Country Yossi Magazine: Real Change or More of the Same?

Surprisingly enough, Country Yossi Magazine has decided to change it's famous (or infamous) top 10 selling Jewish Cd's list. For the longest time bloggers like myself and Life-of-Rubin were upset with the sometimes obvious favoritism toward advertisers giving them a #1 spot. Country Yossi Magazine didn't actually apologize or admit it had done anything wrong but rather claimed it would improve it's rating system and make it as unbiased as possible. Time will tell...

To Blog or Not To Blog...

Well it's been a while and lots of things are happening. Lately I've been in a bit of blog slump and perhaps my mind is elsewhere. I'm currently working on a big move that I'm not going to get into much until I get there. Needles to say I've been consumed with the difficulties of the economy and selling my home. Big changes are coming and I don't mean the Obama Presidency. The fact that I was able to sell my home in the current economic climate is nothing short of a miracle. I look forward to giving you more blogging news and entertainment in the future but right now there seems to be more pressing matters.

J Blogger Interviews: Frum Satire!

It's been a while but I'm back to the J Blogger interviews (cross post).For those who are unfamiliar Frum Satire is one of the newer J Bloggers who has been making a real impact on the J Blogosphere with his witty and funny videos and posts. He has agreed to be interviewed by J Blogmeister so without any further adieu, here is the interview!

JB: Tell our readers a little bit about your background.

Frum:I grew up on the Upper West Side of Manhattan- most famous for its bagels and singles scene, I attended Manhattan Day School and went to Matov Day Camp, I think these were two modern orthodox institutions that all kids from the west side had to take part of. We always said the folks from the East Side were just snobby and rich.

My mother died when I was 6 so I pretty much raised myself. I also gained this totally different perspective of Judaism because we were very modern behind closed doors- but in the open my father was just this old school orthodox guy that happened to have learned in some very prestigious yeshivas. I remember being driven to yeshiva chofetz chaim in Rochester and stopping on the way to get an eggplant farm at some non-kosher place, I also remember watching TV on shabbos afternoon.

JB:How did you come up with the name frumsatire? What other names did you consider?

Frum:It just flowed off the tongue, I thought about "frum rants" but it didn't sound as cool, although "frum sarcasm or irony" may be a better fit as I have progressed along the humor scale.

JB:How did you get introduced to the J Blogosphere?

Frum:I started blogging as someone who had no idea what a blog was- I started it just because I had a lot to say. The day I was introduced to the fact other Jewish blogs existed was when I got my first big links. Krum as a Bagel and Aidel Maidel both linked me up when I wrote about different categories in orthodoxy- and suddenly I was thrust into the J-Blogsphere.

JB: What do you do for a living and what's your dream job?

Frum:I work as a an Internet Marketing Manager- for all those techies out there I am really an SEO/SEM guy who dabbles with Google advertising and shopping all day long, but this allows me to work on my own stuff by learning the field.

Dream job would be a back country forest ranger in a National Park- so many reasons it wouldn't work, shabbos and proximity to frum communities have consistently worked against me when I have tried to get into the outdoors field.

JB: I understand you are 26 and single. How is the single life?

Frum:I love every minute of it. Of course I would love to meet someone, but I don't spend too much time worrying. I have a philosophy about living life to its fullest and being single really allows for lots of leeway. I have taken at least 10 one month long road trips since I was 18 and last year drove to Alaska- not even retirees get to make the drive.

Cons: the winter is awfully lonely- especially when there isn't enough snow for skiing. I wish I could have someone to show all of the beautiful things I have seen. In the words of Chris McCandless- experience is nothing unless shared.

JB:Do you ever fear that your videos will have any consequences in shidduchim?

Frum:I go through stages- I am constantly taking stuff down due to philosophical debates about how I want to present myself. I used to not care- but now my audience is too large not to care. I have cleaned up my act and try to only put kosher things up- its better for business in general

JB:How many dates have you gotten due to the popularity of your blog and videos?

Frum:How many dates have I gotten or how many have I been on? That's important, I have been on many dates with fans, even had a short relationship with one. I have also turned down offers and am constantly getting emails and facebook messages that contain an obvious request to hang out or date- but I usually am not interested. I find that people expect too much out of me, I am funny in person, but my blog and videos are not my life. I lead a public and a private life, like any actor.

JB:Which do you prefer more blogging or your videos and why?

Frum:Well they are both different experiences, I am definitely talented in both venues. I find that I love to do the videos- but cannot make them as long as I like, I would rather be doing performances. I would have to say the writing is better because its more interactive, that may be because anyone can comment, on you tube you need an account which is prohibitive to further the discussion.

JB: Where would you say you got your sense of humor from?

Frum:My father definitely has a big part to do with that, he was always saying whatever was on his mind, he was always himself. Other then that I have no idea, I never even knew I could do anything with it, people always found me funny- but I never paid any attention to trying to get it on paper.

JB: The funniest Blog you ever read would be?

Frum:You know I really don't read blogs that often unless people send links.
But Bangitout.com consistently has the best and funniest stuff around.

JB: What part of being Jewish do you enjoy the most?

Frum:That's a hard question- never even thought about it. I could be funny and say the food- because the food is not only good, we are the only community in which you can pretty much get free food any time. I would say shabbos is my favorite part of being Jewish, the natural breaks in which we have time to reflect upon life, chow down, stare over the mechitza and hang out with family and friends. With our fast paced electronically driven lives I think many people have lost a connection to regular old relaxation and family time.

JB:How long do you see yourself continuing this blog ? 1yr-10 yrs?

Frum:My audience is changing slowly, as I become more known so it continues to develop into something different all the time. I always think I am going to run out of things to say and suddenly I have a flood of things to write. Its almost 2 years and realistically I have no clue. I have some cool stuff coming up and am starting to collaborate with several popular Jewish personalities so who knows where I will end up. But realistically I would like it to become a full time job.

JB: Do you have a favorite fan? Have you been subjected to any stalkers?

Frum:Wow favorite fan, I get a lot of emails saying how awesome I am. Commenters come and go, I will have one person commenting for 6 months straight and suddenly they are gone. These commenters are usually women by the way. Some guy just contacted me the other day, he is the director of a large Jewish political not-profit in NYC and he says he's been reading my stuff since I started and loves me. In two weeks time he got me a spot on some cable TV show, and wants to write me up for some of his newspaper connections. Is he my biggest fan?

Stalkers is an interesting subject. I do have stalkers, people will stalk in various ways, usually through comments and then I'll get messages on facebook and if I'm on frumster they will find me- but specific cases are way too many- I have them and usually they are quite fun.

JB:What new ideas do you see yourself putting forth on your blog other than your videos?

Frum:Well I was just contacted by Y-Love and he asked me if I wanted to do some sort of podcast with him, personally I would love to get on the radio- or do some sort of podcasting, I have lost to say and can just keep going- but I need people top feed off of. I would also love to start a new humor blog with multiple contributors- that's been floating around my head. I think it would be great exposure and mix things up a bit- since strictly humor wise there really isn't anything besides for me and Bang it out.

JB: What is the coolest place you traveled to and why?

Frum:By far the Yukon Territory in Canada, last September I drove with two friends from NY to Alaska with we spent time driving and hiking in the Yukon. I am completely fascinated with remote and rural areas. Prior to the building of the Alaska Highway in 1942- there was no road connecting this area to the outside world. Just the vastness and beauty of the land. They have towns that are only accessible in the winter when the rivers freeze and they make ice roads. Its so cool to be in an English speaking country on the same continent as NY and be so distant from the lives we know. 200 miles between gas stations, grizzly bears and hiking with my shotgun were also exciting.

JB:Have you ever been to Israel and if so tell us a bit about your experiences.

Frum:I have been in Israel twice, first time on a Hillel Birthright trip with the University of Rochester in 2002 and then again a couple years later when I took off 5 months to learn at Ohr Someyach. I love Israel and will undoubtedly live there someday- who knows when. I brought my mountain bike and saw the country from the 10 mph perspective, I went on rides with random riders through ruins and the desert and saw a lot, learned very little. I look at all my experiences through that of my bike, I used to ride to the kotel at 2 in the morning to daven maariv- its eerie let me tell you. I especially liked staying in Chevron during the whole Chayei Sarah weekend events- camped out the Baruch Goldstien memorial park- found that kind of ironic. Oh and the food- one must not forget the food- luckily I rode a lot- or else I would have blown into a blimp- like the first year seiminary girls do.

JB:What Jewish Music are you currently listening to?

Frum:Well I'll tell you I just got the AKA Pella adaptations album and am very impressed- just wrote a review. I also just got Yossi Greens The 8^th Note and its wonderful, besides for that I am addicted to Avaraham Fried and the Marvelous Middos Machine of all things.

JB:Your current favorite Jewish Solo Artist is?

Frum:Well in terms of innovative and up and coming I would have to say Mendy Pellin, he's funny and completely kosher and appeals to both kid and adults. I think Matisyahu and Y-Love are amazing thing for Jews as a whole, because they allow Jews to feel comfortable being Jews. It makes more people want to take off their baseball caps and don yarmulkes.

JB:Based on the amount of comments you receive your blog seems to be very popular. How much traffic do you get?Tell us about he most traffic you ever got in one day and the corresponding post for that surge.

Frum:I don't think I get many comments for the amount of traffic I have and I attribute this to the fact that I rarely comment on other blogs- therefore most of my comments come from people outside the blogging field. If I get over 20 comments on a post its amazing- the big J-bloggers I see getting 200-300 comments per post every day. Right now average about 800-1000 unique hits per day with about double that in page views. You know my traffic has been pretty steady. I do remember this one day I received almost 2000 unique hits but couldn't figure out why- it was inexplicable.

Introducing New Jewish Music and Entertainment Blog

I'd like to introducing you all to my new upcoming blog: Jewish Music Insider. Feel free to add it to your blogroll. This new blog will feature the latest in upcoming Jewish music releases and reviews as well as interviews with key Jewish music figures. It will also include kosher restaurant reviews and polls on a variety of Jewish music and entertainment questions. Stay tuned....

J Blog Interviews! Coming Soon: Frum Satire

It's been a long time in the making but Hesh at FrumSatire has graciously agreed to be interviewed by yours truly. I believe his blog has made a significant impact on the J Blogosphere, especially with his humorous video presentations and the interesting topics he brings to light. Be on the lookout for this in-depth look at this great Jewish Blog.

Beware of Sites That Steal Your Blog!

It seems that there is a website call Yarmulka.info that is stealing content off other blogs including this one by using it as a feed without any consent from the publisher! From what I gathered the owners name is Warren Davis and he sells website names .I'm publicly denouncing this man and requesting that he cease and desist immediately from using any of my content.

All Time High 1k Visitors!

Considering this blog is more of a hobby then anything else, it was pretty cool to see that this past Thurs. my stats were at 1000 unique visitors! . I'd like to thank my readers and the academy....(::bow::)...Thank you all

Jewish Music Poll Closed and the Winners Are..

The Poll for the Best New Jewish Music Cd had Yitzy Spinner and Aryeh Kunstler neck in neck. Click here for the final tally.

Morning breakfast Links: Always Appetizing

BloginDm and Life-of-Rubin duke it out in the battle of copying music, who won?Wondering what SerandEz's favorite video is? We welcome new JBlogger The 54 Studio Rebbe as he discusses the pitfalls of the music industry. Jergames gives us an update on his Toronto trip: This guy plays games everywhere! Don't miss psychotoddler's radio interview, the man is famous I tell you! Jameel explains why he would join the Tzohar Rabbis. Daled Amos shows you the what Palestinians are singing and Israel Matzav explains why Iran is not the Soviet Union. Terrorists can use Google to create havoc explains Soccerdad. How can a politician increase his ratings:by stating he has cancer? Chaviva discusses some parsha. Parsha blog brings you Rabbi Moshe Feinstien's take on stockings.

Haveil Havalim #138 is UP!: SoccerDad

Haveil Havalim #138 is up and running at it's creator: SoccerDad! Don't miss this edition.

Haveil Havalim #137 is UP: Esser Agaroth

This weeks Haveil Havalim is brought to you by Esser Agaroth. Make sure to check it out!

Matisyahu and Life of Rubin

Well it looks like Life-of-Rubin got himself a write in with the JewishJournal.com on his views on Matisyahu and his recent break with Chabad. Nice job Chaim!

Psychotoddler Turns Dr. Phil at A Simple Jew

A Simple Jew has a guest today and it is Psychotoddler. He discusses life with many children at the Shabbos table. How does one deal with several children at a long dinner as the Shabbos table is a question Dr. Phil would deal with but you'll find Psychotoddler (using the Psy part of his name) does an even better job. Enjoy!

Happy Birthday Mr Bagel!

Make sure to say Happy Birthday to one of my favorite Jbloggers: Bagel Blogger AKA Mr Bagel!

HAPPY BLOGAVERSARY: Dafnotes!

It's Dafnotes Anniversary of blogging so go wish him well. If you want to read the JBlogger Interview on him click here.

Meme 8 things: Help!

Daled Amos has tagged me with a meme: Each player lists 8 facts/habits about themselves. The rules of the game are posted at the beginning before those facts/habits are listed. At the end of the post, the player then tags 8 people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know that they have been tagged and asking them to read your blog.

This is hard to do because the cool stuff might give me away.

1. I can sing at least 3 octaves.

2. I tried playing guitar but got too frustrated because I already play keys pretty well.

3. The only pet I ever owned was a fish.

4. I took my first voice lesson when I was 13.

5. I own an 1877 penny.

6. I used to collect comic books , baseball cards, stamps & coins.

7. I never went to pick up my college diploma.

8. On a standardize test I scored a ridiculous score for putting a puzzle together.

I tag the following JBloggers:

Mr Bagel,Balaboosteh, Treppenwitz,Parsha Blog,Life-of-Rubin,Psychotoddler ,Life-in-Israel,
Bow-Tied Blogger

My Blog is Rated.......

Recently I had read a post by Mr. Bagel. He found a website that gives your website a rating based on keywords found in your blog and/or website. His was rated R. Mine thankfully is:

Posts of Interest Abound...

KosherBlog (one of my favorites) has an interesting post on making home brewed root beer. Wondering how 10 years makes a big difference? Ask Sweetrose.Shiloh musings discusses her panicky call. Lakevent is venting on abortion. YUTopia discusses Yeshivat Chovevei Torah's fourth Chag Hasemikha. Taiva and Avodas hashem are just some of the topics brewing at A Simple Jew. Life-of-Rubin is on top of Jewish Music and Stealing Tunes. Can you wear a Borsolino on Shabbos? Frumwithquestions wants to know. BagelBlogger deals with the Aliyah and the Ballet. The Muquata is making his Israel elections predictions here. Irina is reminiscing with photos to share. Parshablog is nitpicking on a Hirhurim Post.

Jrants: What is going on?

Does anyone know what's going on with Jrants.com? First it was down for a couple of days. Now it's up but it's stuck on 6/4...real strange..technical difficulties perhaps?

Auto-Tuning and Jewish Music

BloginDm has a long post in which one of the topics discussed is that of the Auto-Tune. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the process: a singer who sings out of pitch can have those notes corrected by this technology. I'm certainly no expert on the subject of auto tune. I've been told by an engineer that it's used incorrectly quite often and in a different way than the one described in DM's post. Many times when using auto-tune to correct the tuning of the vocalist notes the engineer will give your voice an effect that is noticeably different than when you actually DO sing in tune. I'm not referring to the dramatic effect that posts speak of (i.e. Cher etc.) but the lack of understanding in how this technology is used really makes the singer sound bad. Now getting back to DM's post it would be obvious that the producers would vehemently disagree with that person's rant on the dramatic effect usage of auto-tune that would be one l person's opinion and doesn't necessarily reflect that of the masses. I think if used correctly it adds a different dimension of sound and gives a bit more variety. To assume that people think their voice sounds better because of it, is a bit absurd ( but perhaps there are those that do). Do you hate the auto-tune fiend?