Jim Gaudet

Yankees | 2009 World Series Champions

Jim Gaudet — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 15:16:11 +0000

Yankee Pride

If you know me, then you know that I have been a Yankees fan for a long time now. In fact, I even have a Yankees Tattoo! It’s been 9 years since we last won a World Series and that has been too long.

We are back, for now. I will just sit on this win and see what happens next year.

I just wanted to say Congratulations to the Yankees!

Post from: Jim Gaudet

Yankees | 2009 World Series Champions

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Frozen in Time

Jim Gaudet — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 14:37:24 +0000

Taking a Break

Not really, I have been extremely busy with my cape cod consulting company (don’t laugh, the website is not finished yet). Not only that but I have been a bit unhappy with the design of this site and that’s the real reason for this post.

I Need Help

My site will basically focus on three main subjects;

I have been trying to come up with ideas on a good web design, but have been coming up short. I think mainly because my focus has not been on this blog, but on my other companies. So now I want to ask my readers for their help. Some of you have been around for a while and have an idea of my personality.

I would like to pick a color scheme that is in balance with my personality and my 3 main subjects. And, I would also like to know what my readers would like to know about relating to Costa Rica, SEO and Web Design.

So do me a favor and leave a comment, let me know what you think.

Photo Credit

http://www.flickr.com/photos/chaparral/ / CC BY 2.0

Post from: Jim Gaudet

Frozen in Time

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Google Voice | Free SMS

Jim Gaudet — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 20:13:06 +0000

Sending Text Messages from Costa Rica

Did I mention that I love Google Voice? I have to be honest here, I spend a lot of my time on the phone for my consulting business. So much time in fact that I do not like to talk on the phone unless absolutely necessary. But since I moved to Costa Rica I have not been able to text anyone that I know in the states and this means I wasn’t calling them either.

But now that I have Google Voice I am allowed to send text messages for free from my web browser. And I can type with a full sized keyboard!

Anyway, if you need to send text messages to the US from another country without a cell phone then go get Google Voice

Post from: Jim Gaudet

Google Voice | Free SMS

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Take Action against Climate Change

Jim Gaudet — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 06:01:24 +0000

Climate Change Blog Action Day 09

Here we go again, another Blog Action Day. For those of you who don’t know what blog action day is;

Blog Action Day is an annual event that unites the world’s bloggers in posting about the same issue on the same day on their own blogs with the aim of sparking discussion around an issue of global importance. Blog Action Day 2009 will be the largest-ever social change event on the web. One day. One issue. Thousands of voices.

Why not add another voice?

Take Action

Here are just a few things you can easily do to help save the planet.

Use Compact Fluorescent Bulbs
Inflate Your Tires
Change Your Air Filter
Use Recycled Paper
Adjust Your Thermostat
Take Shorter Showers
Plant a Tree

What are you doing to save the planet?

Photo Credit

http://www.flickr.com/photos/softpixtechie/ / CC BY 2.0

Post from: Jim Gaudet

Take Action against Climate Change

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Blog Action Day – Poverty, what can we do?

Crime in Costa Rica

Jim Gaudet — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 12:23:36 +0000

Crime in Costa Rica

In this weeks AM Costa Rica I came across this headline; “Two suspects nabbed in wave of tire-puncturing robberies”. The very first thing I notice is that the robbers are Columbian and not from Costa Rica. This seems to be the norm. Don’t get me wrong there are many Costa Rican criminals but there are far more from Columbia and Nicaragua.

Stay Safe

There is always a new article complaining about security and crime in Costa Rica, so I decided to check out some stats for myself. I went to OSAC and found the Costa Rica 2009 Crime and Safety Report

Here is the summary of the report, if you are going to travel to Costa Rica I suggest you spend the 15 minutes it will take to read this;

All travelers and American citizens residing in Costa Rica should consult the Department of State’s website, http://travel.state.gov for current information about the security situation in Costa Rica.

The Department of State currently considers the crime rate in Costa Rica as high. Crimes of opportunity such as robberies, purse snatchings, and burglaries are the most common types of crimes committed in Costa Rica and are increasing each year. Violent home invasions and express kidnapping have also increased in the past year. The continued increase in criminal activity can be attributed to inadequate and uncoordinated policing, combined with a complex judicial system in which few reported crimes are taken through to a judicial conclusion. This combination has created a permissive environment in which criminals freely commit crimes with little fear of arrest or prosecution.

Long term visitors to Costa Rica must be alert for ever increasing auto theft rings and escalating incidents of carjacking. Also, 2008 saw an increase in the number of smash and grab thefts from vehicles stuck in traffic. The thieves break vehicle windows to steal purses, laptops, or other valuables. Residential break-ins are also common. All residences should be appropriately secured by grills, fences, or walls, and protected by an alarm system.

The embassy routinely deals with U.S. citizens who are victims of criminal activities. Criminals frequently prey on tourists through street scams, ATM thefts, robbery of their belongings while transiting from the airport to lodging, and, increasingly, credit card theft, to include number skimming. Rental vehicles continue to be a favorite target for thieves. U.S. Embassy San Jose receives more reports of passport theft than any other U.S. Embassy in the world. The majority of cases involve the theft of bags from rental vehicles or tour buses.

There are numerous crimes associated with rental vehicles. The most common is to puncture a tire on the victim’s rental car and follow the car until the driver pulls to the side of the road. At this point the criminals, posing as “good Samaritans” approach the vehicle to help replace the tire and in the process steal the personal effects of the tourist. Tourists who rent vehicles have been victims of carjacking, thefts, and assault. Criminals often target popular beach areas as visitors will often leave valuables in their rental vehicles while swimming. All criminals should be considered armed with firearms or knives. The criminals, if challenged or threatened, will not hesitate to use their weapons.

Credit card fraud and numbers skimming occur in Costa Rica but are not rampant. All travelers and long-term visitors should follow the same precautions they would practice in the U.S. Travelers should carefully monitor their credit cards and frequently check their credit card accounts. Travelers should avoid the use of debit cards for point of sale purchases because if compromised the account could be emptied quickly.

For real though, I have been here a year and have not had anyone try and rob me with a gun or knife. But, I fell that common sense plays a big role here. I am from a big city and understand how to live in one…

Photo Source

http://www.flickr.com/photos/36122696@N08/ / CC BY 2.0

Post from: Jim Gaudet

Crime in Costa Rica

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Munchies 420 Cafe | Delivering until 4:20am

Jim Gaudet — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 13:37:28 +0000

Google Scares Me sometimes

Since my post about legalizing marijuana I have been getting emails and advertisements for weed non stop. Now I come across this cafe in Sarasota, Florida. The Munchies 420 Cafe is something I have been wanting for years. How many times have you gone out to the bars and craved some greasy food at 3am?

Too many for me…

And the best part, this place delivers. Unfortunately I am not in Florida, but I felt the need to help promote this place. Maybe we can get a few more places like this to open up…

Post from: Jim Gaudet

Munchies 420 Cafe | Delivering until 4:20am

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Himno Nacional de Costa Rica

Jim Gaudet — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 10:20:22 +0000

Play Costa Rica’s National Anthem

If the file will not play, download the National Anthem

The National Anthem of Costa Rica

Today’s front page of the AM Costa Rica is preparing us Gringos for El Día de Independencia, or Costa Rica’s Independence Day. As the paper states, most Gringos have no idea what the correct words are to the song, but we hear it all the time, especially at fútbol games.

So, for those of us who do not know, here are the lyrics…

Noble patria, tu hermosa bandera
expresión de tu vida nos da;
bajo el límpido azul de tu cielo
blanca y pura descansa la paz.

En la lucha tenaz,
de fecunda labor
que enrojece del hombre la faz,
conquistaron tus hijos
labriegos sencillos
eterno prestigio, estima y honor.

¡Salve, oh tierra gentil!
¡Salve, oh madre de amor!
Cuando alguno pretenda
tu gloria manchar,
verás a tu pueblo valiente y viril,
la tosca herramienta en arma trocar.

Salve oh Patria tú pródigo suelo,
dulce abrigo y sustento nos da;
bajo el límpido azul de tu cielo
¡vivan siempre el trabajo y la paz!

Post from: Jim Gaudet

Himno Nacional de Costa Rica

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Let’s Learn GIMP

Jim Gaudet — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 14:15:24 +0000

What is Gimp?

GIMP is the GNU Image Manipulation Program. It is a freely distributed piece of software for such tasks as photo retouching, image composition and image authoring.

Download Gimp

Gimp is probably the best Open Source Photoshop Alternative so I thought I should go ahead and learn it. I own Photoshop already, but I am thinking of not purchasing the next version. First we need to download Gimp and install it. I am using Windows, but Gimp is available for many platforms.

Download Gimp Here

Gimp Tutorials

After we have Gimp installed I think it is best that we start with some basics. Normally the documentation for software is pretty decent to start off with so let’s check out a few Gimp tutorials for beginners;

These are all beginner tutorials from Gimp.org and in my opinion that is the best place to start. I am most interested in learning paths in Gimp, I have never been good with paths in Photoshop.

Does anyone use Gimp? If so, do you have a favorite tutorial site?

Post from: Jim Gaudet

Let’s Learn GIMP

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Search Engine Guidelines | SEO Tuesday

Jim Gaudet — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 12:48:47 +0000

Follow the Rules!

I guess this should have been the first SEO Tuesday post, but I figured most people would rather talk about keywords and link building. Anyway, you have to think of it like this;

To be listed on any of the search engines you need to adhere to their webmaster guidelines. That’s acceptable, but most people never even read them. So for your next lesson, you just need to read each of the following guidelines and make sure your websites is within the rules…

Google Webmaster Guidelines

Following these guidelines will help Google find, index, and rank your site. Even if you choose not to implement any of these suggestions, we strongly encourage you to pay very close attention to the “Quality Guidelines,” which outline some of the illicit practices that may lead to a site being removed entirely from the Google index or otherwise penalized. If a site has been penalized, it may no longer show up in results on Google.com or on any of Google’s partner sites.

Bing Webmaster Guidelines

The following are recommendations that might help Bing’s MSNBot and other web crawlers effectively index and rank your website. Bing has also provided a list of techniques to avoid if you want to make sure your website is indexed.

Yahoo Webmaster Guidelines

Yahoo! Search Content Quality Guidelines are designed to ensure that poor-quality pages do not degrade the user experience in any way. As with Yahoo!’s other guidelines, Yahoo! reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to take any and all action it deems appropriate to ensure the quality of its index.

Google’s Webmaster Guidelines

Next week we will cover the most important webmaster guideline, IMO, Google’s.

Post from: Jim Gaudet

Search Engine Guidelines | SEO Tuesday

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iPhone 3Gs | Why get a Blackberry?

Jim Gaudet — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 13:37:26 +0000

3G is coming to Costa Rica in December

Reading insidecostarica.com this morning and I came across an article that I have been waiting for.

The state telecom says that the 3G network should be up and running by the middle of December and TDMA subscribers can transfer their service to the new network without having to give up their old numbers.

So I am finally able to purchase a real cell phone and I wasn’t sure which to get. In the past I have used a Blackberry and I have some clients that also use them. So, getting a Blackberry has it’s advantages.

But then I saw the iPhone 3Gs Guided Tour – You should watch this video, it’s only 15 minutes.

I was going to do a comparison between the Blackberry and iPhone, but there is just no need. Apple does it right, you get a video right away and it answers most of your questions. I spent more time searching the BB site to not really find what I wanted. So here is a breakdown of why I am going to buy an iPhone 3Gs.

Voice Control – You can control just about anything with this and it’s great. My favorite will be controlling iTunes with it.
Compass and GPS – This was just sweet, I am not sure it will work with streets in Costa Rica, but it is cool anyway. Using the GPS and Compass you can find yourself on the map and then find out which direction you are pointing!
Spotlight Search – It’s a new world and I hate organizing things. I would rather just tag it and search later. I do this with my bookmarks and all my files now, might as well be the same on my phone.
iPhone Applications – Just the best reason for me to get an iPhone. I really need to start developing applications for the iPhone and I am going to need one for testing.
Shake to Undo – And just for fun, I love that Apple has decided to replace my CTRL + Z with Etch-a-Sketch shake to undo. That is just cool.

So what do you have? An iPhone or Blackberry?

Post from: Jim Gaudet

iPhone 3Gs | Why get a Blackberry?

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