Final Maui Ivory Noodles

Posted on December 18, 2011 by admin

Ivory Noodles

Last few hours in beautiful Maui. I wish I didn’t have to go back. The thought of finishing this album is filling me with dread. I haven’t done what I’d hoped to do while I was here. I do have another 12 hours before my flight though so maybe I still might plus the 20 hour flight back home!

This last song, “Between Sheets” is going to be the missing piece. I’ve got the essence of the song, musical direction and feel, melody and about half the lyrics. I really felt the album needed this one calm space. A little breather about half way through. It’ll be nice to have something fresh on there for me as I’ve been living with some of these songs for 2 years. I think in hindsight, Maui was not the best place to come for Continue reading →

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Cool Tool: Qumana Desktop Blog Editor

Posted on December 18, 2011 by admin


The latest version of this blog-editing tool allows you to insert keyword specific text ads directly into the body of your blog post. The tool is compatible with all of the major blog hosts (e.g. blogger, Typepad, WordPress, etc.). Qumana has just closed a deal to provide a branded version of its editor for Lycos.

Here are a few other features of this tool (which is free):

* Works on a Macs and a PC
* Includes a WYSIWYG editor
* Offers spell check
* Creates Technorati tags
* Uploads Continue reading →

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Some Blogging Advice from The New York Times Public Editor

Posted on December 18, 2011 by admin


The New York Times Public Editor Byron Calame did some public handwringing about The Times’s new blogs this Sunday in his lastest column, “The Times’s New Blogs: More Information, Fewer Filters.” He goes to great lengths to explain key differences between blog posts and news stories — differences the readers in the blogosphere have understood for quite some time now. But still, important points for those Times readers who are being introduced to blogs for the first time.

“…With blogs becoming part of the Continue reading →

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Cool Tool: iWriter

Posted on December 18, 2011 by admin


This new software product from Talking Panda turns an iPod into a study tool. It allows you to mix text and audio files into learning programs (e.g. spelling quizzes, reading lists) and includes eight project templates to help get you started.

The tool can also build Web sites for students without iPods.

CNet, which published Eliot Van Buskirk’s review of our “very good” rockin’ guitar companion for iPod recently. And Continue reading →

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Bloggers as Ombudsman

Posted on December 18, 2011 by admin


The recent fight between bloggers and the Washington Post provides the best example of the emerging role of bloggers in the public debate. Bloggers have become the Ombudsman of the traditional media.

As virtually every major traditional media outlet has cut back on their reporting and editing staff over the last several years investigative reporting has suffered. While great investigative pieces continue to come out of traditional media they are reported alongside of repurposed press releases with one sided spin.

The incident de jour between Continue reading →

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Blog Issue Evolution

Posted on December 18, 2011 by admin

Blog Evolution

Social Security reform. Dan Rather. Harriet Miers. What do these things have in common? They were all derailed by blogs. Beltway Blogroll runs a great story (that appeared first in National Journal – MSM beat the blogs on this one) on numerous instances where blogs drove the evolution of an political issue.

There is a theory called “issue evolution” developed in the book (appropriatedly titled) “Issue Evolution: Race and Continue reading →

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Nashville…Hockey Town?

Posted on December 18, 2011 by admin


HTML clipboardThe Nashville Predators are in the playoffs for the 2nd straight season.

It looks like Nashville might be becoming a hockey town eh? We do have a lot of canadians.

I love going to these games. It’s a great sport for a great city. Nashville is becoming.

NHL expansion

Former Predators primary logo (1998-2011)

After the attempt to get the Devils, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman noted that Continue reading →

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What is Word of Mouth Marketing?

Posted on December 18, 2011 by admin

Mouth Marketing

Word of mouth is “a pre-existing phenomenon that marketers are only now learning how to harness, amplify, and improve. Word of mouth marketing isn’t about creating word of mouth — it’s learning how to make it work within a marketing objective,” says WOMMA on its Web site, adding…

That said, word of mouth can be encouraged and facilitated. Companies can work hard to make people happier, they can listen to consumers, they can make it easier for them to tell their friends, and they can make certain that influential individuals know about the good qualities of a product or service.

Word of mouth marketing empowers people to share their experiences. It’s harnessing the voice of the customer for the good of the brand. And it’s acknowledging that the unsatisfied customer is equally powerful.

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Technorati Expands Reach of Blogs

Posted on December 18, 2011 by admin


Technorati has been hard at work cutting deals to bring the blogosphere to the masses. This week was a busy one for them with three separate announcements:

1. Technorati has teamed up with the Associated Press to add blogger commentary to AP newstories.

When readers visit an AP member Web site that uses AP Hosted Custom News, they will see a module featuring the “Top Five Most Blogged About” AP articles right next to the article text, dynamically powered by Technorati. Additionally, when readers click on an AP article, Technorati will deliver Continue reading →

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Blogosphere Continues to Grow

Posted on December 18, 2011 by admin


David Sifry’s latest “State of the Blogosphere” presents some staggering numbers on the growth of blogs. Here are some quick stats:

* There are more than 35 million weblogs (as tracked by Technorati)
* Over 75,000 new weblogs are created every day
* Over one million posts are added to the blogosphere every day
* Almost four million bloggers update their blogs at least weekly
* More than 19 million bloggers are still posting 3 months after Continue reading →

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