There is a lot of question of what time or what day(s) are the best to post a new blog post. Much of it comes down to which metric you are measuring. For example: Are you looking for the most ReTweets? The most Facebook Shares? The most clicks? The most time spent on the site?

Of course most people answer: “ALL OF THEM… YES… I WANT ALL OF THOSE.” The challenge is that much of those metrics have their peaks at vastly different times and days. The best method to start with is to explore the data from other sites (in general or in your niche) and use that data to help you start your own process of timing posts. Once you begin to experiment with post timing in conjunction with using a URL shortener that incorporates some analytic which allow you to track clicks, ReTweets, or other traffic (such as su.pr… which I use) you can begin to develop your own data set which reflects your own blog audience. Developing that skill of testing, assesing, and adjusting your post times to increase audience engagement will put your blog on a faster track to building your readership.

In the meantime here are some references for you to start with.

Here is a great graphic to help you start your exploration:

For more detailed information and a lot more research into data sets and choosing days/times based on specific metrics I encourage you to check out the blog of Social Media Scientist Dan Zarrella. There is a wealth of information there that will help answer a lot of questions about Timing of Blog posts, Tweets, and Facebook Likes.

This article is chocked full of blogger specific info related to sharing and engagement in your posts… A great read.

Enjoy!

This short introduction video helps define the genre and gives an auditory and visual glimpse into the passion behind the trobbing wob wob bass sounds. Enjoy!

Dubstep Jarface – Watch more Funny Videos

I think artists (and most industries in general) can learn a great deal by looking outside of their own narrow field for inspiration, guidance, and innovation. This is one such gem of wisdom I found online. It is a chart the US Air Force uses to choose when and how to respond to blog content posted about them. I use it as a reference when I am working on an artists promotional campaign. In fact, it is a great tool for any artist, business or public figure to refer to when deciding what course of action they should take when they find blog posts about them. It is very methodical and makes quite a bit of sense. Have you tried something similar to this? What works and what doesn’t?

Simply Brilliant… Brilliant.

***CLICK IMAGE TO SEE THE FULL SIZED VIEW***

From: http://milkfordeadhamsters.com/comics/poor-judgment

Absolutely Fabulous… my favorite is “improper use of k”… what’s yours?

The Grand Taxonomy Of Rap Names

Sometimes we need to create promo materials and what better way than by creating a news worthy segment. But how do you do it? Here is the definitive guide to creating something fit for any major news network. Enjoy.

Tragedy is not a strong enough word to convey the trauma and heartache being experienced in Haiti right now. In tradgic times the human spirit is tested and peoples ability to pull together is exercised. The horrific images which pour out of Haiti daily also tell of the strength of the Haitian people. Their resolve to help their fellow citizens when they themselves have lost everything is something which is at once inspiring and motivating. It is hard to imagine losing everything and everyone you love in an instant… but that is exactly what they are experiencing right now. Each of us has heard the call to pledge our support for Haiti. The world is answering the call and slowly aid and relief is beginning to pour into Haiti. As I watched all this taking place I felt powerless to do something more significant. I am not a doctor, an aid worker, or independently wealthy. It was then that I received a call from my friend Bellringer. He had recorded a song for Haitian relief and he needed my help mixing, mastering and posting it. Of course I jumped at the opportunity. It is often easy to forget that each of us possesses gifts and talents which go far beyond our pocket books. If we all seek to apply our talents and expertise to addressing these challenges and ills that afflict the world how much more we could do! Anyway… I just wanted to share what I felt privileged to work on… It was a labor of love… and hopefully in some small way it can help make a lasting difference to our brothers and sisters in Haiti. Please Click below for more info, to see the video and download the song…

~Jon Rezin

You Can View Bellringer’s Site HERE

Check him out on twitter @bellringermusic

Please Embed the following widget on your site to spread the word. Make a donation or tell 5 friends and download the single “All In You” now. Please take a moment and show your support of our brothers and sisters in Haiti. 100% of the proceeds earned from the sale of this song will go to the Red Cross and other organizations helping to make a difference in Haiti.

“All In You” – Dedicated to our brothers and sisters in Haiti

Happiness is a funny thing… seemingly so hard to find… but also so easy to forget where it is once we’ve found it. Enjoy the flowchart… May 2010 be a year of victories for you…. and for goodness sake be Happy!

I know.. I know. Everyone has an opinion. Some say it is simple… some say it is cliche… some even say it is Fern Gully with great CG. Whatever the case and whatever the opinion of others is… I don’t care! My favorite of all time.

So why, you may ask, is it my favorite of all time? Alright… since you prodded me I will tell you. Quite simply it has everything I could ever want in a movie.

(WARNING: POSSIBLE SPOILER ALERT AHEAD!)

Here is everything I could ever want in a movie… in no particular order they are:

• Characters overcoming adversity
• Story of redemption
• Calling on inner strength to accomplish the impossible
• The battle to overcome evil
• A profoundly unified and harmonious community (The blue one)
• Prayer Gatherings.. everyone needs prayer.
• Recognition of the unity of ALL things
• Sense of belonging (to a cause, community, mission, etc.)
• New Discoveries (Scientific, Planetary, Personal)
• A Love story
• Wise old sages
• Strong Warriors
• Women who are warriors.. This was great to see!
• Defending honor
• Show of true love and not requiring it to culminate in a gratuitous sex scene
• trials and tests of strength (both physical, mental, and emotional)
• technology (spaceships… pew, pew, pew!)
• Amazing new places
• Beautiful Scenery (lush and verdant.. amazing colors and luminescence)
• Technologically Advanced People
• Scientists as heroes
• Underdog triumphs against all odds
• Oneness with nature… we could learn a lot.
• Mission and Purpose… belonging to something bigger than yourself
• Justice
• Addresses social ills and environmental issues
• Corporations and Materialism Losing the Battle
• Cool Spaceships (zooooomm… pew,pew,pew!)
• A plot line which develops its characters so that we care about them
• Epic battle scenes
• Strong women (there seemed to be equality of the sexes.. not sameness.. but equal nonetheless)
• sacrificing of ones life for the cause of good
• Epic Battle scenes… did I already mention that?
• Alien animals which are like monsters
• Flying dragon things
• Flying sequences where we feel like we are there with them
• Great Cinematography
• Great soundtrack
• Surround Sound
• 3D (I saw it in IMAX and Real3D)
• The fastest 2 hours and 40 minutes ever
• and a surprisingly attractive and athletic race of Blue People

This film is beautiful in its simplicity and breathtaking in its execution.The simple yet compelling storyline give the characters the opportunity to grow and become beloved by the audience. The lead male and female have a relationship that begins by chance, is maintained through fate, is fostered despite hardship and blossoms into love… which is where the story really takes off. The Omaticaya (a clan of the Na’vi people .. these are the Blue people with the kitty like tails) are a highly developed yet simple culture. The director/writer/designers went to great lengths to make them believable. They used aspects of what seemed to be African, Native American mixed with some Central American Aztec type of influences to create a native culture that is familiar and feels genuine. The language they use was created by a linguistic professor and the actors did an excellent job of giving convincing performances in the language. The Omaticaya display a refreshingly genuine sense of community and oneness… something that the human population in this movie are lacking in a very grotesque way.

The whole time that I was watched the alien planet (Pandora) I was lost in the awe inspiring scenery, the raw danger and the majestic beauty that was created…. and what was quite striking is that in a movie where almost all of it was created on a hard drive I had no sense that it was CGI. ok… ok… a couple times I noticed some lip things momentarily… but as soon as I noticed them…  the anomalies faded away and I was back… fully engaged once again. In fact one of the most impressive things in this film was the emotion on the faces of the Na’vi…. you can find plenty of blogs that talk about the technology used to capture the actors expressions so I wont mention it here… but what I will say is that it worked so amazingly well. I have never connected with a CGI character so strongly and suspended all disbelief… and to top it all off the majority of it was filmed on stages without the actors even being present in any real scenery. James Cameron created, what he called “Volumes”, which were essentially large open filming stages with numerous cameras filming the actors from every possible angle to generate a realistic computer model. And after the digital scenes were stitched together… it felt real.

This was also a new experience in 3D for me. I have tried 3D when it was the two tone glasses as well as recently for another movie… but the use of 3D in this movie elevated the art to a new level.  For the first time I felt like I was actually in the movie with them… I wasn’t dodging from spears being thrown into the audience or gimmickry typically used to “sell” 3d movies… instead the director opted for a very sophisticated use of the technology… enough to draw you in, keep you engaged, but never enough to make you feel you were watching some childish cartoon which was trying to make you jump out of your seat.

The story cant be beat… it is a classic retold a hundred times… but the take on it is fresh and the execution of this new creative vision exemplary. This is a film which has set the bar so unbelievably high for movies that will come in its wake. I am excited to see how the next generation of filmakers push the barriers of the format to shorten that distance between the audience and the movie.  Avatar is a must see… see it in 3D if you can… see it in all the 3D formats if you have time/money. I hope they release it on 3D HD Blueray… if so… come over and visit… we will sit back and watch Avatar together… by then I might even have the video game!

Visit http://www.avatarmovie.com/ for more info.

[ASIDE: I had the opportunity to see the film twice. One time in Real3d (@ the Grove in L.A.) and once in IMAX 3d (@ The Bridge Cinemas in L.A.). I wanted to see which gave a better viewing experience for 3d... so below I will sum up the pros and cons of each format (in my opinion of course)

REAL3D:

• PROS: A Couple dollars cheaper than IMAX, more options for theaters, more screening times, The 3D seems to jump out at you a bit more than IMAX (this was counter Intuitive to me), I was drawn into the movie more by Real3D than IMAX. Wider aspect ratio meaning the screen is wider than IMAX.
• CONS: Glasses are smaller and somewhat uncomfortable.. they tend to slide around... particularly if you where prescription glasses underneath. The screen is about 1/2 the overall size of IMAX, show up late and you get the sucky seats.

IMAX:

• PROS: Giant Screen (about 2 x the size at the grove) Sound was excellent, Better Glasses that wrap around your head and don't interfere with your vision, Assigned Seating so no scrambling for good seats. The seats all the way to the very back row are good... I was 6 rows from the back and was almost at the exact center of the screen (vertically) IMAX 3D seems pretty smooth.. not as noticeable as Real3D.. it feels more subtle and possibly clearer... but did not draw me in quite as much... though not having to adjust my glasses was great.
• CONS: A couple dollars more than the average 3d movie, I think the aspect ration is a bit different... because the screen is so tall it is not as wide and I think I lost some imagery, If you book your seats late and all they have are the front couple rows... your neck is gonna break... wait till the next showing.]