are businesses actively using Google My Business Posts?

There has been a lot of discussion in the SEO industry about Google My Business Posts and their value: Do they help with SEO rankings? How effective are they? Do posts garner engagement? Does where the Posts appear on your GMB profile matter? How often should you post? Should you even create Google My Business Posts at all? Lots of questions, right?

As industry experts look at all of these angles, what do average, everyday business owners actually do when it comes to GMB Posts? Are real businesses creating posts? I set out to find the answer to this question using real data. Here are the details.

Google My Business Post case study: Just the facts

When I set out to discover if businesses were actively using GMB Posts for their companies’ Google My Business profiles, I first wanted to make sure I looked at data in competitive industries and markets. So I looked at a total of 2,000 Google My Business profiles that comprised the top 20 results in the Local Finder. I searched for highly competitive keyword phrases in the top ten cities (based on population density, according to Wikipedia.)

For this case study, I also chose to look at service type businesses.

Here are the results.

Cities:

New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia, Dallas, San Jose, San Francisco, Washington DC, Houston, and Boston.

Keywords:

real estate agent, mortgage, travel agency, insurance or insurance agents, dentist, plastic surgeon, personal injury lawyer, plumber, veterinarian or vet, and locksmith

Surprise! Out of the industries researched, Personal Injury Lawyers and Locksmiths posted the most often.

For the case study, I looked at the following:

How many businesses had an active Google My Business Post (i.e. have posted in the last seven days)

How many had previously made at least one post

How many have never created a post

Do businesses create Google My Business Posts?

Based on the businesses, cities, and keywords researched, I discovered that more than half of the businesses are actively creating Posts or have created Google My Business Posts in the past.

17.5% of businesses had an active post in the last 7 days

42.1% of businesses had previously made at least one post

40.4% have never created a post

Highlight: A total of 59.60% of businesses have posted a Google My Business Post on their Google My Business profile.

NOTE: If you want to look at the raw numbers, you can check out the research document that outlines all the raw data. (NOTE: Credit for the research spreadsheet template I used and inspiration to do this case study goes to SEO expert Phil Rozek.)

Do searchers engage with Google My Business Posts?

If a business takes the time to create Google My Business Posts, do searchers and potential customers actually take the time to look at your posts? And most importantly, do they take action and engage with your posts?

This chart represents nine random clients, their total post views over a 28-day period, and the corresponding total direct/branded impressions on their Google My Business profiles. When we look at the total number of direct/branded views alongside the number of views posts received, the number of views for posts appears to be higher. This means that a single user is more than likely viewing multiple posts.

This means that if you take the time to create a GMB Post and your marketing message is meaningful, you have a high chance of converting a potential searcher into a customer — or at least someone who is going to take the time to look at your marketing message. (How awesome is that?)

Do searchers click on Google My Business Posts?

So your GMB Posts show up in your Knowledge Panel when someone searches for your business on Google and Google Maps, but do searchers actually click on your post to read more?

When we evaluated the various industry post views to their total direct/branded search views, on average the post is clicked on almost 100% of the time!

Google My Business insights

When you log in to your Google My Business dashboard you can see firsthand how well your Posts are doing. Below is a side-by-side image of a business’ post views and their direct search impressions. By checking your GMB insights, you can find out how well your Google My Business posts are performing for your business!

GMB Posts are worth it

After looking at 2,000 GMB profiles, I discovered a lot of things. One thing is for sure. It's hard to tell on a week-by-week basis how many companies are using GMB Posts because posts “go dark” every seven business days (unless the Post is an event post with a start and end date.)

Also, Google recently moved Posts from the top of the Google My Business profile towards the bottom, so they don’t stand out as much as they did just a few months ago. This may mean that there’s less incentive for businesses to create posts.

However, what this case study does show us is that businesses that are in a competitive location and industry should use Google My Business optimizing strategies and features like posts if they want to get an edge on their competition.

Sign up for The Moz Top 10, a semimonthly mailer updating you on the top ten hottest pieces of SEO news, tips, and rad links uncovered by the Moz team. Think of it as your exclusive digest of stuff you don't have time to hunt down but want to read!

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deadcactuswalking · 5 years

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REVIEWING THE CHARTS: 17th February 2019

We have a new #1, and a very busy week before the BRITs. Let’s get on with it.

Top 10

As I said, there’s a new #1 hit today on the UK Singles Chart – for its first week on both the #1 spot and the chart overall (Yup, it is a debut), it’s “break up with your girlfriend, i’m bored” by Ariana Grande, becoming her 18th Top 40 hit and fifth #1 (Second to debut at the spot this year). This is because of her incredibly successful thank u, next album, which was the most-streamed album of all time for a female artist, and is currently occupying all top three spots on the Billboard Hot 100 in America. Now that’s impressive, although it did sell a bit less than I thought at more than 300k+... also the album sucked, it was a strong four at best. I’ll talk more about it later.

This means that Ariana Grande has blocked herself at #1, in fact has pushed herself off, as “7 rings” is down a spot to number-two.

Surprisingly, Lewis Capaldi enters the top three with “Someone You Loved”, up six spots to number-three. The album’s out soon so expect this to hit the top.

Sam Smith and Normani’s “Dancing with a Stranger” is down one space to number-four.

At number-five is where Mabel stays since last week, with “Don’t Call Me Up”.

Calvin Harris and Rag’n’Bone Man’s “Giant” is down two spaces to number-six.

Also down one space to number-seven is “Wow.” by Post Malone.

Now we have our second top 10 debut by Ariana Grande, “needy”, also from the album thank u, next. It’s at number-eight, and is Grande’s 19th Top 40 hit and 12th Top 10 hit. We’ll talk more about it later.

Unfortunately due to Grande and Capaldi, two good songs are barely hanging on at the end of the top 10. Mark Ronson and Miley Cyrus’ “Nothing Breaks Like a Heart” is down one space to number-nine.

Billie Eilish’s “bury a friend” is also down three spaces to #10, rounding off our top 10.

Climbers

Well, there’s more than I expected to be on this week specifically, but there’s not all too many. “Going Bad” by Meek Mill and Drake is up five spots to #13, probably because of the video, while possibly due to awards season, Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper’s “Shallow” is also up five spots to #21, “Grace” by Lewis Capaldi is up 14 spaces to #26. Then we have recent debuts like “Swervin” by A Boogie wit da Hoodie featuring 6ix9ine up seven spots to #27, “a lot” by 21 Savage featuring J. Cole up seven spots to #29 and “i’m so tired...” by LAUV and Troye Sivan up six spaces to #33, all of which I’m rooting for.

Fallers

I expected a LOT of these due to the sheer amount of new arrivals (There’s seven), and I mean, eh, we got some, mostly due to streaming cuts though. After a couple weeks, the UK Singles Chart makes the importance of streaming in a song’s chart placement lessen, if that makes sense, and this has happened to “Sweet but Psycho” by Ava Max down nine spaces to #11, Post Malone and Swae Lee’s Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse cut “Sunflower” down 13 spaces to #23, and potentially “Without Me” by Halsey down 11 spots to #28, this week. Otherwise, well, we have the fortunate five-space fall for “Undecided” by Chris Brown to #25, and falls for The Weeknd and Gesaffelstein with “Lost in the Fire” down 11 spaces to #35, as well as Kehlani and Ty Dolla $ign’s “Nights Like This” down eight spots to #38. I’m almost sad that song didn’t drop 15 spaces so I could make one of those awful quips about Ty Dolla $ign serving 15 years in prison for cocaine possession.

Dropouts

Streaming cuts also hurt “Close to Me” by Ellie Goulding, Diplo and Swae Lee, out from #27 (Peaking at #17), while “One Kiss” by Calvin Harris and Dua Lipa is out from #38 (Peaking at #1) – about time. Oh, I might as well say that whilst “thank u, next” by Ariana Grande did drop out from #28 (Peaking at #1), it’s not because it’s less popular now, it’s because that there are at least three more popular songs from the thank u, next album, and that’s all the UK Singles Chart allows at once. This is a good rule because it prevents album bombs, but it means the chart is less accurate in actually showing what people are listening to. I bet that song comes back next week anyway. Oh, and there’s more drop-outs: We have “Leave Me Alone” by Flipp Dinero out from #38 (Peaking at #30), “Saturday Nights” by Khalid out from #35 (Peaking at #31) and “18HUNNA” by Headie One and Dave out from #32 (Peaking at #6). These are all premature, so expect these come back, or at least one of them. Fredo’s “All I Ever Wanted” featuring Dave is out from #15 (Peaking at #15) after the album’s hype died down, whilst streaming cuts have pushed both “Hold My Girl” by George Ezra out from #23 (Peaking at #8) and “ZEZE” by Kodak Black featuring Offset and Travis Scott out from #21 (Peaking at #7) off the chart.

Returning Entries

The only returning entry this week is due to the tragic death of rapper Cadet at 25, whose passing has caused his song with Deno Driz, “Advice”, to return at #36. Rest in peace. Now, on a lighter note, here are our returning entries:

NEW ARRIVALS

#40 – “Thotiana” – Blueface

Hell yeah, Blueface, baby. Okay, so you know Blueface, don’t even say you don’t – you’re a filthy liar if so, because he has been all over the Internet due to viral videos of him rapping, because he doesn’t tend to rap conventionally, and he often has funny one-liners. There are purposeful off-beat moments throughout his songs, especially “Deadlocs”, but it’s mostly just inspiration from people like E-40 who would rap in a different way when they came across a beat that fit their unorthodox flow. Anyways, despite his most on-beat song to date, “Bleed It”, being an obvious contender for breakout hit, it seems like “Thotiana” has got the most traction, and hence, here it is. It’s been in the top 40 in the US for a couple weeks, and has got remixes from Desiigner, YG and even Cardi B (Who, by the way, absolutely kills it with an outrageous and hilarious verse, which I unfortunately can’t repeat any lines from because Tumblr might flag me with an adult content restriction – yeah, they’re that nasty). Despite that, it seems to be that the original version is the one that landed in the top 40. It’s obviously his first hit, and, to be honest, I love it to death. It’s barely two minutes and only consists of gliding pianos and smooth keys under a West Coast beat (With some banging percussion), as well as a slightly shrill synth, yet it feels so full, probably because of Blueface and all his ad-libs, including the iconic “Yeah, aight”. The hook is insanely catchy and beyond the meme, Blueface’s flow is great, somewhat complex at points and borders on spoken word in his verse, with so many references of what he says being “on the gang” that you’d think he has a verbal tic. This probably isn’t his funniest or most memorable song but it is a damn great one. Oh, but there’s also this:

Ain’t no runnin’, Thotiana, you gon’ take these damn strokes

Uh, yeah, well, um... Yikes, okay, I’m just going to leave it there. Great song, check it out. Check out the Cardi B remix though, it’s even better.

#37 – “Breathe” – CamelPhat and Cristoph featuring Jem Cooke

Damn, CamelPhat, I love these guys. Every song they’ve released that hit the charts has been some of the best EDM I’ve heard come out of the UK electronic scene in years, and they know how to make a fun, catchy dance song feel cinematic and in the case of songs like “Cola” with Elderbrook, almost avant-garde. A lot of UK dance by more obscure names has hit the charts last year, and impressed me as well, especially Loud Luxury, so I’m excited to see what CamelPhat have got up their sleeves this time for their third top 40 hit, and the first for Cristoph and Jem Cooke.

Yeah, so, this feels oddly 90s at the start, with those nice warm synths, then the indie-pop singer of the week comes in with her raspy voice covered in reverb, with pretty much no build-up before we get to a deep bassline and finger-snaps come in, almost like a sped-up Chicago house beat. The beat increases in intensity with a higher pitched bass as the chorus comes in but there’s not really a drop, just a continuation of the instrumental, because it still feels restrained and isolated, despite the theatricality of the whole ordeal, and that really fits the title because it’s an anxious song, and it takes a damn long while for that tension release to come in. Unlike “breathin” by Ariana Grande from last year, that was also about anxiety and self-help, this isn’t repetitive to a fault, rather while Jem Cooke yells at herself that she needs her to breathe again, the beat is almost like a train pushing down the tracks and the finale climax when her vocals echo, “Again, again, again, again”, is the train hitting her and killing her. Grande’s song was a pump-up anthem but this is just a pure burst of self-frustration hurled at the listener, and while it’s nowhere near as good as “Panic Room” in expressing panic, isolation and anxiety (Yeah, it is kind of a retread), this is still pretty great.

#34 – “Who Do You Love” – The Chainsmokers featuring 5 Seconds of Summer

Oh, these seven guys again. Look, I like enough of both of these artists’ songs to give them a pass, but a collaborative single between the two is just a mediocrity sandwich. It’s not going to be anything interesting or new or even worthwhile, it’s just going to be a two-dude EDM duo producing for one dude called Luke or something with four other dudes (Who supposedly play instruments on any of their singles – yeah, right). This is the Chainsmokers’ ninth top 40 single in the UK and 5 Seconds of Summer’s ninth as well, and it kind of sucks. What a surprise. We start off promising with distorted piano, a deep 808 bass and what sounds like a high-pitched, siren-like guitar, with Luke crooning, until... it has an acoustic breakdown in which Luke has too many vocal effects put onto him for it to work, and he sounds too fast, like a lot of these EDM guys make people sound like... until, that weak drop with an unfitting build-up. It just sounds like all five seconds saying “Blam-blam, hoopty-doopty, doo-doo” in unison over some cloudy synths and an ugly bass wobble. I know that’s the point, but this song is supposed to be taken seriously, and I don’t think any of the seven dudes involved noticed that at any point. Chainsmokers, guys, you’ll never top “Everybody Hates Me” (Note that their best song isn’t supposed to be taken seriously... or at least I hope not). Blech, I hope this goes away, this really is not worth any staying power.

#30 – “Just You and I” – Tom Walker

Both this and his other song, “Leave a Light On”, were featured in advertisements, boosting their place on the charts. This one has an album attached to it. That should tell you all you need to know about boring singer-songwriter, Tom Walker, trying to get on that “Genuine white guitarist man” money that Rag’n’Bone Man and Ed Sheeran currently store in the safe, although unlike those two, he’s more electronic and more plastic. He’s a rip-off? Yeah. Is he an industry plant? I mean, I don’t like that term, but it sure seems like it. If not, he’s just marketed perfectly. Anyway, this song is his second top 40 hit and some fake acoustic guitar and fake handclaps complement Tom Walker’s slightly nasal and... mildly urban-Irish (???) voice and the piano... and yeah, no, it doesn’t exist. I hear this song and nothing witty is produced, there’s nothing of interest in my brain, I feel like my ears have just had a long string of nothing twisted through them. The “Drop” is just a chorus, this time, although it still feels like a drop because Walker isn’t saying anything of interest. Oh, yeah, and the two parts of the chorus feel really jankily attached, it’s like two halves of a chorus put together. Next.

#16 – “Talk” – Khalid and Disclosure

Oh, hey, a great song by two amazing artists, that’s good to see. So, this is R&B singer Khalid’s tenth UK Top 40 hit and Disclosure’s sixth, and it’s funky, smooth and fun as hell. It starts with a synth that is ripped straight from the 80s, then some keys come in and a clap, until Khalid starts singing with that sultry voice, although it’s in a higher-pitched and more emotive falsetto this time, with a slightly off-kilter bass when partnered with the synths, almost reminding me of future bass. Khalid sounds absolutely fantastic over this beautiful instrumental, with all the extra touches like the drum pattern finishing off with a repeated snare, kick and bass hit at the end of the chorus as a climax, the extra synth melodies added throughout the chorus that give the song so much more “Oomph” and groove to it. The song is joyful, danceable and I don’t care about what the lyrics say at all, but since I clearly don’t have all that much to say about the song other than “This is gorgeous and amazing and brilliant”, I might as well say that the subject matter may be unfitting, because it’s about having a talk about where the relationship is going, which isn’t necessarily as smooth, cute and glamorous as the song could paint it out to be, but there definitely is that off-kilter and quirky vibe to it that does add that sense of panic, despite how mostly chilled it is. That works well, actually. Yeah, check this out because this is the best song either of these guys have put out. If this has longevity in the US, it’s a contender for the top of my best list, because I doubt anything better will come along. Perhaps “bury a friend” and “a lot” could end up there? Who knows? It’s shaping up to be a pretty good year, though, so we’ll see.

#8 – “needy” – Ariana Grande

Ariana Grande finally finds her sound after years and four albums of having the inability to be cohesive or unique, years and years of having a wasted voice due to cluttered, messy and generic instrumentals provided to her by producers who don’t know what they’re doing, and... her albums still suck. Well, her fifth album is a disappointment, yes, and it’s also incredibly mediocre. It lacks a lot of substance, is inconsistent (It either has too much polish or not enough), has a few irritating instrumentals like “bloodline”, as well as once again, it has Grande’s great voice being put to the side due to light-weight trap beats like “7 rings”, for which Grande is forced to lose all of her natural charisma in order to fit on. There, that’s what I think of the album. Now, “needy” is not one of the worst on the album, but it is bad, and you can tell that right off the jump with its over-simplistic, toy-box melody that starts it off, and gets irritating quick, with not enough drowning it out. I like the pre-chorus, it’s pretty cool, but the finger-snaps are fake and pointless, with the borderline doo-wop vocals in the background adding nothing but volume. Someone tell Ariana Grande that her “Yuh” ad-libs should never be used again, please. They worked in “God is a woman”, but that’s the only time they worked, and will ever work. The subject matter is decent here, but I don’t think the beat fits it – because it doesn’t have a beat, really, there’s barely any percussion, and then it has an abrupt, pointless orchestral outro. Yeah, you can tell this album was finished in two weeks. It has a lot of moments like that.

#1 – “break up with your girlfriend, i’m bored” – Ariana Grande

Fitting title. Okay, so what’s the need for build-up, am I right? When it works, over-whelming the listener with the beat immediately crashing in is great. That’s when it has build-up, it never works when it’s just the song starting with bass and percussion immediately, without much reason. No, it doesn’t make sense in the context of the album either, because the song before it fades out. Anyway, so over a weak, discount Playboi Carti type beat with the flute (???) mixed so low that it essentially doesn’t exist, Grande raps with a rather concerning accent considering the blackfishing controversy, biting freaking Quadeca’s flow (I know - Out of all people?), with again, those cringeworthy ad-libs placed in empty spaces. Then it cuts to 16-bit chiptune pianos that aren’t used throughout the song, just in this section, for the pre-chorus, it just feels kind of worthless to have this here, it’s like it’s part of another song they spliced in (A better song, may I add). Oh, and that chorus is sickeningly annoying. I don’t care about the lyricism here as much as I should (Because it is pretty douchey, at least on the surface), but she sounds nasal with that elongated syllable melody that makes me just coil. I don’t like the backing vocals or echoes, either, sorry for the nitpicking but they feel like quick edits just to fill in empty space, especially that male “Hey” (or “Care”, or “Yeah”, I can’t tell), it’s added abruptly and cuts the beat out for no reason. The bridge wouldn’t be bad without that incessant and constant percussion pounding through it. I shouldn’t be this negative, Grande’s performance is okay, I guess, but, damn, this is awful. It doesn’t develop or even end properly, it feels like a bonus track on the standard version – because, yes, somehow this is what they chose as a fitting climax to the record. What a waste of studio time, and what a bad #1. Listen, UK, I didn’t like “7 rings” either, but at least it wasn’t this.

Conclusion

Man, I feel bad for doing so but Ariana Grande gets Worst of the Week for “break up with your girlfriend, i’m bored”, and screw it, Dishonourable Mention for “needy”. Nothing else is all that bad, so the Chainsmokers get away scot-free here, with Honourable Mention being tied and going to both Blueface for “Thotiana” and CamelPhat, Cristoph and Jem Cooke for “Breathe”. Best of the Week should be pretty obvious, but yeah, it’s going to Khalid and Disclosure for “Talk”. See you next week.

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dawnajaynes32 · 5 years

Text

Justin Ahrens on Bringing Your Team to HOW Design Live

When HOW Design Live happened in Chicago a few years ago, one nearby design studio made it possible for its entire team could attend. For Justin Ahrens, principal of Rule 29 in Geneva, IL, it was a big deal to bring his staff—and it had big benefits that lasted long after the conference ended.

Ahrens is a frequent HOW Design Live speaker who will be returning this year (check out the entire speaker lineup here). We asked him why he invested in sending his team to HOW Design Live and why it mattered to them.

So, Justin, you brought your staff of, like 10 or 12 people, when HOW Design Live landed in Chicago a few years ago. Why was it important to you that they had that experience?

For us, one of the benefits of HOW Design Live moving around geographically is for small agencies like mine to have the event in our hometown. There’s no shortage of opportunity in Chicago to see great design and hear speakers pretty much year ‘round. But HOW is a whole different experience, where you have designers come from all over the country coming together in a community, which is awesome.

It’s such an important yearly part of my own appetite for connecting with my community and being inspired. I wanted my team to have the same opportunity. They’ve heard me rave about it and they follow it online but they’ve never had the opportunity to attend.

You’ve spoken at HOW Design Live many times. What was it like to have your staff in the room when you presented?

When I develop our presentations for HOW, I’m not the only person developing them: I work on the content, vet it with my team, and then we develop all the visuals and the assets together. When they all attended, that was the first time everyone got to see it from conception to presentation. It was the most nerve-wracking presentation I’ve ever given because they were all there!

What was it like as a manager to bring your Rule 29 crew to the event? What were the benefits from a professional development or team-building perspective?

I’ve created my own community at HOW Design Live, and I see that group of friends every year. What’s was really wonderful was walking through the event and seeing my team creating their own connections, which will be great for their careers. It was really rewarding for me to see them have those conversations and engage with their tribe-mates.

One of the neatest things that came out of it—which I’d hoped would happen but it was even better than I thought—was having that group experience, the sharing and camaraderie. As a manager, when you witness that among your team, it’s pretty special. It was a fantastic group experience—we were able to come back and talk about great presentations we’d heard, or new technology or new tools we’d seen. We were all still talking about HOW months afterward.

Justin Ahrens and Wheels4Water

We don’t have the capacity to shut the firm down for the whole week, so people negotiate with each other over which days they want to attend and figure out who will see which speakers.

I see and feel that my team gets incredible value from going to the event, no matter what stage of career they’re in: interns, senior creatives, brand strategist, they all got something out of it.

Ahrens will return to the HOW Design Live stage this year, when the conference returns to Chicago, May 7-10,2019. Register now and we will see you there!

The post Justin Ahrens on Bringing Your Team to HOW Design Live appeared first on HOW Design.

Justin Ahrens on Bringing Your Team to HOW Design Live syndicated post

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tracisimpson · 5 years

Text

Do Businesses Really Use Google My Business Posts? A Case Study

Posted by Ben_Fisher

Google My Business helps with local rankings

Google My Business features that make your profile ROCK!

One of the most powerful ways to grab a searcher’s attention is by creating Google My Business Posts. GMB Posts are almost like mini-ads for your company, products, or services.

Google offers a variety of posts you can create to promote your business:

What's New

Event

Offer

Product

Posts also allow you to include a call to action (CTA) so you can better control what the visitor does after they view your post — creating the ultimate marketing experience. Current CTAs are:

Book

Order Online

Buy

Learn More

Get Offer

Call Now

Once you create a Post, you can even share it on your social media channels to get extra exposure.

Google My Business Posts are a great way to show off your business in a unique way at the exact time when a searcher is looking at your business online.

But there’s a long-standing question: Are businesses actually creating GMB Posts to get their message across to potential customers? Let’s find out...

The big question: Are businesses actively using Google My Business Posts?

Google My Business Post case study: Just the facts

For this case study, I also chose to look at service type businesses.

Here are the results.

Cities:

New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia, Dallas, San Jose, San Francisco, Washington DC, Houston, and Boston.

Keywords:

real estate agent, mortgage, travel agency, insurance or insurance agents, dentist, plastic surgeon, personal injury lawyer, plumber, veterinarian or vet, and locksmith

Surprise! Out of the industries researched, Personal Injury Lawyers and Locksmiths posted the most often.

For the case study, I looked at the following:

How many businesses had an active Google My Business Post (i.e. have posted in the last seven days)

How many had previously made at least one post

How many have never created a post

Do businesses create Google My Business Posts?

Based on the businesses, cities, and keywords researched, I discovered that more than half of the businesses are actively creating Posts or have created Google My Business Posts in the past.

17.5% of businesses had an active post in the last 7 days

42.1% of businesses had previously made at least one post

40.4% have never created a post

Highlight: A total of 59.60% of businesses have posted a Google My Business Post on their Google My Business profile.

Do searchers engage with Google My Business Posts?

Do searchers click on Google My Business Posts?

So your GMB Posts show up in your Knowledge Panel when someone searches for your business on Google and Google Maps, but do searchers actually click on your post to read more?

When we evaluated the various industry post views to their total direct/branded search views, on average the post is clicked on almost 100% of the time!

Google My Business insights

GMB Posts are worth it

#The Moz Blog Blogger

0 notes

holmescorya · 5 years

Text

Do Businesses Really Use Google My Business Posts? A Case Study

Posted by Ben_Fisher

Google My Business helps with local rankings

Google My Business features that make your profile ROCK!

One of the most powerful ways to grab a searcher’s attention is by creating Google My Business Posts. GMB Posts are almost like mini-ads for your company, products, or services.

Google offers a variety of posts you can create to promote your business:

What's New

Event

Offer

Product

Posts also allow you to include a call to action (CTA) so you can better control what the visitor does after they view your post — creating the ultimate marketing experience. Current CTAs are:

Book

Order Online

Buy

Learn More

Get Offer

Call Now

Once you create a Post, you can even share it on your social media channels to get extra exposure.

Google My Business Posts are a great way to show off your business in a unique way at the exact time when a searcher is looking at your business online.

But there’s a long-standing question: Are businesses actually creating GMB Posts to get their message across to potential customers? Let’s find out...

The big question: Are businesses actively using Google My Business Posts?

Google My Business Post case study: Just the facts

For this case study, I also chose to look at service type businesses.

Here are the results.

Cities:

New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia, Dallas, San Jose, San Francisco, Washington DC, Houston, and Boston.

Keywords:

real estate agent, mortgage, travel agency, insurance or insurance agents, dentist, plastic surgeon, personal injury lawyer, plumber, veterinarian or vet, and locksmith

Surprise! Out of the industries researched, Personal Injury Lawyers and Locksmiths posted the most often.

For the case study, I looked at the following:

How many businesses had an active Google My Business Post (i.e. have posted in the last seven days)

How many had previously made at least one post

How many have never created a post

Do businesses create Google My Business Posts?

Based on the businesses, cities, and keywords researched, I discovered that more than half of the businesses are actively creating Posts or have created Google My Business Posts in the past.

17.5% of businesses had an active post in the last 7 days

42.1% of businesses had previously made at least one post

40.4% have never created a post

Highlight: A total of 59.60% of businesses have posted a Google My Business Post on their Google My Business profile.

Do searchers engage with Google My Business Posts?

Do searchers click on Google My Business Posts?

So your GMB Posts show up in your Knowledge Panel when someone searches for your business on Google and Google Maps, but do searchers actually click on your post to read more?

When we evaluated the various industry post views to their total direct/branded search views, on average the post is clicked on almost 100% of the time!

Google My Business insights

GMB Posts are worth it

0 notes

donaldhurst43106 · 5 years

Text

Do Businesses Really Use Google My Business Posts? A Case Study

Posted by Ben_Fisher

Google My Business helps with local rankings

Google My Business features that make your profile ROCK!

One of the most powerful ways to grab a searcher’s attention is by creating Google My Business Posts. GMB Posts are almost like mini-ads for your company, products, or services.

Google offers a variety of posts you can create to promote your business:

What's New

Event

Offer

Product

Posts also allow you to include a call to action (CTA) so you can better control what the visitor does after they view your post — creating the ultimate marketing experience. Current CTAs are:

Book

Order Online

Buy

Learn More

Get Offer

Call Now

Once you create a Post, you can even share it on your social media channels to get extra exposure.

Google My Business Posts are a great way to show off your business in a unique way at the exact time when a searcher is looking at your business online.

But there’s a long-standing question: Are businesses actually creating GMB Posts to get their message across to potential customers? Let’s find out...

The big question: Are businesses actively using Google My Business Posts?

Google My Business Post case study: Just the facts

For this case study, I also chose to look at service type businesses.

Here are the results.

Cities:

New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia, Dallas, San Jose, San Francisco, Washington DC, Houston, and Boston.

Keywords:

real estate agent, mortgage, travel agency, insurance or insurance agents, dentist, plastic surgeon, personal injury lawyer, plumber, veterinarian or vet, and locksmith

Surprise! Out of the industries researched, Personal Injury Lawyers and Locksmiths posted the most often.

For the case study, I looked at the following:

How many businesses had an active Google My Business Post (i.e. have posted in the last seven days)

How many had previously made at least one post

How many have never created a post

Do businesses create Google My Business Posts?

Based on the businesses, cities, and keywords researched, I discovered that more than half of the businesses are actively creating Posts or have created Google My Business Posts in the past.

17.5% of businesses had an active post in the last 7 days

42.1% of businesses had previously made at least one post

40.4% have never created a post

Highlight: A total of 59.60% of businesses have posted a Google My Business Post on their Google My Business profile.

Do searchers engage with Google My Business Posts?

Do searchers click on Google My Business Posts?

So your GMB Posts show up in your Knowledge Panel when someone searches for your business on Google and Google Maps, but do searchers actually click on your post to read more?

When we evaluated the various industry post views to their total direct/branded search views, on average the post is clicked on almost 100% of the time!

Google My Business insights

GMB Posts are worth it

0 notes

neilmberry · 5 years

Text

Do Businesses Really Use Google My Business Posts? A Case Study

Posted by Ben_Fisher

Google My Business helps with local rankings

Google My Business features that make your profile ROCK!

One of the most powerful ways to grab a searcher’s attention is by creating Google My Business Posts. GMB Posts are almost like mini-ads for your company, products, or services.

Google offers a variety of posts you can create to promote your business:

What's New

Event

Offer

Product

Posts also allow you to include a call to action (CTA) so you can better control what the visitor does after they view your post — creating the ultimate marketing experience. Current CTAs are:

Book

Order Online

Buy

Learn More

Get Offer

Call Now

Once you create a Post, you can even share it on your social media channels to get extra exposure.

Google My Business Posts are a great way to show off your business in a unique way at the exact time when a searcher is looking at your business online.

But there’s a long-standing question: Are businesses actually creating GMB Posts to get their message across to potential customers? Let’s find out...

The big question: Are businesses actively using Google My Business Posts?

Google My Business Post case study: Just the facts

For this case study, I also chose to look at service type businesses.

Here are the results.

Cities:

New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia, Dallas, San Jose, San Francisco, Washington DC, Houston, and Boston.

Keywords:

real estate agent, mortgage, travel agency, insurance or insurance agents, dentist, plastic surgeon, personal injury lawyer, plumber, veterinarian or vet, and locksmith

Surprise! Out of the industries researched, Personal Injury Lawyers and Locksmiths posted the most often.

For the case study, I looked at the following:

How many businesses had an active Google My Business Post (i.e. have posted in the last seven days)

How many had previously made at least one post

How many have never created a post

Do businesses create Google My Business Posts?

Based on the businesses, cities, and keywords researched, I discovered that more than half of the businesses are actively creating Posts or have created Google My Business Posts in the past.

17.5% of businesses had an active post in the last 7 days

42.1% of businesses had previously made at least one post

40.4% have never created a post

Highlight: A total of 59.60% of businesses have posted a Google My Business Post on their Google My Business profile.

Do searchers engage with Google My Business Posts?

Do searchers click on Google My Business Posts?

So your GMB Posts show up in your Knowledge Panel when someone searches for your business on Google and Google Maps, but do searchers actually click on your post to read more?

When we evaluated the various industry post views to their total direct/branded search views, on average the post is clicked on almost 100% of the time!

Google My Business insights

GMB Posts are worth it

Do Businesses Really Use Google My Business Posts? A Case Study published first on http://elitelimobog.blogspot.com

0 notes

caredogstips · 7 years

Text

10 Real Crime Sites You Can Inspect For An Extremely F* cked-Up Vacation

Thanks to Serial, The Jinx, and Constituting a Murderer, true violation narratives areback in a big road. A couple of years ago, everyone in your social curve was begging you to watch Mad Men. Now, were much more very interested in actual mad men.

For most of us, binge-watching these line is enough to satisfy our morbid stomaches. Others find a deeper curiosity, though. Just as some record fans detect the suggest to visit the site of major battles, “theres” beings out there who plan vacations around famous violation scenes.

Hey, some of us like Walt Disney World. Some opt Charles Mansons hangouts. No judgment.

If the idea of a tour through the darker surface of history pleads to you, check out these recognises below, which allows you indulge your inner violation buff.

1. The Sixth Floor Museum( Dallas, Texas)

While the endless bombardment of conspiracy-minded movies and works will forever cloud the tragic events of November 22, 1963 in our collective reminiscence, as far as government officials tale is concerned, President John F. Kennedy was killed when lone gunman Lee Harvey Oswald killed him from his perch on the sixth floor of the Texas School Book Depository in Dallas.

These days, the building is dwelling to a museum. While you cant actually access the notorious window where Oswald took purpose, you can read a lot about Kennedy, his assassin and Jack Ruby, “the mens” who shot Oswald before he could go to trial.

For those of you swayed more by Oliver Stones controversies than the Warren Commission, the grassy knoll is a short walk away.

2. Devil in the White City Tours( Chicago, Illinois)

H. Holmes was the type of character that shouldnt prevail outside of cheap fright movies.( In fact, he’s about to be the subject of a maybe critically-acclaimed Scorsese-Dicaprio joint .)

After opening a inn close to the locate of Chicagos Worlds Fair, he enticed victims to his Murder Castle, taking their lives in various, frightful directions .( Hanging them. Locking their chambers and gassing them. Locking them in a vault to suffocate. Fastening them in their chambers to starve to death)

Holmes would eventually confessed to 27 assassinations, though some approximates placed the numeral closer to, uh, 200. Nope, thats not a typo.

His reign of terror was famously recounted in Erik Larsons The Devil in the White City, which took the true felony genre to new stages by serving as an informative historical narrative as well as a scandalizing thriller.

This tour imitatives that approach, making guests a bus ride through Chicago that provisions lessons on both the Worlds Fair and the notorious Mr. Holmes.

3. Lizzie Borden House( Fall River, Massachusetts)

Lizzie Borden took an axe

The gruesome assassinating of Andrew and Abby Borden has inspired everything from popular songs to Lifetime movies. Though Andrews daughter Lizzie is generally believed to be responsible for the assassination, she was acquitted at contest. No other suspect was ever charged.

Nowadays, the house where international crimes took place has been converted into a bed-and-breakfast, because nothing adds hospitality like This was the locate of an axe murder.

For those who arent crazy about the idea of standing overnight at a notorious misdemeanour scene, but are still curious to take a look at a legendary part of true-crime lore, tours of the members of this house are also available.

4. Jeffrey Dahmer Tour( Milwaukee, Wisconsin)

Jeffrey Dahmer, the notorious serial murderer responsible for the assassination of 17 men and boys, took our nightmares to a new stage by engaging in cannibalism and necrophilia with the bodies of his victims.

But serial killers often become quasi-celebrities in our culture, inspiring in some the kind of preoccupation typically set aside for rock-and-roll hotshots and royalty.

Perhaps that explains why genuine felony fans can take a walking tour of the Milwaukee streets where Dahmer picked up seven of his victims, all while understanding of the cooling details behind his crimes.

Maybe not the kind of situate to go on a family vacation.

5. Mob Tour( Las Vegas, Nevada)

If the small-time evils offered by casinos simply leave you craving more of the penal lifestyle, a tour of Vegas focusing on the mafias capacity in the city ought to do the trick.

Taking a detour away from the familiar tourist traps, this tour into Sin City sees the websites of burglaries, assassinates and the favourite hangouts of famed underworld digits like Bugsy Siegel. The tour ends with a pizza dinner at a restaurant that once served as a thug meeting place.

It’s not clear from thewebsite whether or not youll take a bullet to the kneecaps if you dont pay up for your ticket.

6. Helter Skelter Tour( Los Angeles, California)

In American record, few calls are more synonymous with evil than Charles Manson. Through his charismatic temperament, he reassured members of his family to perpetrate nine assassinates during the summer of 1969.

For those with a certain kind of morbid curiosity, an epic, three-and-a-half hour tour will shuttle you to the website where Mansons partisans took living conditions of Sharon Tate. Married to filmmaker Roman Polanski( a person with his own criminal predispositions ), Tate had a successful playing job and was weeks away from giving birth when she was murdered.

The tour includes details on the living conditions of the murderer and casualties, and, according to its internet site, is not recommended for children.

Really? Huh.

7. Clinton Road( West Milford, New Jersey)

This 10-mile stretch of sidewalk through the groves of northern New Jersey has given birth to countless city mythologies. Ghost brats haunting a bridge. Demon hounds ranging the forest. Specter trucks seeking motorists.

As a exceedingly, very bored teenage, I saw frequent late-night excursions here with your best friend. I never viewed any ghosts. I did watch beings having sexuality in their gondolas, though.

Which isnt to say theres nothing absolutely startling about the road. Though the supernatural storeys probably arent based in reality, the place does have a dark past.

In 1983, cyclists on the road discerned a torso that had been dumped in the groves. Researchers determined that the main victims had participated in mafia act, and had been killed by Richard The Iceman Kuklinski, a feared syndicate hitman who are able afterwards take recognition for the thousands of murders.

Real life is scarier than haunt floors sometimes.

8. Crimes of the Gold Coast Tour( New York)

If recent record is any indication, slaying and scandal are surely common among the wealthy elite.

This tour, led by an NYU instructor, looks into the financial subterfuge and violence that lay beneath the layer of New Yorks Fifth Avenue during the late 19 th century.

After all, sometimes the scariest felons of all are the ones rich enough to get away with their crimes.

9. Serial Locations( Baltimore, Maryland)

While the case of Adnan Syed, imprisoned of slaughtering his ex-girlfriend Hae Min Lee, hasnt resulted in any official tour( yet ), Serial addicts had now been reached pilgrimages to the major locatings featured in the podcast, eager to employ real-life epitomes to the story.

With the help of a custom-made Google Maps, you can visit the Best Buy where a major telephone call was constructed, or take a trip to Leakin Park, where Haes body was discovered. Plenty of Serial followers seemed the advise to solve the example after listening, and likely usedmaps like this one to help them in their goal.

Thats one of the side effects of the true-crime detonation: Everyones a detective now.

10. The Dakota( New York, New York)

It was the fame death that shocked “the worlds”. While returning to his apartment on the evening of December 8, 1980, John Lennon was shot in the back by Mark David Chapman.

The building where the assassination has just taken place, The Dakota, still stands. Though you probably cant yield to live there, you can walk by on the northwest angle of 72 nd Street and Central Park West, appreciating the recognise where the life of one of our greatest popular musicians pointed forever.

The Dakota likewise depicted up in Rosemarys Baby, in case that movie wasnt creepy enough for you already.

Now, if you recoil at the idea of a tourism industry devoted to lamentable violations , no worries: thats merelyproof that youre still a respectable human being. Clicking selfies at the site of a mass murder isnt exactlyclassy.

That replied, battle is just as disturbing as murder, if not more so. But we dont magistrate people who visitGettysburg, because we know theyre driven by a sincere curiosity.

The same can be said for these smudges. If youre simply trying to get some sort of vicarious excite fromstopping by the locate of a misfortune, perhaps you need to rethink your vacation contrives. But if youre drawn tosuch locatings out of a desire to gain an even deeper to better understand the darker slope of American history, then youre frankly no worse than the audiences that have driven the true misdemeanour renaissance.

Youre merely interested in leading that additional mile.

The post 10 Real Crime Sites You Can Inspect For An Extremely F* cked-Up Vacation appeared first on caredogstips.com.

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#IFTTT #WordPress

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topsolarpanels · 7 years

Text

50 documentaries you need to see

Ten of the best nonfiction film-makers today choose their own favourites, from serial murderer tales to meta pranks.

Joshua Oppenheimer

The Texan directors feature debut, The Act of Killing ( 2012 ), and its follow-up, The Look of Silence ( 2014 ), explore the consequences of the carnages in Indonesia. Both were nominated for Oscars .

Joshua Oppenheimer, photographed at home in Copenhagen. Photograph: Katherine Anne Rose for the Observer

Salaam Cinema, Mohsen Makhmalbaf, 1995

For this film, Mohsen Makhmalbaf announces a casting call: thousands of people turn up and theres a riot to get in. Each participant is channelling their worries and hopes into the desire to be in a movie. He interacts with them in this autocratic route, which builds the cinema ultimately about power and authority. He demands that people scream on command. One girl becomes so frustrated that she does start to cry, so he tells OK, youve attained it. And shes so happy, but then theres the frustration as she realises this was her moment on screen. She thought thered be a script and a real movie to make afterwards. Its a devastating, beautiful film.

A scene from Close-Up by Abbas Kiarostami.

Close Up, Abbas Kiarostami, 1990

A man pretends to be Mohsen Makhmalbaf, the director of Salaam Cinema . He insinuates himself into a familys life out of loneliness, to make friends. At one point the family realise hes not really the director and have him apprehended. The cinema follows this mans trial in an Iranian court, and then the real Mohsen Makhmalbaf satisfies the man and takes him to the family.

The impostors fragility ultimately embodies what it means to be poor and fighting in life, and through that you feel how sad it is that we live in a world where people are measured by wealth and power, and the cruelty that any human being could ever feel insignificant.

Gates of Heaven, Errol Morris, 1978

This was Errol Morriss first cinema. He was taking his time with it so Werner Herzog promised If you finish this film I will eat my shoe, which he did. Its about two families in California who operate pet graveyards, and it looks at humen relationships to their pets. Its an odd mystery, a pet. We eat animals, we use them for labor, but then we keep them in our home as objects upon which we project love that we maybe lack elsewhere. Morris has these carefully crafted tableaux: theres one continuous shooting where a woman has a 15 -minute lament, complaining about aspects of their own lives, and thats where the movie becomes something altogether greater and more mysterious.

Loss Is to Be Expected, Ulrich Seidl, 1992

This was constructed shortly after the fall of communism in eastern Europe and it looks at two communities on either side of the Czech-Austrian border. Theres an elderly human in Austria looking for a new spouse, and he fulfils a lone single woman on the Czech side of the border.

There are these amazing scenes where they go on a date to a funfair and then to a sexuality museum. Shes much more sexually comfy than he is, which is a source of incredible comedy. But its about passion and love and the fulfilling of our quotidian needs and the necessary, wilful blindness towards our deeper needs because ultimately, to contemplate those requires is to contemplate our own mortality.

A scene from The Hour of the Furnaces. Photograph: Tricontinental films

The Hour of the Furnaces, Octavia Getino and Fernando e Solanas, 1968

This is a furious, angry cinema about neocolonialism in Argentina, and its the most devastating look at colonialism Ive seen in nonfiction films. The sections about Argentinas oligarchy, and the exploitation on which they flourished, are so poetically rendered that you relate to the horror of totalitarianism purely through your emotions.

It was built secretly and was screened at illegal opponent meetings, in defiance of the authoritarian rule. People were arrested for screening it. I imagine that ensure it at the time you would come out feeling like youd “re going to have to” do something about the situation. There are segments of The Act of Killing where I surely had this film in the back of my head. KB

Lucy Walker: The Up series showed me what the medium was capable of

Director Lucy Walker. Photo: Linda Nylind for the Guardian

British director Lucy Walker has been Oscar-nominated twice, for Waste Land ( 2010) and The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom ( 2011 ). She is currently working on a remaking of Buena Vista Social Club .

Hoop Dreams, Steve James, 1994

Hoop Dreams follows two very talented African American boys in Chicago who get a basketball scholarship to go to a prestigious, predominantly white high school. It follows them for five years and its a spectacular example of a longitudinal documentary where you get to glimpse the machinery of life. You get a real sense of hour unfold and the big forces that act on us. The twistings and turnings are subtle , nothing much happens, and yet it feels unbelievably dramatic and compelling because its so well crafted and the characters are so beautifully rendered. I watched it repeatedly when I was stimulating my first cinema, Devils Playground , because it follows young people through this pivotal period in “peoples lives”, and I was trying to understand how you could get so much narrative, feeling and character into a movie. Theres a scene where the mum is icing a birthday cake for her sons 16 th birthday. Its an interview, in the sense that the film-maker is asking her the issues and shes talking to camera, but it doesnt feel like one, its so much more cinematic and compelling and the activity is so perfect.

Streetwise, Martin Bell, 1984

This film had its beginnings in a photojournalism assignment for Life magazine by the photographer Mary Ellen Markabout a group of street kids living in Seattle. She persuaded her husband, Martin Bell, to make a film about them. Its just so intimate that its hard to believe the film-maker is actually in the room with these kids. Its like hes put on a cloak of invisibility. I could have chosen any number of cinema vrit masterpieces but for some reason this moves me. Ive made quite a few films with young people and its fascinating because the plot of their lives is so close to the surface: one conversation can change the course of your life when youre young in a way that is rare when youre older and you are able to capture that nano-second when the course of a lifes direction is altered. When you put a camera and a cinema crew into a room, the observers paradox is almost always true you cant capture life because youre in the way of it. But these kids seem unaware of the camera and theyre behaving in a way that feels like life unfolding. The filmmaker is so present with them, you cant help but understand what theyre “re going through”, and to understand is to feel empathy and to want to help.

The Five Obstructions by Lars Von Trier.

The Five Obstructions, Lars von Trier and Jrgen Leth, 2003

In this underrated cinema the iconoclastic Danish director Lars von Trier challenges experimental film-maker Jrgen Leth to remake one of his earlier movies, The Perfect Human , 5 times, each time with a different creative constraint. The first obstruction imposed by von Trier, for example, was that the cinema had to be made in Cuba, using shootings of no more than 12 frames. Another was that it had to be made as a cartoon. Its basically these two creative egos going up against one another and it dedicates a fascinating insight into the film-making process, what goes on in a directors head and how you cope with stress and constraint and challenge. Its delicious and playful and theres never a dull moment watching these two maestros needling each other.

The Gleaners and I, Agns Varda, 2000

This film was made during the early days of the hand-held digital camera, when for the first time you could capture something high-quality enough to show on a big screen on a camera that would fit in your handbag. Its an essay about the people who pick through other peoples leftovers, whether it be the remains of the harvest in the countryside, or in cities. Its very casual, but Varda is so astute and the quality of the film-making is such that it becomes something very beautiful, a meditation on life. Were having this golden age of documentary right now and its being driving in technology. In the past you would need to write a script first because the editing process was so laborious but now you are able to shoot a whole bunch of stuff and capture life in a way that you couldnt before and this movie, shot by a 72 -year-old woman employing a very low-key format, shows you just what level of artistry is possible.

Jackie in 21 Up, 1978. Photo: ITV

Up series, Michael Apted, 1964

Im fascinated by longitudinal film-making and this series, which has followed the lives of 14 British infants since 1964, when they were seven years old, showed me what the medium was capable of. This series is head and shoulders above any other attempt to record dramatically a whole human life. And because its a whole group of people, you learn not just about the individual but also about the organizations of the system in which theyre living. I cant think of any other artefact in our culture that can tell us so much about Britain in our lifetime and how society is evolving as this body of work. Its light and fascinating and its one of the things that inspired me to do the work that I do. JOC

Alex Gibney: Fake home movies dont bother me you might as well object to dreams

Going Clear director Alex Gibney. Photo: Larry Busacca/ Getty Images

Alex Gibneys award-winning films include Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room ( 2005 ), Taxi to the Dark Side ( 2007) and Mea Maxima Culpa: Silence in the House of God ( 2012 ). Last year he released documentaries on Scientology and Steve Jobs. He tells: I dont believe in five best films. But I do believe in influential films. These are five of mine .

Night and Fog, Alain Resnais, 1955

What really impressed me about this movie was its concision. Its about the Holocaust, but it has a simple and horrible beauty to it, because it describes the scaring nature of the Holocaust through a powerful series of images and a narration that was specific, naming the collections of items of the prisoners and survivors. Its the cruel verse of detail that is so heartbreaking: the handles of the ovens, the fingernail scrapings on the ceilings of the cells. We assure piles of combs, shaving brushes, shoes and a vast mountain of human hair. It took something so horrible but discovered a way to go to the heart of the matter through simple details.

Gimme Shelter , Albert and David Maysles, Charlotte Zwerin 1970

Here you assure the Rolling Stones on tour singing about empathy for the demon, but their posturing about satanism blows back at them at the Altamont music festival. Its structured like a detective tale: it starts with a assassination a Hells Angel stabs somebody who seems to have a gun in the audience and then you go back in time. Maybe one of the most powerful scenes is of the Stones listening to a playback of Wild Ponies in the studio. Its stunning in its simplicity. That movie went route beyond a concert reveal; it celebrates music but its really about a few moments in time and how dark forces-out get unleashed. Its powerful both in its observation and its analysis, which is a rare combination.

Leon Gasts When We Were Kings. Photograph: Sportsphoto Ltd/ Allstar

When We Were Kings , Leon Gast, 1996

This is perhaps the greatest sport cinema ever attained. It has wonderful cinema vrit footage of the Rumble in the Jungle, the famous 1974 battle between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman. Gast has the most magnificent material, particularly in Muhammad Ali on a running, dancing, gooning for the camera, at his most charismatic. And then the dwell figure of George Foreman. But Gast wasnt be permitted to put that footage together, and in arrives Taylor Hackford, shoots some interviews with people who were there , notably George Plimpton and Norman Mailer, and through their recollection you also have a sense of analysis and understanding rather than mere observation. So its combining those two things in the film that really is magnificent.

Stories We Tell , Sarah Polley, 2012

This is a detective narrative thats very much in the first person. Its about identity, trying to understand your childhood, and ultimately paternity. Sarah Polley is digging back into the relationship between her mother and father, who she discovers isnt her biological father. In some quarters she was criticised for using a series of fictional home movies that she manufactured, but it didnt bother me at all they might as well any objections to dreamings and memories, because those are everyday recreations. The trick is receiving the verse in their own homes. Its a very powerful movie about memory and exploration and love, because she comes to appreciate her adoptive father in a manner that is she might not otherwise have done.

Waltz With Bashir, an animated documentary.

Waltz With Bashir , Ari Folman, 2008

Part of the small but growing category of the animated documentary, Waltz With Bashir is actually a film about repressed memory, and the recollection of Israeli soldiers trying to understand why theyre having these nightmares. The notion of using animation to convey what is mostly going on inside their heads, in their imaginations, is such a powerful one. It doesnt become clear until nearly the end that the soldiers all took part in the Sabra and Shatila refugee camp massacre in Lebanon in 1982. And the very end of the movie includes just the slightest bit of real footage: a woman whimpering in the wake of that carnage. It really is one of the most poignant movies about the trauma of war. KB

Kim Longinotto: All the very best Tv documentaries are on the BBC at the moment

Film-maker Kim Longinotto. Photo: Martin Godwin for the Guardian

British film-maker Kim Longinotto tackles topics such as female genital mutilation ( The Day I Will Never Forget ) and women opposing abuse ( Sisters in Law ). Her most recent cinema, Dreamcatcher , is on Chicago females trying to leave the sexuality industry .

Shermans March, Ross McElwee, 1986

I saw this at film school, then watched it again at a festival a couple of years ago and thought it was so charming, so good. It has a very simple premise. The director is meant to be making a film about General Shermans march through Georgia during the course of its American civil war, but he falls out of love with the idea. Instead, the film becomes about his attempts to find a girlfriend, shooting as a kind of video diary an approach that was completely new at the time. Its so candid and affectionate and lovely, and everyone at the celebration loved it. Not many cinemas bear rewatching, but this one does.

Tales of the Grim Sleeper, Nick Broomfield, 21

Nick Broomfield has become much more serious and political in recent years and this is a difficult and perpetrated cinema. Its about a man who was arrested in 2010 for killing as many as 100 prostitutes in Los Angeles over a period of 25 years. Whats extraordinary is how he managed to get away with it for so long the police didnt seek because his victims were mostly black prostitutes. Its a very timely cinema, in terms of Black Lives Matter and police abuses in the US, and I thought he got it just right. Its also a really good crime story.

Solar Mamas.

Solar Mamas, Jehane Noujaim and Mona Eldaief, 2012

This is a film about Bedouin women trying to get solar energy in their village in Jordan. It follows one woman travelling to a college in India to become a solar engineer. I like it because its not saying, Oh, look at these poor women. Instead, it presents women actively changing their lives and I found that very inspiring. So many documentaries tell you what to think. This one doesnt it puts you straight into the story and you get to know the characters merely by watching them. It was part of a very good BBC series on poverty. Thats where all the good Tv documentaries are at the moment: on the BBC.

Virunga, Orlando von Einsiedel, 2014

I watched this in the cinema, which was good because its very beautifully filmed a real spectacle. Its set in a reserve in the Congo, which is home to the last mountain gorillas on earth and it follows the people who are trying to save them, as well as the corrupted people trying to get the land to drill petroleum. Theres a moment when the person or persons in a neighbouring village are assaulted. It was filmed so well, I dont know how they did it. Youre right in the thick of it and you feel so angry, because you know it all come to corrupt practices and greed.

Five Broken Cameras.

Five Broken Cameras, Emad Burnat, Guy Davidi, 2011

This is about a Palestinian man who films the destruction of his villages olive orchards by the Israeli army. His cameras maintain get broken by the Israelis, hence the title, but he just maintained filming. I think he was feeling: Theres an incredible incorrect being done to my people, Im going to film it, even if I succumb doing it. Then he linked up with an Israeli film-maker, who edited the footage. I recollect people saying he shouldnt have worked with an Israeli, but I thought it was so great that they came together and made something very powerful which showed us what is really going on in Palestine. KF

James Marsh: In my view there should be no borders to film-making

James Marsh at the 2015 Palm Springs film festival. Photo: C Flanigan/ Getty Images

James Marsh is a British film-maker, best known for the Oscar-winning documentary Man on Wire ( 2008) and the acclaimed Stephen Hawking biopic, The Theory of Everything .

Man with a Movie Camera , Dziga Vertov, 1929

This was the first truly subversive, playful documentary. Its notionally a day in the life of a city in the Soviet Union and so it has, on a purely sociological/ historical level, great value. But what it does beyond that is to show you the means of production: the filming, the trim room, the editing all the things that are going into the stimulating of this film. Its style before its period, the Tristram Shandy of documentaries, if you like. Its so inventive and it has techniques that, 87 years later, still look pretty revolutionary: the freeze frames and slow motion. Its simply full of inventive and brilliant formal ideas as well as being a very beautiful cinema to watch. And its informative too, showing us the Soviet Union in a halcyon period before Stalins terror, when you felt that things were still possible in a new political context. Of course we now know that Vertov suffered in the Stalin era, as many other independent artists would have done, but theres a sort of optimism and a playfulness to it that you wouldnt expect from a Soviet documentary from 1929.

Le Sang des Btes , Georges Franju, 1949

This is a documentary about an abattoir that was built in Paris just after the second world war. If the cinema had been shot in colouring it would be unwatchable, its so gory and weird and disturbing, but its in black and white and so it becomes a bit more abstract. There are images in that cinema that I think are some of the most powerful Ive ever seen. Theres a surreal sequence where lots of sheep have been beheaded and theyre all dancing without their heads on this conveyor belt. Its like a bit of choreographed horror, but its all real. The director Georges Franju went on to have a career doing very artistic horror movies in French cinema, most famously a cinema called Les Yeux Sans Visage .

The War game by Peter Watkins.

The War Game , Peter Watkins, 1965

In this film, Watkins takes a possible scenario a nuclear attack on London and shows you very carefully, each step of the style, what is likely to happen. It was banned by the BBC for many years because it was just too harrowing a depiction of a reality that all individuals at that time was very concerned about: this was in the middle of the cold warand at the time there were dozens of warheads pointing at us. Its like a documentary made by Brecht youre staging something to flush out a reaction in the audience, and that reaction is one of utter horror. Some people would say this is not a documentary because everything was staged, but its a speculative documentary the director is saying: This is how it could be and Im going to show you this in a way thats very truthful.Its very responsible, even if the imagery is very disturbing: youre find bobbies firing at people in the street, people with their clothes burned off. His information is sourced directly from the government and based on scientific fact, so the bed of it is factual, and people responded to it “as if its” a real documentary.