This is a cool idea. To show the awsome power of social media in action and to send the music biz a big message, a group have got together and have come up with the idea of getting an idependent music artist to number one in the ITUNES music charts for one day, 22nd March 2006. They are asking everyone to purchase this song from ITUNES on this day. And they have signed up as an affiliate of the iTunes Music Store, and every commission made on the sale of the chosen song by Black Lab called "Mine Again" will be donated to college scholarships, partly because it's a worthy cause, but also partly because college students are among the most misunderstood and underestimated groups of people by big media.

The date for the combined effort is 22nd March. You can find out more about this at their web site at http://bumrushthecharts.blogspot.com/

Homegrown has been nominated in the Poetry Podcast category of the Podcast Peer Awards, along with some other great poetry podcasts - Cloudy Day Art, Slam Idol, Little Reds Writing Hood, Indie Feed Performance Poetry, Everyday Muse and Mike McGee. The Awards are chosen and voted for by podcasters.

Check out all the other finialists at the Podcast Peer Awards site, the winners will be announced on March 4th.

So does this mean I get to dress up and attend a top notch swanky awards dinner type affair?? No, not really, but I am thrilled to be nominated and wish all my fellow podcasters the best of luck.

I am currently in Moscow, and will be making regular audio blogs to my journal at blogspot, here's the link : Letters From Storyville
You can also subscribe to the audio blog through the Clickcaster feed by using the following in Itunes or your podcatcher:  http://www.clickcaster.com/clickcast/rss/490
or by going to the Clickcaster Live From Storyville site here : http://www.clickcaster.com/storyvillelive
I will be producing a podcast towards the end of the week from Moscow.

Yours truely, a man many are now describing as "the one who plays the weird stuff" has just been featured on the one and only Slam Idol Podcast reading my poetry homage to Phillip Glass "PG" I'm apparently contestant no. 4 in contest 11. I'd like to say I'm thrilled to have made it this far, but there really was nothing to it, honestly, just an e-mail to Simon who hosts the podcast. If you haven't herd the Podcast yet please go and have a listen, it's well worth investigating.
Pretty soon myself and 5 real poets will battle it out in a public vote type thing via the Slam Idol website. Even as you read this, I'm getting into shape and I expect you to do the same, at least with your finger that is, in readiness to leap forth, clicking frantically as you vote and rate not only my poem but the others in the contest. For that is how it works. I will let you know when you can vote. In the meantime go listen to Slam Idol....

Hi, I am currently in Moscow on Holiday. The weather isn't as cold as we anticpicated, only minus 25!!! But the thermals are doing the job nicely. We have spent the majority of our first week visiting different local government buildings trying to register me, it is necessary when you come to moscow as a visitor. Drinking plenty of Vodka and Beer, and intend to reply to all messages concerning the podcast when i return. Will also bring some photos back of the visit. Thanks for listening and programme 12 should be on line on Saturday evening at some point. Cheers and Dasvedanya

Just a little note to say that I have now set up a map for Homegrown at Frappr.com, so basically you can go over there and add yourself to the map, and we can see how far and wide the audience for the podcast goes. Which will be very interesting for me to see. So when you get chance follow the link below by clicking on the image and it will take you over to the Homegrown map.

Cheers.