Vegas & The Aftermath - Diary

[RED-DOG]

And while we're in that little quiet space between the opening and closing doors, I just want to take a moment to say a public thank you for your guidance friendship over the years.

It really has been emotional.

xx

[tikay]

I don't understand the clicks count thing Tone.

As far as I can see the only thing that matters is the title, after that the article could be totally brilliant or absoluter dross, it wouldn't matter, the click would still count.

The title (the bit in the URL) is very important, yes. Hence titles that incluide, say "Las Vegas", "Online Poker" & the like. Or, last week, "Cheltenham", or "Australian F1 Grand Prix".

I want "good" clicks though, clicks from the right people, the target audience.

But you need to build an audience, & to do that, the articles need to be interesting, entertaining or educational, & to get good traction. Good articles get more readers, more followers, more clicks. It's the dripping tap thing, just have to keep making little steps.

They also need - preferably, to be accurate. Two of mine had daft, avoidable little mistakes in. Drives me nuts that, "unforced errors". Sure I'm losing the plot.

I described Boba Fett, (Paul McTaggart), as "James" McTaggart in one. Bugger bugger bugger. And of course one kid, who reads EVERY piece I write, & has never once commented, good or bad, was in like a shot.

"His name is Paul, did you not know that?"  

I confused the name of a F1 team, too, I said "Renault" not "Red Bull". Just caused by rushing, my own fault. They descended on me like a ton of bricks over that, lol. Never "well that was OK", just "you made a mistake". Marv. Guess not everyone has ever made a mistake in their day job, or their mistakes are not so glaringly obvious.

Both mistakes were corrected within 12 hours, but once it gets out there, it's too late of course.

In truth, I'm a complete newbie at this Content writing, & click gathering. Barry Crater is the king of all that stuff, & I've been pitched in without an ounce of tuition or help.

I was due up in Leeds for a quick freshener course on SEO, Content, & Twitter use this week, but I had to postpone because of the 861 thing, so I'll go up this week I guess.

I'm a complete know nothing on how Tritter works (to best effect) too. I don't even know what or why a "favourited" Tweet is, or does. Nothing.  

So I have to try & learn all this stuff, rapido.

I'l give it 3 months, & if I'm still shite, I'll need to think again. I don't mind failing, I mind failing to try.

It's like the blonde struggle really. If it goes under, I won't mind - honestly - as long as I can say to myself - well I did my best.  

[tikay]

Quick reminder to myself, to write something about how we, at work, are now undergoing "transition" from the systems, reporting, practices, discipline & ethos of the previous owners - SKY - to the new owners - CVC.

All change, right down to the last detail. I have to return my Company Lappie this week, & get a nice shiny new one. Bonus!

Anyway, more on that when I get time.

[ForthThistle]

TK Please do one thing.

Never stop writing.

Love this Diary and read it everyday. Its brill and actually feels like we are having a convo. Love It.

Keep up the good work.

[Machka]

I'm watching a BBC4 show on Quantum Physics called "The Secrets of Quantum Physics" and they have shown a direct link between Quantum Physics and bird migration through Quantum Entanglement.

It doesn't surprise me really that there is a direct link but the show presenter, Jim Al-Khalili, a Quantum Physicist is pointing out this may be the first directly testable, repeatable experiment showing the link between Quantum Physics and Biology.

As far as I am concerned everything on a smaller and smaller scale is made of matter, molecules, atoms, subatomic particles, electrons, protons, neutrons, quarks, etc etc.

So surely if everything is made of subatomic particles and they exist and interect according to Quatum Physics then everything living or not should have a direct link to Quantum Physics.  We just aren't smart enough to explain it yet.

Strange to think that we are made of the same stuff as a Robin, air, a concrete block, an iron bridge or a plane.

And most of those originally started from a supernova explosion within a dying star.

Boggles the mind really.

Some links:
http://www.physicscentral.com/explore/action/pia-entanglement.cfm

http://hore.chem.ox.ac.uk/PDFs/The_Quantum_Robin.pdf

http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20927963.000-quantum-states-last-longer-in-birds-eyes.html

[Tal]

Great post, Machka.

That massive yellow ball in the sky is burning so hot and bright that we are able to have such rich and diverse life on our little planet, 93,000,000 miles away. However, it is a nuclear reactor that is only able to turn Hydrogen into Helium, the most basic elements in the periodic table. Bigger suns can make a couple more, but then you're struggling. Look at how many we have:

Click to see full-size image.

Going left to right, you can see C for Carbon, which is the basis of all life on Earth. Nitrogen for our plants and Oxygen in the air we breathe. These fundamental building blocks of our very existence are only created when stars explode in a supernova, because only then are they so hot that they create the environment necessary for such enormous nuclear fusion.

Think how big the explosion was that created the gold on your ring or in your teeth.

[Tal]

Good job no one noticed the tiny error in the above. Ninja edited accordingly.

[david3103]

If it's true that forums (fora?) are dying. The newer alternatives don't offer the structure that a forum does.
They have little or no potential for a proper conversation about a subject, and the FB PartyPoker UK page highlights this.

Long live Blonde.

[TightEnd]

Peter Kay to star in comedy adaptation of Danny Baker's life story http://gu.com/p/46dg7/stw

[booder]

So there it is, closing in on 70 years of age, & still trying new tricks.
 

Nice try , but you were never getting that through.

[Machka]

You may have missed Britannia in Southampton but the US Navy supercarrier USS Theodore Roosevelt has just sailed into Portsmouth, actually it was too big for Portsmouth so had to anchor off Gosport.

5000 sailors, 100,000 tonnes, 4.5 acres.  Quite big then!

Wonder how many components are used in making one of those?

Click to see full-size image.

Click to see full-size image.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Theodore_Roosevelt_%28CVN-71%29

[TightEnd]

did you see Neteller have bought Skrill?

http://www.optimalpayments.com/sites/default/files/attachments/pdf/optimal_payments_proposed_acquisition.pdf

Skrill was purchased by cvc in 2015 and have flipped it on

[tikay]

did you see Neteller have bought Skrill?

http://www.optimalpayments.com/sites/default/files/attachments/pdf/optimal_payments_proposed_acquisition.pdf

Skrill was purchased by cvc in 2015 and have flipped it on

No, missed that. Amazing how the value of quality gaming or gaming related businesses is rising, it's a real "boom" area right now. Nice profit for CVC, too.

CVC announced the proposed deal to buy Skrill for £530 million in August 2013, & it was completed in February 2014, so thay made a fast buck or two there in just over a year.

[tikay]

You may have missed Britannia in Southampton but the US Navy supercarrier USS Theodore Roosevelt has just sailed into Portsmouth, actually it was too big for Portsmouth so had to anchor off Gosport.

5000 sailors, 100,000 tonnes, 4.5 acres.  Quite big then!

Wonder how many components are used in making one of those?

Click to see full-size image.

Click to see full-size image.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Theodore_Roosevelt_%28CVN-71%29

Lordy, what a piece of kit she is, Aaron.

Would so love to see her in the flesh, though I doubt I can get down this week.

[AndrewT]

did you see Neteller have bought Skrill?

http://www.optimalpayments.com/sites/default/files/attachments/pdf/optimal_payments_proposed_acquisition.pdf

Skrill was purchased by cvc in 2015 and have flipped it on

No, missed that. Amazing how the value of quality gaming or gaming related businesses is rising, it's a real "boom" area right now. Nice profit for CVC, too.

CVC announced the proposed deal to buy Skrill for £530 million in August 2013, & it was completed in February 2014, so thay made a fast buck or two there in just over a year.

I believe they took one look at your latte expenses and decided they needed some extra cashflow sharpish.