So, guys, I would really like to do my idea, but with my new job and commitments, I simply don't think it would be a good idea for me to.

I really would like to see OOM continue, but I have noticed a hardcore lack of interest recently.  Is anyone interested in taking the mantle and continuing the site?  If someone wants to help the site grow, please tell me, and I will be more than happy to work with you to turn the site into something great.

 Hit me up, guys.

After some discussion with other Open Micers and some deliberation on my own, I have come to a few conclusions as to the future of this site.

Basically, the blog aspect of the site is great, it has sort of become a simple loose collection of blogs working seperately rather than a collection working together.  I don't think this is anyone's fault, but rather just a natural consequence of the nature of blogging.  I think when we were all together, it was much easier to work together, but seperately, it was an issue.

So, for this reason and more, I've decided to make the following changes:

1.  OurOpenMic will become a pay service.

2.  Users will pay a certain amount (5 to 10 dollars a month) for me to design and maintain a complete web page for them showcasing their art. 

3.  The main page will contain a link and updates to all the other websites.

4.  Users can have as little or as much input as they want in the design of the site.

5.  Everyone who pays will get their own subdomain that links to their website.

6.  The blog will still be up, but will be located on blogs.ouropenmic.com now.  Users will need to be paid users to be a part of this section.

 

Anyway, feel free to contact me about these changes.  It is unlikely that I will change my mind about anything, but I am open to suggestions and critiques of the system I am thinking of.

Feel free to keep blogging, as it may be another month or so before I actually start designing sites for other people.

I know it kinda sounds sucky that I will be charging for this service, but I promise you that this is about as sweet of a deal as you can get on the internet, without designing the site yourself.  I will be in charge of maintaining and designing your site, and will give you complete access to your own administrator area where you can update your art and website on your own.  Trust me, this is an amazing deal.

Dear Loyal OurOpenMicers:

 I have thought about this for a while, and was wondering what you guys might think about it.

I think that our blog is great, and exciting, but we can make this site  alot more than it is.  I want to redesign the site so that people can display their works more individually and artistically.  I want to also make a more interactive environment.  I know that I've tried this before, with mixed results, but I think it was mostly ineffective because the core of the site was still the blog.

This idea would change the core of the site substantially.  Member "Galleries" would now be the focus of the site.  Our contributors would be the stars, and their works would be published in a much sleeker interface.

 Anyway, I know people really love this website and what it stands for, so I want to know what you think, and if you agree that I should go forward this concept.  Obviously, this site is all about you guys (contributors and readers alike) so I want to know the general feel for what people think.

Please leave your comments, I can't do anything without your approval (or lack thereof)!

So this will probably be the last blog I submit for a little while.  I'm headed off to New York tomorrow and Israel on Thursday. This is a big step in my life, and I wish you all luck as I go on my quest.  Just wanted to leave you with a little video before I go.  Basically, this is how you guys on this site have made me feel since we started this crazy experiment:

 

Okay, so apparently they liked my blog and they've asked me to write another one.  This was a little scary for me cause it was my first ever "deadline" for a blog, and I kinda made it one day.  So, yeah, scary.  And this one was less inspired and more just hardcore sitting down and forcing myself to write.  So, I'm really interested in what you guys have to say. 

Thanks!

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I recently wrote a blog submission for Chabad.org, hoping to become a regular blogger on there. Since I feel so comfortable with you guys, I've decided to post it here, as well. I'd love to hear what your thoughts are on it. Also, if you are not completely well versed on Judaism, you might have some questions about terms and stuff. Feel free to ask. Enjoy!

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So, I have decided to give myself a challenge, since I need to motivate myself after a fun but exhausting and distracting trip to Chicago.  I've decided to write poetic notes to exes.  Or something.  Basically, broken relationships is the theme.  Here is #1.  Enjoy. 

 

O buh-bum

that first night,

sweet holiday of happiness,

kissing in the grass

seemed so right.

Every moment after

felt the same,

every touch

excited our senses,

every smile oh, buh-bum,

so real.

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Far underwater

in the dankest deep

inside an oyster

is where we find our pearls

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Okay, so earlier, I posted a bunch of videos at once. but I don't think that's gonna go over well with internet readers, so here's just one I really liked. Hopefully I'll end up doing this kinda regularly. Hope you enjoy.

Hey bloggers and readers, I have some great news.  Now you can access our featured blogs even easier.  The domain names are simpler and smarter.  So, if you want to access or share their blogs simply use these sites:

Ace Blackwell - aceblackwell.ouropenmic.com

Becki - becki.ouropenmic.com

Ben McDowell - benmcdowell.ouropenmic.com

Crazy Rockwell - crazyrockwell.ouropenmic.com

Elad the Great - eladthegreat.ouropenmic.com

Matt Klassen - mattklassen.ouropenmic.com

Miriam - miriam.ouropenmic.com

Sajji - sajji.ouropenmic.com

Sami k. - samik.ouropenmic.com

 

Enjoy! 

1. I think the real reason girls wear tight pants is to make it harder for guys to take them off.

2. Am I going to remember and appreciate all the wonderful people I met in the last month, year, years in Arizona when I leave?

3. I have so many personalities, I'm starting to forget who I am. There's Manic Elad, Depressed Elad, Yetzer Hora (Animalistic) Elad, Yetzer Tov (G-dly) Elad, there's Hitting On Girls Elad, there's Online Elad, there's Balanced Elad, there's Crazy Elad. If I found Plain Ol' Elad, would he just be added to that list?

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green eyes joined mine

across the room

saw it all at once

a bleached rose

a white smile

with extra glisten

sensually aggressive

pure intensity

innocent coquette

the game begun

the entrance opened

it's time to play

From now on, if you are a registered user, among the many other benefits, you can now blog. If this is something you have been waiting to do for a while, I suggest you get started posting asap!

In the interest of increasing the use of reviews, I am going to start posting a blog every I write a review. Please, use this to your advantage and either write your own review or write a user review in response to an existing one. And when you do (if you are a blogger) feel free to write a blog about it as well.

Anyway my review is about the Office (seasons 1-3). I hope you enjoy it.

To reach it either go to the review section or just click HERE.