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Archive for January, 2010

Philos release their version of Defying Gravity

by JPM on Jan.31, 2010, under Music

It’s always interesting to see how different people interpret and perform the same piece of music in completely different ways.

In previous posts I’ve written about the song Defying Gravity from the hit musical Wicked, performed in the original Broadway style, in a rock style by Kerry Ellis, and in a Glee Mash up.

And now the group Philos have released their version of Defying Gravity, and again it’s completely different to the other versions as the band have really stamped their own style onto the song. Check them out in the video below.

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Is there any thing to do in Crewe?

by JPM on Jan.27, 2010, under Uncategorized

This (Picture Left) is the view that most people associate with Crewe, as most of us have been there whilst waiting for train, but is there anything else in Crewe to see and do?

First a note about it’s famous Train Station. The Station which was opened in 1837, has a total of 12 platforms, has a minimum of 22 trains pass through each hour and was built in the fields near Crewe Hall.

Crewe Hall which is now a hotel was completed in 1636 and has 497 acres of parkland attached to it, the hotel has an associated health club and tennis courts.

Crewe’s  local football team is Crewe Alexandra, nicknamed the railwaymen and currently playing in Football League two, play at the Alexandra Stadium.

If you fancy taking in a film or two then check out the Reel Cinema with its 5 screens, and then afterwards have a game of ten pin bowling at Lakeside Bowling or get a bite to eat at Pizza Hut.

You can learn more about Crewe’s history at The Crewe Heritage Centre, which includes much information about it’s steam Heritage and History as well as the background story of the town.

If you fancy a bit of fun and excitement and enjoy slot machines then check out the Quicksilver Amusement & Slot Machine arcade, before checking out the Coffee bars in the modern shopping precinct.

So Crewe isn’t all trains, there is something to keep most of us entertained.

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Can Posting on Twitter send you Traffic

by JPM on Jan.26, 2010, under Blogging, Traffic

In this post I discussed a method of automatically re-posting old posts on Twitter.

I’ve implemented this system on Jpmblog.com, Netbook-experience.com & Techplay-experience.com along with a link that appears on the end of each post which provides the link for visitors to start following me on Twitter.

Has it been successful? I think so. I’ve picked up 15 extra followers on Twitter, so that’s 15 extra people that everyday see a link to an article from each of my Blogs, and in addition all 3 blogs are getting traffic back from Twitter.

The great thing is that as it’s an automated process it’s not taking any extra of my time.

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Jedward perform with Vanilla Ice at the National TV Awards

by JPM on Jan.24, 2010, under Music

Fresh from their success in the recent X-Factor TV series, Jonathan and Edward were asked to perform at the National Television Awards. The boys performed their version of the Queen Hit ”Under Pressure”. The audience seemed to enjoy the performance - especially when they were joined on stage by Vanilla Ice.

They may not be the best singers in the world but they certainly have the enthuthiasm

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A cheaper way to get good quality glasses.

by JPM on Jan.21, 2010, under Uncategorized

For those of us that wear eyeglasses it can be an expensive chore when it comes to the time to replace a pair or pick up a second pair of glasses. Even the most basic or pairs can set you back over $100.

There are alternatives though, and I have come across a review of ZENNI eyeglasses at the Examiner.com website.
Zenni sell proper prescription sunglasses and their prices are significantly lower then what you are used too. Their ranges start at the low price of $8 and go up to about $40, there is a slight additional price if you require f you want bifocals or thick lenses, and an extra $4.99 for ant-glare coating, although this would set you back over $50 in other stores.

Zenni produce and manufacturer their glasses in a lab in China so they are able to offer the glases at low prices, and there is a price of $4.95 for shipping, no matter how many pairs you order in a shipment.

When you order from Zenni you will need to provide your pupilary distance number. Which is the distance between the rear of your eyes and it’s used to work out how large your the frames for your glasses need to be. Zenni will tell you how to do this yourself, but you pay to contact your eye doctor and ask for your PD number if in doubt.

It IS possible to get quality eyeglasses for a low cost

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How many users use Internet Explorer

by JPM on Jan.20, 2010, under Traffic

With France and Germany both strongly advising its users not to use Microsoft’s Internet Explorer due to security issues in some versions, I started wondering how many people still use the once dominant browser.

Using Google Analytics I performed a quick report on the percentage of IE users to 3 of my Blogs over the last month:

JPMBlog.com: 29% of visitors to the site used IE. (by comparison 47% use FireFox)

Netbook-experience.com: 18% of visitors to the site used IE. (by comparison 63% use FireFox)

Techplay-experience.com: 30% of visitors to the site used IE. (by comparison 27% use FireFox)

Microsoft certainly don’t have the market share it once did.

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GLEE – a fan sings True Colors and Defying Gravity

by JPM on Jan.20, 2010, under Music

GLEE is the new comedy show (staring Dianna Agron, Chris Colfer, Jessalyn Gilsig, Jane Lynch, Jayma Mays, Kevin McHale, Lea Michele, Cory Monteith, Matthew Morrison, Amber Riley, Mark Salling, Jenna Ushkowitz) shown on E4 in the UK and on FOX in the USA. It tells the story of a high school Glee Club and the day to day trials of it members and tutors.

It’s mix of brilliant Jazzed up versions of popular songs have helped the show become popular and it’s modern take on the musical genre has helped introduce a new generation to musical drama.

In the video below a talented fan of the show performs his version of 2 of the songs from the first season of GLEE, Defying Gravity & True Colours.

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How to Tweet your Blog Posts

by JPM on Jan.13, 2010, under Blogging, Traffic

Twitter is a popular micro-blogging site that allows users to post short messages and message other members through the site.

I’ve found a way to automatically post links to your WordPress blog posts on twitter, so that your twitter followers may read your blog articles in full.

There is a plugin for WordPress called Tweet Old Post ( search for it through the add new plugins option ), which when installed will automatically post a link to a random post from your, it will even convert your post url to a short form URL.

You can set how often a post from your blog is posted on Twitter

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The Joys of Sponsored Blogging

by JPM on Jan.05, 2010, under Blogging, Monetization, Money Making, Traffic

Sponsored Blogging is a way of creating income from your blog or website.

By writing articles about specific topics including keywords from advertisers you can earn credit, and it can pay quite well.Even if you don’t have a very popular blog you can still make decent beer money from sites like pay per post and Social Spark.

However there are some rules that you should follow for all your hard work to pay off. Make sure you make regular non sponsored posts, each provider of opportunities will have different rules around how many non sponsored posts you are required to make in between sponsored, but importantly you also need to keep your readership happy with your own posts.

If you have your own domain name then you will get more opportunities, so this should be considered a must do.

Make sure you don’t put Ad’s, eg banner Ads ( Google Ads) or context sensitive pop ups in sponsored posts, as these will get your posts rejected.

Finally Make sure you follow any disclosure rules set by the provider, if you make sponsored posts you must let your readership know.

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