So how much attention are you paying to your website and its online popularity? Pay more!

A recent Pew study found 79% of Americans are on the internet. And searching for information is second only to email as their favorite online pursuits. That means that if your site isn’t pleasing to the bots and spiders at Google, you’re not coming up very high in those searches. One great trick: Add video to your site. Google’s Universal Search system loves video. It gobbles it up. Check out Folbot.com to see some great examples. Also: Lowcountry AIDS Services, Tristandining.com…there’s no end!

• Freerice.com is a great way to build and maintain your vocabulary. Here’s how it works: players are given a word and four choices for definitions and for each correct answer 20 grains of rice are donated to the United Nations Food Program (rice is paid for by site sponsors). As of yesterday, 39,541,334,330 grains of rice have been donated to prevent hunger. Maybe my days in SAT prep really did pay off…

• TheBreastCancerSite.com is also one of my daily clicks. This is another site where sponsors pay for the end product-mammograms for a women in need. Since 2000, over 16,000 mammograms have been donated, and 211 mammograms were donated in June alone. There are also sub-tabs on the top of the webpage for other causes, including: child healthcare, literacy, rainforest habitat protection, animal rescue and hunger. Get to clicking!

• Treehugger.com is your webhome of everything sustainable. This site is divided into three sections: Get Informed, Interact and Take Action. The Get Informed section has the latest on green news in categories such as cars & transportation, design & architecture, food & health and much more. My favorite are the “How to Green Guides.” Did you know you can green your funeral, or how about your sex life? I love the newsletters too!

While doing some research on what’s in season right now, I found this handy chart that gives you the scoop on veggies, herbs and fruit in SC. In July, you can find beets, berries, okra, tomatoes, watermelon and much more. Check out the SC produce chart here.

Another cool thing that has gained popularity in Charleston is Community Shared Agriculture (CSA). Rita’s Roots at Ambrose Farms and Legare Farms have decided to offer shares of their farms to the community. Shareholders finance the cost of operating the farm and get a portion of the produce in return. Shareholders can pick up their weekly produce at several locations and get a variety of the season’s best produce. CSAs are already a hit in our office but there is a waiting list so put your name on the list for Fall!

Update: I just stumbled upon something I’ve never seen-beef shares. Cordray Farm Beef‘s “naturally raised Lowcountry beef” is now available by the share. This first round of shares were recently sold and their blog asks shareholders to give feedback on portion sizes. I’d love to hear from anyone that has purchased a share.

Tristan is now serving their summer menu. Executive Chef Aaron Deal has continued to use exotic ingredients and has paired menu items with seasonal sides. There are several new menu items, as well as dishes that have been updated for summer. Here are some new and updated dishes:

Cold Appetizers

Heirloom Baby Beets $10

Split Creek Chevre Mousseline, Sunflower Seed Pistou, Petite Arugula

Cucumber Gazpacho $10

Fromage Blanc, Petite Cilantro, Pickled Wild Shrimp, Avocado

Hot Appetizers

Jumbo Lump Crab Cake $14

Smoked Tomato Vinaigrette, Crème Fraiche, Fennel Root, Dill

Diver Scallop $10

English Pea, Pickled Shallot, Green Curry Sauce

Foie Gras $18

Local Peach Cobbler, Ginger Honey Emulsion, Almond, Aged Solera Sherry

Veal Sweetbreads $12

Main Courses

Alaskan Halibut $28

Heirloom Tomato, Fennel Root, Poached Yukon Potato, Tomato Mussel Bouillon

Wild Salmon $26

Heirloom Baby Squash, Pickled Chanterelle, Squash Blossom, Zucchini Puree

Rack of Lamb $34

Garlic Lemon Curd, Quinoa Risotto, Swiss Chard, Jus de Viande

Nope - not talking about the movie. Talking about the article in today’s New York Times here: which basically says growth is a mindset, and hiring Valedictorians might not be as effective as cultivating the hard-working B+ student. Well…that’s how we read it. We also think it’s a great way to think about growing your own business: be oriented to growth, to acquiring new info - vs. stuck thinking you’ve figured it all out. Final thought - it’s also a theme that our new client, Crystal Barkley Corporation, adheres to: everybody has greatness within them. Sometimes they need a little help teasing it out - or fanning its flames. Check them out at www.careerlife.com.

We love the old adage, and it’s true: what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. It’s true in these recessionary times - and some of us are just old enough to feel that today’s scariness will turn out okay. We need to get back to those truisms our grand parents (and great grands) taught us: spend carefully, save for a rainy day, play nice. We liked this article on MarketingProfs.com…and thought you all might benefit from it. Click Here:

One of the reasons we really love this PR business is we learn so much about so many things. Here’s one very worth sharing: Far Infrared Heat. Our friends at Relax The Back are selling all sorts of Far Infrared products, and they rock. Essentially, Far Infrared is a band of light that we humans perceive as heat. These products emit these waves 3 inches below your skin’s surface. The result: boosted circulation, eliminated pain. We brought one of the pads home and everybody fights over who gets to use it. Check out this cool new belt - which you can charge for 15 minutes and walk around (cord free) for four hours!

Our client, the Verizon Wireless call center in North Charleston, recently launched a new program with Crisis Ministries. For every new hire at the center (there are around 22 a month), the company will give money to Crisis Ministries to fund its job-prep program for its guests. Verizon Wireless is celebrating their own “Great Place to Work” credo by giving deserving folks a chance to find their own great jobs, and great places to work.

If you love food and wine but want to know more, then Foodie 101 is the culinary experience for you. Foodie 101 began last summer and was so successful that Tristan has decided to bring class back in session with another series of five, one-hour food and wine pairing events.

Beginning Wednesday, July 16, and running for five consecutive Wednesday evenings, Chef Aaron Deal and Sommelier Brian Austin will focus on a different dinner course paired with wine for each class. The classes will feature a casual, lively discussion and tasting of the course. To the 2007 graduates of Foodie 101, no previous classes will be duplicated so we hope to see you again.

Class schedule

July 16- Soup and salad
July 23- Appetizers
July 30- Entrées
August 6- Desserts
August 13- Cheese

Classes will run from 6 to 7 p.m. weekly. Pricing is set at $45 for each class and is limited to 20 guests. Call 843.534.2155 for reservations or visit www.tristandining.com.