I have only used Adwords for a month, 6-8 hours a day and I skimmed the help center for an hour or so and managed to pass the test with a 89% score. Most of that is attributed to my hands on experience and my coworker mentioning that the test would ask for really pointless questions like the size of an image ad that’s allowed (which you could easily look up, I do not know why information like that is required to know). The test itself won’t be a cakewalk for those who haven’t managed a campaign or dealt with features such as the ‘My Client Center’ which is used to handle multiple accounts. I remember one question asked what I would do as the first step when dealing with a new client. Out of all the answers, the one that dealt with talking about the advertising goals for the client was best suited. Those answers aren’t available in the Adwords Help Center (at least I couldn’t find it afterwards) so it’s best to have some hands on experience before taking the test.

Some questions that were on the exam:

• The maximum length of a video ad
• What was the advantage of using the display ad builder
• What the formula for ad ranks was
• What the Adwords Discounter was
• If image ads show up on mobile phones
• When to deliver key messages in the video ad

Out of the 120 questions that were asked in the exam, I’d say a good 20 of them won’t be found in the Help Center. You’ll be required to think about these questions which will turn out to be very easy if you’ve had experience with a client or fooled around in Adwords and are very familiar with the interface. It was a shame there wasn’t enough resources online for helping people with this but I guess it’s a way of filtering out those who shouldn’t get it. I still have one more exam to go so hopefully that won’t be any harder then this was. If you have any questions, leave me a comment and I’ll answer them.

• Title: Sweet Sweet Florentines
• Uploaded By: cLin
• Upload Date: 21th March, 2010

Ingredients:

• 2 cups sliced almonds, chopped
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons grated orange zest
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, cut into pieces
• 1/3 cup whipping cream
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 8 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate chips

Directions
Position the rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Line a heavy large baking sheet with parchment paper. Stir the almonds, flour and zest in a medium bowl. Stir the sugar, butter, cream, and honey in a heavy medium saucepan over medium heat until the sugar dissolves. Bring the mixture to a boil. Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in the almond mixture. Cool the batter for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Using 2 teaspoons 1 teaspoon of batter for each cookie, spoon 8 6 mounds of the batter onto the prepared baking sheet, spacing evenly apart (the cookies will spread). Flatten the batter slightly with your finger.

Bake the cookies until they are lacy and golden brown, about 10 minutes. 7 minutes. Gently slide the parchment paper with the cookies onto a rack and cool completely. Transfer the cookies to paper towels. Repeat with the remaining batter, lining the baking sheets with clean parchment for each batch. (The cookies can be made up to this point 2 months ahead. Cool completely, then store airtight in the freezer. Defrost before continuing.)

Stir the chocolate in a bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water until the chocolate melts. Spread the melted chocolate over the bottom of 1 cookie. Top with a second cookie, bottom side down, pressing lightly to adhere. Repeat with the remaining cookies and chocolate.

Note: I changed some parts of the recipe according to reviews and my personal experience. The timing is crucial, 30 seconds later or earlier and it’ll be burnt or undercooked. Also make sure you use one teaspoon instead of 2 teaspoon for the cookie size. It won’t be cooked if you use that much and all the cookies will mold into one big cookie. I opted out of getting orange zest cause…well, I didn’t have any and I could care less for the orange flavor. And last but not least, try to use wax/parchment paper or Silpat for the baking sheet. I made the mistake of not using either and I regretted it (first batch would not get off of the baking sheet, I had to toss it).

• Title: Closeup of S’more
• Uploaded By: cLin
• Upload Date: 21th March, 2010

Ingredients:

• 3 packages unflavored gelatin
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 1 cup light corn syrup
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
• Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting

Directions
Sprinkle confectioner’s sugar in an 8 by 12-inch nonmetal pan.

Combine the gelatin and 1/2 cup of cold water in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and allow to sit while you make the syrup.

Meanwhile, combine the sugar, corn syrup, salt, and 1/2 cup water in a small saucepan and cook over medium heat until the sugar dissolves. Raise the heat to high and cook until the syrup reaches 240 degrees F on a candy thermometer. Remove from the heat.

With the mixer on low speed, slowly pour the sugar syrup into the dissolved gelatin. Put the mixer on high speed and whip until the mixture is very thick, about 15 minutes. Add the vanilla and mix thoroughly.

Pour in the marshmallow batter and smooth the top of the mixture with damp hands. Sprinkle some more confectioner’s sugar on top. Let it cool for about an hour or until the marshmallow is firm.

Remove the marshmallows from the pan and cut into squares. Roll the sides of each piece carefully in confectioners’ sugar. Store uncovered at room temperature.

In other news, I just read some of my old posts from 2003 and noticed that my writing was definitely different and so was my maturity. So, I’m setting those to private. With the way potential clients/employers/anyone looking up your info so easily, there’s no need for anyone to read about how I was before.

Sunset along Newport Pier during my photowalk a few weeks back. Used Photomatix to make HDR then used lightroom and photoshop to clean it

I’m already bored. Well, in the sense that I feel like I have nothing to look forward to even if it’s the typical 9-5 job. However, hopefully while looking for a job, I hope to accomplish several things. I recently discovered Los Angeles’ Official Visitor’s Site which is surprisingly, full of updated information on what to do in Los Angeles. Things like walking tours (self guided), scenic drives, free museums, I’d like to check out all of that while bringing my camera along so I can take pictures. My newest layout, which is just a simple design is almost done. Just need to update the single posts page, comments area and fine tune the minor details. Hopefully I can have it up by the end of this week. I would also like to redo the header image but won’t if I can’t think of anything.

Photowalk

I went to Newport Pier on Sunday with Norma, Brian (and his son, Rex), Bryan, Cody and Jay and walked around taking some pictures. I got some decent pictures and will upload it to my flickr account after I process some of the photos. So far, I’m still taking at least one picture a week, hopefully my skills will improve. I am going to go with my friend Chris on Thursday to walk around downtown LA to shoot come pictures. Probably pass by Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels, Walt Disney Concert Hall and Museum of Contemporary Art, the idea coming from here.

Other things I’d like to do are take a scenic drive on Mulholland Drive which is apparently has a gorgeous view and just wonder around Griffith Park (largest city park in the country) and maybe check the observatory while I’m at it. Hey, I’m unemployed, I have all the time in the world!

Time to start an ex girlfriend blog!

Homeless man outside of convention center playing for tips. He got mad at me for taking his picture and not tipping until my girlfriend told him that she tipped for me. And it was my idea too

I upped the contrast and made it brighter since I just loved the red and blue.

Right hallway at the Robert Mondavi Winery.
Testing