Hey all! I decided that it would be pretty cool to have a guest blogger to come on here every now and then; specifically, someone who has an area of interest they want to touch, and wants to be heard. If you'd like to guest blog, just email me with your topic!

Jonathan McCorvey is a senior studying communications at the University of South Alabama. After Jonathan became a member of Alpha Phi Alpha, it seemed he had a few things to get off his chest...and I mean more than a few. Check out what he has to say:

Since crossing those burning sands to become a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. on Sun. November 7, 2010, I have had many memorable experiences. However, everything I hear about my fraternity and others somewhat disturbs me. Before crossing I wanted to talk about it but couldn't. Now that I am Greek, I feel that I can.

There is a lot of stereotyping when it comes to all of the the organizations in the Divine Nine (The nickname given to the 9 Black Greek Letter Organization in the National Pan-Hellenic Council). Everybody thinks that being a certain color, size, or having a high status or IQ is what makes these groups pick its members. That is totally false! Each group has members of all different, sizes, shades, and backgrounds, yet some people who are not Greek get a certain notion that each group is a certain way- often times this is based upon an encounter they had with a member that made a lasting impression on how they view the organization as a whole. I myself had these same notions when I first got to college, but as time went on I learned to judge people as individuals and not as the organization that they are apart of.

When people found out that I had become an Alpha, they were shocked- most people said that they saw me as too much of an individual to pledge, and others said that they just didn't see me as an Alpha. When I asked what they saw me as, some said Omega and others said Kappa. Now I could understand Omega because I tend to sometimes say what's on my mind in a brash manner, but I could not for the life of me understand Kappa, and that's nothing against any brother in that fraternity. When asked why they thought I would pledge Kappa, a lot of young ladies said "Because you look like one". I looked like one because of my light-skin, "good hair" and good-looks. I was angered by this- why did these young ladies figure that I have to be Kappa just because I possessed all of those assets?

For some strange reason Alphas have a tendency to be known as the geeks and bookworms of the campus. In my time at Alcorn State and at South Alabama, I haven't met a brother who met that stereotype yet! And as far as being geeks....Donald Driver just won the Super Bowl with the Green Bay Packers...and what is he? An Alpha Man! Dr. Martin Luther King, who changed the world so that all men could be equal? Alpha Man! Thurgood Marshall, first black Supreme Court Justice? Alpha Man. And can a nerd step like the great men who wear Black and Old Gold? Don't think so!

Kappa have this stigma that all they do is just twirl canes and think they are better then the others. That's not true. These brothers are just like the Alphas, goal oriented and strive to be the best at what they do. The late great Attorney Johnnie Cochran....Kappa Man. Original King of Comedy Cedric the Entertainer....Kappa Man. Criticallly Acclaimed Director John Singelton...Kappa Man. What does that tell you?

Alphas and Kappas both have a stigma that I REALLY am not to pleased with: it is said that we have a lot of gay members in our organizations! Let me state that I have never met a brother that was a part of either organization that was gay! I hate to sound snobbish, but they may just be mad because their women want us, or it may women who are mad because we didn't find them attractive and turned them down, or it could be because you didn't get picked. Now I'm not saying that homosexuals don't get in, because they do. But people who make those claims fail to realize that gay and lesbian people are scattered across ALL Greek organizations.

The next up are the men of Omega Psi Phi. These brothers are said to be your dumb jocks who can never seem to graduate from college on time. All they do is party and have sex all the time (but to be fair, what young man in his early twenties doesn't?) They are idiots who just walk around in camouflage all day hanging their tongues out! FALSE! Ques are actually the most determined and adventurous brothers that you will ever meet. Heck, I got invited to one of their parties a couple of weeks ago and they thanked me for showing love. And as far as being dumb...PLEASE. There was a brother that attended South Alabama who was an Omega and he played classical piano. That's something that a REFINED man does. And as for them not contributing to society.....Dr. Charles Drew, the first man to perform a successful open heart surgery...Omega Man. Michael Jordan, a man who is said to be undisputed the best basketball player ever...Omega Man. Bill Cosby, who headed one of the most popular television shows of all time...Omega Man. Enough Said

The last brothers that I am going to write about are the men of Phi Beta Sigma. These are the brothers who are said to be loud and country, and the rejects of Alpha, Kappa, and Omega. That is far from true! Everybody says that they are are combination of all of them because that's what they really want to be instead of Sigma. Sigmas are the brothers who joined their organizations because of that reason: they don't have a definite picture of what a Sigma man is supposed to be! They can be their own man and change for the better. As far as being loud...these guys are some of the coolest guys you can ever meet...real approachable. And as far as them being nobodies: Emmit Smith and Jerry Rice, the all-time leading rusher in NFL history, and All-Time Leader in touchdown Catches in NFL History....Sigma Men. George Washington Carver, who was an acclaimed scientist and inventor...Sigma Man. Huey P Newton, co-founder of the Black Panthers....Sigma Man.

I can't write much about the Iotas because I have never met one. But I do know that they were founded by brothers who were pushing for Civil Rights. They are said to be people that nobody ever knew that was on campus. I'm pretty sure that's not true. And as a far as them being uncool: T.C. Carson....Known as "Kyle Barker from Living Single." Who would have thought huh? Besides, they were just founded in the 1960s, so the other fraternities had a 60 year head start in fostering revolutionary figures. Give them time.

I was going to do the female Greeks as well but this letter is long enough so be on the lookout for that one soon.

Sincerely

Jonathan "Petey Mac" McCorvey

Disclaimer: Guest bloggers do not necessarily reflect the ideas and/or views of the main blogger on this website; these guest bloggers are chosen to foster discussion and understanding of various issues.

Dream Careers 2010 Boat Cruise

Created with PhotoShake iPad. Lots of fun, lots of inebriates, and lots of new friendships.

I Scream, You Scream....

On Wednesday, April 27th, Baskin Robbins will run their 31-Cent Scoop Night, which has become a yearly tradition. It's a great way to take the family, friends or significant other out on the cheap. More importantly, however, the night is dedciated to donating to the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation (NFFF). If you have a spare buck or two (as I imagine you would, since you're getting ice cream for next to nothing), please donate, as all the money donated to each Baskin Robbins goes to helping local fire charities.

As a result of this event, the Flavor of the Month is called Firehouse #31; here's a description of the ice cream in the words of Baskin Robbins:

We're bringing the heat with a crunchy hot cinnamon ribon laced through red cinnamon ice cream and packed with hot candy pieces! Vanilla ice cream puts out the fire.

By the way, I just want to point out how cool Baskin Robbins' logo is; it's been out for a few years now, but I just wanted to point out how cool it is that the initials are colored so there's a pink 31 right there in the middle. It's definitely one of my favorite logos from the last few years.

Cooking With Jeremy- The Adventure Begins!

I love to cook; it's therapeutic for me, especially after a long day at work. I'm sure it won't seem that therapeutic once I have a family and cooking becomes a chore during the week, but I plan on keeping "fun cooking" as an integral part of my life.

Anyway, I made a pan-seared tilapia tonight, and it was amazing. The outside probably could have been a little crispier, but overall, it turned out great. This, hopefully, will become a regular feature on my blog, with pictures and recipes and more.

Happy Eating!

We'll cherish all the mem'ries dear, That cluster 'round our sojourn here

So here's a quick bit on me: I went to boarding school. The Hotchkiss School, a highly regarded prep school in Connecticut, gave me a full ride and I, wanting a brand new experience, took my talents to Lakeville, Connecticut. I don't think I was mentally prepared for this brand new world, and I don't think I was until about a month before I left for good. I retired from my boarding school career after two years, but before I left, my advisor, Mr. Lou Pressman, gave me a book called The Children, by David Halberstam. After I had left for home, I opened the book and found this message:

Jeremy,
I'm not going to let you leave Hotchkiss without taking the chance to say a few things. 

I know these almost two years at Hotchkiss have been tough. As your time here has drawn to a close, it would have been understandable if you has abandoned all effort to keep learning and given up on yourself.But you didn't do either. You've kept at your studies- kept learning- right to the end. And you've held on to your dignity, as you should- because you've got tremendous potential. You're going to go on in your life to do so much that will give you many reasons for real pride! 

I hope you read this book, thick though it is (If you choose not to read it, it will make a great door stop!) It tells the story of some truly extraordinary young men and women, who, working together, found resources of courage and discipline in themselves that helped change the world. 

You're a pretty extraordinary young man too, Jeremy. Don't ever doubt that, just because of the obstacles you met in Lakeville or the work still to be done developing your skills. Keep believing in yourself, my friend. You take with you my high hopes and deep respect. 

Yours,
Lou Pressman

I thought back to a lot of things- Mr. Pressman proactively taking me under his wing as an advisor my lower mid year, his one on one chats after our club soccer meetings, and his constant attempts to help me fix what was broken in my life at the time. His overall care for me as a student, coupled with the fact that I'd never really realized that fact until I'd never see him again, came to a head. I sat in my room and bawled like a baby for an hour.

You see, for a long time in my life, the only redeeming attribute I had was being smart; or at least, that's the only thing people complimented me on. Not my sense of humor, not my kind spirit, or my desire to attain knowledge, but just that I was smart; I just knew a lot of random stuff that other people didn't. I wasn't athletic; I was somewhat outgoing but not popular. People recruited me for Bow Tie Bowl (an all-school trivia competition at Hotchkiss), but past that, I wasn't seen for much else outside of my small circle of friends.

Now, along comes this guy, who at the time was the only person outside of my immediate family at the time to put value on something other than my brain; and as any teenager will tell you, when you're fifteen years old, your family members, specifially your parents, are the last people you look towards for an opinion. But to be totally fair, how well do you know yourself at fifteen to dismiss a parent's advice? But there it was, written on the inside of a book, just for me. They weren't words from some sappy, half hearted self help manual. They were true, honest words from a man I considered a mentor and a friend. That, more than anything else, helped me realize my self worth at the time, and let me tell you- I undervalued my self worth then- by a lot.

I haven't talked to Mr. Pressman since my class graduated from Hotchkiss nearly six years ago- I don't even know if he remembers ever writing this note, or even buying the book he wrote it in. But I hope that this entry finds him well, and that one day, if I ever return to Hotchkiss and find him still teaching, that we can reminisce on old times, and that I, as a fully formed adult, will still find myself as curious, as voracious for knowledge, and still as in love with learning as I was at fifteen.

Phil Jackson Circa 1974

Just thought I'd share a pic with you from Phil Jackson's playing days as a New York Knick. This is very "Mountain Man meets Alan from The Hangover".

Jackson was a reserve for the Knicks in 1973, the last year they won an NBA championship. Earning the nickname "Action Jackson", he was a fan favorite who tied for most personal fouls in the league during the 1974-75 season. Jackson played in the league from 1967 to 1980, but found a tad more success as an NBA coach.

Girl You Know It's True

I saw a pretty interesting tweet today by Dave Harris (@retrorewind):

RetroRewind Dave Harris 

The difference between the 80s and today: Today Milli Vanilli would have been auto tuned & no one would care.

Let that sink in for a minute. I'll go grab a sandwich.

Is EA Sports phasing out Tiger Woods?

Okay, so maybe I'm a little paranoid here, but I'm looking at the covers of the last three Tiger Woods golf video games, and it seems like EA Sports is showing us where they lie on the Tiger Woods situation. Even after losing numerous sponsors after his infidelity scandal, EA stood by him. But how much longer will they? Let's take a look at the covers:

Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10: Pre-Incident

Five months before the madness began, Tiger was still one of the world's elite golfers, and it didn't look like anything would be changing; at this time, he had been the face of EA's golf franchise since 1999, and things weren't looking to change anytime soon.

Tiger Woods PGA Tour 11: Post-Incident

After the incident, a good number of Tiger's sponsors dumped him, as did advertisers, including Tag Heuer, Accenture, and Gillette. Although EA chose to stand by Tiger, they also took the opportunity to transfer some of their eggs to another basket. The basket in question is North Irish golfer Rory McIlroy. With Ryder Cup online play being introduced in Tiger Woods 11, this gave EA the perfect opportunity to begin a transfer of power from Woods to another rising star.

Tiger Woods PGA Tour 12: Tiger Underperforms

Let's see....there's a little issue here......TIGER ISN'T EVEN ON THE COVER THIS YEAR. Moreover, Woods' name, normally front and center, has been relegated to the bottom of the box in smaller print. This could represent a pretty big shift in the game's title; the game may be renamed to get rid of Tiger altogether next year.

This shift has been gradual, and the only way Woods can reverse it is by winning. There's nothing else to apologize for, and the infidelity scandal is fully behind him. There's no more time to talk; Woods has to put up or shut up, or he'll be released from his EA endorsement deal for a brand new reason; he just can't play golf anymore.

5 Things The Xbox 360 Can Still Do Better

Let me just say this: I love my Xbox 360. Between playing games, catching up with my teams on ESPN, or watching movies on Netflix, it is a major asset to my meager dorm room. But still, I feel that the system could do better. With a major console makeover last summer, and the introduction of Kinect last holiday season, the Xbox is looking to make the transition from the grimy gamer basement to each and every living room in the country. Although they've come a long way since the console's debut in 2005, I still think that there are 5 things that the console can add to really displace the PS3 and Wii.

1. Better Facebook/Twitter Integration

So with the advent of the new Xbox 360 user interface (dubbed NXE) in November of 2008, Microsoft slowly began introducing apps to Xbox users. Facebook and Twitter came in together, and aren't bad. The problem? Well, they're not all that useful. Nothing about the apps stand out, and with my smartphone at hand at all times, there's really no reason for me to exit a game or movie just to post something to either site. Microsoft should look into possibly adding a feature to the mini menu (the one that shows up when you press the Xbox logo on your controller) that would allow people to post achievements, status updates, tweets, and more without having to ever leave their current program. It could also end up driving sales of their keyboard attachment.

2. Skype on Kinect

This one, in my opinion, could be big. Adding value to the already awesome Kinect by being able to video chat on the world's most used video chat software? Killer. Some say that it won't happen because Microsoft has already released Video Kinect, which is compatible with Windows Live Chat. But honestly, who uses IM software to video chat anymore? Seriously, when's the last time you've opened up a chat box not located in Skype or Facebook? I'll watch the clock.

EDIT 5/10/2011: Microsoft has bought Skype for $8.5 billion.

3. Add My Media Easier

Honestly, playing music on my Xbox is a pain in the ass. I have to do one of four things:

1. Pair my Xbox with Windows Media Center on my laptop

2. Burn music CDs and then rip them on my Xbox

3. Purchase a Zune Pass

4. Plug my Mp3 player into my Xbox and hope to god it can read my music

The first isn't too bad if you're on a secure network...but I still can't be in my game at the same time. The second requires too much work, as that means I have to add songs only 15 or so at a time....and if the album information isn't copied over to the Xbox perfectly, then I have to painstakingly type everything in manually. The third is just an unneeded expense, unless you're such a music fan to spend $15 monthly- I guess I can't talk though- I do pay $10 a month to have Netflix. The fourth isn't great either, since I have to navigate folders, and I can only play music one folder at a time. Since most music players separate songs into folders by artist, I'm basically screwed. Either way, I should be able to plug in a jumpdrive and add all my music like that- or at least allow me to transfer my music over through Windows Media Center. If I have a 250 GB hard drive, I'd like to use it for something other than game installs and dust-catching demos.

4. Live Tiles

I like the Xbox's "Cover Flow" interface, but I also like the tile interface seen on the Kinect version of the UI- I think that the latter could make live tiles possible. For those of you who don't know, live tiles are program icons that change as the news changes. For example, instead of going into my Weather Channel app on my Windows Phone, the live tile tells me it's 68 degrees and sunny; if I want more information, I just go into my app. The ESPN app would be an obvious choice to convert to a live tile app, as are The Weather Channel, Facebook, Twitter. This opens the door for even more, like a gamerscore tile that scrolls through recently played games and achievements, or a news app. Live tiles would give the user all the information they want without entering and exiting multiple programs.

EDIT 6/6/2011: Microsoft has announced that the Metro UI found on Windows Phones will now carry over to the new Xbox 360 user interface. Nice.

5. More Community Games

Xbox had  a big hit on their hands with the free, massive multiplayer trivia game 1 vs. 100. Sadly, it was yanked last year, presumably to make room for the GSN revival (which, as of this point, will not be renewed for a second season). It was fun because it was free, had lots of players, and each game was played live, with some games entirely composed of a single subject matter, like video games or current events. Users could also send in questions to be used on "User Question" nights, where the entire stack was composed of user-submitted questions. Even more awesome was that you could win stuff while playing- the top prize (if you were the lucky 1, playing against the 100), was 10,000 Microsoft Points, and even still, high scorers not in those 101 could still pick up free Xbox games and points along the way. 1 vs. 100 really brought the Xbox Live community together, as casual and hardcore gamers enjoyed the experience. Xbox is trying to recreate the experience with their newest community (but not free) offering, Full House Poker, so it seems as though they may be on the right track.

Did I miss an addition? Is there something else you'd like to see? Post in the comments section below!

Keeping One's Buzzer Hand Strong...

Best. Quiz Bowl Shirt. Ever.

So congratulations! You've qualified for a national quiz bowl tournament in your respective league! While tournament dates are looming, you may be feeling like the walls are closing in, and your vast array of knowledge may not be enough to bring home the title. So what do you do? Well, you've come to the right place! Whether you have one week or two months, it's never too late to improve your QB rating! Here are 7 things that can help you and your team gear up for Quiz Bowl Armageddon 2011.

1. You Don't Know Jack/ Buzz!

This is one of the easy ones in the bunch; usually you'll get one of these a game so your friends can get at least one right.

If you're a console gamer, you've got  a couple of great options here; Xbox gamers only have YDKJ at their disposal, but PS3 gamers have both. Either way, You Don't Know Jack is, in my opinion, the better option.The facts you learn are actually quite useful, and quite a few questions have prompted me to do some follow-up research to learn more. The questions are always asked in an entertaining matter; one notable question asks you to figure out how many of the "Rub A Dub Dub" nursery rhyme characters would survive if they were passengers on the Titanic. The game's host, Cookie Masterson, is hilarious, and makes you want to play 5 or 6 games in one sitting. If you want to just download the demo, you get two full episodes, but for $30, you get just under 75 distinct episodes, and two add-on packs (10 episodes each) are available in the online store at $5 a pop. HIGHLY recommended.

Buzz! is a great game in it's own right; it presents its question material more traditionally, but the game is just as fun. The normal rounds are great, as they can be frantic, but there's a lot more "screw your neighbor" in Buzz than in YDKJ. Buzz, however, has it's own advantages. Since it has already been out for two and a half years, there are a bevy of question packs, ranging from sports to National Geographic. There's also "Sofa vs. Sofa", where four people on your console can play 4 people on a console somewhere else in the world. It's a great option for schools who want to battle in the offseason! The other advantage to the game being out for so long is that you can find it (and the accompanying buzzers) for 20 or 30 bucks.

2. Buffalo Wild Wings

In many cases, I've found that the team who chows down together wins big together. So why not take your talents to BWW, and while you're at it, take in a few Buzztime matches? Buzztime is a trivia company whose end product you normally see in sports bars; a bunch of TVs are set up around the restaurant to allow tables to play various trivia games against one another (which explains the ugly blue keypads). Of course, if you start losing, just remember that it's still 50 cent Wing Wednesdays, and your coach is probably footing the bill.  Either way, you win.

3. Jeopardy! Archive

The second game of Myron Meyer, once the one-day winnings record holder on Jeopardy! at $50,000. Do you know who holds the record now?

THE definitive source of material for former Jeopardy champions and future competitors alike, the Jeopardy! Archive (www.j-archive.com) contains a cavalcade of Jeopardy! clues. But that's not just it- it's so much more. The archive looks, upon first glance, like an episode guide. But click on the episode and you'll see every clue from that episode, who got each one right/wrong (just hover over the dollar amount), the order in which the clues were picked, and more. You can even do a search on the site to find every instance of your favorite category or your favorite player and your other favorite player. Because the answers (or questions, in this case) are hidden, it allows you to play along with minimal cheating. This is a superb resource, and I know many people who've used it to sharpen their skills.

4.Sporcle

This quiz is called History Never Retweets; you have to figure out what historical figure would have been credited with each of these tweets. Within days of being posted, this quiz had been played more than 60,000 times.

I stumbled upon Sporcle in May of 2008. Since then, it has really blown up. Now, I'm not taking full credit for the success of the site, but I have told just about everyone I know about it, so I'm guessing that it helped somewhat. In a nutshell, there's thousands of "quizzes" to choose from. They go from being as mundane as typing in the numbers from 1 to 100 (the fifth most popular "quiz" of all time) to World Cup Hosts to Best Picture Oscar Winners. You have a time limit to complete each quiz, and a fun practice tool is setting up two computers and seeing who can complete a specific quiz faster- those practices always flew by.

5. Brain Foods

I don't recommend changing your eating habits so closely to a big tournament unless whatever you're eating now makes you feel like crap. But basic, healthy foods are always a good choice- apples, sandwiches, smoothies, and fish are all great choices to help keep you alert and awake all throughout the day- this is especially important when you're playing 5 or more matches in a single day. Some tournaments schedule teams to play 10 matches on round robin day, so this small change could mean a world of difference in the way you play in your late afternoon games.

6. Reinforce What You Know

Players tend to overworry when tourney time rolls around, doubtful of the knowledge they've picked up over the season. Adding deeper knowledge to subject matter you already know is fine, but if you're not the team history buff, don't all of a sudden crack open a US History book the week before; it'll only push you closer to panic mode and could possibly lower your confidence in other categories. If you are going to learn a brand new subject, give yourself enough time to learn it; ONLY CRAM IF IT IS ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY.

7. Relax!

This advice can be taken a few different ways:

Pre-game: try not to wear yourself out before a big tournament, and don't get too worked up. Get lots of rest, and try to stick to a pre-game routine that calms your nerves. 

In-game: If your opponents are leading, calm down. Even if they're pulling off a late game rally and/or the score is close near the end of the game, stick to your game plan. Don't get too aggressive to overcompensate; that traditionally leads to more minus fives than plus tens.  

Post-game-If you lose, let the loss go. Don't point fingers, try not to get upset, and just brush it off. Thinking about a loss will only cause you to lose focus in future games.

As a former player, I know how hard relaxing can be- for a lot of us, this is our "sport". We practice all year to reach the big matches, and it's hard to not get worked up when things don't go as planned. I've been there many times. Just always keep in mind what's best for the team; your positive attitude will go a long way to helping your team succeed!

That's all for now; good luck to you in the upcoming tourney season; if you're not participating, then sharpen your wits, check out these tips, and stay tuned in May for more advice as the new season begins!

Join Us In The Blogosphere!

So a lot of readers have been asking me how and why I started my blog. Easy enough- a lot of things fly through my mind at any given time, and having a forum to get them out of my head seemed like a good idea at the time, and still does. Once I started writing, I just got on a roll- it was easy.

However, a lot of you also asked me how to start your own blogs; My only advice was write what you love and write often. But I think a second opinion would be best; check out my interview with guest blogger Alex Echols; Alex is a fellow Dream Careers alum/employee, and a Vanderbilt U alum!Read below for some blogger enlightenment.

What qualities/traits do you think make the best bloggers? 
The best bloggers are those who envision growth as a necessary component of their writing and blogging practice.  From experience, most bloggers begin with a few ideas and themes in mind. Overtime, with essential critiquing, a good blogger becomes more focused and finds his/her niche.  With a portfolio of brilliant, vivid videos, pictures, creative writing and etc., a blogger can go from being good to great.

For my blog, my overall theme has evolved into “I.D.E.A.S,’ focusing on Inspiration, Dreams, Energy, Art (including Fashion & Luxury) and Sarcasm. 

What attracted you to blogging in the first place? I’ve always loved writing.  Initially one of the driving forces behind my blogging was the freedom to express my feelings rather easy.  These days, it is obvious I have no problem expressing my thoughts verbally, but writing allows me the opportunity to construct a fourth wall for my readers. 

How I came into blogging was somewhat happenstance.  Years ago, I heard a lot of friends talking about it and insisted I start one for myself.  Initially, I wrote very small bits in my ‘journal to the world.’  With evolution, I have focused on turning it into a haven of passions, hoping my readers will love it equally, if not more. 

My real secret behind great blogging is writing about what I love and know.

How do you go about choosing what to talk about in your blog?

As previously stated, my blog has gone from being an online database of random thoughts to focusing on I.D.E.A.S.  More specifically, it is anything that really stimulates my senses (all 17 of them).  Whether its cuisine, a poem by an upcoming writer, my own experiences and lessons learned, What the Stars Wore to the  Image Awards, my bucketlists or an upcoming foreign movie trailer, I look for inspiration in every avenue, but I must love the message and idea.

 
What, in your opinion, is the toughest part about being a blogger/maintaining a blog? Finding the time to do just that – maintain your blog.  But there are no other excuses because there will always be good content and new experiences to serve as inspiration.

When you're looking at new blogs, what's the first thing that catches your eye; what tells you whether or not you're going to read more of someone else's blog? First thing: visuals, visuals, visuals!  In addition to great content, a blog should be very welcoming & vibrant from a design standpoint.  Also, it wouldn’t be a bad idea for your posts to have engaging titles (that’s a substantial part of the battle).

What's the best way to keep from burning out?

The best way is simply not to force it.  You should always blog about the things you love and that which interests you, but it should never seem like a job you hate.  For me, a lot of my inspirational writing comes out of daily living rather than happening via a necessity to produce new content.  In fact, many authors have said the hardest times to write is when it is forced. 

When it comes to not burning out, but also being a successful writer and blogger – daring to be different and following your heart is a very rewarding task, but also a difficult one. After browsing thousands of websites, blogs and tumblrs, I have noticed so much repetition.  How will you be different?

How much does being a good writer factor into writing a blog? Being passionate about something will definitely allow you the experience to hone one of your crafts.  Just as there are good writers, there are good actors, good athletes, good teachers and etc.  But let’s be honest, with the way the world is today, so many people are self-titling themselves singers, actors, artists and etc, whether they are actually gifted or not.  But being great at something is totally different.  Where true passion, practice and ability align, there you will find excellence.

Are there any other projects/websites that you want to get out there?

It’s definitely been a VERY long time coming, but please tune in for the launch of my website: http://www.alexechols.com/ around the 5^th of April, which will include personal information, in addition to showcasing my business ventures: AFG Creative Group™ and the One Life Brand & Foundation™. 


Some of the great things readers will be able to do:

• Check out my professional portfolio and have access to download some of my photography and other designs.
• Purchase One Life Brand products (beginning mid-May).  Believe me, you will love the message!   
• Read news about my upcoming novels and snippets from my blog.

But more than anything, I would like everyone to head over to the One Life Brand Foundation page to help me begin a movement of reinforcing passions, dreams and life throughout the world with the ‘We Dream, They Dream’ campaign.

Thanks for Your Time,

One Life, You Decide