Written by Bianca Gubalke
Communication Design, Editor, Events, Google Top 10, Graphic Design Services, IT Consulting, Noordhoek, Online Communication News, Semiomantics, Social Media Publishing, TOUCH, Twitter, WP Best eShop Theme, Web Design Consulting, Website Publishing
Mar 14, 2010
Copyright © 2010
Bianca Gubalke. Visit the original article at
http://biancagubalke.com/south-africa/south-african-malcolm-lange-wins-cape-argus-cycle-tour-2010/.
South African Malcolm Lange wins Cape Argus Cycle Tour 2010
South African Malcolm Lange wins Cape Argus Cycle Tour 2010 ahead of South African champion Christoff van Heerden (second) followed by South African Daryl Impey (third) due to a brilliant team strategy.
Remember my picture of 32 km remaining yesterday?
Well, seems that was a good intuition as it’s here where the grand finale over 109 kms was decided today in the early morning hours: the decisive break of 12 riders moved clear of the large peloton just before the climb towards Chapman’s Peak Drive. . . and while these pictures are straight from my camera, they show the first batch that zoomed through… and those were the ones! I think the camera on the motor bike in the background is directed towards Lance Armstrong in red and black on position 6… but that’s just a guess (but I have the close-up too…). Proudly South African in any case… YEBO GO GO!
South African Malcolm Lange wins Cape Argus Cycle Tour 2010
When I perceived the faint vibration of the first helicopter this morning, I knew it was time to secure a place along Noordhoek Main Road to catch the first batch of the Cape Argus Cycle Tour 2010 racers – amongst them without any doubt Lance Armstrong, who won the Tour de France 7 times in a row and is definitely the center of (media) attraction in Cape Town right now – … and so it was!
Due to severe crosswinds they arrived later than in years before, but zoomed passed the early cheerers, supporters and fans who were having family-wise power breakfasts along the road and were definitely enjoying themselves…
Lance Armstrong on Twitter
While I was still down there taking pictures of the “new generation”, world cycling superstar Lance Armstrong was already on Twitter – so to speak straight after the race:
“Argus Cycle Tour done! What a cool ride/race. Congrats to @darylimpey on gettin’ 3rd. Wind was howling out there.”
It was a beautiful day for the world’s largest timed cycle race … and it was pretty windy, although luckily not as strong as back in 2009 when just about 50% of the field managed to finish.
Cape Argus Cycle Tour 2010 Leading Results
Here are the 109km leading results as published:
1 Malcolm Lange (SA) Team Medscheme 2hrs 39min 55sec
2 Christoff van Heerden (SA) MTN Energade
3 Daryl Impey (SA) Team Radioshack
4 Burry Stander (SA) Team Specialized
5 Rene Hasselbacher (Aut) Team sainfo.co.za
6 Dean Edwards (SA) House of Paint
7 Bjorn Glasner (Ger) Team Kuota
8 Johann Rabie (SA) Team Medscheme
9 Lance Armstrong (US) Team Radioshack
10 Nicholas White (SA) Team Medscheme all same time.
| Author: Bianca Gubalke, Art, Media, Publishing.
Co-Founder of YORGOO, YCADEMY and Semiomantics.
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Copyright © 2010
Bianca Gubalke. Visit the original article at
http://biancagubalke.com/south-africa/noordhoek-ready-for-cape-argus-cycle-tour-2010/.
Noordhoek ready for Cape Argus Cycle Tour 2010
It’s the night before tomorrow. . . and Noordhoek is ready for the cape Argus Cycle Tour 2010!
Noordhoek ready for Cape Argus Cycle Tour 2010
Earlier today, I hopped out with my camera to see if Noordhoek was ready for the Cape Argus Cycle Tour – and all I saw were those distance shields as you see above!
It had considerably cooled down after the heatwave and there was a light drizzle . . . perhaps the best preparation after all! Later in the afternoon the air was abuzz with helicopters and I knew the real thing had started.
From Noordhoek it’s exactly 32 kms to the finishing line in Cape Town and as of tomorrow morning everything here will be closed off – no traffic other than those 35,000 + cyclists zooming past! You better don’t be in a hurry to get to the airport! There will be tons of fans, drummers and cheerers lining the streets, offering water and shouting encouragements for the strenuous part ahead!
What always amazes me is how well everything is organized! Once the cyclists are through it’s paper cups and empty bottles literally everywhere… and the next morning there is absolutely nothing! It’s all perfectly clean and back to normal: South Africans deserve a huge round of applause for the way they pull things together and make events so special!
The 2010 Soccer World Championship in June will be memorable – garanteed!
Cape Argus Cycle Tour 2010 in Noordhoek on Google Top 10
Talking of races. . . the biggest and fiercest ones these days take place on the Internet – so here’s some high performance with yesterday’s article “Cape Argus Cycle Tour 2010 in Noordhoek” – it went straight to Google Top 10… first through the finishing line… and this within 5 minutes. Not sure anyone will cycle that fast tomorrow . . .
Web Design Consulting
Web Design Consulting stands for high performance on the Internet and attractive designs. If this is what you need, have a look at my SHOP HERE or get in touch with me to discuss your needs.
| Author: Bianca Gubalke, Art, Media, Publishing.
Co-Founder of YORGOO, YCADEMY and Semiomantics.
If you enjoyed reading the above, please consider following future tips and strategies by RSS reader, Email delivery, or Kindle subscription.
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Copyright © 2010
Bianca Gubalke. Visit the original article at
http://biancagubalke.com/south-africa/cape-argus-cycle-tour-2010-in-noordhoek/.
Cape Argus Cycle Tour 2010 in Noordhoek
In the early morning hours this coming Sunday, Noordhoek will be wide awake and buzzing with helicopters monitoring and filming the first of well over 35,000 cyclists of this year’s Cape Argus Cycle Tour 2010 as they zoom past idyllic Noordhoek Village and up towards Chapman’s Peak and the so-called “…most beautiful coastal road in the world”.
For the many cyclists from abroad it will certainly be an “African Experience” of a kind! Read on to see who’s here!
Cape Argus Cycle Tour 2010 in Noordhoek
The Cape Argus Cycle Tour 2010 is hosted in Cape Town – 30 km North from Noordhoek – South Africa; it is a 109 km cycle race following a circular route from Cape Town down the Cape Peninsula through spectacular scenery to look at but at times quite gruelling to accomplish from a cyclist’s point of view. The start of the race is in the centre of Cape Town, following the M3 South to Muizenberg, then Main Road along the False Bay coast to Simon’s Town and Smitswinkel Bay. The route then crosses the peninsula and heads north along the Atlantic coast through Scarborough, Kommetjie, Noordhoek, Chapman’s Peak, Hout Bay, Suikerbossie Hill, eventually Camps Bay and with its finale in Green Point.
The annual event is the first event outside Europe to be included in the International Cycling Union’s Golden Bike Series.
Lance Armstrong in Noordhoek
We have seen many well-known cyclists from all over the world and this year’s star is noone else than Lance Armstrong! This man from Texas has an incredible story based on his iron willpower: having survived cancer, he won the Tour de France in 7 consecutive years. What an inspiration!
What I find interesting is how Lance communicated via Social Networks on the Internet – in this case Twitter ! The word spread faster than any newspaper could get it out… and perhaps that caused a rapid reaction and solution to his ‘full passport’ problem at the Airport. I fished some info on this from the Internet for you here…
He has been seen around already and there is no doubt we see Lance Armstrong in Noordhoek very early on Sunday morning! Well… a flash of lightning he will be – no doubt!
| Author: Bianca Gubalke, Art, Media, Publishing.
Co-Founder of YORGOO, YCADEMY and Semiomantics.
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Copyright © 2010
Bianca Gubalke. Visit the original article at
http://biancagubalke.com/south-africa/living-in-noordhoek-south-africa/.
Living in Noordhoek South Africa
Living in Noordhoek South Africa is so special that it inspired me to finally realize a project I had on my mind for a long time, namely to create a visually rich and environment oriented website or rather a dynamic blog called “mynoordhoek.com”. It won’t be just any website . . . :)
Living in Noordhoek South Africa
When living in Noordhoek, South Africa, you come across many little creatures that express their Joy of simply Being and certainly never fail to comment on your presence in one or the other way – just as this inquisitive squirrel when I took pictures of Noordhoek Common . . . a typical, idyllic view of graceful horses grazing on rich pastures, surrounded by white ibis… with the dramatic backdrop of the mountains against a deep blue sky.
MyNoordhoek.com
MyNoordhoek.com is mine!
To start such a dedicated project, one of the first steps is to secure the right domain name – in this case: mynoordhoek.com
To be continued. . .
| Author: Bianca Gubalke, Art, Media, Publishing.
Co-Founder of YORGOO, YCADEMY and Semiomantics.
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Copyright © 2010
Bianca Gubalke. Visit the original article at
http://biancagubalke.com/south-africa/polaroid-look-with-photoshop/.
Polaroid Look with Photoshop
Today, everything on the Internet is about Pictures, Images and Media. With the fantastic evolution in Digital Photography over the past years, almost everybody is in a position to take good, sharp pictures.
The question then is to take it a step further – in my example below I created a Polaroid Look with Photoshop.
Polaroid Look with Photoshop
You can either create a Polaroid Look with Photoshop by working your way through the steps – possibly following a Photoshop Tutorial – or you use an Action Script and then go wild using your imagination. Personally, I like a combination of both so I save time, get what I want and then manipulate it for a dramatic effect or whatever I want to convey.
Captivating Web Graphics
With a few mouseclicks and an eye for forms, proportions and colors one can create Captivating Web Graphics that reflect any mood or mission we wish to convey; here’s just another example right from my Studio in Noordhoek, Cape Town. . . waving a last goodbye to the sun who will now disappear behind Chapman’s Peak until November. . . when it will emerge again and bless us with those unique and dramatic sunsets that some may call ‘kitsch’ and many others – like me – just recognize the supreme beauty of Nature and be grateful for it:
This and many other Graphic Design Services we offer at Web Design Consulting or directly at our SHOP. Just get in touch with me and we will give your website or blog a look that talks.
| Author: Bianca Gubalke, Art, Media, Publishing.
Co-Founder of YORGOO, YCADEMY and Semiomantics.
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By
Yorgo Nestoridis
Custom Book Cover Design
My earlier post about Book Cover Design triggered immediate feedback. Of course the two samples were smashing and I understand authors who would like to see their work wrapped up in such prestigious way.
I also understand book cover designers to get some insight about how to custom design an eye-catching book cover.
Custom Book Cover Design with Bianca Gubalke
Tomorrow night at 7 pm London time Bianca Gubalke will present a session: “Custom Book Cover Design” at Ycademy, the daily online Training at YorgoTalk.
Here is another Custom Book Cover Draft by Bianca, this time for Besma Bashier:
Book Cover Designers
Don’t miss tomorrows session at Ycademy!
| Author: Yorgo Nestoridis, Media Marketing & Publishing, Founder of YORGOO Publishing, YORGOO Press and Semiomantics.
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Bianca GubalkePhotoshop Action Scripts
Before the next heatwave is hitting Noordhoek, South Africa, and forces me into the turquoise waters of the Atlantic Ocean… I thought I’d have some fun with Photoshop Action Scripts and create one of those elegant page curls!
Photoshop Action Scripts
Photoshop Action Scripts are just brilliant for shortcuts the professional way! It also means that we can serve our customers better and provide them with captivating web graphics and great Graphic Design Services that make their blogs and websites simply stand out!
At Web Design Consulting we are committed to offering the best – and this means consistent learning and acquiring of new skills and investing in the best tools and equipment.
How to Create a Page Curl
I remember sweating when trying to Create a Page Curl in Adobe Photoshop for the first time… years back on PS5.
Today, it’s just a matter of a few mouse-clicks and it’s done.
What I noticed, however, is that there are quite some quality differences in Action Scripts, some render better results than others… so the Art is to find what suits our needs the best.
Photoshop Ycademy Workshops
Learn more about how to improve your Knowledge and Skills at our regular Photoshop Ycademy Workshops.
Having said that… and while our SHOP is avaliable 24/7/365… I will do one more post for a dear friend and I’m off to the Beach!
Meet ya there!
| Author: Bianca Gubalke, Art, Media, Publishing.
Co-Founder of YORGOO, YCADEMY and Semiomantics.
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by Bianca Gubalke
Valentine’s Day Gifts
Here’s wishing everybody a “Happy Valentine’s Day” on 14 February 2010!
While it’s a bit late to start looking into preparing more sophisticated Valentine’s Day Gifts today, it’s never too late for Valentine’s Gift Ideas that go beyond buying a red rose, a pack of funnily formed chocolates or a bottle of Schnaps!
Valentine’s Day Gifts – Elegant DVD Packaging
Why not consider some Elegant DVD Packaging for your Valentine’s Day Gifts next year? Or for any other upcoming occasion like a Birthday, Promotion, Easter…?
In my example here, I wrapped up a collection of beautiful digital pictures I took this year – my most precious moments on Noordhoek Beach South Africa 2010. I added some “unaccomplished music” that fits this spectacular high tide scenario perfectly – if you know which one I mean - and dedicated it to “My Valentine” in the Title.
Quality is obviously always the most important criterium. Firstly of the photo or background image and of course the typography. There are free fonts and those we pay heavily for – and the difference becomes especially obvious once we leave the virtual world and go into the Printing process! I was quite pleasantly surprised how well the two free fonts came out here.
In the detail above I took a screenshot of the original Valentine’s DVD Packaging Image I created and rendered at just medium quality (40) to keep the loading speed down. It’s all part of the ongoing learning process; experience – sometimes pretty painful – and attentive observation are my best teachers… and of course I have an absolute admiration for the real “Masters” !
Just click on the images and they will open in a bigger format in the overlay… takes just a few seconds.
Valentine’s Day Gift Packaging
Valentine’s Day Gift Packaging is just another product item that will grow over time and feature in my SHOP for anyone to choose from.
I so much enjoy doing any form of Graphic Design or Digital Artwork… and letting my ideas hijack my creativity and refine my skills!
Photoshop Ycademy Workshops
Here I present the original and untouched image as well as a black and white version. Depending on the atmosphere, ambience or mood we want to achieve to suit the special occasion, the color can be easily adapted and changed and even manipulated or wrapped around another shape, ebook, box or jewel case for instance.
Being well equipped with the right Graphic Design Tools and the knowledge and skills taught in Photoshop Ycademy Workshops there is no limit to our imagination in pampering those we love with something personal and special – even on Valentine’s Day!
| Author: Bianca Gubalke, Art, Media, Publishing.
Co-Founder of YORGOO, YCADEMY and Semiomantics.
If you enjoyed reading the above, please consider following future tips and strategies by RSS reader, Email delivery, or Kindle subscription. |
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Written by Bianca Gubalke
Communication Design, Design, Editor, Google Top 10, Graphic Design Services, Hosting, IT Consulting, Online Communication News, Semiomantics, Social Media Publishing, TOUCH, WP Best eShop Theme, Web Design Consulting, Website Publishing
Feb 8, 2010
by
Bianca Gubalke
How to Backup a Database
As part of our weekly or monthly Security and System Maintenance routine to keep our own websites and/or blogs up and running, we should clean out the overheads and backup the database or databases in our cpanel.
We do the same for our Customers at
Web Design Consulting who trust they can relax while the Support & Maintenance Team ensure the Top Performance of their websites and blogs.
How to Clean Overheads in a Database
Due to a number of regular requests coming in, let me show you the quick and easy steps as to How to Clean Overheads in a Database – before you back it up:
1.
Log into your cpanel
2.
Go to “Databases” and here click on “phpMyDatabase”.
3.
On the new window that opens, to the left, you see all your databases in a vertical dropdown, in alphabetical order.
Now simply tick the first of these databases, and, on the table that now opens to the right, you see the “Overheads” to the far right and added up at the bottom of that column. This is the accumulated waste you want to get rid of by optimizing the table. It will clean your blog and make it faster.
What you now do is to tick “Check tables having overhead” (it’s in blue under “sum”) and as a result you will see the corresponding tables getting ticked, so you see exactly where your overheads basically came from.
As a next step you tock the little drop down to the right of “Check tables having overhead” saying “With Selected” and here you select “Optimize Table”.
Now let it do its job! Just wait a moment…
How to Backup a Database
Once it’s done, let’s continue exactly where we are… and I show you How to Backup a Database:
4.
At the top, click on EXPORT.
Don’t touch or change anything here… what you do is…
5.
At the bottom, tick “gzipped” and then on “GO” to the far right.
6.
If you get a popup… select “Save File” and “OK”.
Now this database backup will download to your computer, to a designated folder or your “Downloads”. If you are on Firefox, you will see a note “One active download” to the bottom right of your screen. Call it up and let it do its job.
We tend not to pay too much attention to backups as there’s always sooo much to do… I know!
However, may this little Tutorial help you to rather be safe than sorry.
And besides, if you don’t want to bother with this, remember that you can have backups automatically done for you on our
Best Web Hosting Services for just $6 a year – perhaps a smart thing to do; think about it!
| Author: Bianca Gubalke, Art, Media, Publishing.
Co-Founder of YORGOO, YCADEMY and Semiomantics.
If you enjoyed reading the above, please consider following future tips and strategies by RSS reader, Email delivery, or Kindle subscription. |
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Bianca Gubalke
Semiomantics Consulting
Our new WP Best eShop is evolving and we are pleased to see it already well positioned on Google Top 10.
WP Best eShop
WP Best eShop for Bianca Gubalke Products already features the following Categories and Products:
- Best Web Hosting Services
- Best Domain Name registration
- Best Graphic Design
- Semiomantics Author under WP Best Themes and CMS.
We notice little items that need correction in the stylesheet. . . which we will attack soon!
WP Best eShop is gonna rock!
| Author: Bianca Gubalke, Art, Media, Publishing.
Co-Founder of YORGOO, YCADEMY and Semiomantics.
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