Saturday, October 22, 2005

Supporting Halloween Radio

During the months of August, September, October and November 13thTrack.com Halloween Radio receives around 50,000 unique visitors PER DAY. Recently I remembered to check my "business" emailaddress. I found that I hadn't checked since June! I had 4,000 emails to wade through. What I hadn't realized was that Live365 (the site that streams my broadcasts) had killed many of my broadcasts due to an expired credit card. I'm charged around $10 per month per broadcast. I wasn't paying attention (or paying) and lo and behold the broadcasts we're done with. So the other night when I downloaded the emails I found many of them from listeners who were wondering where the broadcasts went. In a panic I reinstated the "Halloween 4 Kids" broadcast (at a cost of $120 per year) and found that once I had paid and was able to get into the broadcast that Live365 had removed all of the MP3s I had uploaded! Devastated I uploaded those MP3s still on my PC and spent another couple of hours looking for the CDRs where I have stored the majority of the MP3s for all of the broadcasts. I finally gave up and went to bed.

During the night I had a hard time sleeping. I started thinking about the time it is going to take uploading the MP3s, putting them into a playlist order, and above all PAYING for it on top of it all. A while back I had a sponsor for 13thTrack.com Halloween Radio. I don't now. A while back I was selling a decent amount of CDs there. I don't now. So other than the love of the music, why would I want to put those broadcasts back online at my expense?

I've found that most of the emails I receive are wanting something. Few are thanking me for having the site. "Hey, what the heck (swear word removed)! What happened to the broadcast! This sucks!" is what I tend to get from the listening public. This does not make me feel warm and fuzzy.

My buddy Jay Moores took my Pumpkinland CDs, Fleshrot and our DARK RIDE CD and made cool flash broadcasts out of them. Even though these make my hosting $ go up I feel better spending the money there at not towards building Live365's empire. I've received the OK from one Halloween music artist and plan to ask more if they'll let me stream their music.

I've been advised NOT to set-up the ole PayPal send-me-some-money donation link. I was told it sends the wrong message. I feel like the public service is great, but what about a little help from the listeners?

If anyone is reading this that cares, what do you all think?

Please advise,

Mark Harvey

I need another drink...or do I?

I am a big fan of a good drink (and you can see by this most self effacing photo). Over the past few years I have spent a good deal of time perfecting many drinks. My overall favorite has to be....the Margarita.
A true Margarita is made from three ingredients. I use a good Tequila, Cointreau or Grand Marnier (a Triple Sec) and Fat Tuesday's Margarita Mix. I've planted a lime tree so soon I'll be squeezing my own juice and not sending away to Lousianna for Margarita Mix!






Here are just a few of the stories that claim to recount how this drink was first created:
  • In the early 1930's, it was created at the Caliente Race Track in Tijuana.
  • In 1936, Danny Negrete invented this drink for his girlfriend, Margarita, while working at the Garci Crespo Hotel.
  • In 1938 or 1939, Carlos Hererra invented this drink for Marjorie King, who apparently couldn't drink any hard liquor except Tequila without getting sick. (Some stories will call him "Danny Hererra", apparently confusing him with Danny Negrete)

On the 4th of July, in 1942, a customer asked Francisco "Pancho" Morales for a "Magnolia", but he couldn't remember exactly how to make it, so he made something up, and named it the "Daisy" instead (which in Mexican is Margarita)

Sometime in the 1940's, Enrique Bastante Gutierez created this drink for Rita Hayworth, who's real name was Margarita.

In 1948 Margaret Sames created this drink for a party she was holding in Acapulco.

In 1948 it was created in Galveston, Texas by Santos Cruz. Who mixed it up for singer Peggy Lee.

In the early 1950's It was created at the "Tail o' the Cock" restaurant in Los Angeles in order to find a way to introduce Jose Cuervo tequila into the market.

    ...and there are of course countless others as well.

    History was taken from DrinkBoy.com.

    Drink and be well,

    Mark Harvey

    STOLEN PUMPKIN!!!!

    Dang it! Someone came into my backyard and STOLE A PUMPKIN! I can't believe it. People wonder why I can't put up my Halloween decorations outside in this neighborhood. Here's the reason!






    A neighbor down the street takes his stuff down every night. I just don't have the time to do that (he's retired).
    My wife and I are considering moving to a better neighborhood. One where I can set-up my stuff and not worry about people ripping me off.

    Biggest bummer about the STOLEN PUMPKIN is that they took the BIGGEST ONE! Just my luck! I guess they needed it more than I did. I still have enough to give away to my parents, family and friends.

    Out...and sad....

    Mark Harvey

    Caverns

    From time to time I am going to make available a FREE download of one of my tracks. Here is a FREE MP3 download of Caverns taken from my Pumpkinland II HauntScape. Here is a review of Pumpkinland II by Rue Morgue Magazine : "Harvey returns with a second shot at scaring patrons with the second installment in the series. The sound is similar to Pumpkinland, but Pumpkinland II is more effective in bringing on the chills. Harvey relies on natural sounds, like howling wind (Nightfall), noises of the deep forest (Lagoon, Caverns) and other assorted bumps in the night. Smooth and creepy, Pumpkinland II is best described as new age music for the Halloween set. Eight tracks total in one hour's worth of aural horror."
    Also in the works for Pumpkinland II is this new cover art by artist John Pearson. I plan to re-master and replicate Pumpkinland II and III and have those available on the market sometime early next year. Enjoy the FREE track and drop me a comment. Remember, all of my CDs are available for purchase at HauntedCDs.com.






    Be sure and support Halloween Radio by purchasing CDs from us!
    Thanks,
    Mark Harvey
    Click here if you can't figure out where you're supposed to click to download the song.
    (link disabled)
    OnePlusYou Quizzes and Widgets

    Thank you for visiting - Mark Harvey