I figured given the comedown between May and June that there’d be a chance we’d hit 17,000 for the month of July, and sure enough, at the last possible moment, we got there. Nothing like a little suspense to keep things interesting. As usual, I watched the ticker tape roll in at three in the morning, waiting for the final tally. Oh my, it was a thrill.

Okay, maybe not with the ticker and all that, but I am stoked at the fact that people still come here and check out what’s going on. It’s wild. Especially this month, when I wasn’t really around as much, what with the Vermont trip and focusing on other writing and whatnot. I’m still here, actually, in the Ludlow, Vermont, public library. The Patient Mrs. and I are set to leave on Saturday, allowing plenty of time for me to get to check out Earthride and Valkyrie at Ace of Clubs. Gonna be a blast.

It’s been a good, productive month, which was the point in coming here in the first place. Still, there’s a lot of news for August coming up, so let’s do a quick rundown:

Interviews: I’m just about caught up, which means I need to do some more, but I’ve still got Against Nature and Yawning Man in the can waiting to be transcribed, so look for those in the next couple of weeks. Both were really interesting conversations and I’m looking forward to bringing them to you.

Real Life: As I alluded to the other day, I’ve had a change in my life situation, and by that I mean I got a job. Actually, I got my old job. Starting August 16 (also the day my second nephew is due to be born), I’ll be working day-to-day as the Managing Editor of The Aquarian Weekly, where I was previously tenured from 2004-2007. Kind of nuts to be going back, and I know it’s going to be shaky balancing that, this site and school, but I can do it. I never liked sleeping much anyway.

The Maple Forum: I’ll have a big announcement this week about The Maple Forum‘s second release. It’s not slated to be out until October, so if you think it’s soon, it’s not really all that soon, and it’s the last one I’m planning for 2010, so there you go. It’s killer though and I’m crazy stoked to be working with this band, so definitely stay tuned.

Roareth: Acts I-VI has been a huge success. I’ve only got 11 copies left — if you want one, click here — and so far the response has been really positive. I’m going to put the whole album up this week for free streaming, so if you’re the type of person who likes to hear stuff before they buy it, you’ll have your chance. I’m glad I got my copy.

Where to Start: If you have a question about a band or a scene and you’re looking to find out where to start, leave a comment and let me know. I’m glad to see those posts are among the most popular on the site, since I take that to mean people are finding them useful. I certainly hope that’s the case, anyway. More to come there.

Podcasting: The August podcast seems to have been pretty well received, which I’m glad for. I already know what I’m doing for September, but if anyone has any suggestions for themes or requests for what they want to hear, again, leave a comment and let me know. I’m more than happy to oblige to the best of my ability. The way I see it, I owe you guys pretty huge.

I feel good going into August, which I know is going to be a turbulent month. But hell, they all are, one way or another. In any case, thank you as always for coming along on this trip. It’s been a killer ride so far.

Sincerely,
JJ Koczan
Hopping Philistine Taskmaster

Tags: self-aggrandizing, The Numbers

This entry was posted on Monday, August 2nd, 2010 at 1:47 pm and is filed under The Numbers. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.