Bish Bash Bosh! Job Done!
Having just got back from a mini road trip in Canada in which we covered close to 2000 miles (3219km or 0.95 x Mars radius for the clever people out there), once again I’m finding I’m loving the online tool Animoto.
I know I’ve blogged about it before, but I really can’t get enough of Animoto’s simplicity. It links directly to your Flickr account so creating a short video is an absolute breeze. It also spares my parents from sitting through what would otherwise be 4 hours of torture 
Animoto has already been used for many commercial purposes, allowing photographs from business networking events to be brought together and presented in a professional yet fun way – maybe something for the A4UExpo that’s taking place? Some businesses have even used it to promote their services such as hotels and photographers.
If that’s not enough, you can download the video’s you’ve created and store them on your iPhone or iPod touch with the Animoto application from iTunes so you can share them with friends and family even if you don’t have an internet connection!
Simply love this little tool and know that ex CJ Heide is about to start using it. Looking forward to seeing some of her compositions
It Was Painful, But I Did It!
Who’s idea was it to make the last 1km of a 10km “fun run” a constant uphill struggle? I’m runner 6070 in the picture, just in case you didn’t recognise my contorted features.
Anyway, thanks to everyone who sponsored me, I managed to raise £590 online, £78 offline, and with the addition of £158 gift-aid, it brought my total to over £820 for @DiabetesUK smashing my £500 target.
Sadly with a finishing time of 1hr 10mins 46secs, I was nowhere near beating my Manchester 2008 target, but having said that Manchester is FLAT! At the 2km mark I felt my left quad screaming out, which I managed to run off by the 4km point.
At 7km my right knee kindly decided it was carrying more weight than what it was designed to carry and buckled sending me stumbling diagonally towards McDonald’s (I’m sure it looked like I was trying to go via their drive-thru!).
After running up a very steep hill I was so happy to see 2 mascots giving everyone High-5’s. Thinking I’d battled and won the uphill finish and expecting the finish line to be round the next corner, I gave each a hefty High-5 feeling very proud of myself. I then passed a sign saying 9km! Still 1km of uphill running to go… the little misleading bstards!
Afterward the run, I headed to Zizzi’s with Jane (she came with me as moral support, driver and chief medical advisor) and we met up with Shane for some grub – he was a little late arriving because of road diversions due to “damm runners”. No more than 2 minutes had passed from my ass hitting the seat to having a chilled Peroni in my hand and ordering fatty food in large portions. Well worth it!
Although I enjoyed it, I found this a real grueller and therefore won’t be taking part again. Got the medal now! Not sure which one to do next year….
Oh… Sorry to the small child I hit when throwing my water bottle!
Read MoreCalling All Golfers
If you play golf and have an iPhone or iPod touch, there’s FREE software that acts as your scorecard and helps you keep track of whether you’re game is improving or not.
Oobgolf is a great little utility that I now use every time I play a round. It means I can look back at how bad my game really is, when previously the paper scorecard used to get thrown in the bin the minute I got home.
The >iTunes application is available on both iPhone or iPod, however if you have an iPhone you benefit from advanced features thanks to GPS. The application will help pinpoint iPhone users in realtime, providing yardage to the green, meaning club selection should be even easier.
Even for those who only have an iPod touch, like myself, it’s definately worth downloading and joining their website. Instead of scribling on a piece of paper, you simply type it in to the iPod as you go round. Once you dock you iPod at home or within Wi-Fi, you scores are automatically updated online.
For iPod users, just remember to Create Scorecard, select your course etc, whilst you have Wi-Fi connection.
I’ve been using the Oobgolf applciation for a few weeks now to keep track of my scores, fairways hit (or missed including left or right), number of putts, penalties, and sand shots. The application also leverages Oobgolf’s course so you have all the usual information you’d normally find on the paper scorecards such as PAR, Yards, Stroke Index etc.
Even if you don’t have an iPhone, only an iPod Touch, then Oobgolf is a great way to keep track of your game, and share your scores (if you want) with friends, or even set up an online golfing group for a bit of competition.
If you do download and join Oobgolf (all free remember), then be sure to become a member of the Affiliate Marketing Golfing Society. It’s just a bit of fun, and no matter how good or bad you are, all are welcome.
I challenege anyone to get a worse score than mine, and for your info, the headline image is Sophie Sandolo, the Italian professional golfer!
Read MoreWhy You Should Vote For Libertas
In this weeks Marketing Week there’s a number of interesting articles discussing and questioning the use and effectiveness of discount codes and vouchers, both on and offline.
I was interviewed a number of weeks ago by Marketing Week, and it’s interesting to hear other peoples opinions, in particular:
Consumers expect year round discounts.
Two-thrids (66%) of UK Retailers feel that customers expectations have changed so much that larger price cuts are required to achieve an uplift in sales.
Who really beneifts from your vouchers?
A question and viewpoint raised by a merchant, who experiecned odd redemption patterns inconsistent with brand sales when it came to offline voucher management.
Create element of excitement
As the recession continues, brand loyalty goes out the window meaning consumers are willing to experiment. Innovation and emotional factors are now just as large a driver for sales and new customers, as price cuts we 12 months ago.
On a final note…
Birds Eye have re-introduced the Arctic Roll… Created in 1961, the delicious ice cream and sponge dessert is soon set to decome a teatime favourite all over again! Absolute Class!
Pop not politics for Eurovision 2009
I know it’s a little bit on the sad side, but with other half in London walking around in her Bra for charityand me staying at home due to work and oncall commitments, I found myself tuning in to Eurovision. Don’t laugh!
This year, new voting rules aimed at ensuring that the 54th Eurovision was a song contest, rather than a test of which country has the most allies, seemed to work. Marks awarded by national juries judging musical merit were combined with public votes before each nation awarded its points.
This resulted in the Top 5 countries being somewhat different to 2009;
1st Norway (previously placed 5th)
2nd Iceland (not in 2008 final)
3rd Azerbaijan (previously placed 8th)
4th Turkey (previously placed 7th)
5th United Kingdom (previously placed 25th)
The winning song “Fairytale” is quite strange number, written and sung by 2005 Norwegian Pop Idol Alexander Rybak who is classically-trained violinist so not your usual trashy Europop (although there was plenty of that… wasn’t there Germany?). Apparently he originates from USSR (now Belarus) which explains the Russian undertones the song has got and actually has a pretty good voice as is shown in this clip where he does a Jason Moraz number.
If you haven’t yet heard the song – its here on Spotify!
Read MoreIs The United Kingdom A Laughing Stock?
As stocks tumble all around us, there is one thats increasing in public interest. The UK Laughing Stock!
Yep I’m talking about those people who we chose to represent us, and our future with a view of distributing our hard earned taxes fairly, in order to beneift those that need it and invest in our services. However, as the NHS is once again having to cut costs and staff numbers, our Members of Parliment think nothing of claiming a £50 call-out fee to fix their home cinema sound system and expecting us UK tax payers to pick up the bill.
What planet do these idiots live on?
Take Lord Foulkes for example… firstly what has he ever done to be graced with the title of Lord – other than sit in his big fat ass eating far to many pies. Lord Pucker maybe more appropriate! A nerve was obviously hit when he was interview by BBC News and rather than answer the question being posed, turned it on the TV presenter Carrie Gracie. See Interview.
He for one, I would like to see brought to justice if there is a case against him, by the Daily Mail’s Members of Parliment – Bring them to justice Order campaign. In my opinion Lord Fucks is simply using up oxygen that could and should be saved in order to help reduce green house gases. After all shit does produce carbon dioxide doesn’t it?
So what action will be taken?
Well, as expect pretty much nothing. Despite overwhelming evidence of crooked expenses claims among MPs, legal experts think it highly unlikely that police and the Crown Prosecution Service will bring criminal charges against any of them. And the police wonder why they have such a bad reputation lately?
If the government truely listens to what the people, whom it is meant to represent, want then they have to act accordingly. The general consensus is that prosecutions are brough against these money laundering tossers, as the polls show.
Therefore the Daily Mail and the Tax-Payers Alliance have launched a campaign for the private prosecutions of backbenchers and ministers who have pocketed thousands of pounds through dishonest claims. Why is it Police are arrested for inflating expenses, yet MP’s aren’t despite a poll showing what the public think!
MPs Expense scandals published on Twitter- An online petition calling for Gordon Brown to resign
- Daily Mails Campaign For Justice aimed at prosecuting MP’s
What do you want to see done?
What if you’re not from the UK – what do you make of all of this?
Most importantly… what should I have for my tea?
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