Review: New Medalla Light Website

Wow, has it been THAT long. Late last year, I started a new category called websites. And I really had more intention to do this on a regular basis, but oops, you know, about a million other things have been filling my head, and it got lost in the clutter.

Back in September, I took a look at the Puerto Rico Coors Light web site, if you haven't seen it, take a look first, then you'll know what to expect from this review. And it sort of seems fitting that I'm going to pick this up, sort of where I left on the last one.

MedallaLight.com

A couple of weeks back I checked on last year's winner of the WebAd Awards, and to my surprise, the sight had been replaced by an under construction page. First of all, why do that? Put a teaser on the old site that something new is coming, but for me, a page under construction or site under construction is just pointless.

Anyway, so recently, Medalla Light announced that their new site was up and ready to provide a new level of interactivity. So I decided to head over there and check it out. First of all, let me congratulate Medalla and the designers of their new site Sajo, Garcia, & Partners along with Contactiva Interactive on one thing they have done that is VERY cool. They have broken out of the Adobe Flash paradigm. While the new site does use Flash, it is only to provide some movement to the site, but besides that they are using HTML, Javascript, and CSS. I really mean this, it is important that Puerto Rico Ad agencies and designers move away from Flash and it takes a bold decision to break out of the generic "do as everyone else does" pack.

While viewing the source to the site, however, they may want to evaluate their usage of Javascript, for while it does give a web page more interactivity, it can also slow it down. At times it seems that the new site is a little slow. This might be due to my connection, general Internet congestion, or a symptom of too much Javacript to execute. It's difficult to tell, but I think a little tweaking might be in-store to fine-tine the performance of the site.

The Medalla Light Brand

I think it's also courageous and bold to discard a winner. I thought the old site was very well done, and served their brand very effectively. So I'm not sure what they had as goals for the new site design, but I believe as the announcement I saw, they were hoping to build a platform which engaged their community more. I can't really remember if the old site had any of the functionality I see on the new site, but I do see some cool features.

From joining their community, to sending a link to a friend, to checking out their Facebook group, the new site does have many points for the visitor to interact. I tried out a few of the features and everything seemed to work. A couple of minor picky things. When inviting a friend to see a picture or to invite them to an event, the form doesn't give any feedback (other than clearing the form) that the form was submitted successfully. Perhaps they should use the same code they use on the registration form to simply tell the visitor that the message was sent.

Another suggestion I would make, is for them to customize the emails the page sends out. The message you receive from the system is generic, it should indicate that this is a picture, an event, a whatever. Although the link it provides is to the right content you want to share, the message itself is the same. Also, it doesn't include the name of the person who sent them the message. People are more likely to open a link that kind of looks like spam, if it includes the name and a message from someone they recognize.

Technology

Once again, kudos for not using Flash, but their push for innovation didn't stop there. Of course, they have an embedded music player supplying the bumping sounds. They also have a video section, and two new technologies: RSS and Facebook.

I could be wrong, but I'm not, but there might be a problem with the video section. Either that or the menu link is malfunctioning, because I never could pull up the video section. In addition,, unless the home page is the video section, the videos embedded in the home page are very slow.

While I can definitely understand wanting to be consistent with the branding, I wonder if it wouldn't have been better to upload the videos to YouTube and embed them in the web site from there. Of course, they should already be on YouTube, if you ask me. The logic goes something like this, if you're not in the video hosting business, why host your own videos? Many business experts recommend outsourcing everything that is not your specialty, and in this case I think video hosting applies.

The site now has a news feed, I guess sort of like a blog. Two comments, first, in order to need a feed you have to produce content. The site, so far, is a little light on news. Second, a headline does not make it news. Each news entry should have a little meat on it. Besides that I think it's a nice addition. Time will tell whether they deliver on making the RSS feed valuable enough to want to subscribe to it.

Finally, in the community section they have a link to their Facebook group. Checking out the group it looks like they have a nice little community started. It also seems to be well synchronized to their home page. One dilemma most businesses are facing these days is the typical build or buy (use) challenge. In this case, why build a community on the website, if you've already got one going in Facebook?

Of course, in order to capitalize on the community in Facebook, might require a custom built Facebook application. But of course, they would need a software development company with experience in building those applications. Hint, hint! Leave us a comment if you would like DóndeEs.com to help you build that Facebook application. Oh did I forget to mention that DóndeEs.com is the only software development company in Puerto Rico that has already developed and implemented a Facebook application?

Top Ten Tips For Better Steaks

Man, is there anything better than putting that first piece of perfectly barbecued steak into your mouth? Well, unless your a vegetarian, and it would probably make you convulse and puke, and well, that really doesn't sound very enjoyable. If that's you, then it's probably best moving on to the next blog post. Although, I think I have heard of grilling tofu, but can't say that I've ever tried it. At least not willingly.

Anyway, who hasn't had the experience of putting expensive cuts of beef on the grill in anticipation of tender, juicy guest-pleasing steaks and having them emerge as dried-out, barely chewable disasters? Well, as with everything, there's a name for the fear of repeating this experience. It's called grilling anxiety, or G.A. to those in the business.

Well, thanks to Jonathan Torres, executive chef at the Morton’s, The Steakhouse in San Juan (Caribe Hilton Hotel) , your olde pal Don Dees has the top ten tips to avoid grilling anxiety. And let me tell you Morton's knows steak. Last year alone, the chefs at the company’s 69 restaurants broiled more than 2,400,000 steaks.

Top Ten Essential Tips for Perfect Steaks

1. Size Does Matter! Steaks at least 1” to 1 1/2” thick are best for grilling. The thicker cuts can sear on the outside and still not be overdone inside. While a thinner cut, anything under an inch, is likely to dry out on the grill.


2. Bring ‘em in from out of the cold. Steaks should be at room temperature before grilling.


3. Check the oil. Before you begin, lightly oil the grilling rack. It keeps the meat from sticking and tearing – and losing its natural juices.


4. It’s got to be hot! Pre-heat the grill to 600-800 degrees and keep it at that temperature for 30 to 45 minutes before putting the steaks on. It’s during the first few minutes of grilling that the high temperature sears the meat, forming the coating that seals in those tasty juices.


5. Use a seasoned approach: Add a bit of seasoning before placing the steak on the grill. Some salt and pepper can do wonders.


6. Don't overcook! Cooking steaks on the grill too long will cause moisture to evaporate, increasing the likelihood that the meat will be tougher and less juicy.


7. Stick a fork in it? Never!! Always use tongs or a spatula to turn over a steak during grilling. And resist the temptation to use a fork to test the steak for doneness as it’s being grilled. A fork will pierce the meat and allow the juices to seep out.


8. One good turn…is enough! After you put your steak on the grill, don’t turn it over before at least five minutes of grilling have elapsed on one side. Turning too soon can prevent searing from taking place. The steak should be seared on one side, then turned, seared on the other side and allowed to cook to the preferred doneness.


9. Won’t let go? If the steak sticks to the surface when you’re trying to turn it over, stop trying. It’s a sure sign that it needs more searing on that side. Give it more time.


10. Keep your lid on! By keeping the lid closed during grilling, you increase the broiling temperature, while decreasing the cooking time.

There you have it! Although, I have a small confession to make, I love grilling. But I'm afraid that I'm guilty of not following a few of those tips. So I'm looking forward to making a few changes and tasting the results. Wow, my mouth is watering just thinking about it. Let me know what your secrets to grilling are and I'll compile a list and share them with everyone else.

Flickr Creative Commons Contributor Today: Another Pint Please...

Search Engines Rule The Web

One of the original voices in the wilderness clamoring for simpler web pages, smaller or no images, and improved usability was Dr. Jakob Nielson. His book, "Designing Web Usability: The Practice of Simplicity" is the number-one best-selling book ever about user interfaces, with more than a quarter million copies in print in 22 languages.

Recently he discussed the latest report on web habits with the BBC News. In the story he makes clear what we've been trying to tell anyone who will listen: "Basically, search engines rule the web."

Initial Search Engine Usage Rises

According to the story, in 2004, when starting an Internet session, 60% of people conducted a search first and then used a deep link that took them directly to a page or destination inside a site. In 2008, said Dr. Nielsen, that percentage has risen to 75%. Let me try stating that just a little bit clearer: Today, the first thing 3 out of 4 people do when using the Internet is complete a search.

Dr. Nielson believes that people are becoming much less patient when they go online. Instead of lingering on websites, many users want to reach a site quickly, complete a task and leave. According to Nielson: "Now, when people go online they know what they want and how to do it."

Conclusion

If you're not on the supermarket shelf, you won't sell any products. That's the metaphor we've been drilling home to people. The Internet is a supermarket, so if 75% find what they want in the supermarket by using a search, and if your company, product, or service doesn't show up on the first page of search results in the three major search engines, then your company, product, or service doesn't exist.

Dr. Nielson's perspective on what the web should look like.

Dia Internacional de los Perros

This Sunday, June 1st, Purina and the National Parks Company will sponsor the International Day of The Dog. You've heard every dog has his day, will this Sunday is that day. The activity, which will be free of charge, will be held in the Peace Pavillion (Pabellón de la Paz) located in the Luis Munoz Rivera Park in San Juan. Scheduled to start at 11:00 a.m., the activity is supposed to last until 5:00 p.m.

The "Dia Internacional de los Perros" aims to provide the public with tools to improve the care of dogs and the master-pet relationship, as well as the successful coexistence within the family unit. During the activity there will be lectures, massages and yoga for dogs and masters, 'pawcures', music, gifts, refreshments and entertainment for the masters and their pets to enjoy.

Dog yoga, now I've definitely heard it all. I can just imagine the scene, a bunch of doting owners pulling on their dogs and calling out instructions. Which reminds me of one of my favorite "The Far Side" cartoons from Gary Larson. In the cartoon, the owner of a dog is standing over the dog, pointing and yelling "Blah, blah, blah Rex. Rex, blah, blah, blah." The caption of the cartoon is "This is what dogs really hear." Word.

Flickr Creative Commons Contributor Today: KM Photography

Univision Doesn't Get YouTube

Recently the keynote speaker for the 2008 SME Internet Forum, Alfonso Luna, Director of Marketing for Latin American Division of Google, went to great efforts to illustrate how powerful YouTube was as a marketing tool, literally unmatched by any other tool on the Internet. How right he is. Check out this review I wrote about the event.

Number of Online Videos Viewed in the U.S. Jumps 13% Percent in March to 11.5 Billion

According to the most recent report by comScore Video Metrix, the number of videos watched on YouTube is nearly the triple the rest of the top ten sites combined. 38% of all videos watched during March 2008 are hosted on YouTube, that brings the total videos watched in one month to 4,358,306.

Univision announces video on demand offering

So while Univision does recognize that video over the Internet is a big deal, they are both late to the party, and second misguided. They are hoping that by launching, as they claim, "the most extensive library of Spanish-language content in the U.S.", they are hoping to siphon off some of the YouTube traffic to Univision.com.

I see this time and time again. Instead of going were the momentum is, they want to swim against the current and try to get the Internet community to stop using YouTube. Unless, that is, they basically duplicate their efforts and create a Univsion channel on YouTube and publish all of their content their as well, which is what I would do. In addition, they need to come out with a very sophisticated solution. One which integrates effortlessly with MySpace and FaceBook, because if they don't, it's not going to be very pretty when the project manager tries to explain why the number of video views for the new service isn't rising as they expected.

Sports Wrap-up

I just wanted to wrap up a couple of items I blogged about recently to tell you how it all turned out. I don't like to leave you hanging like that. So let's start with the Puerto Rico Women's National Volleyball team.

Well things didn't go to well for the ladies in Japan. After beating Kazakhstan in round four, the Puerto Rican team lost 9 straight sets losing to Dominican Republic, Poland and Serbia. Finishing with a record of 1 win and 6 losses the ladies finished last even their record was the same as Thailand, due to the least points and the least sets won. Boy I bet that was along place trip home.

However, individual high honors went to Ocasio Karina, who lead all players with the most points, and Cruz Aurea with the highest serving average. It's unusual to have such stand out players on a last place finishing team. One can only imagine the poor quality of play that surrounded them.

The Puerto Rico Capitals inaugurated their season and team last Saturday night against the Thomasville Dragons. The first professional women's soccer team in Puerto Rico, the Capitals managed pulled off a tie, when Patricia Chapa scored on a penalty kick to tie the game 1-1. Check here, to learn when the Capitals play in Puerto Rico again.

And as for the NORCECA Beach Volleyball tournament, well I never saw anything, nor can I find any results anywhere on the web. I can't even find mention that there was, in fact, a tournament held over the Memorial Day Weekend. However, by coincidence, the family and I did happen to go to the Balneario de Carolina on Monday. Check out the reviews, and you'll see what I thought of the beach. We did see the court and some occasionally activity, but by 4:00 p.m., we had yet to see a match, so I'm not sure if there was any played. If anyone knows, please leave a comment.

Internet Advertising Revenues top $21B in ’07.

Once upon a time, two starry eyed dreamers participated in a business plan contest. They did their homework, they found the pain, they created a solution, and they really believed they were on to something. However, in the end, they lost. After not even making the finals of the contest they discussed their business with the guru, the director of the contest, and they asked why they lost. After some discussion, the guru said point blank, I don't think Internet advertising has arrived yet. Now of course, if he was speaking about Puerto Rico, then he was absolutely right. But if was speaking about the Internet in general, which is how the two dreamers took it, then he is, of course, dead wrong.

Recently, the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) and PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (PwC) announced that the 2007 Internet Advertising Revenue Report shows Internet advertising revenues in the U.S. continued their upward climb. Here are some highlights from that report:

• For the full year 2007, revenues totaled $21.2 billion, exceeding 2006 performance by 26 %, itself the former record year.
• Q4 2007 Internet advertising revenues hit $5.9 billion, representing historic revenues for a single quarter and a 24% increase over the same period in 2006.
• This is the fourth consecutive year and 13th consecutive quarter of record results.

Neil Peart's Puerto Rican Experience

As some of you were probably bored silly about my many rantings about the first ever Rush concert in Puerto Rico, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, and here. I have one more for you.

For those of you that aren't fans, you should know that Neil Peart, the band's drummer, is an avid motorcycle enthusiast and has probably ridden well over 150,00 miles by motorcycle. After riding 55,000 miles after a double personal tragedy where he lost his daughter and then his wife, he documented the healing process in his second book, "Ghost Rider: Travels on the Healing Road."

As the only lyricist for the group, writing is another of Neil's passions. Ever since 2006 he has carried his motorcycle with him while touring with the band and will ride between shows when possible, or on off days. From those experiences he has written another book, "Roadshow: Landscape With Drums, A Concert Tour By Motorcycle" and keeps website NeilPeart.net up to date with fresh writing of his experiences.

Neil Peart in Puerto Rico

Well, when he visited the island recently, Puerto Rico was no exception. So in his latest installment, "South by Southwest", Neil writes about his experience riding around Puerto Rico and has some really nice things to say. Although the article includes a discussion of other tour stops as well, the Puerto Rico piece includes some interesting observations and pictures. One such example is:

"Passing the famous observatory at Arecibo, we reached the northern coast, then detoured onto a small road that followed the shore for a few miles of undeveloped beach (increasingly rare on any tropical island)."

The picture at the beginning of this post accompanies this passage. And while he adds a bit of humor, I also think the following passage is something we can all relate to:

"Other similarities to Mexican roads were the hazards of chickens, dogs, iguanas, cows, horses, ancient smoking cars and pickups, erratic driving, non-functioning brake lights and turn signals—not only unused, in the fashion of thoughtless drivers everywhere, but actually not working, their bulbs seemingly shaken to bits on the local roads."

It's really a nice little article and it shows why, for one of many reasons, Neil Peart has developed into one of my, dare I say, heroes. His ability to deliver, produce, improve, and indulge in his passions, should be an inspiration for everyone. Believe it or not, your life resides, where your passion lies. One special passage captures all of that:

There is a saying in French, “Ça vaut la peine”—it is worth the grief, or pain. That’s how I feel about those journeys, and what it takes to deliver the kind of performances we’ve been giving lately.

How many of can say that we love what we do with such a passion, that we are willing to endure physical pain in order to do it, and not only do it, but do it to the ultimate best of your ever improving abilities?

Starbucks Redesigns Logo and God Responds

Back in 2006, Starbucks Brewing Company landed in a lot of hot water, and I'm not talking about the water that's forced through their expresso makers. No, I'm talking about the lakes of fire, eternal damnation, kind of hot water.

To celebrate their 35th anniversay, they thought they would redesign their logo and use it on a special "limited" edition cup. According to sources in the company, they wanted to bring back one of the original logo redesigns which would feature a more detailed illustration of the mermaid in the center of the logo. A what, a mermaid? Yeah, you know like Ariel.

Unless you were a real "febru" did you know that the current logo also features the mermaid, it's just that it has less detail. Seriously you'd have needed to know the histriva of the company to know that. Don't believe me? Then you'll need to check the previous post, about our new map of Starbucks in Puerto Rico, to see for yourself.

Well the trouble started when they conducted a limited release of the new cups. Reaction was almost immediate when one Washington state school district banned the Starbucks coffee cups during the limited-time offer -- unless students concealed the creature's breasts with a cupholder. Screeecccch! Imagine the sound of screeching tires trying to stop. What a minute, did he just say breasts?

As you can barely see in this photograph of one of the cups, the logo does indeed have an illustration of a double tailed mermaid with a little more detail, and a couple of dots for nipples. What a shocking display of outright pornography, right?

Well now in 2008, they wanted to re-issue the limited edition cups, but they wanted to avoid the previous problems, so they decided to clean-up the logo design. So they extended the mermaid's hair so it covered up the dirty parts. No more nipples, but you can barely make out that the mermaid, does indeed, have breasts.

Well, now Starbucks has been attacked by a extremist religious organization that took issue with what they saw as sexual connotations in the new logo. Yeah, I can really see some 13 year boy whacking off to that cartoonish drawing of a mermaid.

When asked about the new logo, a former VP-global creative at Starbucks responded: "Are you kiddin' me? This is a mythological creature, we wanted to be invisible. We wanted the conversation to be about coffee, not about anatomy."

Just goes to show you the power of successful graphic design. But, it also, and I'm just saying, may illustrate the power of someone else. And you know who I'm talking about, Mr. Big himself, God. You see, ever since 2006, Starbucks stock price has been on such a slide you'd think they were on skis. Since that time the stock has dropped from $37,93, to as low as $15.86 last week. And according to the most recent announcement from the company, their problems continue as they missed their second quarter earnings, and will lower their estimate for the year.

When asked about the current results, Howard Schultz, chairman, president and CEO of Starbucks said,

"The current economic environment is the weakest in our company's history, marked by lower home values, and rising costs for energy, food and other products that are directly impacting our customers."

Sure that sounds convincing right, but we all know that it's the Big Guy exacting his revenge on the profanity that graces their limited edition cups that were only available in the Northwest of the United States. Yeah it's probably that and not that people are tired of paying $5,00 for a cup of coffee that you can get for $0.75 else where.

Map of Starbucks in Puerto RIco

While Starbucks Coffee Company is defending itself from right-wing Christian groups (more on that in the next post), their march toward total coffee dominance in Puerto Rico remains strong. In commemoration of their complete assimilation of the Puerto Rican coffee drinker we thought we'd help you all feed your habit. How? Well, we're happy to announce the availability of a map of Starbucks in Puerto Rico in our interactive maps section in DóndeEs.com.

Map of Starbucks in Puerto Rico

One thing that jumps out at you right away when you look at the map is, and I'm sure the folks in Arecibo, Ponce or Mayaguëz would agree, is when will the Starbucks invasion spread south and/or west?

To be honest, at this time we're missing two locations, so if you happen to know where they are situated, and would like to help us out, then head over to the Add a Business feature, and try out the new skills you learned in the recent how-to add a business post. The two we are missing are Plaza Escorial Village and Plaza Alta. In the meantime enjoy the new map, and by all means, now that summer is here you have permission to switch to Iced Brewed Coffee drinks. It's hot out there! Or try the new Starbucks Doubleshot on Ice + Energy, if you're really dragging.

Sal! pa' SoFo Culinary Festival Time-Lapse

Here's a pretty slick little video showing how crowded Calle Fortaleza gets during the SoFo Old San Juan Culinary Festival. In this excellent video you are looking down Calle Fortaleza looking out onto Plaza Colón. The white dome in the background is the El Capitolio.

I like how the light in the upstairs apartment in the lower right hand corner keeps flicking on and off. I wonder what it would be like to live in that apartment and have thousands of people partying right beneath you window all weekend long.

Sal! pa' SoFo

Starting Thursday, June 5th CODEVISA and Old San Juan will celebrate its 11th Old San Juan Culinary Fest. This year, they will be presenting the largest gastronomic festival in Puerto Rico. With the participation of 40 restaurants, the festival will include not only the south part of Calle Forteleza but also a zone of 6 streets where the 40 restaurants are located.

In addition, the festival will offer eight different stages where there will be a variety of musical presentations. No matter whether you prefer Cuban, Brazilan, Puerto Rican, or just plain Jazz, there will always be some music to your liking somewhere. The highlight of the musical performers will be a presentation by the Puerto Rico Philharmonic Orchestra. They will perform at 6:00 p.m. on Saturday June 6th in Plaza Colón.

During the festival, the "código de orden público" or Public Order Code will be lifted. That means that you'll be able to carry open containers of alcohol, while walking down the streets of Old San Juan. "Woo Whoo," he says in his best Homer Simpson impersonation.

A partial schedule for some of the key activities for Sal! pa' SoFo follows:

Thursday, June 5th:

• 6:00 p.m. - Ribbon Cutting Ceremony with Honorable Jorge Santini, Mayor of San Juan
  Fortaleza Esq. O'Donnell
• 7:30 p.m. - Flair Show, Sr. Manuel Picón, National Bartending Champion
  Plaza Arturo Somohano

Saturday, June 7th:

• 6:00 p.m. - Puerto Rico Philharmonic Orchestra
  Plaza Colón

Sunday, June 8th:

• 4:00 p.m. - Waiter Races (Carrera de los Mozos)
  Plazas Colón and Arturo Somohano
• 6:00 p.m. - Benny's Balloon
  Demonstration of the confection of balloon figures
  
• 6:30 p.m. - Mini Chef
  Demonstration of plates prepared by children
  From Chef Rita Rosado de Sweet Cow and Rita's Cuisine
  

Repeat Flickr Creative Commons Contributor Today: Oquendo

More animal brutality in Puerto Rico

My wife tells me it must come from my side of the family. But I would guess it comes from her only having negative experiences with animals and me having only positive experiences. Of course, growing up in the heartland of the United States probably had a lot to do with that. With annual trips to the 4H county and state fairs, I've always enjoyed animals.

When I was about the same age as my middle daughter, I wanted to be a veterinarian, so it's no real surprise that she wants to be one too. Her favorite animals are horses. I also have a cousin who loved animals even more than me. But of all animals she loved, like my daughter, horses the most. She would compete in those fairs riding horses. Heck I would even sometimes go horseback riding with her. As an adult she's stopped riding, but she still owns 6 horses. What do you think, does it run in the family?

When I originally saw this story, I was of course outraged and saddened at the waste, but it wasn't until I shared the story with my daughter and heard her indignation and fury, that I knew I had to share the story. Apparently, owners of losing racing horses are having them killed, many of which are perfectly healthy. As one owner justified it:

"If it doesn't produce, after a while I give it away or I kill it," said Arnoldo Maldonado, 60, a businessman who races about five horses a year. "It bothers me, but it has to be done because there is no money to pay for them ... I'm not going to keep losing."

More than 400 horses are killed each year by lethal injection at a clinic tucked behind the Hipodromo Camarero racetrack, chief veterinarian Jose Garcia told The Associated Press after checking clinic log books going back seven years. According to the article, about $210 million a year is bet at the Hipodromo and at off-track betting booths.

Regardless of how insensitive, and inhumane this treatment might sound, veterinarians say they would rather see unwanted horses destroyed humanely than given away or sold to somebody who cannot afford to feed and care for them. Some horses wind up fending for themselves. Emaciated thoroughbreds, marked by tattoos from the track, have been found among the "chongos"- stray, mixed-breed nags - chewing grass by the roads, according to Amigos de los Animales, an animal sanctuary.

I've been searching for a point to this post, something positive to take from this, like turning horse manure into fertilizer, but I can't seem to find one. To be fair, this happens probably everywhere they race horses, and some places save more horses than others. But it continues to be a challenge to find hope for our beautiful island when it's an unending stream of news that makes us look so bad. What will need to happen for positive change to sweep over Puerto Rico?

Flickr Creative Commons Contributor Today: Kvetina-Marie

Skin Cancer Protection with Walgreens

On May 31st, Día del la Protección Solar, Walgreens and Coppertone are joining the American Cancer Society to help protect you against skin cancer. Now that summer time is here, we'll all be out in the sun more. I urge you to remember how powerful the sun is in Puerto Rico, and protect you and your loved ones.

Did you know?

Did you know that every year in Puerto Rico, there are around 10,000 cases of skin cancer reported? Even if your skin is already tanned or dark, you can still get skin cancer. Not burning is not the same as protecting yourself against skin cancer. While the powerful ultaviolet (UV) rays may not burn your skin, the radiation those rays contain still penetrate the skin and can potentially cause skin cancer.

Join up!

Between the months of May, through September, for every Coppertone sun screen product purchased from Walgreen's, they will donate $0.25 to the American Cancer Society in Puerto Rico. So if you're headed to Balneario Punta Salinas, and you need to buy some sun screen anyway, why not help fight skin cancer at the same time?

Flickr Creative Commons Contributor Today: BohPhoto

How-to: Add a New Location to DóndeEs.com

With all of the changes in the new web design, we thought it would be a good idea to revisit some of the key functionality in the web site and share some quick "how-to" guides. This will be a series of four posts that will show how-to add a new business to the DóndeEs.com Visual Directory, how-to rate a location, how-to add an event for a location, and how-to search effectively.

How-to Add a Business

So we'll start with how-to add a new business; which, right from the start, doesn't even really have to be a business. It can be any kind of location and belong to any of the many categories we already have pre-defined in the database.

1. The first step is that you have to know where the business is located, that you want to add on the map. Simple right? Just remember that when you go to add it, you'll be looking at the map (or satellite image) from a perspective your'e probably not too familiar with, the sky. If you're not absolutely certain you can find it, then make sure you can find some guides that can help you. For instance, primary roads, large structures or landmarks that you can easily identify in satellite mode. Ready? then let's begin.
   
   
2. Click on the "AÑADA SU NEGOCIO GRATIS" link that is at the top of the browser window. You should get a new web page with "PASO 1" on it (Image 1).
   
   
3. Click on the pull-down menu "Escoge ciudad de negocio:" and select the city, or area, where the location is closest (Image 2). The web page will pull up the satellite map for that city and center it over the area.
   
   
4. Before you can start using the controls to move the map, you need to close the highlighted orange window (see Image 2) that is used to direct your attention to the controls you'll need to use to change the map.
   
   
5. You'll now need to find the general area on the map where the business is, and then zoom in to locate the exact building you are looking for. But let's review how to do that:
   
   
1. Moving the map: Click on any of the any of the arrows at the top left corner of the map (Image 3). These arrows will pan the map up, right, down, and left. The square in the center of the arrows will return the map to the last position before panning.
   
2. Dragging the map: To move around on the map, you click on the map and hold down the left mouse button. As soon as you click and hold the mouse button, the cursor will change into a four arrowed cross. As long as you can see the four arrowed cursor, you're in drag mode. If you let go of the mouse button, the cursor will change back into your standard cursor. Repeat the process to continue dragging the map.
3. Placing a marker: Click on the map and immediately release the button. This will place the marker on the map, where the tip of your cursor was pointing. If you are trying to drag the map, and you keep placing markers, you are not holding the mouse button down while you move the cursor.
4. Remove a marker: Click on the "Borrar Marcador" button on the top of the map.
5. Zooming in and out: To get more details on the map, zoom in by by clicking on the arrow at the top of slider bar (Image 4) on the left hand side of the map. To get less detail on the map, zoom out by clicking on the arrow at the bottom of the slider bar. Tip: When you zoom in, the map (the center) tends to move down and to the right, so while zooming in, adjust the center to keep it focused on your business.
   
   
6. Once you have located your business, place the marker (Image 5) by clicking on the map. A marker should appear over your business.
   
   
7. Click on the marker and a web form will appear inside the bubble (Image 5) for that business. Within the web form, you will need to complete the following fields:
   
   
1. Nombre de negocio: Add the name of the business. If the business is part of a chain with different locations, then put a "- street, location, or city" after the name. For example, Starbucks - Plaza Caparra. Do NOT use the apostrophe character in the name.
   
2. Categoria: Chose a main category from the pull down list. After selecting a main category, a pull-down list for a sub-category will appear. Select a sub-category from the list. If you do not find a sub-category that you feel best describes this business, then select "Sugerir". Then a text box will appear where you can suggest a new sub-category.
   
3. Descripción de negocio: Enter a description of the business. Remember that this description will be used within the search feature on DóndeEs.com, so be sure to include the most important keywords that you think people will use to search for the business. You have up to 200 characters for the description. A counter is provided to keep track of the length of your description.
   
4. Dirección: Enter the physical address for the business. You have up to three lines for the address,
   
5. Ciudad: The city will already be filled in by the selection you made for "Escoge ciudad de negocio:". If you think this is incorrect for your business, select another city from the web form pull-down list.
   
6. Código Postal: If known, enter the 5 digit zip code.
   
7. Número de teléfono: Enter the phone number without any formatting. For example, 7871234567.
   
8. Su nombre: Enter a name, this will only be used to address the confirmation email.
   
9. Su email: Enter your email address. This address will receive a confirmation message upon completion of the web form. It is critical that the address is for an account that you have access. This is NOT the email address for the business.
   
   
8. If you are satisfied with your entries, then click on the "Someter" button. Please remember to proof read the entry form before clicking on "Someter." You should receive the following message:
   

   Gracias por la información del negocio.
   Un email se le envio para cotejar la validez de la información. Luego de usted validar el email un representante verificará la información.
   
   Gracias de nuevo.
   Equipo de DondeEs.com

9. Check the email account you entered on the web form. You should have a message from "DondeEs.com ", with the title "Activación de negocio." If you don't see the message, be sure to check your spam folder. Open the message.
10. Within the message, look for the link provided, click on the link and a new window or tab should open. As an example of the link (the ##### will contain the reference number for the location):
    

    Para concluir con el proceso de añadir su negocio a nuestra página
    favor de hacer clic en el enlace:
    http://www.dondees.com/activate/biz.asp?cid=#####

11. The new window will display the following message very briefly, and then go to the DóndeEs.com home page.
    

    Gracias por confirmar su email. Un representante de DondeEs.com estará verificando la información. En unos segundos esta página cambiara automaticamente a la página inicial. De no suceder favor de hacer clic aqui.

12. That completes the process. However, the location will not yet appear within DóndeEs.com. At this point the DóndeEs.com team will jump into action and validate the information provided. Once confirmed, they will activate the location and it will then be visible and searchable within DóndeEs.com.
    

Tips and Pointers

In this section I'll provide a few tips and pointers that will simplify or reduce the time or errors to enter a location. Be sure to check these out before trying to add your first location.

• Depending on how quickly you find and mark your business, once you start entering the form, the entire process should only take about between 30 seconds to a minute. Depending on how quickly you type.
• When trying to find your business, don't zoom in immediately. Attempt to find a major road that you can use to navigate to your location. If it's a road you know well you should be able to follow along fairly well. Think of it like you were driving to the location and recall the roads you would use to drive there, then follow that same route on the map until you arrive.
• Remember that you'll be looking at the location from a bird's eye view. Just imagine looking down on the top of the building or location. Things sometimes look really different from this perspective. Try to find clues to which building is the one you're looking for. For example, parking lots, or street corners, or large buildings that you can use as a base and then figure out the relationship of your business to that base. For example, The fourth building from the corner. It can get real tricky when the roofs of the buildings are all attached and the building holds multiple businesses. Just remember that the map location is an approximation, it should be close, but doesn't have to be exact.
• If the location is just one building place the marker in the middle of the building.
  
• If the building contains multiple businesses, place the marker near the entrance of the business, but still on top of the building.
• The web form fields that I indicated in red are special. Each of these fields is searched when a user conducts a search on DóndeEs.com. While you select the city and categories from a list, the name and description should be as accurate as possible. Please proof read your entry prior to clicking the "Someter" button. Remember this is how searchers will find the business so think of which keywords people will use to search for the business.
• At this time a maintenance form is not available, but one is coming soon. So if there are corrections necessary for the business, please email us at info at dondees dot com.
• Have fun, I've added thousands of locations to the database and I always get a sense of satisfaction when I find a location. I think of it like a game. It's like looking for a hidden prize, so when I find the location I'm looking for, for me, it's like solving a puzzle.
  

Puerto Rico Capitals Soccer

It's interesting when entrepreneurs, investors, and marketers look at an opportunity, and see something others don't. Then despite nay sayers, they remain passionate about the opportunity, persevere, remain committed, and ultimately emerge successful. Two such examples in recent Puerto Rican business history are Starbucks and Soccer. We here at DóndeEs.com hope that we fit into that group as well, time and you will only tell.

Many said Starbucks would never take off here. Who is going to pay those astronomical coffee prices when most people are used to paying panaderia prices for coffee. With 25 stores and growing, I think we know who was wrong about that initial perception.

Well another similar story applies to soccer. As I understand it, when the initial team of investors, management, and marketers came together for the Puerto Rico Islanders, many said that Puerto Ricans would never accept soccer (or football as the rest of the world calls it). Once again, we know who was right, and as further proof, this weekend, the Puerto Rico Capitals will inaugurate the first professional women's soccer team in Puerto Rico.

The inaugural match will take place this Saturday, May 24th at 6:00 p.m., against the FC Thomasville Dragons. The match will take place in the Estadio Solá Morales in Cauguas, which as is the case for the Puerto Rico Islanders will be converted into a soccer field for the game. The inaugural match will be free of charge and will be broadcast on PRTN Channel 22.

Introducing the Puerto Rico Capitals

The Puerto Rico Capitals FC will join the Women's Premier Soccer League (WPSL) for the 2008 season, and are the first team outside the mainland US to play in the league. The club will begin operations with a senior WPSL team and later add a junior U-17 developmental squad. Dedicated to the long-term development of girls and women's soccer in Puerto Rico, the Capitals plan to field rosters that highlight Puerto Rican natives and players of Puerto Rican heritage.

The Capitals will return to to play again in Caguas, when they host the Orlando Falcons on Sunday, June 8th, For a complete schedule for the Capitals, check here.

Celebrity Encounter: Eres Tu Juan!

Much to the amazement and delight of my wife and daughters, we all met the season four winner of Objetivo Fama, Juan the other night. In what can only be described as a dream come true for them, Juan came to our home to play basketball. Well if you consider home, the community where we live.

A little history first. I really, really dislike Ojetivo Fama and American Idol. Oops, did I write that? I thought I was only thinking it. How can a show with 19 losers on it be so popular? Well, just kidding, sort of.

When our neighborhood was built, an agreement was made with the nearest municipality that if they paid for the lights and maintenance of the basketball court, the court would be open to the public.

So once or twice a week a group of young guys come to play basketball in our neighborhood. And I'll have to confess, they are very well behaved. To my knowledge we've never had any type of problems with them; they treat the court as their own and show the proper respect. I guess so much so, that a friend of Juan's who regularly plays there, invited him to come play.

Well word spread fast throughout the neighborhood, and soon a small crowd of adoring fans emerged. So how did Juan react? Well the personae you see of him on television is pretty much the real deal. He stopped playing basketball for a while and politely, and with humility, signed all the autographs and posed for all the pictures his fans asked for.

In a classic Puerto Rican scene, the picture above is Juan talking on some women's telephone to one of her friends proving to the friend that, the woman was, in fact, standing right beside Juan. You know the drill, "No really, he's right here. I'll prove it to you. I'm going to put him on the phone. Tell her you're really Juan, go on tell her!" ¡Viste, te lo dije!

Boston Concert at the Puerto Rico Coliseum?

Well I guess it's kind of official, I've heard it a couple of times now on Alfa Rock that the legendary classic rock band Boston, will be giving a concert in Puerto Rico. According to the advertisement, Boston will appear in concert at the Puerto Rico Coliseum on August 31st. Snooping around I've confirmed that the band's web site lists Puerto Rico as the last show on the summer tour.

The Good O'le Days

Man, those first two albums from Boston are classics. The self titled debut album and the follow-up Don't Look Back were extremely well written, performed and engineered and back in the day, they were usually on somebodies turntable when we were partying (I mean who hasn't partied to Party):

" Just meet some friends and have a toke or two
In a place where they can never play the music too loud".

Yeah baby, rock and roll! That pretty much describes my mis-spent youth. But I have to confess, I've never seen them in concert. After those first two albums most of the music they produced didn't move me like those first two, so I never really paid much attention after that.

Part of the reason for that was they pretty much lost their mojo after the second album and then between inner fighting and band member changes, never really were the same again. I can remember having opportunities to see them, but I was disinterested because it wasn't the original band line-up. I'm always afraid to go see a group I really like when one of the key members has been replaced. I'm always afraid that they'll be too different and I'll be dis-satisfied.

Is Nostalgia Enough?

I'm going to assume that this concert is being promoted by the same duo of Larry Stein and Jose Dueño, that has brought Iron Maiden, Rush, and Billy Joel to Puerto Rico this year. From what I've heard and seen (Rush), I think these were all very successful concerts. However, I think they've missed their mark this time. While there is some renewed interest in Boston since the ex-lead singer Brad Delp's suicide last year, I really don't think there is going to be that much demand for Boston. With Tom Scholz as the only original member, except for nostalgia, I don't really see what's the point. It's almost like paying top dollar to see a Boston tribute band play in the Choliseo. I guess it will all depend on the pricing of the tickets, if they are dirt cheap, then maybe folks will say what the hey why not, but if they go with average ticket prices, I believe they will cancel the show due to lack of demand.

Krispy Kreme Zombie Fever Grips Puerto Rico

Mi Gente, you are not going to believe what I'm going to share with you now. Let's see, the grand opening of the Krispy Kreme was on May 6th, We are now on May 22nd, that makes two weeks and counting. You'd think that the original excitement from that first day would have subsided by now. Well you'd be wrong, be prepared to wait a n insanely long time for doughnuts, wrong.

We all remember the insane donut zombie craziness that took place on the very first day, right. Well, I want you to all know that the demand for a taste of Krispy Kreme Original Glazed Doughnuts is still very high. How high? Well at any given time you're likely to find a line of cars waiting to get into the drive through ranging from 20 to maybe 50 cars. We happened to drive by WalMart last night around 8:00 p.m., and the line for the Krispy Kreme drive through reached all the way around the block and out onto Rafael Cordero, I'd say easily 50 cars full of donut zombies.

Well, I've been jonesing for a few more of those sweet golden treats (OMG maybe I'm going zombie...), so I composed a plan. I'd go to the store very early in the morning, when they first open and I'd slip in and slip out. No fuss, mo muss. Well you know what they say about well laid plans. One of my daughters was curious to see what was so special about Krispy Kreme, so she asked to go. I woke her up early and we set out at 5:40 a.m., for a 6:00 a.m. opening. When we walked up to the front door, there were already 20 zombies in line. AT 6:00 IN THE FREAKING MORNING! There was also about 25 cars already queued up for the drive as well.

But I think I got it figured out now. If you want to get your hands on some of the most sought after doughnuts ever in Puerto Rico, get there around 6:30. By then the initial line has already been served and the drive through was already down to a more reasonable 5 or 6. However, if you wait much after that, well, take a book to read or some good zombie friends to chat with, because you'll be there for a while.

More Dondequiera SEO Power

Real quick I noticed when writing this that a Google search for "Krispy Kreme Puerto Rico" places Dondequiera in second position. Only their main corporate site out ranks us. And what of the local Krispy Kreme site? Well because it is Adobe Flash, it is invisible to the spiders and robots, so it is therefore invisible to search engines. To be fair though, this time our results in Yahoo and Microsoft are not nearly as good.

Flickr Creative Commons Contributor Today: darkpatator

Celebrate 90 years of Tres Monjitas

In cooperation with the Puerto Rico Tourism Company and the Paradores of Puerto Rico, Tres Monjitas is running a contest to give away 34 vacations. The contest is in celebration of the 90th anniversary of Tres Monjitas, so they decided to give away some nights in local paradores. In addition, they are giving away 90 certificates of $30 in Tres Monjitas products, which at the going rate of inflation on the island pretty soon will probably only cover about a couple gallons of milk.

To participate all you have to do is collect three labels from any of their products, and then write a note with your name, address, and telephone, stuff it all into an envelople and send it to:

Celebra los 90 de las Tres Monjitas
PO Box 366757
San Juan, PR 00936-6757

You can also enroll in the contest by depositing your entry in a booth that will be located in front of Caribbean Cinemas of Plaza Las Américas on Saturdays and Sundays or an urn in front of their Customer Service Center in Plaza del Caribe in Ponce.

The contest will be open until June 30th. The final drawing will be held on July 3rd. Rules for the contest are available on their website.

Tres Monjitas WebSite

And speaking of their website, I found a nice little hidden treasure when I was researching this post. They have a really nice collection of historic photographs. The photographs span the 90 years of Tres Monjitas and feature some really old images. If you want to hear your parents go off on what it was like back when, grab your Mom and watch a few of the slide shows of the images. I'm sure it will bring back for her some fond memories of days gone by, and who knows you might even score a few brownie points with her. Here's one I "borrowed" from the site to peak your interest, good luck! Oh and by the way, before mousing over the image, guess what year this is from, the 1920's, 30's 40's, or 50's:

Parques Nacionales Invests $20 Million

In many ways, the National Parks Company (La Compañia de Parques Nacionales) is the ugly step sister to the Tourism Company (La Compañia de Turismo). I say ugly sister because the National Parks Company works very hard to promote tourism for the island, but receives only a small fraction of the attention, press, and credit for the success of the tourism industry in Puerto Rico.

Well according to a recent study conducted by Estudios Técnicos, the National Park System generates approximately $94.5 million annually for the local economy and provides more than 1,000 jobs. The top two park properties generating the biggest impact are the Centro Vacacional Boquerón in Cabo Rojo ($10.1 million annually) and the Zoológico Dr. Juan A. Rivero Cubano in Mayaguez ($7 million annually). In today's economy I believe that represents a significant contribution and therefore a bit more respect. Well the good news, is that they are not going to be resting on their laurels.

La Compañia de Parques Nacionales (CPN) has announced that they will be investing $20 million in 2008. The investments are split between opening new properties and improving existing properties. If you would like to familiarize yourself with all of their existing properties, then I'd invite you to visit our exclusive map we built for Parques Nacionales. First let's introduce the new properties.

Parque Nacional Laguna Condado

In August, the CPN plans to open a new park on two acres of land surrounding the Condado Lagoon. The new facility will offer gazebos, kayak and row boat rental, concession stands, and a building that will serve as a center for marketing and reservations for the CPN.

Parque Nacional del Karso

With over 3,800 acres in the Rio Tanamá Valley, this new park will be located in Arecibo, Hatillo, and Utuado. This land was previously a tobacco farm, and the CPN has indicated that they are already in the process of declaring the land officially a national park.

Villas del Sun Bay

Finally, in the first construction of a center for vacation in 38 years, the CPN will invest $10 million in the construction of 50 villas on the grounds of Sun Bay beach. Each villa is planned to sleep six persons and is expected to cost $109 per night, which is the standard rate for any of the villa rentals in any one of the CPN's vacation centers. The construction, which already has all of the permissions for the development, is expected to be completed in two years.

Renovations

As mentioned above, the CPN also plans on renovating three of their existing vacation centers. First, he CPN will be investing $2 million in their top producer, the Vacation Center Boquerón in Cabo Rojo. In total the vacation center has 335 villas and cabañas. In addition, the CPN will also be investing $700K in renovating the 24 cabañas in the Vacation Center Monte del Estado in Maricao. They will also be investing $3 million in renovating the beach and Vacation Center Punta Guilarte in Arroyo. And in two final investments, the CPN will be renovating the camping grounds ar Cerro Gordo to the tune of $2.5 million and they will also be investing a cool million in renovating the collection of animals in the Zoo in Mayagüez as well as building a new veterinarian clinic. I hope they mean they'll be buying some new animals or mating them, and not conducting like genetic mutation experiments to create new animals. I'd hate to see it become the Zoológico Dr. Moreau. On the other hand that would surely pack'em in. Hmm....

Flickr Creative Commons Contributor Today: jasonsager

Inflalandia - Case Study Update

For those of you starting with this post, this is a continuation of a couple of posts I did last week. While the initial post about the upcoming Inflalandia event at the Puerto Rico Convention Center was informative in nature, the second proposed a test. The test was to see how well Dondequiera would do in the search engines for the the term Inflalandia once the post had been indexed by the search robots and spiders. If you want to catch up, check for those posts here and here.

Google Results for Inflalandia

The preliminary results are in, and we were successfully able to jump up onto the first page of search results for Inflalandia on Google. However, we aren't number 1. We're showing up at positions nine and ten. Which in terms of search engine optimization to go from zero to the first page of search results in a matter of days i