The Random Blogger

I’ve used PHP redirects to cloak things like affiliate links for a long time now, and I’m therefore a bit rusty on the other techniques (e.g. JavaScript and Meta Refresh).

So, when a guy I’m collaborating with on a project or two asked me how to cloak his affiliate links, I started by setting up a sample PHP script for him, but then when I tried to remember exactly how to use the other non-PHP methods, I ran into a wall of amnesia.

As always in this situation, I turned to Google, and happened upon a brilliant website where you enter the URL you want to redirect to, and it instantly gives you copy-and-paste code you can use in all three formats (i.e. JavaScript, Meta Refresh and PHP).

It’s quick, simple, and means you need to know or understand practically no code at all.

The site is called My Redirect Code, and I highly recommend it.

(BTW, my friend has written an excellent short report called Unlimited Profit Streams that’s well worth a read, and it’s only $7 USD. If you can’t make that back after reading and applying what he teaches, then I suspect Internet Marketing isn’t for you.)

Well, we took the plunge a few days ago and signed up for our very first VPS hosting account, after spending a day or two researching suitable candidates.

Our requirements were quite specific, for reasons that are not relevant here, and the sign-up process and post-sales set-up were not without their problems.

However, I should make it clear that none of these were the company’s fault - it was more to do with our lack of understanding about VPS.

You see, I have a fair bit of experience in managing websites using the standard cPanel, as offered by what’s probably our favourite hosting company, Host Gator, but VPS is a whole new world, as we recently discovered - the learning curve appears to be steep.

Firstly, the O/S we chose, ubuntu 8.04, only comes with a thing called Virtuozzo Power Panel, which is fine for one of the reasons we wanted this server, but it apparently meant (more…)

When you call a TV series “Bored To Death”, you’d better make sure that the name isn’t too apposite.

Sadly, the pilot show of that very name came very close to leaving me in that state - it was slow to get going, with a character that still needs a lot of development, and it’s hard to see where it can go to get a good deal better.

I’m willing to be proven wrong, but with so many competing shows and so little time to watch TV, it had better get its finger out soon.

All of us, I suspect, have things that, at best, irritate us, and at worst make us practically explode with anger.

And I’m no different to most - especially during the last ten years of my first marriage when life was a living hell. With hindsight, I’m not really sure how I retained any shred of sanity at all (and there are undoubtedly those, probably including my ex-wife, who thought I didn’t).

Anyway, I digress (just for a change).

Out of all the things that get up my nose, the one thing that I really hate above all else (and I use the word “hate” advisedly, as I feel it’s one of many words that has been diluted over time because of sensationalism and a desire to exaggerate constantly, but it’s definitely apt here) is when (more…)

Love may be just a four-letter word
Unique emotion and yet absurd
Creating such a mix of feelings
Knowing not who is pulling the strings
You find it hard to describe, instead
Strange things go on inside of your head
Butterflies flapping their tiny wings
As your stomach churns, and other things
Cause havoc, yet there’s nothing better
Kisses and cuddles with your lover

Although we had a Siamese cat, called Ming, when I was very young, I don’t really recall too much about it, partly because of my age and interests, and partly because it lived with our next-door-neighbours for most of the time, even sleeping in their bed with them many nights.

All I can really remember is that it had that typical Siamese look, and as far as I know, it was what is called a chocolate-point.

And I thought all Siamese cats pretty much looked the same, the only difference being that they had different coloured “points”, such as chocolate, seal, blue and lilac.

So it came as a bit of a surprise to me, earlier today, to find out from one of our customers that there is a completely different style of Siamese cat known as an Applehead.

It turns out that this type of Siamese is actually the true traditional type, and it’s one of the oldest breeds of domestic cats known.

I’ve recognised for a long time now that one of the best ways to get additional traffic to your website is to indulge in video marketing (YouTube is the second most visited site on the Internet), but I’ve always shied away from it as being too difficult, plus I’m really not that keen on hearing the sound of my own voice.

Now, I have been somewhat more active in the world of article marketing - after all, words are my thing.

So, I was delighted, a day or two ago, to find a web-based service that converts an article into a narrated video for you.

Use Coupon Code F0C17D97

The service, appropriately called Article Video Robot, has two modes - one, which is fully automated, converts an EzineArticles article into a video in a single click, and one that requires a bit more input from you, but the results are a lot better.

The EzineArticles converter may be simple to use, but I really wasn’t that happy with the end result at all - too much of the text in the article I selected was just lost - it wasn’t shown on the screen, and it wasn’t spoken out loud either.

The manual mode, however, did require a bit of fiddling to make sure that the text-to-speech software did a decent job of pronouncing the words in the article, but I have to say that, overall, I was very impressed with the quality of the TTS, and the various male and female voices you can choose from.

In this mode you can also add photos or video to each slide, either from its built-in stock ones, or from ones you upload and import yourself, and then you can also choose from a range of background images and music.

The final slide in the video shows details such as your name, email address (which is mandatory and which is something else I’m not keen on), and that all-important website link.

Overall, I think it’s a really neat tool with many other features I’ve not even mentioned here, so I do recommend you check out the demonstration video on the Article Video Robot website.

There are two membership levels, which cost $47 and $97 per month respectively, with the more expensive one having more features than the less expensive one (e.g. more distribution credits, advanced editing options, additional TTS voices).

However, the good news is that, although they do offer a free trial, I’ve managed to get a Coupon Code you can use to get a massive 50% off the standard monthly membership costs - all you need to do is enter (or copy and paste) this code into the appropriate box on the order page: F0C17D97.

(See my previous post, My Internal Jukebox for what this category is all about.)

Although I’ve used Paint Shop Pro as my primary graphics program for many years now (I’m currently using Version 7.04), it was only today that I discovered a plug-in that I’m pretty sure must have come with it (as I certainly don’t recall buying it) that adds a flame / fire effect to text or an image.

This turned out to be pretty handy, as I was all set to go Googling for some way to achieve the desired effect, and was beginning to be reconciled to having to delve into Photoshop, which I’ve always shied away from for some reason, when I chanced upon a menu option I don’t think I’d ever come across before.

So, I guess the lesson is, make sure you have a good look around the menu options in any software you use, because it may already do what you need without you needing to waste time and money looking for any buying something else.

With all their talent, they’ve not done too well
It was Venus who went first - what’s to tell
Lots of mistakes, she was simply outplayed
Let’s move to Serena who, I’m afraid
Instigated, through a loss of control
A penalty that took a heavy toll
Match point against her and she therefore lost
She should have kept cool, avoiding that cost