Recently in Site News Category

Apropos of nothing, it's time for some self-congratulatory action here on B-Side Blog. I decided to check out some of my Google stats last night and discovered some very interesting information. For example, I've crowed for a while about the fact that this site is often the number one search result for the term "Big Brother Sex" (no easy feat with over 35.5 million results), but did you know that it's also number one for "DC housewives" and more importantly "24 is awesome"? The truth is it's quite surprising how high in the rankings good ol' B-Side Blog lands (PAY ATTENTION, ADVERTISERS).

More amusing discoveries after the jump...

I think it's time for a new Twitter goal. Last year, I made a fuss about wanting to reach 1,000 followers (with at least one being a noteworthy celebrity), and happily I succeeded on both fronts (thank you, Blair Underwood). Now I'm at it again. I'm restless for more followers, and no, it's not because I have some deep-seated desire to be popular (although I do have that). It's because more Twitter followers means more traffic for this site. And more traffic for this site means higher ad revenue. And higher ad revenue means greater happiness for me. And greater happiness for me, means better blog quality for you (theoretically). So really, it's a win-win situation.

My new goal is to hit 2,000 followers (ideally 2,500). Another celebrity would be fun, but it's not essential. So if you're not following me, sign up! After all, The Wrap did include me on its list of "50 TV Insiders to Follow Right Now." If that's not an endorsement, I don't know what is. Besides, if you follow me, you'll be privy to such glorious things as celebrity sighting tweets, impromptu TV observations, and biting social commentary. And by that, I mean whiney posts about being hungry (ie "I am very hungry. And drunk. The two are perhaps related." 1:53 AM Jan 30th).

So follow me on Twitter at twitter.com/bsideblog. And then tell all your friends. It's the American thing to do.

Thanks!

It's 2010, which means that Twitter and Facebook have been littered with all sorts of celebratory messages to usher in the new year -- not to mention the decade (which really doesn't start until next year, but whatevs). My favorite declaration has to be from my friend Adam, who announced this all over Facebook:

Well stated, Adam. Well stated. I can't say that I'm in a similar position as Adam, but I can promise that there will be more updating of this blog in the new year, and I'm even toying with the idea of introducing a podcast to the mix. For those occasional times when I'm unable to post as frequently, remember that the forums are still around, and there's always my Twitter, which I do update, sometimes more often than the blog itself. Be sure to follow that if you aren't already.

Looking forward to more excitement in The Dime!

Very exciting news today. Blogs.com has ranked this site as one of its Top Ten TV Blogs! I'm very excited and thankful for the mention, and I only hope to make the site bigger and better (although, for those of you who have ads encroaching on the text... um... sorry. I don't know how to fix that). Anyway, check out the article, written by the authors of Serial Drama, and thanks again to Blogs.com for the mention!

As most of you know, I've been absolutely railroaded by pneumonia for the past two weeks, and making matters worse, the bacteria didn't really respond to the meds, thus leaving me in a rather exhausted and catatonic state for some time now. Subsequently the rate at which I can post has been severely affected (the latest Big Brother photocap literally took me two days to assemble). Rest assured, it's not for lack of desire; only lack of energy. The good news is that I'm on new, more powerful meds, and there should be new content up hopefully soon — but I'm not rushing it. Of course, I shouldn't have to explain all this. It's my blog, and I can post whatever I want whenever I want.

So imagine my utter disdain and annoyance at the entitlement that came from the following email:

basically you don't post often enough. love your posts but frustrating to check every day for new content and it's not there! especially after bb shows. i realize that you've been sick but can you please step it up for the rest of the season, please?

appreciate the effort,

deedee

from canada

Well, Deedee from Canada, consider this your dream come true. A new post! And it's all about you!

For the rest of you, thanks for your patience.

For the past few days, I've been bedridden with an intermittent fever, and being the judicious hypochondriac that I am, I decided to get it checked out today. After all, I wouldn't want to come down with the SWINE FLU. Luckily, I don't have that (YET). But I do have pneumonia. I've been ordered to rest in bed for the next week; so I fear this may put a slight damper on my posting schedule / output. Blech.

Luckily I have moral support from Sly, who just wrote me, "I had it while working on an archaeological dig in Cyprus and had to sleep sitting up, it was so bad. On the plus side, i got out of sifting duty, b/c the dust plume would have killed me."

Alas.

I must now repair to the bed. Thank you for your patience.

With the exception of two days in Los Angeles last week, I have been traveling for what feels like ten months (read: thirteen days), and as a result, I've fallen woefully behind on my daily blog routines, particularly my coverage of Big Brother. Luckily, I return to a relatively normal schedule this Wednesday when I should be able to resume normal blogging duties. In the meantime, here's a picture of me with a cat. And if that still doesn't float your boat, feel free to jump into the Big Brother discussion (as well as many others) in the forums. You can also follow me on Twitter, on which I continue to be active even when I'm away from the blog (almost at 1,000 followers!).

And if that still doesn't scratch your procrastination itch, check out The Gentleman's Club podcast, which serves as the first and perhaps last time I'll ever share billing with my childhood idol, Darryl Strawberry.

So in conclusion:

• Big Brother (and Real Housewives of Atlanta) coverage resumes later this week.
• There's fun in the forums.
• You should follow me on Twitter.
• The Gentleman's Club podcast is worth checking out.
• And I took a picture with a cat (above).

Apologies for being inattentive to this blog the past day and a half. I've been traveling and am currently in the sunny climes of Portland, Oregon. I realize there is much to discuss in the TV world, what with Big Brother and Top Chef Masters and the Emmy nominations. I will try to get some content up later today or this evening. Feel free to engage in pleasantries and general banter either here or in the forums — the latter of which is proving to be quite lively and robust.

In the meantime, enjoy this video of ducks trying to climb an escalator!

Tremendous news today: I've launched forums for this site. Now while you wait hours or days for me to post content, you can entertain yourselves with the power of gab in this brand new section. With any luck, it'll actually function a tad bit better than the commenting system.

I've installed the software phpbb, and I'm still learning it a bit; so there might be some light wonkiness at the outset, but fear not, I will do my best to optimize the forums as best I can. I also plan to revamp its look as right now I've only got the generic template going on. Nevertheless, it's up and running and ready to be populated by users and such. Please go in there and talk. There are plenty of categories and forums to explore. Plus, this is only the beginning. More categories will certainly be added, and if you have suggestions on that front, visit "Forum Suggestions" and pass along an idea.

Enjoy!

http://www.bsideblog.com/forums/ (there's also a tab in the menu bar)

One of the banes of this site's existence has been the commenting system, which has always sucked no matter what I've done to fix it. It's still far from perfect, but last night, I installed new commenting software that no longer necessitates leaving the page for the verification process. Now you can submit your comment and watch as it magically goes from entered text to real life comment RIGHT BEFORE YOUR EYES. Don't get too excited though. It still takes an inordinate amount of time for reasons I have yet to determine (shaking fist at the heavens). Nevertheless, the process is slightly more efficient now, and hopefully fewer comments will be lost.

We will be losing one special thing though: the Successful Comment Lady. She's been with us since day one, but now that we have no comment verification screen, it seems as though her prominence on this site will now be marginalized severely. I'm sure we'll always keep a place in our heart for her, and I promise to use her whenever I can. Thank you, Successful Comment Lady. Your smiling face has been a joy.

Apologies for the lack of content recently. Between my tech issues yesterday and my E3 attendance today, I've been a bit absent. But fear not. By tomorrow, I will have posted a photocap of tonight's Housewives, a recap/photocap of The Hills, and a full rundown of my experiences at E3 (don't get too excited — unless you enjoy tales of creaky legs and ATM malfunctions).

Anyway, thank you for your patience.

I'm upgrading some of my blogging software today; so things may get a bit wonky at times. If they do, don't freak out. It's all under control.

Crossing fingers for better commenting systems...

Super exciting news, everyone. Web 100, an online guide to the best of the web, just published an article titled "The Only 3 TV Blogs You'll Ever Need," and not only did they pick this site for their über-short list, but they ranked it as number one!!!

I'm extremely honored by this, and I want to thank both Web 100 for the kind words, and also the readers of B-Side Blog for helping the site grow so much over the past several months. It's great to know that people are reading the junk I hurl at the Internets and actually liking it.

Be sure to head on over to Web 100 and check out their content.

And yes, the quest for world domination has most certainly begun.

I have at last given in to the vast cyber world that is Twitter. I'd resisted — for no real reason — for the past two years, but finally, enough was enough. I set up a Twitter account for me/this blog, and now I'm up and running! I plan to update frequently; so be sure to sign up as a follower. That sounds mildly cultish, doesn't it? BE MY FOLLOWER. FOLLOW ME.

Anyway, for those of you who like to be two places at once, I've added a handy widget on my sidebar to the right a handy status update-esque header that shows my latest "tweets." (btw, for those of you who've had issues with the ads encroaching on text and pictures, I made an adjustment in my stylesheet, but I don't know if it's helped or not since I can't see the problem on my computer. Please let me know if it's fixed — fingers crossed). Anyway, back to Twitter. I have three simple goals with this new endeavor. A) I want to amass a large army of followers to feed my ego and more importantly to drive traffic to this blog and in turn generate more ad revenue. So far I'm at twenty followers. I'd be psyched to get up to about a thousand. B) I'd like to attract a celebrity as a follower. I'm thinking Demi Moore because she Twitters rabidly and has revealed herself to be a total blogger-type, but I'd be equally happy with Shia LaBoeuf, Gerard Butler, or really anyone. It's a very superficial goal, but it would give my site more clout, and I'd have tremendous bragging rites (although, I guess with statements like that, no celeb will want to touch me with a ten foot pole). I forget what my third goal is, but I'm sure it'll come to me, and then I'll tweet about it, and we can all chuckle about it (and by "we," I mean me and Demi Moore and Shia LaBeouf, my future followers).

To check out my Twitter feed and to sign up as a follower, click here.

If things look a little different around here, it's because I added a third column to the right of the page. The one sidebar was getting a bit unwieldy, and with limited premium space at the top, too much important stuff was getting shoved too far down (ie. advertising). As a result, I've bumped "Hot Posts" to the right, as well as a few other items. Over the next few days, I may be moving stuff back and forth between the columns; so enjoy the excitement as some of your favorite sidebar features migrate like a pack of Canadian geese in the winter!

Of course, the downside of adding this column is that the blog has grown to be super wide. I really didn't want to sacrifice the main content area's width because I'm a fan of large reading space and big photos. However, please tell me if the right-most sidebar is a) being cut off and b) if this new design is annoying or impeding the functionality of the site for you. According to my stats, the majority of users employs computers with resolutions large enough to accommodate the wider size; so I imagine this shouldn't be too much of a problem (and yes, stats really do track that sort of data!).

While I fool around with things (including new banners), feel free to visit my sponsors as they are what keeps this blog alive!

Thanks for your patience...

Hey everyone. I was just interviewed by Pop Hangover for a segment they're launching called "The Ten Question Quiz." Be sure to check it out and peruse the site, which has all sorts of fun snarky pop culture stuff! Heck, click on some of their ads while you're over there too!

Shillingly yours,

B-Side

• The Ten Question Quiz: Ben from B-Side Blog & TVgasm [Pop Hangover]

Well, the nominations for the 2009 Bloggies were announced today, and I'm sorry to report I was shut out in all categories (quietly weeping). I figured it was a long shot anyway. Still, I'd like to thank everyone who voted for me. It really did mean a lot. There's always next year.

And, in a bit of cosmic justice, while I may have been shut out of the Best Entertainment Blog category, none other than TVgasm finally got its first nomination ever. It's pretty exciting that the site has become enough of an online institution that it can now mix it up with the big guys. Well done, Flipit. (Now how about a site redesign?)

This could be me. Except white. And male.

Last year, I fared pretty decently in the Blogger's Choice Awards, coming in seventh overall for "The Blogitzer" (best writing) and ninth overall for Best Pop Culture Blog. (Thank you all again for voting!). Now it's time for the Bloggies, and I'm determined to get a nomination somehow, some way. Voting is open to the public until January 12th, at which point, the process falls into the hands of a mysterious committee — probably full of wonderful, charming people (me smiling winsomely).

Anyway, the point is that I need people to vote for me yet again! If you'd be ever so kind, please click on the following link and nominate me in the following categories — or whichever ones you deem fitting:

• Best Entertainment Weblog


• Most Humorous Weblog


• Best Writing of a Weblog


• Best Kept-Secret Weblog


• Weblog of the Year

Thank you all!

Vote here

Happy Holidays, everyone! I hope you all enjoy the above video which re-imagines Frosty The Snowman as Don Draper.

I won't say that I'm off until after New Years, but I may not be posting regularly. Still feel free to check back though because I most certainly will be posting things here and there, if I'm moved by anything in particular.

Also, today is the one year anniversary of B-Side Blog! Technically, the posts started on December 7th, 2007, but that was the "soft opening" when the site was known as "This Blog Is Mine." Today marks 365 days (er, 366 — leap year) since the blog became officially known as B-Side Blog. Thanks to everyone who's been reading and supporting it. The site's growth has been great, and I only hope to improve it in the year to come. (And while we're talking about the site, if anyone knows anyone who wants to buy a blogad, feel free to send them my way. kthnxbye.)

Be safe and have fun out there!

In case you all couldn't tell, I'm quite behind with my posting. I've been working to reach a deadline today, and as a result, I didn't have time to write my Hills recap over the weekend as planned. Fear not — it will be up. Eventually.

Also in store is my adventure meeting Ina Garten as well as a parsley update and a few other sundry items.

Your patience, as always, is appreciated.

Last week, change not only came to America, but to B-Side Blog as well. I packed up my belongings, left West Hollywood, and made the lengthy journey to a new residence a mile away. The good news is that I have finally entered the hallowed world of 21st century stovetops. The bad news is that I'm now woefully behind on my blogging obligations. Not only did I lose Internet access for three and a half days (the horror!), but the entire process of packing, unpacking, and raiding Target for vital housewares has thrown a wrench into pretty much all my writing. Things seem to have settled down though; so I should be getting up to speed soon enough. Please bear with me in the meantime!

Much appreciated,

B-Side

p.s. if you're really antsy, feel free to discuss Sunday's stellar episode of The Amazing Race.

Click for larger view / PROOF.

It gives me great honor to announce that B-Side Blog is now the top result for the Google search terms, "big brother sex." That's right: out of over one million possible options, I'm #1 in the ENTIRE WORLD, nay, GALAXY, nay, UNIVERSE! Huzzah! I always knew my blog would become famous for something, and now I know what it is. I suppose I should thank April and Ollie, whose penchant for DOING IT rocketed this site to the top of the charts. Without them, I'd just be another anonymous blogger, snickering at the world. Thank you, Aprollie. Thank you.

Yes, it's a wonderful day here at the B-Side home base, and I plan to celebrate with caviar toasts and a bottle of champagne. Or, barring the availability of those first two options, a bowl of cereal. Probably the latter.

Apologies for the lack of posts for the past day and a half. As you can see from this picture, I enjoyed a brief jaunt to Vegas. I should have new Big Brother photocaps up soon, not to mention a few pics from Sin City. Thank you for your patience...

Last month, I posted photos of my friends Mark and Leslie's triumphant R2-D2 cake, and I am happy to report that in the time since, the tasty dessert has become an Internet sensation. The story has been picked up by the Los Angeles Times as well as various news and radio outlets in Arizona, Boston, New Zealand, and Norway; not to mention such websites as Great White Snark, Fark, StumbleUpon, Slashfood, and, I'm happy to report, the official Star Wars blog at starwars.com. (ooooh)

Now, I'm not writing this just to toot my own horn (although, I rarely pass up an opportunity to do just that). No, I'm writing because I want to thank Mark and Leslie for giving my site such a huge traffic boost, and furthermore, since the whole point of the original post was to give their new bakery exposure, I'm super excited to say that as of yesterday, their cake has been viewed (on my site alone) by over 100,000 different people and counting! If you're in the NY area, be sure to check them out and tell them I sent you. Here's the link:

• Mark Joseph Cakes

In less than two weeks, the tenth season of Big Brother will premiere on CBS, and I can't tell you how excited I am. Sure, we just finished season nine a scant eight weeks ago, but Big Brother is a drug like none other, and I don't care if I have to wait two months or two minutes for a new season. I want it NOW.

Of course, there were a lot of people who didn't love last season (unlike the vast majority, I enjoyed Til Death Do You Part quite a bit), but hopefully, plenty of viewers will return this summer and keep this most beloved of guilty pleasures alive and well. If you don't watch Big Brother, it's never too late to start. Why not give it a try this summer? As I like to say, it's not just a show. It's an experience. But be warned: without fail, the first three episodes are always exceedingly bland and boring to newbies. However, after three episodes, Big Brother will most certainly sink its claws into you and never let you go. That's a good thing.

So here's the good news. While the July 12th 13th premiere date is still a few days off, CBS will be revealing the new cast this Wednesday (according to Jokers Updates, which may or may not be wrong). I'll be sure to have a complete analysis right here at bsideblog.com, and of course, there will be photocaps of every show throughout the season. Tell all your friends!

Click on the individual badges above to vote.

Apparently I've been nominated for four Blogger's Choice Awards! A very kind person (Pearlblackdragon) put my site up for them, and I'm incredibly grateful. It's an honor JUST to be nominated.

Screw that. I want to win this mo-fo. If you have a heart (whatever that is), you'll vote for me in the following categories. Now, there's a lot of work to do, and a lot of recruiting too. The leading blogs have around 200 votes each, and mine has about, you know, FOUR. So as you can see, I gotta play catchup. MOBILIZE, DEAR PEOPLE. Oh, and one more thing: thanks!

Yes We Can!

(Click on the badges above to vote. Then tell your friends to do the same. Then tell a stranger.)

Sorry for the lack of blog posts yesterday. I'm in Chicago for the weekend, and I haven't had time to blog. The good news though is that I should have a FLOG on Monday. (Not to mention a few random photos of deep dish pizza and Dave Matthews -- not together though.) Stay tuned...

Well, Big Brother is wrapping up this week, Gossip Girl is coming back, there's a Real Housewives of New York City reunion, American Idol heads into the home stretch, and The Hills... well, it's new. And what am I doing? I'M GOING OUT OF TOWN. Yes, on Thursday, I begin an international odyssey that will take me to Prague and Vienna. I'm incredibly excited for it, and I plan to blog about all things Eastern European in the coming days, but in the meantime, my posting schedule will be all screwed up. I'm already behind on my Big Brother photocaps, and I can guarantee that the Hills recap will be going up late this week as well. Rest assured though that these posts will go up -- just a tad behind schedule. Of course, once I'm abroad, things will get very tricky, but hopefully, I'll be able to check out all necessary TV on the internets (we'll see). Failing that, I'll just write something about beer or schnitzel. Oh, and there most certainly will be a flight blog. How could I resist the international flog?

Thanks in advance for your patience...

It's been a while since I've given an update on the ol' site, but since today is the three month anniversary of bsideblog.com, I thought I'd take a moment to let you know about things that are going on around here and all that fun stuff.

First, as many of you may have noticed, my non-compete with TVgasm has expired, which means I can write about TV again. This is very exciting for me because as much as I'd like to put on intellectual airs and whatnot, the truth is that I live and breath television. I've recently tried to inject more highbrow activities into my life (ie. reading my friend's old issues of The Economist), but as long as there's Big Brother, I'll be a glutton for all the down-market crap the networks can give me.

Huh?

I'm in the process of switching over from thisblogismine.com to bsideblog.com, and as some of you may have noticed, it hasn't been as smooth a transition as once expected. There's been widespread reporting of images gone awry, and for some, the site merely loads up a generic page from GoDaddy.com. I assure you I'm on top of these issues (read: panicked, sweating). I'll have the kinks ironed out over the course of the next day, and hopefully this bit of cyber-turbulence will pass without incident. In the meantime, the captain asks that you return to your seats, fasten your seatbelts, and refrain from moving about the cabin.

Some people have been having issues writing comments, but I think I've got it all sorted out.  Now, if you have a Typekey account, you can use that to leave comments.  If you don't have that and don't want to sign up for it, no problem!  You can leave a comment anonymously!  Just click on the "comment anonymously" option, write what you have to say, enter in the Captcha password (the little word scramble), and voila — you've written a comment!  IT'S THAT EASY.