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    <title>Aiken Atlas Team's Blog</title>
    <link>http://activerain.com/blogs/aikenatlas</link>
    <description></description>
    <language>en-us</language>
    <item>
      <guid>http://activerain.com/blogsview/687020/gas-soars-over-5-gallon-and-that-s-not-the-worst-of-it-</guid>
      <title>Gas Soars Over $5/gallon And That's Not the Worst of IT!</title>
      <description>&lt;p&gt;Some areas of South Carolina are reporting gas prices soared to over $5/gallon tonight as news of a possible gas shortage in the Southeastern States hits home. Some reports are showing that major gas chains in TN have been out of gas since Monday of this week and have been begging and pleading for gas regardless of price.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;img title=&quot;gas&quot; src=&quot;http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/2/4/8/6/3/ar122118998236842.jpg&quot; height=&quot;309&quot; alt=&quot;Gas Shortage&quot; width=&quot;302&quot; /&gt;Photo from Fort Mill SC Gas Station September 11, 2008&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Oil refineries closed in the wake of Hurricane Gustav reporting to remain closed due to Ike's pending presence in the Gulf causing what some say will be a temporary fuel shortage. Irregardless of how temporary it may be, folks have been lining up tonight at local gas stations and depleting some local supplies and causing a sharp rise in fuel prices.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The EPA has also has approved for &quot;winter fuel&quot; to be used early and suspended corresponding emission controls for some Southeastern states including SC.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Let us know what's going on in your neck of the woods.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.aikenatlasteam.com&quot; title=&quot;website&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Aiken Atlas Team&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Christy&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;</description>
      <dc:creator>Aiken Atlas Team Christy &amp; Robyn (Blanchard and Calhoun Real Estate Company)</dc:creator>
      <pubDate>Thu, 11 Sep 2008 22:35:27 -0500</pubDate>
      <link>http://activerain.com/blogsview/687020/gas-soars-over-5-gallon-and-that-s-not-the-worst-of-it-</link>
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    <item>
      <guid>http://activerain.com/blogsview/686751/southeast-gas-shortage-hits-home-in-aiken-as-gulf-coast-prepares-for-ike-</guid>
      <title>Southeast Gas Shortage Hits Home in Aiken as Gulf Coast Prepares for Ike.</title>
      <description>&lt;p&gt;Lines at the local gas pumps all the way to the street this evening due to reports of a gas shortage in the Southeastern US. Apparently it started sometime earlier today with some TN gas stations running out of gas. While coming home tonight it was very apparent that the panic had reached Aiken, SC.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Every gas station filled with customers waiting to fill their tank. Some stations rationing the gas and only allowing customers to purchase 10 gallons/purchase. Plastic bags covering many pump heads and prices are soaring.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;I am hearing from friends as I type that some local stations are already up over $4/gallon if they have any at all and it's expected to hit $5/gallon before morning. Could be rumor or politically contrived, and I certainly don't want to be a panicmonger, but just wanted to keep everyone informed.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.wspa.com/spa/news/local/article/some_gas_stations_running_low_others_have_no_problems/8369/&quot; title=&quot;News link&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Check out the news story covering the gas shortage in the upstate SC.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.aikenatlasteam.com&quot; title=&quot;gas shortage&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Aiken Atlas Team&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Christy&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;</description>
      <dc:creator>Aiken Atlas Team Christy &amp; Robyn (Blanchard and Calhoun Real Estate Company)</dc:creator>
      <pubDate>Thu, 11 Sep 2008 19:55:55 -0500</pubDate>
      <link>http://activerain.com/blogsview/686751/southeast-gas-shortage-hits-home-in-aiken-as-gulf-coast-prepares-for-ike-</link>
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    <item>
      <guid>http://activerain.com/blogsview/685325/-pie-jesu-in-remembrance-of-911-a-reminder-that-an-angel-s-voice-can-take-down-any-bully</guid>
      <title>&quot;Pie Jesu&quot; In Remembrance of 911 : A Reminder That An Angel's Voice Can Take Down Any Bully</title>
      <description>&lt;p&gt;When asked what do you do when they bully you? He replies &quot;I just carry on singin'&quot;. So in today's remembrance of September 11, 2001, I agree! Carry on Singing!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;I recently was shown this video for the first time, and I can't seem to get it out of my head. If you have never heard Andrew Lloyd Webber's &quot;Pie Jesu&quot; from Requiem, prepare to be moved in a way that music rarely moves you. This is not a video of Mr. Webber's show, but an audition by a 13 year old boy for the British talent show &quot;Britain's Got Talent&quot;. This young man's story and this song serves to show a reminder that an Angel's voice can take down any Bully!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;We will never forget.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Aiken Atlas Team Christy&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;
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      <dc:creator>Aiken Atlas Team Christy &amp; Robyn (Blanchard and Calhoun Real Estate Company)</dc:creator>
      <pubDate>Wed, 10 Sep 2008 23:40:48 -0500</pubDate>
      <link>http://activerain.com/blogsview/685325/-pie-jesu-in-remembrance-of-911-a-reminder-that-an-angel-s-voice-can-take-down-any-bully</link>
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      <guid>http://activerain.com/blogsview/677227/what-s-your-choice-of-anti-depressant-</guid>
      <title>What's Your Choice of Anti-Depressant?</title>
      <description>&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;text-decoration: underline;&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;What's Your Anti-Depressant?&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: justify;&quot;&gt;&lt;img title=&quot;Mason and Bexley&quot; src=&quot;http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/7/8/4/3/3/ar122069418633487.jpg&quot; height=&quot;224&quot; alt=&quot;Four legged babies&quot; width=&quot;229&quot; style=&quot;vertical-align: middle;&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;img title=&quot;Scuba Dog&quot; src=&quot;http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/9/9/4/9/4/ar12206979649499.jpg&quot; height=&quot;245&quot; alt=&quot;dog&quot; width=&quot;198&quot; style=&quot;float: right;&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: justify;&quot;&gt;Mason and Bexley Pharmaceuticals new product proves in clinical trials to be a safe and effective anti-depressant. Those who participated in the clinical trials related no lasting harmful side effects, however the user may be inclined to feel a slightly &quot;addictive&quot; state set in upon introduction to the product. Producing sometimes, uncontrollable laughter, warm sensations throughout the chest, and the urge to take long naps in the middle of the afternoon.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: justify;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: justify;&quot;&gt;This new line of products can be self administered at home without the need for Physician monitoring, however it would be wise to have someone monitor your Petzsmart shopping sprees until the user becomes accustomed to the sometimes uncontrollable urge to purchase the latest pet fashions.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: justify;&quot;&gt;These two &quot;pills&quot; are guaranteed to bring much happiness to your life and after one dose you just don't know how you made it this long without them.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: justify;&quot;&gt;I must confess, the strong urge to &quot;over-medicate&quot; is there, but Mason and Bexley Pharmaceuticals assures you that it is virtually impossible to overdose, and you really do need that pet fashion you past up last week in order to make your car payment.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: justify;&quot;&gt;One user reports &quot;This is some strong stuff. My life was just a day in day out routine with little to no entertainment value, but once I was introduced to Mason and Bexley Pharmaceuticals it has been a non-stop party of a good time.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: justify;&quot;&gt;&quot;Mason and Bexley have improved my quality of life ten fold.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: justify;&quot;&gt;&quot;Mason and Bexley have hit the mark with this combination.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: justify;&quot;&gt;&quot;I LOVE MY LIFE!&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: justify;&quot;&gt;&quot;My life has balance now, and more laughter than I know what to do with.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;There you have it folks! Unfortunately, production was limited to just a prototype, but I have heard that there are plenty of generics in circulation, so it should not be too hard for you to find a similar product in a town near you.*  &lt;img title=&quot;Bexstick&quot; src=&quot;http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/3/5/5/7/3/ar122069845437553.jpg&quot; height=&quot;120&quot; alt=&quot;dog&quot; width=&quot;160&quot; style=&quot;float: right;&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: justify;&quot;&gt;&lt;img title=&quot;Poker Pup&quot; src=&quot;http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/9/9/2/1/5/ar122069817051299.jpg&quot; height=&quot;177&quot; alt=&quot;dog playing card&quot; width=&quot;237&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;*&lt;em&gt;Results will vary from person to person and according to which generic you are using. Use only as directed. Please check with your physician before starting this or any other mood enhancement regimen.&lt;/em&gt; &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: justify;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: justify;&quot;&gt;This info-mercial was brought to you by &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.aikenatlasteam.com&quot; title=&quot;website&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Aiken Atlas Team&lt;/a&gt;. Proud contributors to Mason and Bexley Pharmaceuticals, and without which clinical trials would not have been possible. If you would like to contribute or participate in future trials similar in nature please visit &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.mollysmilitia.org&quot; title=&quot;molly's militia&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Molly's Militia&lt;/a&gt; (if you are in the CSRA) or your local Animal Shelter.&lt;/p&gt;</description>
      <dc:creator>Aiken Atlas Team Christy &amp; Robyn (Blanchard and Calhoun Real Estate Company)</dc:creator>
      <pubDate>Sat, 06 Sep 2008 06:14:37 -0500</pubDate>
      <link>http://activerain.com/blogsview/677227/what-s-your-choice-of-anti-depressant-</link>
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      <guid>http://activerain.com/blogsview/675115/sce-g-can-help-you-weather-the-2008-hurricane-season-like-a-pro-</guid>
      <title>SCE&amp;G Can Help You Weather The 2008 Hurricane Season Like a Pro!</title>
      <description>&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: justify;&quot;&gt;Gustav, Fay, Hanna, Ike, and Josephine. Although it sounds like I am introducing characters in a film or novel, I am listing the &quot;stars&quot; of the&amp;nbsp; 2008 Hurricane Season to date. We have all witnessed the devastation that Hurricanes cause, and we seem helpless when in the path of one of these monsters. Although the coastal towns are the ones receiving the initial force from one of these storms, the impact is felt far inland.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;It is not uncommon for those of us who live several hundred miles from the shore to feel the sting of these storms. One of the most common issues that arise during these times are power outages, and live downed lines.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: justify;&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;SCE&amp;amp;G Customers Call :&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: justify;&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Power Outage/Downed Lines&amp;nbsp; :&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; 1-888-333-4465&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: justify;&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Gas Leaks :&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; 1-800-815-0083&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;South Carolina Electric &amp;amp; Gas has provided a great online resource to prepare for the season's weather. Problem is without power, most of us won't be able to get online to use it during the actual emergency. So, you might want to print some of this information out for later reference. You can also find additional resources on SCE&amp;amp;G's website.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Below are links to some of SCE&amp;amp;G's Storm related resources. These might be nice to include in a newsletter to your clients, or on an information sheet in a closing package if your clients are going to have service with SCE&amp;amp;G.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.sceg.com/en/storm-center/default.htm&quot; title=&quot;storm center&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;South Carolina Electric &amp;amp; Gas Storm Center&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://secure.sceg.com/mobile/moblanding/mobmainlanding.aspx&quot; title=&quot;mobile&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Use Handheld Devices (Blackberry, Treo) To Report Power Outages&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.scemd.org/&quot; title=&quot;SCEMD&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;South Carolina Emergency Management Division&lt;/a&gt;&amp;nbsp; can help keep you informed regarding storm progress, projected path, and evacuations. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.dot.state.sc.us/getting/cams/&quot; title=&quot;scdot&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;SCDOT Traffic Cams&lt;/a&gt; could be a useful resource to check the traffic along your path of evacuation and possibly re-route accordingly.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.erh.noaa.gov/cae/&quot; title=&quot;sc weatehr&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;National Weather Service Forecast Office - Columbia, SC&lt;/a&gt; is a great resource to check for up to date warnings and watches.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;For &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.clemson.edu/ep/animal.htm&quot; title=&quot;animal emergencies&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Animal Emergencies click here &lt;/a&gt;to see what the Clemson Extension has to offer!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: justify;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: justify;&quot;&gt;Local Weather Broadcasts!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: justify;&quot;&gt;WCSC TV - CHARLESTON&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: justify;&quot;&gt;WIS TV - COLUMBIA&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: justify;&quot;&gt;WLTX TV - COLUMBIA&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: justify;&quot;&gt;THE WEATHER CHANNEL&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: justify;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/&quot; title=&quot;nat. hurricane center&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;I don't know if any other agents are currently utilizing &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.sceg.com/en/for-real-estate-agents/&quot; title=&quot;real estate agent res.&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;SCE&amp;amp;G's Real Estate Agent Resource&lt;/a&gt; but you might want to check this out. They have free newsletters for your clients, and several marketing tools for your use. Of course the newsletters are also promoting their services, but there is also some nice information here to pass along to others.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;I truly hope that none of us have to utilize any of these resources provided here, but in the event that you find yourself at nature's mercy, I hope that you find some of these resources to be of use to you.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.aikenatlasteam.com&quot; title=&quot;site&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Aiken Atlas Team&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Christy&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description>
      <dc:creator>Aiken Atlas Team Christy &amp; Robyn (Blanchard and Calhoun Real Estate Company)</dc:creator>
      <pubDate>Thu, 04 Sep 2008 19:34:35 -0500</pubDate>
      <link>http://activerain.com/blogsview/675115/sce-g-can-help-you-weather-the-2008-hurricane-season-like-a-pro-</link>
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    <item>
      <guid>http://activerain.com/blogsview/665940/south-carolina-real-estate-agent-s-alter-ego-exposed-</guid>
      <title>South Carolina Real Estate Agent's Alter Ego EXPOSED!</title>
      <description>&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;I hope you weren't expecting to read about a big SC scandal or another unpleasant experience with a fellow agent because I hate to disappoint. In this case, the agent is me, and I hope this is as close to scandal as I come in my career! Everyone has little intricacies that make them unique as human beings, and it's usually those intricacies we share or admire in others that we choose to call friends. Sadly, interacting with each other as agents, we rarely get to know those things about one another, or at least not often enough for me.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;I guess I will break the ice and introduce my alter ego. She has a passion for art and beauty, and tends to find beauty in various places. She loves photography and painting, but has done a sculpture or two that she displays in her living room for her own enjoyment. It's a small plaster sculpture of a human figure kneeling and holding his face in his hand. She finds comfort, physical and spiritual, in rubbing his smooth head as if to comfort him in some way. The cold plaster feels good under her hand, and it reminds her once again to feel something everyday, so as not to get so focused on the past, or caught up in the future that you don't enjoy this moment. Funny thing is she wouldn't call herself an &quot;artist&quot;. I'm not really sure why. It could be that she has a great respect for the title, and doesn't quite find herself worthy of it yet, but I'm guessing it's more complicated than that, but she has never been one for labels. She had an art professor one time who told her &quot;People will let you down in life, but this (art), this will never let you down in life because it comes from inside you, from a place only you and God reside.&quot; She has never heard words spoken to her, that even now after 15 years, ring so true, and while she paints she hears those words like a recording playing in her head. She feels connected and at peace.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;This holiday weekend she wanted to share some of that peace with you. Wishing you a safe and wonderful weekend, I hope you enjoy my alter ego's Labor Day Art Show.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Aiken Atlas Team&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Christy&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.aikenatlasteam.com&quot; title=&quot;website&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Search Aiken Property Here&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;img title=&quot;Artwork by Christy Osbon&quot; src=&quot;http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/8/5/2/7/3/ar122003473537258.jpg&quot; height=&quot;200&quot; alt=&quot;Woman on beach&quot; width=&quot;150&quot; style=&quot;float: left;&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;img title=&quot;ghosts dancing&quot; src=&quot;http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/9/3/8/0/7/ar122003969070839.jpg&quot; height=&quot;318&quot; alt=&quot;artwork&quot; width=&quot;218&quot; style=&quot;float: right;&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;img title=&quot;morning beach dance&quot; src=&quot;http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/8/2/7/4/8/ar122004003884728.jpg&quot; height=&quot;153&quot; alt=&quot;artword&quot; width=&quot;115&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;&lt;img title=&quot;electric sand&quot; src=&quot;http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/3/3/4/2/7/ar122003984772433.jpg&quot; height=&quot;150&quot; alt=&quot;artwork&quot; width=&quot;200&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;img title=&quot;photo and edit by Christy Osbon&quot; src=&quot;http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/8/7/4/1/3/ar122003512931478.jpg&quot; height=&quot;398&quot; alt=&quot;photo&quot; width=&quot;285&quot; style=&quot;vertical-align: bottom; float: left;&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;img title=&quot;artword&quot; src=&quot;http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/3/4/6/4/1/ar122003955114643.jpg&quot; height=&quot;188&quot; alt=&quot;elephant&quot; width=&quot;250&quot; style=&quot;float: right;&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description>
      <dc:creator>Aiken Atlas Team Christy &amp; Robyn (Blanchard and Calhoun Real Estate Company)</dc:creator>
      <pubDate>Fri, 29 Aug 2008 15:06:16 -0500</pubDate>
      <link>http://activerain.com/blogsview/665940/south-carolina-real-estate-agent-s-alter-ego-exposed-</link>
    </item>
    <item>
      <guid>http://activerain.com/blogsview/663771/labor-day-traffic-report-4-time-and-money-saving-tips-traveling-to-atlanta-ga</guid>
      <title>Labor Day Traffic Report 4 Time and Money Saving Tips Traveling to Atlanta GA</title>
      <description>&lt;p&gt;Labor Day typically marks the end of Summer and many people use the long weekend as a vacation before school gets into full swing. As a result, Atlanta is a hot spot for small getaway weekends for those of us living in the 3-5 hour drive radius. However, traveling to one of those &quot;hot-spots&quot; over a holiday weekend has it's downside, and one of those is TRAFFIC.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;For those traveling to &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.helloatlanta.com/Attractions.cfm&quot; title=&quot;atl link&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Atlanta GA&lt;/a&gt; to attend the &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.tixprice.com/search.php?q=Alabama+vs+Clemson+Football+Tickets&quot; title=&quot;tickest link&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Clemson vs. Alabama game&lt;/a&gt;, visit the &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.georgiaaquarium.org/&quot; title=&quot;ga aquarium&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Georgia Aquarium&lt;/a&gt;, shop &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.underground-atlanta.com&quot; title=&quot;underground atl&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Atlanta Underground&lt;/a&gt;, or just get out of town over Labor Day weekend, you may find the following traffic tips might save you time, stress and money.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;First thing you should know about this weekend in Atlanta is the the GA DOT is expecting heavy traffic (about 533,000 through the downtown area/normal is about 430,000) with long delays, so you might want to pack some patience as well as your walking shoes, but following some simple steps can help alleviate some of the stress and give you some valuable time to enjoy your weekend.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;img title=&quot;atl traffic&quot; src=&quot;http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/6/3/4/8/0/ar121993644508436.jpg&quot; height=&quot;240&quot; alt=&quot;traffic&quot; width=&quot;320&quot; style=&quot;vertical-align: bottom;&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;padding-left: 30px;&quot;&gt;Tip #1 : Utilize &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.itsmarta.com&quot; title=&quot;marta link&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;MARTA&lt;/a&gt;!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;padding-left: 30px;&quot;&gt;Marta stations have secure parking decks with security patrolling them, so you can park away from your target location and take MARTA in. The fares are reasonable, and if you've never experienced Atlanta from MARTA, it is a really nice way to see the city without the hassle of worrying about the traffic. With Georgia DOT expecting traffic back-ups of up to two hours or more in some areas MARTA could mean the difference between seeing the whole game or arriving just past the half time show!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;padding-left: 30px;&quot;&gt;Tip#2 : If traveling from SC from I-85 GA DOT is urging motorists to take I-285 east to I-20 West to access GA Dome and downtown Hotels. Motorists coming into Atlanta on I-20 from any direction should stay on that course into town. If traveling from Alabama on I-85 follow signs to downtown area.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;padding-left: 30px;&quot;&gt;Tip#3 : Georgia DOT is conducting construction in and around Atlanta in several high traffic areas. So don't rely solely on your map. Check ahead for road closings and construction. Watch for road signs indicating that your route of travel may have to change suddenly! You can visit&amp;nbsp;  &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.511ga.org&quot; title=&quot;dot link&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;www.511ga.org&lt;/a&gt; for additional information or call 511 for updates.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;padding-left: 30px;&quot;&gt;Tip#4 : Safety-DO NOT DRINK AND DRIVE! This will be a heavy weekend for law enforcement in Atlanta. If you have never been in Atlanta over a major holiday weekend you will be shocked how many officers you will see along the interstate running radar, which brings up the next safety tip DON'T SPEED! In Atlanta it may be hard to know where the line is drawn because you certainly want to flow with traffic, and most times traffic on the interstates in and around Atlanta move at much higher rates of speed than posted. So use your good judgment here. Go with the flow not ahead or behind!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;There are two events in Atlanta over Labor Day weekend that are expecting to draw in over 50,000 attendees each! This will ultimately lead to traffic congestion and thin patience but if you exercise good judgment and opt to use some of the services available to you I have no doubt that you will have a wonderful Labor Day weekend in this great Southern City!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.aikenatlasteam.com&quot; title=&quot;website&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Aiken Atlas Team&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Christy&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;</description>
      <dc:creator>Aiken Atlas Team Christy &amp; Robyn (Blanchard and Calhoun Real Estate Company)</dc:creator>
      <pubDate>Thu, 28 Aug 2008 10:20:40 -0500</pubDate>
      <link>http://activerain.com/blogsview/663771/labor-day-traffic-report-4-time-and-money-saving-tips-traveling-to-atlanta-ga</link>
    </item>
    <item>
      <guid>http://activerain.com/blogsview/660826/small-business-development-center-is-a-great-resource-</guid>
      <title>Small Business Development Center is a GREAT Resource!</title>
      <description>&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.usca.edu/sbdc&quot; title=&quot;SBDC Link&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Aiken Small Business Development Center at USC-Aiken&lt;/a&gt; is a great resource for any small business owner. They offer various classes throughout the year. Some for minimal fee and others are absolutely FREE. When I first joined the Real Estate Community I attended their Small Business Tax Workshop and found it to be a wealth of knowledge on how to establish good record keeping skills for my personal as well as my business. They offer up informational books and other material and answer any questions you might have. I saw where they were offering a class in September and thought that I would pass it on. The Tax Workshop is one of the FREE classes they offer. I guess I could try and be funny and say that it was worth every penny, but I feel like that would be insulting the quality of this class!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;You can click on the link above to see additional information about this or other classes being offered by the Aiken Small Business Development Center, but you HAVE TO REGISTER FOR THIS CLASS BY PHONE. You can contact the center at 803.641.3646 or email at SBDC@usca.edu.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;If you don't live anywhere near Aiken, SC you might want to look into the &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.score.org&quot; title=&quot;SCORE Link&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;SCORE&lt;/a&gt;&amp;nbsp; program.&amp;nbsp; SCORE is a mentoring program where they can schedule for you to meet with someone who is familiar with your business or your specific business question and they may be able to direct you to somewhere in your area that assists small business owners. &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.business.gov&quot; title=&quot;business.gov link&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Business.gov&lt;/a&gt; and the &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.irs.gov/index.html&quot; title=&quot;IRS link&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Internal Revenue Service Official Website&lt;/a&gt; are also great resources when you are first starting and as an ongoing resource.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Good luck to all!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Aiken Atlas Team&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Christy&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.aikenatlasteam.com&quot; title=&quot;Team Website&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Team Website&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.squidoo.com/aikenatlas&quot; title=&quot;squidoo link&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Fun with Squidoo!&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;</description>
      <dc:creator>Aiken Atlas Team Christy &amp; Robyn (Blanchard and Calhoun Real Estate Company)</dc:creator>
      <pubDate>Tue, 26 Aug 2008 17:22:24 -0500</pubDate>
      <link>http://activerain.com/blogsview/660826/small-business-development-center-is-a-great-resource-</link>
    </item>
    <item>
      <guid>http://activerain.com/blogsview/658816/how-to-save-time-and-money-using-clipmarks</guid>
      <title>How to Save Time and Money Using Clipmarks</title>
      <description>&lt;p&gt;If you haven't seen or used &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.clipmarks.com&quot; title=&quot;Clipmark Link&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Clipmarks&lt;/a&gt; you need to check this out! Clipmarks have proved to save me both time and money, both of which I consider a valuable commodity. I probably consider time more valuable than money because it is limited every day!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;So what is clipmarks? It is an on-line &quot;bookmarking&quot; site. I know you are probably thinking &quot;I don't need another bookmarking site, I am already using 100 of them&quot;. Well if you aren't using this one, you owe it to yourself to at least check it out. Clipmarks is unique in that you can &quot;save&quot; only the information you want from an individual site. So if you have to print out information from the web you don't waste costly ink printing out other things that you don't need. Plus, if you are printing something out for a client, let's say you found somethingonline that is a FSBO that you are going to show your buyer client, but at the top of the web page is a competitors banner ad. Simple you just clip the information you want and from there you are given the option to save it,blog it, email it, or other. You can keep private clips as well as public clips. You can also use the widget to have clips appear on yourblog or other sites!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;No, I don't get any type of referral for this, and no I don't sell Clipmarks for a living. As a matter of fact it's totally FREE to use. It's easy to install, and the toolbar is one small box at the end of your url search box.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;So, what do you have to lose except time consuming other methods or your next trip to Staples for ink!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://content0.clipmarks.com/swfs/clipcast.swf&quot; title=&quot;Clipmark Widget&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Clipmark Widget.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Aiken Atlas Team&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Christy&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.aikenatlasteam.com&quot; title=&quot;Team Website Link&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Team Website&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://aikenatlas.activerain.com/&quot; title=&quot;Outside Blog&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Outside Blog&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;</description>
      <dc:creator>Aiken Atlas Team Christy &amp; Robyn (Blanchard and Calhoun Real Estate Company)</dc:creator>
      <pubDate>Mon, 25 Aug 2008 14:08:56 -0500</pubDate>
      <link>http://activerain.com/blogsview/658816/how-to-save-time-and-money-using-clipmarks</link>
    </item>
    <item>
      <guid>http://activerain.com/blogsview/658655/us-news-and-world-report-college-rankings</guid>
      <title>US News and World Report College Rankings</title>
      <description>&lt;p&gt;For eleven consecutive years USC-Aiken has ranked in the top three Public Baccalaureate Colleges in the South according to US News and World Report's yearly rankings. This year is the fifth time that USC-Aiken has landed in the number one spot!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;USC-Aiken is a vital part of our community uniting people from around the world. It wasn't until I attended USC-Aiken after High School that I really appreciated the richness and beauty of our community. Meeting people from all over the country and all around the World while attending USC-Aiken, and knowing just how far they came to get an education from here made me appreciate my town and my educational experience at USC-Aiken even more.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;So congratulations old friend on your accomplishment, and for putting Aiken on the map once again!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.nbcaugusta.com/news/local/27294364.html&quot; title=&quot;College Rankings &quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;See Local NBC Coverage&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.usca.edu/&quot; title=&quot;USCA LOGO&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;img title=&quot;USCA&quot; src=&quot;http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/9/0/1/7/4/ar121968624747109.jpg&quot; height=&quot;128&quot; alt=&quot;USCA LOGO&quot; width=&quot;130&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Aiken Atlas Team&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Christy&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.aikenatlasteam.com&quot; title=&quot;Website Link&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Team Website&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.squidoo.com/aikenatlas&quot; title=&quot;Squidoo&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Fun with Squidoo&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description>
      <dc:creator>Aiken Atlas Team Christy &amp; Robyn (Blanchard and Calhoun Real Estate Company)</dc:creator>
      <pubDate>Mon, 25 Aug 2008 12:51:01 -0500</pubDate>
      <link>http://activerain.com/blogsview/658655/us-news-and-world-report-college-rankings</link>
    </item>
    <item>
      <guid>http://activerain.com/blogsview/657999/my-ar-blog-made-the-first-page-in-google-</guid>
      <title>My AR Blog made the first page in Google!</title>
      <description>I was checking out some of my web-site's keywords, and to my surprise my AR blog was on the first page in Google for one set of my keywords! I couldn't believe it! Thanks AR! This site is awesome! Shows the power of this site!

Just had to share with everyone since this is my first &quot;success&quot; of hitting page one on Google with anything!

I clipmarked it and posted it here to share. 

Thanks for letting me get a little excited! O.K. ecstatic is probably a better word! Thanks to all and hope to see you around AR soon!

Aiken Atlas Team
Christy

www.aikenatlasteam.com


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directory&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;dir.yahoo.com&lt;/a&gt;: &lt;a title=&quot;Click Here To Fetch&quot; target=&quot;_self&quot;&gt;?&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/span&gt; | &lt;span id=&quot;s4f-botwdir-9&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://botw.org/nsearch/activerain.com&quot; title=&quot;Number of entries for this site in the BOTW directory&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Botw&lt;/a&gt;: &lt;a title=&quot;Click Here To Fetch&quot; target=&quot;_self&quot;&gt;?&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/span&gt; | &lt;span id=&quot;s4f-whois-9&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://whois.domaintools.com/activerain.com&quot; title=&quot;Whois information for this domain&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Whois&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;margin: 0px 6px 6px 4px;&quot;&gt;&lt;table cellspacing=&quot;0&quot; cellpadding=&quot;0&quot; width=&quot;100%&quot; style=&quot;font-size: 11px;border-spacing: 0px;padding: 0px;&quot;&gt;&lt;tr&gt;&lt;td style=&quot;background:transparent;border-width:0px;padding:0px;&quot;&gt; &lt;/td&gt;&lt;td align=&quot;right&quot; width=&quot;107&quot; style=&quot;background:transparent;border-width:0px;padding:0px;width:107px&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://clipmarks.com/share/9A00A1D4-478A-49B1-B7AF-8986C0DEF82F/blog/&quot; title=&quot;blog or email this clip&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;http://content6.clipmarks.com/images/c2b-foot.png&quot; border=&quot;0&quot; height=&quot;17&quot; alt=&quot;blog it&quot; style=&quot;border-width:0px;padding:0px;margin:0px;&quot; width=&quot;107&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;&lt;/table&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</description>
      <dc:creator>Aiken Atlas Team Christy &amp; Robyn (Blanchard and Calhoun Real Estate Company)</dc:creator>
      <pubDate>Mon, 25 Aug 2008 00:43:48 -0500</pubDate>
      <link>http://activerain.com/blogsview/657999/my-ar-blog-made-the-first-page-in-google-</link>
    </item>
    <item>
      <guid>http://activerain.com/blogsview/657943/top-10-handy-skills-for-homeowners-</guid>
      <title>Top 10 Handy Skills for Homeowners </title>
      <description>&lt;p&gt;There has been several lists printed recently on the most useful skills homeowners can have. I have some rental property, and I thought I would use that as a starting point of reference for my list. The skills that I found most valuable and ultimately saved me more money. I would like to see your ideas for this top ten list and compile a final list from the results. If you want to comment and add any suggestions please do so, and in the future I will post the &quot;final&quot; list in my blog so that we can all use it to provide for our first time homeowners or investors who may need a little guidance. Please feel free to post suggestions or your own top ten list. The answers provided most frequently will be used in the final list. I look forward to seeing what makes your list!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Here is my list in no particular order:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;-Ability to change HVAC filters&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;-Minor Drywall Repair&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;-Change tank kit in toilet&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;-How to properly use wall anchors&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;-How to change a doorknob&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;-How to use caulking gun&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;-Install ceiling fan/fixture&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;-How to turn water/gas main off&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;-Adjust ball float in toilet to stop water from running&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;-Knowledge to know when to call a professional!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Best of Business To All,&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Aiken Atlas Team&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Christy&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;www.aikenatlasteam.com&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;www.squidoo.com/aikenatlas&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description>
      <dc:creator>Aiken Atlas Team Christy &amp; Robyn (Blanchard and Calhoun Real Estate Company)</dc:creator>
      <pubDate>Sun, 24 Aug 2008 23:16:24 -0500</pubDate>
      <link>http://activerain.com/blogsview/657943/top-10-handy-skills-for-homeowners-</link>
    </item>
    <item>
      <guid>http://activerain.com/blogsview/647606/active-rain-google-juice-</guid>
      <title>Active Rain = GOOGLE Juice!</title>
      <description>&lt;p&gt;I just wanted to give an update on some SEO that I have been doing for my website. My team and I went live with our site in February 2008 and although we were getting traffic we were still buried, and I mean buried DEEP in the search engines. Two months ago we started doing some SEO, and trust me, I did not know very much about where to start. It seemed to be a very daunting task. I joined a few social networks. I tried linking to other sites. Slowly but surely I started making headway. I started seeing improvement in my ranking on yahoo first. Google just didn't seem to budge. BUT TODAY, all that changed! I checked my rank today, and there we were on Google, and we had moved up almost 200 spaces! The first mention of us though is our Active Rain Blog. A full 40 positions higher than our actual site! So if anyone out there is doubting that your efforts here are working...keep going and it will pay off! I just wanted to say thanks to the Active Rain community, and good luck to all of you trying to accomplish your goal with this network!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Aiken Atlas Team&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Christy&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;www.aikenatlasteam.com&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;www.squidoo.com/aikenatlas&lt;/p&gt;</description>
      <dc:creator>Aiken Atlas Team Christy &amp; Robyn (Blanchard and Calhoun Real Estate Company)</dc:creator>
      <pubDate>Mon, 18 Aug 2008 15:08:08 -0500</pubDate>
      <link>http://activerain.com/blogsview/647606/active-rain-google-juice-</link>
    </item>
    <item>
      <guid>http://activerain.com/blogsview/643178/2008-olympics-how-fast-can-we-really-go-</guid>
      <title>2008 Olympics. How fast can we really go?</title>
      <description>&lt;p&gt;I don't know if anyone else has been glued to their TV for the 2008 Olympics like I have, but if you haven't been watching you are really missing a show. I know this really doesn't have much to do with homes for sale in the Aiken area, but I just couldn't pass on the opportunity to comment on how much science and technology is apparent to me while watching the 2008 Olympics.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;From the way the events have been presented to the record breaking speeds that just keep coming event after event. I just have to wonder how much technology and it's advances have impacted the performance of these athletes. It's always incredible to watch the Olympics and see World Records shattered in an instant, but to see it happen event after event, and not only that but all top three finishers broke the previous WORLD RECORD?? This just seems amazing to me.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;My question is how much of this do any of you think could be contributed to the advances in science? Did our understanding of how the body works and recovers result in a super charged Olympian for 2008? I can't wait to see how it all turns out, and it makes me wander....just how fast can we go!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Aiken Atlas Team&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Christy&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;www.aikenatlasteam.com&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;www.squidoo.com/aikenatlas&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;</description>
      <dc:creator>Aiken Atlas Team Christy &amp; Robyn (Blanchard and Calhoun Real Estate Company)</dc:creator>
      <pubDate>Fri, 15 Aug 2008 13:35:06 -0500</pubDate>
      <link>http://activerain.com/blogsview/643178/2008-olympics-how-fast-can-we-really-go-</link>
    </item>
    <item>
      <guid>http://activerain.com/blogsview/636258/want-to-double-your-website-traffic-in-one-day-here-s-how-</guid>
      <title>Want to double your website traffic in One Day? Here's how!</title>
      <description>&lt;p&gt;Just for the record I am no computer whiz! I have been working diligently for the last four weeks to improve my team's website rankings, and I have had what I consider good results. I use all of the items you see here, and some more, but the ones here are bringing me the best results. Please let me know what you think, and if you try any of them out how they work for you. Keep in mind most of the SEO that you implement will not affect your rank for two to six weeks in google, but seems to be a bit quicker in yahoo. I hope you have some success with these and good luck!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: small;&quot;&gt;Traffic G is a FREE traffic generator! It doubled my traffic in two days! You can pay for the traffic through them and it's reasonable, but if you sign up and start posting your link so others can utilize this site then you will generate traffic up to five tiers deep in your referral system, and it starts to self replicate traffic for you. You can also post your promotion page that they generate for you (talked about below) to get even more traffic coming your way!&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: small;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://trafficg.com/about.php?member=aikenatlas&quot; title=&quot;CLICK HERE FOR FREE TRAFFIC!&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;http://trafficg.com/about.php?member=aikenatlas&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: small;&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: small;&quot;&gt;Below is my Traffic G Promotional Page. Search engines are big on recipricol links, and this will give you recipricol links as well as increased traffic. By submitting your promotional link to the search engines you could literally get thousands of extra hits a day from this alone. This too is FREE!&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: small;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.trafficg.com/my-promotions.php?member=aikenatlas&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;http://trafficg.com/my-promotions.php?member=aikenatlas&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: small;&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: small;&quot;&gt;If you haven't heard of Squidoo, you really need to check this one out! It's kind of like a myspace for businesses. All kinds of businesses. You can create multiple lenses from one account! You can host ads from various retailers and if you refer business to them via your page you get paid royalties! Money is always nice! It's easier to use than the myspace platform. There is not alot of codes to copy and paste everywhere. They keep nice stats on the different lenses you create, and Squidoo is making is mark on the search engines too! Most peoples squidoo page is ranking higher than their regular website if they are just getting started! Check mine out and see if you might want to give it a try!&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: small;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.squidoo.com/lensmaster/referral/Aiken_Atlas&quot;&gt;http://www.squidoo.com/lensmaster/referral/Aiken_Atlas&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Aiken Atlas Team&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Christy&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;www.aikenatlasteam.com&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;www.squidoo.com/aikenatlas&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: small;&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/h4&gt;</description>
      <dc:creator>Aiken Atlas Team Christy &amp; Robyn (Blanchard and Calhoun Real Estate Company)</dc:creator>
      <pubDate>Mon, 11 Aug 2008 13:43:47 -0500</pubDate>
      <link>http://activerain.com/blogsview/636258/want-to-double-your-website-traffic-in-one-day-here-s-how-</link>
    </item>
    <item>
      <guid>http://activerain.com/blogsview/635787/claiming-technorati-blog</guid>
      <title>Claiming Technorati Blog</title>
      <description>&lt;a href=&quot;http://technorati.com/claim/jaz4ug6gxx&quot; rel=&quot;me&quot;&gt;Technorati Profile&lt;/a&gt;</description>
      <dc:creator>Aiken Atlas Team Christy &amp; Robyn (Blanchard and Calhoun Real Estate Company)</dc:creator>
      <pubDate>Mon, 11 Aug 2008 09:53:02 -0500</pubDate>
      <link>http://activerain.com/blogsview/635787/claiming-technorati-blog</link>
    </item>
    <item>
      <guid>http://activerain.com/blogsview/635355/free-traffic-to-your-website-</guid>
      <title>FREE Traffic to your website!</title>
      <description>&lt;p&gt;I just wanted to share something interesting that I found today. It's a website called Traffic G, and it's totally Free. You can purchase additional traffic if you want, but you can get FREE traffic without purchasing. I tried this out and it really does work and it really is totally FREE!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://trafficg.com/about.php?member=aikenatlas&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Please check this out at :&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://trafficg.com/about.php?member=aikenatlas&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;http://trafficg.com/about.php?member=aikenatlas&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Good Luck with the traffic! Let me know how it works for you!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Aiken Atlas Team&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Christy &amp;amp; Robyn&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;</description>
      <dc:creator>Aiken Atlas Team Christy &amp; Robyn (Blanchard and Calhoun Real Estate Company)</dc:creator>
      <pubDate>Sun, 10 Aug 2008 22:43:33 -0500</pubDate>
      <link>http://activerain.com/blogsview/635355/free-traffic-to-your-website-</link>
    </item>
    <item>
      <guid>http://activerain.com/blogsview/629577/active-rain-newbie-aiken-south-carolina</guid>
      <title>Active Rain Newbie Aiken South Carolina</title>
      <description>&lt;p&gt;Hello all! Just wanted to get a post in and introduce my team to the Active Rain community. Aiken Atlas Team consists primarily of two agents. We are both ex Paramedics...if there can be such a thing as an ex Paramedic. You kind of just are a Paramedic after a while, but anyway, back on topic...We formed our team in 2006 after working over 10 years in the Emergency Medical Field. This certainly was an adjustment for both of us. At first we seemed lost and somewhat confused. Real estate was even more competitive than we thought and with the housing market taking a drastic turn the word &quot;competition&quot; seems to have been an understatement. We had invested in some rental property while working in the Emergency Medical Field which led us to the decision to give Real Estate a try. With that as a background, we both enjoy working with investors who see the potential in properties that are in need of repair. We also enjoy working with first time buyers. I guess it's the public servant in us that enjoys the helping aspect of this job. We don't mind working with sincere buyers who may have some financing problems that need to be worked out even if it takes 6 months to a year. It seems to make the reward even sweeter at that point, and the client all the more thankful for the service we can provide. We were used to working odd shift hours in EMS and don't mind accomodating our clients work schedules should that mean answering calls often WAY after hours.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;When first making the transition from EMS to Real Estate, it became apparent very early that we were not in Kansas any more! We listened to seasoned agents. We tried to network with them at all the business functions. It just didn't seem to work for us because it seemed like we were always &quot;faking&quot; it. So we returned to our EMS roots! We were used to structure and protocol. So we sat down and wrote some protocols to follow. It seemed as though we had found our path into the real estate world. We realized that every transaction has a &quot;life&quot; to it, and that it needed the same focus and attention that the lives we cared for in the back of an Ambulance. We had found our new &quot;patient&quot;. This time we weren't saving our patients' life but instead their dream! This felt and still feels good! So here we are! We are real people who like working with other real people. Real Agents, Real Loan Officers, Real Inspectors, Real Appraisers, and Real Clients are what we are looking to gain from this Active Rain Community! Thanks for having us! Please leave comments or suggestions and we are always willing to work referrals and insure you that your client's will be treated the way both you and the client expect to be treated. So long for now!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Aiken Atlas Team&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Christy Osbon &amp;amp; Robyn Karle&lt;/p&gt;</description>
      <dc:creator>Aiken Atlas Team Christy &amp; Robyn (Blanchard and Calhoun Real Estate Company)</dc:creator>
      <pubDate>Thu, 07 Aug 2008 09:36:15 -0500</pubDate>
      <link>http://activerain.com/blogsview/629577/active-rain-newbie-aiken-south-carolina</link>
    </item>
  </channel>
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