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Meet Blog Bash DJ Sid Bluntley

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In the mid-nineties I was lucky enough to be present and help out with the beginnings of the online conservative movement, but wasn’t able to continue with it for various reasons.  Three years ago, when I found out the Blog Bash organizers needed a DJ, I jumped at the chance, because I knew firsthand all the slings and arrows bloggers take, and I wanetd to be able to give something back to them for all the hard work they do with my new business.  It was an honor to finally meet people like Ed Morrissey, Michelle Malkin, and Mary Katherine Ham.

The next year, when I DJed the 2011 Blog Bash, I was able to help the producers of Atlas Shrugged Part I set up to show their movie previews.  Working with them was fascinating and gave me some opportunities I would not otherwise have had.

For last year’s event, after I learned Andrew Breitbart was going to be attending, I was inspired to play the alternative-eighties music that he was known to enjoy (and who doesn’t love eighties music, anyway?)  Sure enough, in the middle of the party Andrew noticed what I had been spinning and came up to the DJ booth to talk music.  What fun it was to talk about something with Andrew that he was so passionate about!  He mentioned that in another life he would have loved to be a DJ and told me a story about a New Order concert he once attended.  I played “Crystal” for him by request.  That conversation was a highlight of my life, and I wish he was going to be with us in person this year.

Also, we had the great guys with Madison Rising perform.  I was happy to help them with their sound too.  If you haven’t heard their music, I really encourage you to check them out!

I DJ for weddings, all kinds of parties and events, and even karaoke in the Washington, DC area.  I play all genres of music, but have an affinity for eighties and lounge music.  Please contact me so that I can help make your event fun and a big success!  And come to me at Blog Bash and say hi!

@DJSidBluntley / http://www.sidbluntley.com/ / info@sidbluntley.com

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Occupy Blog Bash?

Remember Brett  Kimberlin?  The hack who has threatened multiple people and families in the conservative movement and has destroyed so many lives?  Well, he’s back, folks.  This time, he and his gang of evil conspirators are threatening Blog Bash and the bloggers who will attend.  The Blog Bash staff have been monitoring online chatter from Kimberlin and his buddy Neal Rauhauser for weeks; they’ve tried hacking into personal Twitter and Facebook accounts and are determined to stop Blog Bash from happening.  Yesterday, the venue received a call from a man named “Neal.”  Here’s a bit from a piece Ali wrote earlier today:

He called to gather information about Blog Bash, knowing that all of us will be in one room for the first time ever. He tried scaring them. This is harassment and nothing short of a threat.

Brett Kimberlin is dangerous and we’re taking the threat seriously. His nexus is directly attacking our First Amendment rights — the ability to peacefully assemble and speak the truth.

They’re trying to put pressure on our venue to drop the largest gathering of center-right bloggers and our allies. The work we all do as bloggers is groundbreaking.

You can read the rest of his article here.  7 days until Blog Bash, where we’ll continue to defy Brett Kimberlin and his cronies by continuing to make an enormous impact on Washington, the media, and the country.  These threats won’t stop the good work bloggers are doing.  We’re living out Winston Churchill’s famous words when he said:

“You have enemies?  Good.  That means you’ve stood up for something, sometime in your life.”

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Last Day to Apply for Blog Bash Creds!

The largest center-right invitation-only party at CPAC is filling up fast– that #darnfirecode restricts the attendees to a certain number.  Hundreds of credentials for Blog Bash have been given to CPAC media-credential-approved bloggers.  Today is the last day that you can apply for your Blog Bash credentials; if you are approved for media credentials at CPAC and you haven’t applied for Blog Bash, make sure you do so today!

Click here to apply for Blog Bash credentials.  Do it quick, before the link magically disappears.

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Meet the Blog Bash 2013 Staff

staffCountless hours have been put into planning the biggest party at CPAC; individuals from all over the country are working together to make it a success and ensure that bloggers have a jammin’ time.  Here’s your chance to take a look “behind the scenes” and recognize the staff of this year’s event.

  • Bill Murphy, 2013 Director
  • Adrienne Royer, Communications Director
  • Abby Alger, Operations Manager
  • Elyssa Giordano, Media Relations Coordinator
  • Jeff Duntez, Blogger Relations Coordinator
  • Bethany Bowra, Website Coordinator
  • Madeleine McAulay, Social Media Coordinator
  • John Eakin, Registration Coordinator
  • Emily Zanotti Skyles, Community Outreach Consultant

“From experienced communication veterans to youthful emerging leaders, each of them are dedicating tireless hours to ensure that bloggers have the most memorable experience at the unofficial kick-off event of CPAC.” 

10 days until Blog Bash!

 

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House Chairman Bob Goodlatte to Appear at Blog Bash

goodlatteBlog Bash is pleased to announce that Virginia Congressman and Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee Bob Goodlatte will be attending this year’s event.

Chairman Goodlatte had this to say about attending Blog Bash:  “I am proud to support the ever-growing movement of citizen journalists.  These are people who have dedicated their time and money to shedding light on truth during a time when investigative journalism is being pushed to the wayside by a media culture too often driven by the ‘gotcha-question.’  I look forward to meeting the bloggers at Blog Bash who daily swim against the current.”

“This is a guy who thinks about things bloggers are thinking about,” said Ali A. Akbar, President of National Bloggers Club.

Chairman Goodlatte joins a growing list of featured guests, including Katie Pavlich, Rep. Tom Price, Anita Moncrief, Brandon Darby, Dana Loesch, and more.

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Turning On the Lights at CPAC

untitledTea Party News Network is leading an effort to raise $75,000 to provide free internet access for CPAC attendees.  Rumors were floating that attendees would be faced with the choice of having no internet access during the conference or paying a fee of $250 to access the internet over the three-day conference.

“The venue change has provided great anxiety for everyone, and bloggers not having free or affordable WiFi would have proved to be nothing short of a disaster. Activists from across the country who rely on these citizen journalists would have had less coverage of the largest gathering of conservatives at a time when we are all calling on more communication, not less,” said Ali A. Akbar, President of the National Bloggers Club.

This is a huge relief to bloggers and members of the National Bloggers Club, who have been approaching us to ask for a solution.  A huge thank-you goes out to Tea Party News Network for spearheading this effort to lend a hand to the thousands of bloggers that attend CPAC every year; paying $250 for internet access is just a wee bit out of most bloggers’ budgets, and this will lift that burden from them.

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Rep. Tom Price to Mingle with Citizen Journalists at Blog Bash

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Congressman Tom Price (GA-6)

Blog Bash is proud to announce our first 2013 VIP, Georgia Representative Tom Price!

Rep. Tom Price said this about Blog Bash:  “I look forward to attending Blog Bash at CPAC this year to honor the very important work of members of the National Bloggers Club and enjoy the company of fellow patriots,” said Congressman Tom Price. “Now, more than ever, we must foster a conservative movement unified by our common vision to restore America to its constitutional parameters of limited government and individual freedom. Bloggers are on the front lines defending these conservative principles each and every day, and I am especially grateful for their contributions to our shared cause.”

A staunch defender of conservative values, Rep. Price isn’t afraid to stand up and make a difference.  He will be joined at Blog Bash by many other well-known elected officials, commentators, and bloggers, which include several nominees for the 2013 Blog Bash awards.

“Dr. Price is dedicated to reform in the U.S. Congress,” said Blog Bash co-host, Ali Akbar.  “As a former Georgia resident, I can personally attest to Tom always doing anything he can to empower different groups and activists — that includes bloggers. He truly understands the power of the blogosphere and I’m proud to have him as a guest of the National Bloggers Club. Attendees couldn’t be more excited in welcoming him.”

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Register for Blog Bash Today!

bloggersRegistration for Blog Bash 2013 is now open!  If you’re hoping to attend, you’ll want to get your application in soon; that #darnfirecode restricts us to a certain amount of attendees, so don’t miss your chance to join us at the best Blog Bash yet!

Click here for the do’s and don’t's of getting into Blog Bash.

Click here to register.  Once your application has been sent in, our volunteers will review it and verify as much of the information (blog(s), name, email address) as possible (this could take up to two weeks) and get back to you soon!

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2012 Award Winners: John Sexton

johnsextonBlog Bash 2012′s award winner for Blogger of the Year as well as the winner of the Best Investigative Post award (for a photo story he did on Occupy L.A.) answered some questions about how he feels about Blog Bash and bloggers in general.  Below is an interview with Breitbart writer John Sexton.

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- How did winning the awards affect your blogging career?

I really didn’t have a career, I had a time-consuming hobby. There just isn’t a career path for blogging. In fact, blogging has some similarities to the business model outlined in the underpants gnomes on South Park. Phase 1 is write a lot. Phase 3 is profit! But phase 2 is always pretty fuzzy. In my case, I think the awards helped fill in phase 2. My first discussion about a job happened about 30 minutes after I won.

- How important are bloggers in the new media world?

Bloggers are a significant part of the news cycle though the amount of blog-based material that makes the leap to the major media still heavily favors the left. We definitely have a voice in framing the debate, correcting errors in reporting, and adding context.

- What has Blog Bash meant to you in the past?

Blog Bash has been a good experience for me, especially last year for obvious reasons. I’m grateful to the other bloggers who thought of me for the award. Having the respect of peers whose work I really admire is as good as it gets.

- What was your favorite part of Blog Bash?

I was talking to Duane Lester, aka All American Blogger, about comic books and suddenly my name was called. No one had told me to expect anything so it was a great surprise and made for a fun night.