August 23, 2016

Sound and Tone: How Musicians Can Use Visual Facebook Ads in their Promotions

They’ve got a knapsack, a ton of sticky tape, and ambition.  Yes, it may give someone cool street cred at the local indie bar to say they’re a music promoter – but just like how being a bike commuter can bring a world of worry in tandem with fun – posting up concert promos around a community is often a hard and exhausting task. Yet, for a long time this was a chief way musicians and promoters to get the word out.

Now, there are Facebook Ads.

You know they exist, you always see them, and you often click them. Nonetheless, though there’s no shortage of guides on how to set up Facebook Ads, advertising as a musician is a harder task given ads are seen but audio is heard. So not every musician uses Facebook Ads an optimal way (read: more people clicking and listening to their songs).

As a result, just as the Beatles were discovered in a smoky Liverpool bar – and music history is swarming with stories of great artists being discovered in obscure places – now increasingly online – even today there’s lots of good music going unheard.

Let’s look a little more now … Click to continue reading

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August 14, 2016

How Do I Actually Restore a Classic Car? Part 2: In-Depth

 

So, it’s clear a car restoration is in your future, and you’ve a good understanding of what it involves at the start. Now, you’ve got to get into the day by day work and planning, and this also involves ‘need to know’ information.

Your path ahead could have many twists and turns depending on whether you’ve found a well-known car you wish to restore, or a rare one that’s very unique. If you’re going to restore a Mustang or Chevy you’ll never struggle to find someone you can buy a drink and ask some questions when you need a little insight.

By contrast, if you’re working on a little model from a little car manufacturer (one maybe not in business anymore) then you may be doing a lot more research and planning by yourself. This notwithstanding, whatever you’re restoring a number of guidelines can help serve to get you through the restoration process, and see your car get back on the road sooner.… Click to continue reading

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August 13, 2016

How Do I Actually Restore a Classic Car? Part 1: Overview

The desire to restore a classic car can arrive unexpectedly. It’s usually a moment when the sensible and logical gives way to the wild and risky. There you are, at a dealership, at a car yard – maybe even a private sale – and just when you’re about to shake hands and agree to a deal on a car you were content with, you see it.

It’s perhaps not in your direct line of sight – it’s maybe even under a cover – but on a subconscious level you know it’s something special. Just like how a crowd at an art gallery or concert moves towards the main attraction, you edge closer and then realise this is really where you need to be.

The problem is its rusty. It has 3 wheels. It’s in need of some big repairs, and when you ask the current owner if they could turn the key and start the engine up, they just laugh. You look back over at the car you were just about to buy and realise turning back really would be the prudent course of action; but few people ever lit up the pages of history being prudent.

So, there’s no … Click to continue reading

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August 12, 2016

Every Creative Needs a Gallery: Where to Host Your HTML‚ CSS and JavaScript Work

 

At this stage you’re doing well with your coding but it’s hard to know what’s next?. After all, building a skill set in front-end development and its languages of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript is a worthwhile pursuit but one with a big learning curve too.

Now though, you’ve got the basics of coding down, your practicing in private, and you code with confidence. Yet, like a rapper set to launch his first EP, you may have the goods ready to go but choosing where to showcase them is a big, big, decision.

This is because just the same as understanding coding is a different prospect from actively building or fixing something online.

Just as actively working in the field is nothing to be afraid of (it’s just different, like a practice game versus a real match), so too it is hard to know where to start when you’ve got a portfolio ready to show given the many hosting options online. If this sounds like you may the following serve as three options for your first launch going forward.… Click to continue reading

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August 10, 2016

Dominos’ Rise as Eagle Boys Fall: An End to Australia’s Independent Pizza Shop?

Disclaimer: This article is informative in purpose and does not constitute financial advice.  The author urges you to obtain professional advice before pursuing any financial investment.

 

‘The Lucky Country’ Isn’t Just a Saying

Australia is a fascinating fishbowl when it comes to economic policy. The stunning fact that belies so much about the Great Southern Land is with around just 25 million people its total population is smaller than single US states like California or Texas, and though many fellow Asian nations – like Indonesia, South Korea and Japan – are smaller in land size, they hold a far greater population.

Yet both the Australian nation as a whole and its citizens personally have long enjoyed a high standard of living and high level of personal wealth, AKA the ‘Middle Class Success Story’.

Australia has often achieved remarkable feats in the global economy – such as having the GFC largely bypass its shores as it wreaked havoc on other world economies – while sometimes leaving Australian consumers subject to questionable charges that may not fly elsewhere. Such as Adobe’s long held huge local markup on software leading many to think Australia is seen as a ‘Treasure Island’ by many … Click to continue reading

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August 10, 2016

Where to Start When Starting in Photography: 3 Cameras to Use

So you’ve been bitten by the photography bug. Sure, just like anyone else you’ve got a camera on your phone, and have been known to snap a good selfie or two – but lately it’s something more.

You find yourself taking longer to get the right shot at a party, stopping midway through your day to snap a pretty vista – and you’re making no friends by critiquing the lighting and framing of pics on your Facebook wall. If this sounds like you it’s now time to get serious about your newfound passion. Yet, when you do decide to take a step into serious photography it can be hard knowing where to start.

You know you want to snap pictures but the variety of cameras on offer leaves you feeling overwhelmed. Fortunately, it is possible to make sense of it and find the right camera for you. May the following be a useful guide for making a start in photography.… Click to continue reading

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August 4, 2016

HTML‚ CSS & JavaScript: I’ve Learned Them but Where Do I Code in Them? (Part 2)


If you’re reading this chances are pretty good you’ve got the basics of coding down. If you’ve not yet written even one line of code all OK! – maybe go have a quick read of Part 1 then come back – while we wait for those readers catching up let’s get a coding joke on the books;

Question: How do you tell an introverted computer scientist from an extroverted computer scientist?

Answer: An extroverted computer scientist looks at your shoes when he talks to you.

There we go, Da boom chi, and after that B+ zinger the other readers should be just about back. Let’s proceed on: so you’ve learned HTML, CSS, and Javascript – aka the ‘holy trinity’ and the ‘front end fundamentals’ of web design.

You know you need a DOCTYPE at the start of every HTML doc, you know how to link a CSS style sheet to that doc and add in cool colors, fonts, and other design cues to a website. You even know how to write up some cool javascript code to get some pops up and nifty animations going. This is solid knowledge, is great to have learned – but you may now wonder … Click to continue reading

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