Announcements and milestones

I've been running around like a crazy man for the past few days ... working, decorating my new apartment, selling my car, meeting with clients, pitching for new business and exploring my new neighborhood with my daughter. As a result, I haven't done much blogging. So there are a few things I haven't had a chance to make note of until now.

First, I want to congratulate Ryan, Zac, Howard and everyone else involved with Wired Journalists. Some 700 of our peers have already joined this new social network for journalists who want to improve their new media skills. If you haven't signed up, do so now.

Second,  the global B2B journalism association known as TABPI (Trade, Association and Business Publications International) has launched its first spinoff unit outside the United States.  TABPI  South Africa will be run by Louise Marsland of Bizcommunity.com and Natalia Thomson of Now Media. Many members of TABPI and ASBPE will remember Natalia as one of the first international winners of those groups' Young Leaders Scholarship.

Third, Speaking of the Young Leaders Scholarship, the deadline for this year's application is March 3. Winners will get a chance to travel to the ASBPE convention in Kansas City in July. And since I'm the keynote speaker there this year, I think that's a really, really great prize.

Fourth, speaking of deadlines, B2B editors from around the world have until March 5 to enter TABPI's  Tabbie awards for  the best in trade journalism editorial and design.

Fifth, I recently noticed that this blog has broken the top 100,000 level on Technorati. In a world with as many as 57 million blogs, I'm pretty pleased by that. Granted, a good portion of the blogosphere is spam, gibberish and crap. But there are also bloggers far more talented than I that have not been lucky enough to attract as much attention as I have. So I want to thank everyone who has ever read, commented upon or linked to this blog.
Making it to the top-tier of the blogging world is akin to being named the prima ballerina in the Boise Ballet. It's hardly the Bolshoi, but I still feel like dancing.

tags: journalism, b2b, media, trade press, magazines, newsletters, business media