300,000 Mile Stone

This week I surpassed 300,000 page views on Associated Content. Not bad considering my first article wasn't published on Associated Content until 7/28/2007.  Of course this year is seeing the most growth in my page views in the spring I went over 200,000 page views.

This year has been a pretty cool year for writing. I started writing poetry again. Alright, they were only Haiku. I knew they wouldn't gather a bunch of page views. However, I was comfortable with my page views to take chances. Writing isn't always about page views and upfront payments. I also published my first two interviews. One with Jay Turner, who has worked on a Grammy Award winning project and toured Europe a few times. I also interviewed a regional blues singer in Chocolate Thunder. I also was able to get my first press pass.

I also have had articles published on Yahoo Finance, Yahoo Sports Canada, and Yahoo Sports. I hope to finish the year off strong. I am trying to get a big name interview as I have eluded to in my previous posts. I am working on a few more things which might be published on Yahoo.

Tough Process

Contacting a publicist is the easy part. The publicist either ignores you, turns you down or says yes is what I thought the process would be like. My first interview was easy in the musician contacted me. My second interview I contacted the artist and we made the arrangements. Now that the star is bigger I am going through a publicist.

Contacting the publicist is the easy part, once you have committed to it. (A.K>A. Getting the Courage Up). I'd been ignored by a promoter before so I figured that was an option. However, I did get a response. Now it is an email game of pong back and forth. I am still hopeful I will get the interview. 

However, I am learning as I go. I already have a greater appreciation of what my friend who does this for a living goes through.Well I will let you know how this story unfolds...

International Sports Writer?

I blogged earlier a lot of my articles are showing up ojn Yahoo. Mostly on Yahoo Sports. One on Yahoo Finance. Well, I had an article published on Yahoo Sports Canada. The article can be read here. Does that make me an international writer?

I don't know it is fun to see my work in different places. I am working on a few more articles which may appear on Yahoo soon. Also I responded to a publicist, and I might be doing a pretty interesting interview soon as I eluded to in my last post. My writing world is looking up..

I also wrote an article last month about The Vendyrs. Life is looking up for them, the band did get the gig at Maryland's homecoming on October 30th. I wish them luck in the Battle of the Bands.

Crazy Week

What a week or so...maybe even a month. Last Wednesday I spoke at high school, then Thursday I left to go out of town for another speaking engagement on Friday. I managed to come back home on Sunday. It was nice to get away a break was long overdue. I was able to see friends I haven't seen in years. Then it was all work until Thursday. Thursday I went to a luncheon, then to my son's football game, and  then a banquet. Also on Thursday my parents came up. My mom had been battling cancer and really wanted to see her granddaughter something fierce.

Yesterday, I also got an email back from a publicist. It looks like I might be able to interview my most famous musician yet. I don't want to jinx myself but I am pretty excited about it. Friday, is my busy day at work. So, I am pretty exhausted from this running around and burning the candle at both ends. Tomorrow in the wee hours I am off to volunteer at SHARE. Then hopefully a lot of sleep at some point...

Solomon Burke Passed away at the Age of 70

Solomon Burke passed away at the age of 70. You might not know his name but you know his songs. His best known song is "Cry to Me." You may know his song "Everybody Needs Somebody to Love." It was covered by The Rolling Stones, Wilson Pickett, and made famous by the Blues Brothers. The people who covered him speak volumes of his influence. He is still being covered today by artists such as Duffy.

Gospel and Soul, Solomon could song them both. A powerful voice. He was also a preacher since the age of seven. One way or another he touched a lot of people in his seventy years. Thankfully he left us his recordings and you can watch him on Youtube. It is away for the songs to live on and one to catch up on what they may have missed.

Happy 70th Birthday John Lennon

I rang in John Lennon's 70th birthday by listening and watching a ton of John Lennon songs. I didn't even dive into his Beatles catalog. He was an incredible talent. No one could argue he was a great songwriter. Lennon was comfortable singing, playing the guitar or tickling the ivories of a piano. He was a dad and a husband too. John's life ended way to soon in 1980. We know what kind of music Paul, George and Ringo have produced in the last 30 years, I can't help and wonder what John Lennon would have done. Yes, George died too. However, George did produce some music after 1980.

The world lost a musical legend. However, John touched this world with a message of Peace and that is always an important message.Lennon also left as legacy of music both solo and with the Beatles that has touched many generations. He still shines on...

Doctor No No!

Congrats to Roy Halladay! His Philadelphia Phillies won the National League East. He pitched a perfect game in the regular season (you can read about that one here). More Congrats he had a heck of a season winning 21 games. Then today he hurls the first no hitter in a division series and the first no hitter in the post season since the 50's. You can read more about it here.

His no hitter is what baseball needs. It stirs interest as the game reaches for the World Series. However, now baseball  competes with football and more sports around the corner. This is when baseball needs outstanding performances like the no hitter.