Truckee Futsal Champs Again in 2011

Last year's champs are this year's champs for Truckee adult co-ed futsal, and once again it happened in undefeated fashion for the regular season and playoffs.

Sponsored by Mountain Lake Painting, this year's team edged past their rivals in a repeat of the finals in 2010 to beat the talented Guapos by a score of 15-8. The victory earned team MLP the honor of wearing the coveted yellow jerseys in the Truckee-Donner Recreation & Park District fall futsal league, the only team to earn the title in the two seasons of the league.

MLP has already began training and mental preparation for the spring season which runs from February through April. Team captain, Tommy Hernandez, was asked what he expected from the competition. "It's a battle every time we step on the court," he said. "Teams are gunning for us, bringing their A-game. We have a target on our backs, but we like it that way."

Pictured left to right in the back row are Jason Matthews, Andreas Zeischegg, Genevieve Speas and Natalie Pratt. In the front row are Tommy Hernandez, Octavio Cardenas and Michael Kugler.
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Next Time Lucky: Confessions of a Dating Guru - Review

Recently published Next Time Lucky: Confessions of a Dating Guru by Siggy Buckley is a very enjoyable book, one that appeals to a broad audience. If you've ever experienced (or just considered trying) online dating, it's a must read.

From the Editorial Amazon description:

So you think you know about online dating for the over 40s?
Cherie, a professional matchmaker from Dublin, Ireland, faces the ultimate challenge when she tries to find a soul mate for herself. She surfs the risky waves of the Internet and flies around the world to adventures, disappointments and not a few surprises. Chat-rooms prove to be intoxicating, and Cherie feels like in a kid in a candystore. Among the Lotharios she encounters are recycled bachelors, breezy islands of ego, fly-by-nights, birds of paradise, commitment phobics, and the odd sex maniac. She learns the hard way that it's easy come, uneasy go at this smorgasboard of cyber-dreamboats.
Her story is an intriguing read, offering a revealing glimpse into the world of cyber romance for singles that are toying with the idea, for those who haven’t dared yet, or those who just want to compare notes. It also discloses practical advice for modern day’s mate selection through the eyes of a dating expert, both on the Internet and in the real world.
With insight and great humor, Siggy Buckley tells the sassy story of a modern woman's dilemma of being independent yet longing for coupledom. 

My review:

5 stars. This genre gets read mostly by women, but the men out there will surely enjoy and benefit just as much if not more. The author does a masterful job of bringing us along through the highs and lows of internet dating (plenty of amusing lows), of the awkward and intriguing experiences when searching for love after a divorce and grown kids. The writing is extremely polished: clever, funny, erotic and tasteful. There is much insight about both sexes, a true study of human natures. In her quest of finding the next Mr. Right or often Mr. Right Now, main character Cherie takes one for the rest of us and provides her tales to learn from. It will feel laughingly familiar to those who have done it, serve as valued education for those considering it, and entertain anyone who enjoys the deeper meanings within all relationships. As a Yank I also enjoyed the European flavors, a multinational representation of characters that added to the fun.


Also lots more info on the book and Siggy Buckley at her website.

Pianeta Ristorante, Fine Italian Cuisine for Truckee CA

Pianeta is a great Truckee restaurant situated in the middle of the old downtown strip though many people might not know about it since it's easy to walk by and only been around since 1998. I don't typically write restaurant reviews nor am I super qualified but wanted to because it's one of my local favorites.
I rarely splurge at venues with higher priced menus, but when it happens I prefer a classy and unpretentious place like Pianeta. As said, it's a bit pricey compared to some Truckee eateries, similar to places like Dragonfly, Moody's and Cottonwood. The cost is more than justified by the fine food and ambiance.
The atmosphere is cozy, dimly lit and reminiscent of an old world establishment. The decor is European with faux finishing and some fresco appeal. Brick and rock walls support art remakes like DaVinci outside of dark wood framing and tables. The staff and mood are positive while relaxed, a common Truckee attitude which naturally reflects on the customers. It's a perfect locale for a special occasion, good for birthdays and first dates.
We were recently there on a Monday night. I didn't feel the need to make a reservation but went ahead and placed one. Good thing too; the restaurant was packed, and the staff doesn't hurry to move people in and out as is so common this far from Italy.
Our foursome split a couple of appetizers and a nice variety of entrees for sampling. Items included mixed salad of marinated olives, peppers, meats and cheeses, fresh breads, seafood stew, chicken marsala, canneloni, fish, wine by the glass. In fact, I had an excellent Italian Cabernet at just $7/glass. We've been there about 5 times and have always loved the food, staff and atmosphere. I've heard they have a great happy hour as well, just haven't been there then so will make the effort.
If you want a really nice dinner in Truckee and like Italian, you'll enjoy the experience at Pianeta.
Have you eaten there? What did you think?
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Neon Yellow Socks Cost Ducks BCS National Championship, Fashion Coach's Job at Risk

Okay, I'll admit this is a lame (Duck) excuse, but as soon as I saw Oregon take the field with those awful neon yellow socks I knew they were a cooked bird. I wasn't overly worried about the outcome of the game other than it being worth watching and the fact that I had a six-pack on the Ducks, but as soon as I saw that ridiculous choice of lower leg uniform, I knew it was a desperate (pre-game) call by the fashion coach on the sidelines.

True, Oregon made several gut-check calls including a fake extra point early in the game and a fake punt late that both worked to perfection. But clearly the fashion coach wasn't faking anything and whatever he/she was planning just didn't pan out.

I mean, really, what the hell was the fashion coach thinking? That was embarrassing. The team is sponsored by Nike and gets, practically, new uniforms every single game, right? Does that mean the fashion coach gets to make crazy uniforms decisions every other game? Was he/she trying to distract Auburn or just give us all something to talk about over coffee on Tuesday morning? It looked like the prelude to a football version of What Not To Wear.

I don't know the answers to these or other mystical questions on the meaning of life, but all I can saw is "what the hell was the fashion coach thinking? And can I get Nike to pay that six-pack bet to my laughing Auburn friend?" Is there a number in Japan to complain about this?

By the way, the BCS sucks. I think TCU could have taken both of those teams. Get a playoff system or suffer the same fate as the Oregon fashion coach.

What are your thoughts?
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2011 SEO Tips, Get On Google Front Page

Get On Google Front Page has just been released for 2011. This is my 5th book, and I’m really excited as it has potential to help a lot of people.
It’s been a long road learning the business of ebooks and self publishing. At first this was something that had to be done for my novels, but then the whole endeavor became something valuable to share with others. Hence the last three books have been all about learning how to make and sell ebooks, how to make your own free website, and now this topic of rising in search engine rankings with White hat, free, organic SEO methods.
What’s fantastic about the search engines is that they keep space available at the top for ordinary people with no money to spend on advertising. That means any website can make it to the first page of search results or even to the very top spot. All that matters (in Google’s eyes) is that the website is extremely relevant to the terms of a given search. By having relevance to the subject and by using smart methods of helping the spiders see that relevance, anyone can do this.
The book talks at length on how to discover the keywords that will work best for a given website. Your very best keywords are relevant to your site, are being searched by lots of people and (hopefully) don’t have high competition from other advertisers. The book discusses in-depth how to use the Keyword Tool External program to really hone in on those best choices and then how to implement.
It’s just come out as an ebook for Amazon Kindle, so new the description isn’t currently listed yet (that takes up to 4 days though I can’t understand why). It’s also available as a pdf and epub formatted ebook at http://getongooglefrontpage.webs.com/, and also at Smashwords which will get it into Apple iBookstore and many other retailers. The paperback won’t be available for a few weeks, so watch for an update if that’s what you’d prefer.
For great 2011 SEO tips on keywords, meta data, direct submissions, alternative text, social media, creating thousands of back-links, building platform and visibility plus much more… this is a great guide. Please check out Get On Google Front Page if rising in search engine rankings is something you’d like to know more about.
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