BlogCatalog

On November 17, 13,200 bloggers from across the globe participated in BloggersUnite: Fight For Preemies. Their posts about the rising rates of premature births raised the awareness of approximately 3 million readers. Through a mix of sobering facts, statistics and moving personal accounts, these bloggers poignantly illustrated the impact premature births have on both the individuals involved and on our society as a whole.

Thanks to all who were involved, the Fight For Preemies ranked as the top event on BloggersUnite before and during the event with a total of 495 registered participants (approximately 3.8% of total participants). The March of Dimes saw the percentage of blog posts in which they were mentioned double on the event date, and Fight For Preemies was mentioned nearly 5 times as much on November 17th as it was in the month leading up to the event.

BlogCatalog and BloggersUnite want to thank each and every blogger who participated in this event. Thank you for taking the time to make a difference. Thank you for sharing your stories; they moved us more than you can imagine. Below are a few of the posts BloggersUnite and The March of Dimes felt deserved recognition for truly capturing the spirit of this event:

Love My Lily: "Having a preemie means having to say goodbye to a lot of things that most first time parents take for granted..." http://lovemylily.blogspot.com/2009/11/prematurity-awareness-day.html

Baby Tea Leaves: "I learned something that day. I learned that even though we forget so much, that some memories will never ever lessen. They will remain as vivid as the day we experience them." http://babytealeaves.blogspot.com/2009/11/post-that-almost-wasnt.html

Sophie's Journey: "Nonetheless, every night we were there, we noticed another couple who spent hours and hours sitting next to their baby's crib, reading to him from Harry Potter. They never missed a night. Their dedication was incredible." http://sophiejourney.blogspot.com/2009/11/prematurity-awareness-month.html

Mothers Who Write: "He knows her better than I do. I have a baby too ticklish to touch and Ididn’t even know. I feel like crying, but don’t want to cry here. “Take me back,” I say. “I’m ready to go.” http://motherswhowrite.blogspot.com/2009/11/fight-for-preemies.html

Life And Times of the McTripletts: "I could give you some statistics about how many babies are born early each year, how much it costs families and businesses, what percentage of babies die from complications, the average time spent in the hospital, the percentages of these babies who have life-long complications... but to ME - those are just numbers. The statistic "1 in 8 babies is born prematurely" wouldn't have ever meant anything to me... unless that 1 baby was mine." http://themctriplets.blogspot.com/2009/11/prematurity-awareness-day.html

Sayer's Journey: "Aidan spent 66 days in the NICU. Aidan lived and thrived in the NICU thanks to many doctors, nurses, specialists and research done to help babies born too soon. Aidan came home a month before he was even supposed to be born." http://sayersjourney.blogspot.com/2009/11/prematurity-awareness-day.html

Our Stork Got Lost: "I definitely wasn’t prepared for the feelings of guilt, sadness, jealousy, anger, confusion, and fear that I would feel just because Max and Wes were born prematurely." http://ourstorkgotlost.com/2009/11/blogging-for-preemies-a-mommys-point-of-view

As Thanksgiving approaches and we begin to focus our attention on buying and preparing dish after dish for our holiday feasts, it becomes more apparent than ever that there are many people in our communities that will be going without a Thanksgiving meal this year. In fact, many of these people often go without meals for themselves and their children and some struggle daily with hunger.

Food banks and nonprofit organizations all across the world do their best to help those in need, but it seems no matter how much they do there is always more that can be done. This year has been especially tough for these organizations. As millions of people worldwide feel the impacts of the current financial crisis, less and less people are in a position to give time, food or money.

That is why BloggersUnite has asked bloggers to join the Brown Bag Project. The aim of the project is to get bloggers to help in the fight against hunger. They have asked that today, 11/21/09, bloggers pack a bag full of food and deliver it to a hungry family, deliver food to a local food bank, donate money to a nonprofit fighting hunger, or anything else that will help feed those that are hungry.

The BlogCatalog team got in on the action a day early. Yesterday, we packed up 6 boxes full of food and delivered directly to families in need. We know our efforts are just a proverbial drop in the bucket, but seeing the smiles on the faces of those we helped and hearing their gratitude lets us know that we made a difference in their lives. And, that's what this project is about--taking just a little time out of your schedule to do something that will not only keep someone for being hungry tonight, but also make a positive impact on someone's life.

We want to thank St. Josephs's Downtown Church and Country Home Learning Center for helping us locate families in need. Anyone in the San Antonio area who would like to help someone in need today can donate a frozen turkey to the SA Food Bank's Holiday Turkey Round-Up until 7 pm today. Look for the refrigerated trucks at these SSFCU locations:

• 281 North Service Center
• The Rim Service Center
• 410/Rigsby Service Center
• SW Military Service Center

Links for maps to the donation centers can be found on the SA Food bank website.

November 11th is known by different names all across the globe. To some it is known as Veterans Day; others call it Armistice Day or Remembrance Day. No matter what you call it, November 11 is a day to remember the soldiers who gave their lives to protect our freedoms and to honor their memory.

Throughout modern history this day has been marked by parades, memorial services, speeches and other events that express the respect we have for our fallen heroes. Recently, with the coming of blogs and other social media platforms, our remembrance has also moved online. Social networks like Twitter and Facebook are allowing users to share their thoughts about the holiday and details about their activities with friends and followers. This gives us great insight into how people feel about this holiday and what they do to remember those who have sacrificed their lives for the greater good.

JoeMasiero tweeted "Thank you to all the veterans who have served and all those still serving our country." MissBonatide says "Thank you to all the veterans who have served and all those still serving our country." Mstigall shared this, "Do yourself a favor and personally thank at least one veteran and one current soldier today. They deserve it." Some even shared links showing what they are planning to do to sow their respect and urging other to join them. JazminAshlee wrote "I will be doing this ==>>http://bit.ly/1FrTfR<<== You should too!" Her link takes you to a page on parents.com where you can find information on sending letters and care packages to currently deployed troops.

Bloggers are also very active on this day. BloggersUnite.org, a website dedicated to raising awareness about important issues by asking bloggers to write about a certain issue on a particular day, is holding an event today called Veterans Day: Who Will Stand. The event is aimed at raising awareness and funds for nonprofit groups that support U.S. Veterans. Event organizers also hope to promote "Who Will Stand," a documentary that explores the issues U.S. veterans face when dealing with the physical and psychological scars of battle.

The bloggers participating in the event share their individual views about Veterans Day and their personal experiences. Julia Kelly's post "From Flanders Field to Silent Tears: Bloggers Unite for Veterans" is a great overview piece that spotlights several BlogCatalog members who are writing about their military experiences. She tells us about people like Susan Blake, a mother writing about her son's deployment to Iraq, and Leanne Koscsis who created a resource called Military Avenue that provides information and connections for military families.

Bloggers Jane and Beth also share their thoughts on Veterans Day through their fictional characters Margie and Edna, two elderly sisters from the fictional town of Jericho, KS. Margie reflects on the recent memorial for the soldiers killed at Fort Hood. "I saw the spouses who have to go it alone now," she writes, "the parents who have suffered the loss of a child, the children who will miss growing up with one parent, and all the brothers, sisters, grandparents, cousins, and friends who mourn. I mourn with all of you and I am grateful for all those who serve our country now, then, and in the years to come."

The birth of social media has changed the way people connect with one another. When it comes to a holiday like Veterans Day, it gives people the opportunity to easily share their thoughts about the day, let people know about planned activities and make meaningful connections. It allows organizations to reach out to millions of people and let them know how they can support Veterans. And, it even gives those of us stuck behind a desk today the ability to contribute and honor the brave men and women who have so selflessly given their lives defending us.

Thanks you to all the brave soldiers who have made the ultimate sacrifice defending my freedom. To those of you who are currently deployed, thank you for your service. Stay safe and come home soon!

This post was cross posted on Broowaha.com and was submitted to BloggersUnite.org as part of the Veterans Day: Who Will Stand event.

To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.

~  Lt. Col John McCrae,  In Flanders Fields

Whether you know it as Veterans Day, Armistice Day, or Remembrance Day, November 11 is a day set aside to honor the fallen.

It is a day we honor all service men and women who wear the uniform of their country, overcoming fear to do what is necessary in a dangerous world.

The path of a soldier is one in which emotion is tempered by duty and discipline, and peril is balanced by the tedium of constant readiness. There are a thousand partners in the journey down the soldier’s path – family and friends, strangers and compatriots. We glimpse the experience of these many through the blogs they keep – through their poetry and personal stories, as they support loved ones and each other.

BlogCatalog lists the blogs of many service members, veterans organizations and military families. Blogging, although relatively new, has become an indispensible way for soldiers and veterans to connect with family and express the sometimes raw emotions that are a part of military life.  It is also a way to discuss everyday routines and to take comfort in a community that understands the challenges of military life.

Occasionally, blog-authors use their writing to share experiences that are deeply personal.  Such is the case with BlogCatalog member, Susan Blake.  Recently, Susan took the brave step of writing about her son’s deployment to Iraq. As she describes on her blog, Erasing the Bored, it was a difficult topic, but one she hopes will enlighten others’ perception of soldiers and their families.  Susan writes eloquently about saying goodbye to her only son on the day he shipped out, reflecting on the very moment of goodbye,

He stripped himself of himself in so many ways - and became what? A soldier? I knew in my heart I was losing a huge part of my son that day. He would not come back. This was the official ending of his childhood. I could no longer protect him. He would have experiences there that would change him forever.

Susan’s writing spoke to my heart and brought tears to my eyes. In that moment of transformation, her boy became a soldier and she became a military mother.

Military families bear a difficult burden. They stay and wait and wonder; the homefront is their battlefield.  And yet, the blogs of military families are rich -- full of highs and lows, ordinary days and extraordinary trials.  Many create networks of support, sharing information on policy changes and programs. Krystel at ArmyWife101 has certainly done that, promoting VetsPrevail, answering questions about on-post life,  and sharing ways to reach out to loved ones during the holidays.

Leanne Koscsis at Military Avenue has created a great resource for Military families. Military Avenue hosts a question & answer forum for members to connect with one another and provides policy information and links to businesses who support the troops. Most recently, Military Avenue has compiled a list of 101 ways ordinary people can thank veterans every day of the year.

At times, blogs are the places to share lessons learned from the past. Lynne Cole's writing contrasts the treatment of returning Vietnam veterans with those coming home from Operation Desert Storm. The difference was made, in large part, because of the amazing troop greeters (of whom Lynne was one) who gave their time and energy to throw their arms open in welcome, embracing tearful soldiers grateful to be taking their first steps back on home soil.

And when the lessons of the past and the needs of the present converge, there are groups of bloggers who will stand together, dedicated to raising awareness of the ongoing needs of soldiers and veterans. BloggersUnite -- Veterans Day: Who Will Stand is a just such a group.

Veterans Day: Who Will Stand bloggers are writing today to help raise awareness and funds for nonprofit organizations that support U.S. Veterans returning from service with physical and/or psychological scars. According to Military Medicine magazine, 46.5 percent of solders with post-traumatic stress [PTS] have suicidal thoughts and 33.5 percent of PTS sufferers have tried to commit suicide – clear evidence that battlefield trauma can follow a soldier home. Veterans make up a significant portion of homeless men in the United States as well. In many ways, our Veterans are in crisis; now is the time to come together to help.

You can help veterans by informing yourself and by spreading the word to raise awareness of their needs. You can contact your Representatives and Senators and local leaders in government to express your support of Veterans. Be vocal.  Support your local chapter of Veterans of Foreign Wars, the American Legion, or your local VA hospital with your time, talent, and funds. Or learn about and support these organizations that help Soldiers and Veterans every day:

• The Soldiers Project helps provide free counseling and support to military service members who have already or who expect to serve in the Iraq and/or Afghanistan conflicts and to veterans of those conflicts. The services are completely confidential and are not reported to any  government agencies.

• Blue Star Mothers provides support for active duty service personnel, assists veterans organizations, and is available to assist in homeland volunteer efforts. The organization consists of mothers who have had children honorably serving in the military.

• Wounded Warrior Project raises awareness and enlists the aid of the public in meeting the needs of severely injured service men and women by providing direct services that honor and empower wounded warriors. They also advocate for legislation to provide critically-needed services to family caregivers of severely wounded warriors.

These organizations and others are featured in the film Who Will Stand, an independent documentary that covers the plight of physically and/or psychologically wounded soldiers after they have returned from war. To learn more, you can watch excerpts from the film, shared by producer/director Phil Valentine on YouTube.  Who Will Stand will also be featured at a special Veterans Day screening in Las Vegas on November 11, 2009.

I will close with a quotation from Iraq veteran and BlogCatalog poetry-blogger, Tony L. Jefferson, Jr., from his blog, Poetic MindState. Tony’s poems are powerful expressions of his life as a soldier and as a man. In his poem Silent Tears, he writes,

…
I carry this pain, this hurt, this distrust
Like a soldier carries his bags in Iraq
How can I love while crying these silent tears?
How can one person live with so much pain?
All I could do was cry
Cry for you
Cry for me
Cry for the world
…

Today, we at BlogCatalog invite you to read about and support the men and women of our armed forces and their families. Please do so with an open mind and heart. And then take action to support soldiers, veterans, and their families in your own community not just today, but throughout the year.

Winner of an Amazon Kindle: Mike Magdaleno
Mike has been solving problems and studying human performance for over 25 years.  He has a Bachelor of Science degree (with honors) from the University of Redlands.  He has also been a student of Far Eastern philosophies and holds a second degree black belt in Korean Hapkido.  He brings a special talent to my coaching in that I have seen many of the problems people have and tested what works and seen what does not.

Winner of Bose on-ear headpones: Jay Ehret
Jay Ehret is Chief Officer of Awesomeness of The Marketing Spot in Waco, Texas. He is a small business marketing coach, consultant, speaker and writer. Jay started blogging about small business marketing in March 2007 and joined BlogCatalog in July. He blog specifically about marketing issues as the apply to specifically to entrepreneurs and small businesses. He give practical advice on topics such as branding, the customer experience, word of mouth, social media, advertising and promotion.
www.TheMarketingSpotBlog.com

Winner of a $100 Apple Gift Card: Robert Richardson
Robert has been involved in online marketing for about 10 years now. Currently he is the online Marketing Manager for a large bank. He also runs a number of websites including http://networkinvegas.com, http://offgridsurvival.com, and
http://richardsongraphics.com.

(posted by Jason Teitelman, Written by Deb Schroeder)

Have No Fear and Let Your Passion Lead You to the Next Level
The Opening Keynote at Blog World with Laura Fitton was very inspirational and a great way to begin the conference. Laura Fitton is referred to by many as the Queen of Twitter, wrote Twitter for Dummies, and founded Oneforty.com. Oneforty.com has reviews and information of all of the best twitter apps.

Laura recommends that you should just be who you are when twittering and don’t just post links, but ask questions and make connections.  She believes that in order for you to be “Awesome on Twitter,” you need to listen, learn, care, and serve.

Laura Fitton emphasized that you should not have fear or hesitance with blogging, twittering, and the use of social media.  We should always try new things since we all have something to offer.

If we hold ourselves back and don’t try, then we will be cheating everyone else out of something that only you can offer.  Discover your passion and let it lead you.

Internet Marketing for Smart People

The panel for Internet Marketing for Smart People consisted of Darren Rowse, Sonia Simone, Brian Clark, and Chris Brogan.   The hour long session had too many great points to jot down, so you can watch the entire session at JohnChow.com.  Below are some quick notes from the session.

• Posting: Keep a post rhythm with your blog so that your readers know what to expect.  If you post once or 5 times a week, be consistent with that rhythm.
• Content: Deliver valuable content to your readers.  Ask yourself “Is my content itself a reward for reading it?”  Does the content add value to your readers?
• Email Newsletter Marketing: Email marketing is still very important and email newsletters are the way to go.  RSS isn’t turning out the way they once thought it was.  More traffic is through email readers than RSS.  Some found that ads clicked doubled with email as opposed to RSS.  One way to get readers to subscribe by email would be a free e-book incentive.
• Community: Create a community among your readers so that they feel like it is “our community” not “your community.”
• What do you have to sell? Find something worth selling to your readers that provides value to them.  Build the audience first and create trust before trying to sell to your audience.  Get to know your readers and pay attention to them so that you know what they need and what is important to them.

Sponsored Conversations and the new FTC Regulations

Panelists were Ted Murphy, Jeremiah Owyang and Wendy Piersall

One of the common discussions at the 2009 Blog World Expo was the new Federal Trade Commission’s regulations for online advertising and sponsored conversations.  The new FTC regulations go into effect on December 1, 2009 and there was much debate about the topic.

What can be considered sponsored conversations?  Tweets, posts, and comments can all be considered sponsored conversations if the blogger receives payment, gifts or any other item for certain content.  It doesn’t matter if the blogger would have included the content with or without receiving payment.  Bottom line-- if the blogger receives a gift or payment, then it must be disclosed.

It is important to create transparency within your blog and having a disclosure policy encourages trust among your readers.  The disclosure policy should be up at the top of your site and clear to your readers.  The new regulations lack clarity, but from the discussions at Blog World, it seems that individual posts that can be considered “sponsored” would need a disclosure statement as well.

An online site created and funded by IZEA allows you to create a Free Disclosure Policy from DisclosurePolicy.org in which you answer a series of questions.  After answering questions pertaining to your blog, a disclosure policy is created for you to copy and paste into your site.

Blogging Super Panel Gave Live Feedback on Site Reviews

The Super Panel with live feedback on site reviews consisted of top money making bloggers Zac Johnson, John Chow, and Darren Rowse.  Below are some tips offered to the various sites reviewed that can be applied to most blogs:

• If you have a new blog, focus on content and getting readers rather than trying to focus on monetization.  Most bloggers shouldn’t expect to be making large amounts of money until they have been blogging consistently and gaining readership for about 2 years.
• Your signup box for email and RSS updates should be large and easy to find.  Many put the signup box in the top right corner.  It is good to end posts with an offer to signup to subscribe in addition to having the signup box.
• Newsletter updates are important and you should attract more readers with this. Offer incentives for them to signup, such as a free e-book or newsletters with free samples, discounts, or some educational material in your niche. You can use your newsletter to help monetize your blog by offering valuable products for purchase, ads, etc.
• Do not ask for the first and last names of your readers when asking them to signup for updates or to subscribe to the blog.  Make the process easy and seamless for them.
• A general estimation given was that if your site is getting about 1 million page views a month, then you should be earning about $10,000 a month if monetized correctly.
• As you grow, you can consider offering membership sites, educational material or e-books as a way to monetize your blog.
• View your site in multiple browsers to correct errors that others may be seeing.
• Don’t have a super-large header and make sure that your header design lets the reader know what your blog is about.

Drive Traffic and Build Readership Using Niche Communities

Kevin Palmer discussed the many ways to use niche communities to drive traffic and build readership.  Kevin runs his own consulting company, Social Media Answers, LLCwhich has an abundant of free resources for those interested in growing with social media.

1. Evaluate Your Audience: Who are they?  What describes them?  How are they using the internet?  What content would they be interested in?
2. Examine Other Bloggers: Look at other bloggers in your niche and find out what social media sites they are using to connect with readers.  Look at their sidebars and examine the social media buttons they display.  Do a search with their twitter name to see what they are doing and how they are using twitter.  You can useCompete.com to analyze the traffic that other sites in your niche are getting.
3. Join Niche Social Networking Sites:  You can find over 400 Niche Social Networking Sites with reviews at Kevin Palmer’s website. Use social networking sites to gain potential readers.  Social networking sites are smaller Ease your way into the community, engage within the rules and listen to the readers. Don’t just join and broadcast your message, but become an active participant to create trust.  Look at the message boards and join in the active discussion.  Completely fill out your profile and include a profile picture.

This year at BlogWorld 09, BlogCatalog introduced HalfHourMeals.com and Broowaha.com--two sites that will give bloggers another outlet for their writing and the opportunity to share their writing with more specific audiences. HalfHourMeals.com is a place where anyone can come and find quick, easy-to-make recipes along with great cooking tips, a community blog and a directory of other excellent foodie and cooking blogs. Whether you are an experienced cook or you are making your first venture into the kitchen, this site has great recipes that you will enjoy preparing and eating! We hope that you will check it out and add some of your favorite recipes to the mix. Also, if you have a food blog, this is the place to list it and to connect with readers and other writers who are interested in what you are blogging about.

Here is Chef Clive at BlogWorld Expo 2009 speaking about the connection between food and socializing, how connecting with others over a shared meal is such an important part of our world's many cultures and how HalfHourmeals.com can help the even the busiest of us find time to participate in these important rituals.

Chef Clive and HalfHourMeals at BlogWorld 09

Suggested Topics for Fight for Preemies on November 17

• More than one million infants die each year because they are born too soon. Every year, an estimated 13 million babies worldwide are born prematurely — defined as birth at less than 37 full weeks of gestation. Ask your readers to support a March of Dimes event to promote awareness and raise funds for these infants.
http://www.marchofdimes.com/howtohelp/645.asp

• About one million deaths in the first month of life (28 percent of total newborn deaths) are attributed to preterm birth. Babies who survive a preterm birth risk serious lifelong health problems including cerebral palsy, blindness, hearing loss, learning disabilities, and other chronic conditions. Help us educate people on how to care for a premature baby and reduce the risk of complications.
http://www.marchofdimes.com/prematurity/21295_10699.asp

• Africa has the highest preterm birth rate in the world at 11.9; followed by (in descending order) North America (Canada and the U.S. combined), Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean, Oceania (Australia and New Zealand combined), and Europe. Consider encouraging volunteerism (in person or virtually) to help this cause.
http://www.marchofdimes.com/howtohelp/864.asp

• Globally, the preterm birth rate is estimated to be 9.6 percent, representing about 12.9 million babies. The toll is particularly severe for Africa and Asia, where 85 percent of all premature birth occurs. Consider highlighting March of Dimes international programs to reduce prematurity worldwide or other organizations working on this problem.
http://www.marchofdimes.com/871_1382.asp

• The rate of preterm birth in the U.S. has increased 36 percent in the past 25 years. Consider educating your readers on the growing number of preventative measures they can take to reduce their risk of preterm birth and the importance of prenatal care.
http://www.marchofdimes.com/professionals/14332_1156.asp

Fight for Preemies Badges:

For more badges and other resources please visit http://www.bloggersunite.org/event/fight-for-preemies

For those of you thinking it may be too late to get your pass for BlogWorld, think again! There's still time to register and get yourself to Las Vegas. You can even still get a discount; check out the letter below form BlogWorld Expo Co-Founder Dave Cynkin for details:

World's Largest Social Media Conference, BlogWorld & New Media Expo, is coming to Las Vegas Oct. 15-17 and Blog Catalog will be there!

Blog Catalog community members can register online at http://www.blogworldexpo.com and Save 20% off any pass with this Discount Code: BC20

Check out the incredible Conference Schedule, with more than 90 sessions and 300 presenters:
http://blogworldexpo09.sched.org/

Take a peek at the Star-Studded Keynote Presenters list:

• Richard Jalichandra - CEO of Technorati

• Guy Kawasaki - Co-Founder, alltop.com , Managing Director, Garage Technology Ventures, author of "The Art of the Start", "Reality Check"

• Chris Brogan - President, New Marketing Labs, Co-Author of "Trust Agents"

• Kara Swisher - Co-Executive Editor, allthingsD.com , author of author of "aol.com : How Steve Case Beat Bill Gates, Nailed the Netheads and Made Millions in the War for the Web"

• Leo Laporte - Radio Show host, Host and Producer of leading podcasts including This Week in Tech, The Daily Giz Wiz

• Scott Monty - Digital & Multimedia Communications Manager, Ford Motor Company

• Kevin Pollak - Actor, Comedian, Twitter user, Host of internet TV show: Kevin Pollak's Chat Show

• Joanna Drake Earl - COO of Current TV

• Laura Fitton - Founder of Pistachio Consulting and oneforty.com

• Jeremiah Owyang - Altimeter Group - Partner, Emerging Technology Strategy Consultant

• Ted Murphy - CEO, IZEA

• Wendy Piersall - CEO, Sparkplugging

• Don Lemon - CNN Newsroom anchor

• Jermaine Durpi - American record producer, rapper and Grammy winning songwriter and blogger at Global14.com .

• Brian Solis - Founder of FutureWorks PR and New Media Agency, author of PR2.0 blog, bub.blicio.us and author of "Putting the Public Back in Public Relations"

• Jay Rosen - NYU Journalism Professor, author of "Press Think" blog, Advisory Board Member, Wikipedia, author of "What Are Jornalists For"

• Hugh Hewitt - Radio talk show host of "The Hugh Hewitt Show" on Salem Radio Network, Law Professor, author of Blog: Understanding the Information Reformation That's Changing Your World"

• Chad Vader (Aaron Yonda and Matt Sloan) - Youtube star with 25 million episode downloads

• Jenny “The Blogess” - author of The Blogess, Ask the Blogess and more

• Anthony Edwards - Actor best known for his leading role on the NBC hit medical drama "ER", utilizes the internet and social media to raise support for charities

The conference is bigger and better than ever for 2009...and if you haven't already met your fellow Technorati and BC friends face-to-face, this is a perfect opportunity to meet up for great networking. Come join us!

Be sure to check out Jason Falls' post on Social Media Explorer:
"10 More Reasons You Should Come To Blog World"
http://www.socialmediaexplorer.com/2009/09/11/10-more-reasons-you-should-come-to-blog-world/

Hope to meet you in Vegas at BlogWorld & New Media Expo!

Best Regards,

Dave Cynkin
Co-Founder, Sleep Deprivationist and Thrill Seeker
BlogWorld & New Media Expo

Well it's here; today is the the day we announce which lucky blogger has won the 3-day, full-access pass to BlogWorld Expo 2009 and 1 million ad impressions for their blog on BlogCatalog.com. Making this decision was no easy task and we want to sincerely thank all of the bloggers who took time out of their days to send in an entry. Once it was all said and done, there were two entries that the BC team agreed stood out from the rest.

The first was "Why Me?" a laugh-out-loud post about the uniquely beneficial condition JD (BC username JDh888) feels makes him the best blogger for us to take to Las Vegas. If we only had one word to describe this entry it would be "wow!" Everyone loved JD's humor and energy, and we know he'd be a great guy to meet in Sin City.