October is traditionally an exciting month for b5media’s Lifestyles Channel and their readers. Summer is over and the Holidays have not yet begun, so it is the perfect time for us to thank our readers for their continued loyalty.

To do this, the Lifestyles Channel joins forces with hundreds of sponsors to create a two week extravaganza of giveaways, jump-starting the holiday season and allowing our readers to win gifts, both for themselves and for giving.

This year’s Blogtoberfest is better than ever before. We have simplified the process and the sponsors have been extremely generous in the gifts that they are offering and as the result, we’ll be passing on in excess of $7,000 worth of prizes.

Don’t miss a minute of the fun!

Blogtoberfest officially kicks off Monday, October 6, 2008

There are lots of great prizes to be given away. Prizes are available to U.S. and Canada residents unless otherwise noted.

All you have to do is:

1. Browse the channel or visit your favorite blogs
2. Watch for sponsored prize winning posts wearing the official Blogtoberfest button shown above.
3. Leave a comment on that exact post. Your comment IS your entry.
4. Check back with that blog within a week and see what the prize is and if you’re the lucky winner.

Consider subscribing to the various blog feeds to make sure you don’t miss out on any exciting opportunities. Many blogs will be conducting between 2 and 7 giveaways and just win those will be appearing is a secret and half the fun!

Each prize winning post will share links to other prize winning blogs for that same day. This makes hunting easier and improves your chances of winning!

That’s it!

Participating blogs found at the bottom of our channel hub:

www.b5media.com/channels_lifestyles.html

A special thanks to Randa Clay Design for our beautiful Blogtoberfest Button!

• Allison at BCS Frenzy offers four reasons USC thumped Ohio State.
• Tony at Dejuiced talks about the Cubs’ almost pulling off back-to-back no hitters.
• Tony also discusses the Brewers firing Ned Yost at Inside the Ballpark.
• Jodie at Gossip on Sports talks about No Jet-ribution and tells a funny story about what happened to Tom Brady.
• Jeanne at Hockey Beat discusses NHL 09 on XBOX 360 and their unreadable discs.
• Jyle at Footie thinks that some fans of the UEFA Euro 2008 have gone bat crazy.
• Over at Sneaks ‘N Gear Jyle shows us a metallic version of the Converse Chuck Taylor All-Star Hi Top.
• David at Every Morning Quarterback features his interview with N.Y. Jets defensive back Darrelle Revis.
• Sandy at Light the Torch shows the Paralympics have their share of star athletes, such as Sweden’s Jonas Jacobsson, who picked up his 14th Paralympic Gold Medal this week.
• At Green Posse, Sandy gives us a look at Louisville’s Valhalla Golf Club, wthe site of this week’s Ryder Cup duel between Team USA and Team Europe.
• Stephen at Hoops Fantasy talks about the 2009 NBA MVP Award Favorites.
• At Knuckle Curve, Stephen takes a look at the American League MVP Candidates.
• Jarrod is back blogging with us at Thoroughbred Fever. Stop by to check out the latest horse racing news.
• Kori at The Fantasy Kickoff talks about the top fantasy football players from Week 2.

Last but not least, we want to welcome Scott Wharton to the channel. Scott is blogging at Jab and Grapple, where he writes about MMA and wrestling. Bookmark the site and visit often!

Thanks for reading!

Photo credit: istockphoto

Here are some highlights from across the channel this past week!

• Metal Martyr recounts how seeing Carcass live has made his life complete.
• Jessica Simpson made an appearance on Good Morning America but forgot one important thing - underwear!  Wow!
• New mother Jennifer Lopez was spotted at the Oscar de la Renta Fall Fashion Show.  She looked gorgeous!
• Make sure you check out the recap and performance pictures from Deerhunter’s show at Le Poisson Rouge on Big Apple Music Scene!
• Remember Hootie and the Blow Fish?  Of course you do!  I’m guessing things have changed for them, however, since Country Music Stop is reporting that lead singer, Hootie, has decided to go country! 
• Pop Music Scene has brought has a great post introducing MTV’s Top Pop group contestants.
• Sara Bareilles and Newton Faulkner recently performed in Sydney, Australia and Oz Music Scene has a review of the show!
• Austin Sound Check is already talking about the Austin City Limits festival and has been highlighting some of the artists.  Read what she has to say about Slightly Stoopid and Electric Touch!

Does Experience Matter?

And if it does, what kind of experience matters?

Does an experience as Gvernor of one of the smallest states in the country make you fit to be President?

Is a lack of military experience a hindrance to serving as Commander in Chief?

Can you equate experience in Congress with leadership?

These are questions that voters in the US have to sort out - in just 49 days.

Here, at the Business Channel, we’ve been thinking about experience as it applies to the business world.

At Slacker Manager, Phil and David tackle the question head on: Experience or Attitude: Who would you rather hire? Similarly, at Leadership Turn, Miki notes that most managers look first for direct experience when interviewing, but is that a good thing?

At One Vote Matters, Thursday jumps into the fray and asks whether Palin’s lack of foreign policy experience matters in the presidential race. At Interview Chatter, Darlene reminds us that the question comes down to what is most important when filling a position - even if that position is the most powerful in the country.

Also tying in with the elections is the question of whether businesses ought to share their thoughts and experiences as it relates to politics. It’s important to remember that not all businesses are created equal. When it comes to tax-exempt businesses, like churches, taxgirl reminds us that sometimes it’s best to keep quiet - especially at election time.

At Daily Blender, Jennifer questions whether “other experience” is enough when it comes to running a restaurant. Maybe some jobs are a bit tougher than you think…

When it comes to new jobs, Jean, at Small Business Boomers, believes that experience does matter. She shares five ways you can use your experience in a new career.

Don’t get too hung up on experience, though. At Home Biz Notes, Mary Emma mentions the fact that if you don’t have a great deal of experience when starting a home business, at least arm yourself with all the knowledge you can and gain from others who are more experienced. Miranda echoes this statement at Yielding Wealth: you can learn to manage your own finances even if you do not have professional financial planning experience. Find out how.

And when it comes to providing an experience, shouldn’t you focus on the consumer’s point of view? At Behind the Buzz, Rachel lists her pet website design peeves that impact on the customer experience. In keeping with the consumer experience theme, at Brandcurve, Susan shares a montage of Mac Guy vs. PC Guy commercials demonstrating relationship and experiential branding at work and asks if she should let herself fall for it and buy a Mac (um, Susan, you should, types Kelly from her MacBook).

Chris, at Doing Biz Abroad, jumps on the Mac bandwagon and argues that the best travel experience for the business traveller can be gained by using a Mac. Is he for real - or just trying to get his wife (ahem) to buy another computer?

Guest poster Ellen Barks at Biz Chicks Rule discusses how your everyday experiences can affect your business success. She wonders: what did you learn this summer?

Of course, learning from others’ experiences may be the best lesson of all. At Successful Blog, Liz questions whether its more fun to solve other people’s problems.

The bottom line is that your experiences, whether in your personal life or your business, play a role in how others perceive you. The question is, does that matter?

Toronto, ON - September 15, 2008 - b5media, one of the world’s largest new media networks, has made the top ten in PROFIT magazine’s ninth annual PROFIT HOT 50 ranking. b5media has been recognized with the #6 ranking, based on sales growth of 1789 percent over the past two years (2006-2008), compared to an average growth of 756 percent among the other listed companies. The 50 winners represent a wide range of industries from high tech and IT services to manufacturing and business consulting.

Published in the October issue of PROFIT and online at PROFITguide.com, the PROFIT HOT 50 ranks young companies by two year revenue growth.

“It is a huge honor to be recognized on the PROFIT Hot 50 list as a company that has displayed steady growth and strong potential for the future,” says Jeremy Wright, President and CEO of b5media. “This is the latest recognition for the tremendous value found in emerging media networks and high quality online content.”

“The PROFIT HOT 50 companies illustrate the ingenuity and vitality of Canada’s entrepreneurial sector,” says Ian Portsmouth, editor of PROFIT. “Anyone who wants to start or grow a business can draw much inspiration and many lessons from the HOT 50.”

b5media was established in 2005 by five bloggers. The company now has over twenty employees and nearly 2000 bloggers powering a highly diverse network of blogs.

Later this month, Wright will attend Profit Magazine’s 9th annual GrowthCamp in Niagara-on-the-Lake, a unique event held exclusively for chief executives of PROFIT HOT 50 companies. This year’s GrowthCamp will include presentations on leadership, strategy, innovation and idea exchange, and also the HOT 50 Awards Dinner and GrowthCamp Golf Tournament.

About b5media Inc.
b5media Inc. is one of the fastest growing blog networks in the world, featuring a wide variety of topics ranging from entertainment and lifestyles to sports and technology. With a diverse network of passionate, insightful bloggers, b5media enables conversations and fosters communities around shared interests by producing exceptional, timely content across both niche topics and mainstream headlines. For more information, visit: www.b5media.com

About PROFIT Magazine
PROFIT: Your Guide to Business Success, is Canada’s preeminent publication dedicated to the management issues and opportunities facing small and mid-sized businesses. For more than 25 years, Canadian entrepreneurs across  a vast array of economic sectors have remained loyal to PROFIT because it’s a timely and reliable source of  actionable information that helps them increase their revenues, boost their profitability and get the recognition they deserve for generating positive economic and social change. Published six times a year by Rogers Publishing Ltd., PROFIT is distributed almost exclusively to the chief executives of companies with 5 – 250 employees and  annual revenue of $1 million to $25 million, reaching more than 300,000 readers across Canada. Visit PROFIT online at www.PROFITmagazine.ca.

Contact
Rachel Segal
Assoc. Director, Content
b5media Inc.
416-727-1042

The b5media Lifestyles Channel pays tribute to their own grandparents with memories, recipes and values handed down from generation to generation.

At Quilting and Patchwork, Mary Emma Allen writes a tribute to her grandmother for a quilting heritage.

When Linette at Mother Earth’s Garden thinks about her grandparents, she has many fond memories in the garden. One of her favorite recipes is her grandma’s recipe for canning pickled beets.

Mary Emma at One Book Two Book reminisces about the reading heritage she received from her grandparents.

Cyndi at Layers Upon Layers no longer has grandparents, and hasn’t had any for a long time.  Although she loved her grandparents deeply, she says she never really thought that much about what their feelings were towards her…until she had her own first grandbaby and felt the overwhelming love just flow out to continue the cycle of life through the generations.

Katelyn from Simply Thrifty is glad her great-grandma passed thriftiness down to her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Susan at PlayLibrary shares suggestions for several books for grandparents including activity books for grandparents and grandchildren to enjoy together and memory books for grandparents to give to their grandchildren, which are sure to become family treasures handed down from generation to generation.

Chloe from Tangled Thread along with her mom, created a series of memorial church textiles to celebrate her grandmother’s life.

And at MomGadget, I remember the influence and memories with my grandparents that help mold the person I am today.

Other Grandparent posts around the channel at - Marriage Actually and Baking Delights 

Other channel notes of interest:

Some of you use Picnik site to edit photos, Mad Cropper is running a contest giving away 3 year-long Picnik Premium memberships worth $25/year.

Weary Parent is conducting a giveaway that helps mothers get organized.

(image: stock.xchng)

While September may signal the end to many hot summer days & vacations, it does signal the start of Fall television, and that’s something to celebrate! We also celebrate the addition of 16 Celebrity sites who join Entertainment, rounding up our blog count to 52!

Here are just a few of the great posts from Entertainment this week:

• Medium Dreams is hosting a giveaway for three sets of the first three books in C. L. Talmadge’s Green Stones of Healing series.
• Get more Style-Television with weekly recaps of Bravo’s new ‘do: Tabatha’s Takeover. Hairstylist Tabatha Coffey takes over and revamps salons in need of the ultimate makeover.
• Soaps On ABC confirms that it’s really hard out there for a Pimp. Especially if you live in Pine Valley.
• MKAshley is giving away a mary-kateandashley beauty prize pack.
• Cycle 11 of America’s Next Top Model premiered this week. Top Model Gossip has the recap for you in case you missed it.
• It’s all babies all the time for Nicole Richie and Joel Madden over at RichieFan. Nicole’s giving mommy advice to Ashlee Simpson and Joel’s matching that with advice for Pete Wentz.
• Beckham Groupie watched Victoria Beckham launched her latest fragrance to tons of fanfare this week at Harvey Nichols in Manchester while hubby David hit the field for England for the World Cup qualifiers.
• Media Scribbler catches up with Torchwood’s Gareth David-Lloyd at last weekend’s Dragon*Con.
• Vampires are back on the premiere of HBO’s True Blood Sunday night.
• Comedy Centric talks to sitcom icon Katey Sagal about her new hard-hitting drama Sons of Anarchy.
• Read all about The Closer’s potential spinoff at Grrl TV.
• Famous unwed teen mom Jamie Lynn Spears shows her political support by sending unwed teen mom-to-be Bristol Palin a pink care package.
• Could Vanessa Hudgens be pregnant? See the pictures and decide for yourself!
• TomKatCrazy: Eli Stone star Matt Letscher recently talked to People about Katie Holmes’ upcoming cameo.
• Desperate Blog: Check out Eva Longoria-Parker’s weird interview with Jay Leno.
• Junior Celebs: The Jonas Brothers will soon star in a new Disney Channel series called J.O.N.A.S. Find out what Joe Jonas has to say about the plot.
• American Idol’s Carrie Underwood is still reportedly engaged in a war or words with Jessica Simpson. Jessica is dating Carrie’s ex, Tony Romo and has recently jumped into the country music scene. Of course, it’s causing all sorts of drama.
• GilmoreGirlsNews had an exclusive interview with Matt Czuchry about his upcoming Tucker Max flick “I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell.”
• The New Kids on the Block are continuing to make a comeback and now have teamed up with Ne-Yo on their new song “Single.” It’s a surprising collaboration and they recently performed it live on the Today Show
• Lindsay Lohan is pregnant! Well, in the movies. Sort of. Check out the teaser trailer for “Labor Pains”
• Hilary Duff’s purple purse makes waves in the fashion world.
• Mischa Barton donates one of the purses she designed for a charity auction called Handbag Amnesty

At 8:00 EST, as SU2C begins simultaneously across all networks, log into the Pink Ribbon Review and have a real-time conversation with Karen Lynch about the event – real time, live, as it happens. She’ll have live coverage and commentary about the event — and you can add your two cents, too!

Her “live” blog will be displayed in a viewer window on the main Pink Ribbon Review website (thanks to software provided by CoveritLive). It’s like instant messaging — except you don’t need a user name or password — and you can watch the conversation, view photos, send in comments, or participate in polls. There’s no downloading … just have her website loaded at 8:00 EST and watch the magic unfold.

• Jodie at Gossip on Sports talks about how it was a good Olympics for some and not for others.
• Cherie at Dejuiced discusses the top 10 games to watch this college football season.
• Tony at Inside the Ballpark lists the greatest moments in the Red Sox-Yankees rivalry.
• Lyndsey at Girls Dig Sports talks about the top 10 greatest women athletes.
• Sandy at Green Posse discusses the FedexCup leaders after Week One. She also talks about the top U.S. paralympians at Light the Torch.
• James at Squib Kick lists the top 10 single season passing touchdown leaders.
• Stephen talks about the best teams in baseball at Knuckle Curve and the best basketball players in the Olympics at Hoops Fantasy.
• Kori lists the fantasy wide receiver rankings for the 2008 season at The Fantasy Kickoff.

Photo credit: istockphoto

The top 50 companies will be announced during the Red Herring Canada event, which runs from September 15-17th.

Well done, team and congrats to the rest of the finalists!