Okay, dads. Your daughter’s been running around the house wearing a blonde wig, singing songs you don’t know, and trying to get you involved in witty verbal banter. You may think she’s just being a typical kid, but she’s really a Hannah Montana fan.

The bad news is you probably don’t know who Hannah Montana is. The good news is that you’ve just discovered a great way to bond with your daughter.

"Hannah Montana" is a television show on the Disney Channel about a young girl (Miley Stewart) who lives an ordinary life by day, but is secretly a big, huge pop star (Hannah Montana) by night. Kinda like Batman – but instead of doing something cool in the evenings like fighting crime, she lip synchs pop songs to kids who adore her.

Given the current state of teenage pop stars, it’s hard to imagine any young girl (fictional, or not) wanting to become one. But let’s assume that childhood fame is not a destructive force in reality and that Hannah Montana is a unique example of a child star gone good.

Hannah Montana is played by Miley Cyrus – real-life daughter to country music star Billy Ray Cyrus, who not-so-coincidently plays her dad on the show (sans his signature super-mullet). Their single-parent family also includes Miley’s brother Jackson (not played by a Cyrus family member). The bond that Billy Ray shares with his daughter onscreen is very endearing. He is a strong father figure (which is rare on television these days), who’s tough enough to tell his daughter "No" and is humble enough to admit when he’s wrong. Pretty much your ideal father.

Instead of being a super-snob, Miley remains humble at school and with her friends. Few know her secret identity, and she’s not interested in letting anyone else know. I don’t quite understand the reasoning behind this decision, but can appreciate the humility involved. Fame and fortune aren’t everything. Personal privacy and an incorruptible family life are more important to Miley.

Other than these life lessons, there is plenty to keep your interest while watching "Hannah Montana" with your daughter (which you should start doing). There are guest stars galore – including The Rock, Heather Locklear, and Dolly Parton (probably appearing because their own kids are fans of the show). And, believe it or not, Miley is actually quite funny. After a couple episodes, you’ll grow to love her silly behavior and Tennessee drawl.

Possibly the least enjoyable part of the show is when she’s actually on stage as Hannah Montana. You probably won’t like the music, and you’ll probably think she looks better as the brunette Miley. As Hannah Montana, she looks like every other teenage pop star you’ve grown weary of. But stick with the show until the end. Your daughter will love you for it.

And that’s what it really boils down to. Spending time with your daughter and developing the same kind of loving relationship that appears on the show.

Shop Now for Hannah Montana toys, video games, movies, music, and tickets!

I spent Christmas Eve cleaning up my condo, exercising, and working on the next episode of DC Derby.

I was a little depressed before heading out to my sister’s house for some family time, because I felt like I didn’t have good footage for the DC Derby episode. But I always feel that way after capturing the video clips – then am surprised with how good the episode turns out in the end. It’s amazing what a little editing and some cool music can do for a show.

Time with the family was nice and relaxing. It felt good to just enjoy their company and not think about work, podcasting, or anything else. I felt a little bad about not spending a lot on gifts this year, but thanks to the generosity of my AOL Shopping partners, I had enough quality gifts to go ’round. We played Wii Sports together as a family, which was great. My parents and I spent the night at my sister’s and had a comfy breakfast and lunch there before heading our separate ways.

When I returned to my condo, I started doing a bunch of Christmas cleaning, if you will. I cleaned up all the minor messes around my condo. I cleaned up my computer files. I got up-to-date with all my finances. I cleaned up my online profile pages – deleting unused widgets, groups, etc. All the while, watching all the unwatched HD-DVDs I had sitting by the TV.

Now that everything is cleaned up, I’m ready to tackle whatever’s on my task list. Which isn’t a lot. I have to finish the DC Derby episode, create my first DC Tech episode, play some Guitar Hero III and write a review for work, watch some Hannah Montana and write an article about her for work, finish some Xbox 360 games, and compile a list of all my 2007 business expenses (for taxes).

It doesn’t seem like a lot, when I write it out.

I did a lot of shopping today. I used the gift certificates I received from my parents to get two Xbox 360 games at Best Buy (Overlord, Conan). I purchased a bunch of HD-DVDs from Amazon, using a 2-for-1 special they had for most of them (Harry Potter 1-4, Children of Men, Blade Runner, Bourne Supremacy, Bourne Ultimatum, The Mummy, The Mummy Returns, Serenity). I still intend to get Harry Potter 5, Pan’s Labyrinth and Battlestar Galactica season 1 on HD-DVD, but there’s no rush.

When I went to Best Buy during lunch, the place was packed and still there were several (maybe 10) Nintendo Wiis on the sales floor. I assume that meant they had plenty to go ’round. And maybe this means the Wii shortage is over?

Not sure what I’m going to do tonight. I really should finish the DC Derby episode. But I’m dying to watch the Bourne Identity HD-DVD my brother got me. High-def movies are so, so good.

Four months ago, Tom Merritt read and answered my question on “Buzz Out Loud.” I mentioned it in my blog. I also mentioned that it was my goal to one day be a guest on the show. Last week, they asked some listeners to guest host a couple of their pre-taped shows to be aired during the Christmas holiday. I threw my hat in the ring, but ultimately was not chosen. I was bummed about not being able to fulfill my goal of being on the show. A day later, I blogged about CNET and the video podcast industry. A fiasco ensued. The weekend passed, and I returned to work today. As the day drew to a close, I listened to today’s episode of “Buzz Out Loud” and was surprised to hear Tom discuss the fiasco with guest host Rafe Needleman. I was psyched that I made it into a story on “Buzz Out Loud.” I was even more psyched that Tom pronounced my last name exactly right.

But my goal still stands.

 

 Buzz Out Loud - Tom & Rafe Discuss Me [3:32m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (9)

In case you’re not one of the two hundred people I stood in line with outside of Target this past Sunday morning (or aren’t someone who’s done something similar to purchase a Nintendo Wii this year), I’m sure you’re dying to get a Wii console for yourself or someone you know this Christmas.

The bad news is that this weekend was the last shipment of Wiis to major retailers before Christmas. My local Target had 177 Nintendo Wiis in stock, and they were all spoken for by the crowd of people waiting in line by 7:30 AM – a half hour before the store even opened. Other stores with less stock were probably “sold out” much earlier than that.

If you haven’t found a Wii yet, you can either live without one for now, or pay a fortune for one on eBay. (My suggestion: Wait for it.)

In the meantime, I’m going to let you know a little bit about the Nintendo Wii…

First, let’s start with what comes with the console. The Wii console comes with one Wiimote controller and one Nunchuck controller. The Nunchuck attaches to the Wiimote, allowing you to use both of your hands to control games that support this functionality (not all of them do).

A composite video cable is also included, which is the lowest quality connection cable available. If your TV has component video connections, you can purchase a separate Wii component cable from Nintendo or a third party (recommended). There is no HDMI connection cable available for the Wii, which is fine, since the graphics aren’t high-definition like the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3.

The Wii console comes with Wii Sports – a collection of five sports games that utilize the Wii’s motion controllers (tennis, golf, baseball, bowling and boxing). Only the boxing game makes use of the Nunchuck controller, and only the tennis game allows up to 4-players. Most folks will be content with just playing Wii Sports. The games are fun for casual single-players and large groups.

In order to play in groups, you’re going to need additional controllers. When you get a Wii console, you should also pick up an additional Wiimote and Nunchuck. Then, if budget allows, you should also get additional Wiimotes (for a total of 4). I suggest purchasing Wii Play, which includes additional sports games (like ping-pong and billiards) and a Wiimote.

You can expect to pay $250 for the Wii console, $30 for a component video cable, $50 for Wii Play w/ Wiimote, $20 for a second Wii Nunchuck, and $80 for two additional Wiimotes. Total cost will be around $450.

When you get tired of playing Wii Sports, there are plenty of other fun games currently out for the Wii, including Super Mario Galaxy, Guitar Hero III, Mario Party 8, and Metroid Prime 3.

Generally, the Nintendo Wii game play and game selection are geared towards casual or new gamers. The target audience seems to be children/seniors and non-experienced gamers. Its popularity is due to its mass, general audience appeal.

For someone like me (a life-long gamer), the Nintendo Wii offers a limited experience. It’s fun for parties and family gatherings, but the single-player experience is less than satisfying. I’m not a child, and I’m not a casual gamer. I want amazing graphics, intellectual complexity, and adult themes in my games. Nintendo products have always been – and continue to be – safe and kid-friendly.

But there will always be a larger market of non-gamers than gamers. By targeting non-gamers with a simple, fun gaming experience, Nintendo has greatly increased its potential customer base, and sales of the Wii are reflecting this.

Personally, I’ll be giving my Wii to my mom for Christmas. She’s been asking for one, and I’m sure she’ll enjoy it much more than me.

So, last night I was thinking about the podcasting industry and I decided to sit down and write down my thoughts. I didn’t try to structure my thoughts around one central point. I just let the jumbled ideas that were bouncing around my head flow out through my fingertips.

It was late, when I finished. I logged off and went to bed.

The next morning — this morning — I noticed there was one trackback to my blog. I figured it was just another spam comment. When I got to work, I posted a link to my blog entry on Facebook, since I figured it might be interesting to some of my friends.

Not long after, I was contacted by a stranger asking me who my sources were on the news that CNET acquired Revision3. I pointed him to the twitter postings of Tom Merritt, a CNET employee. A little after that, I found out my blog post was being linked to by popular tech news sites as breaking news.

I was kind of excited about that. I knew I didn’t technically break the news, since I got it straight from Tom Merritt’s “mouth.” But, hey, if I’ve learned anything from my SEO work at AOL, any exposure in the blogosphere is good exposure. Cool beans.

I received another trackback to my blog from a news site that had contacted the CEO of Revision3 to confirm the rumor my blog post started. It wasn’t true. CNET did not acquire Rev3. They simply signed a deal to distribute Rev3’s online shows. Oh, well. I added a correction in my blog.

Then the really strange thing happened… Robert Scoble, an incredibly well-known blogger and author of Naked Conversations (the book that inspired me to pursue podcasting at AOL), commented on my blog post. Then the CEO of Rev3 commented. Then Veronica Belmont.

I had no idea my random thoughts on podcasting would have gotten the attention of so many important people in the podcasting/Web 2.0 world.

The attention was great from a promotional point of view. I can’t imagine how my blog’s page ranking has benefitted from the exposure. From an SEO perspective, I couldn’t have asked for a better opportunity.

But from a personal perspective, I felt a little nervous that the attention was coming now for something I had no intention of making a big deal over. Why couldn’t the attention have come for my podcast or later for the work I hope to do at AOL?

I guess buzz is just something that comes and goes with little notification.

I felt bad about having my criticism of Veronica Belmont’s podcast being made so public. I was bummed all day, because I thought she hated me. Of all the people in the high-tech world, she’s the last person I wanted to offend. Thankfully, a couple of exchanged emails smoothed things over. She even pointed out that my blog post made it onto the TechMeme website — which, I assume, is why such big name folks went to & commented on my blog post.

So, all of the subject matter aside… I’m trying to think how all of this came to be, and if there is some sort of formula to creating similar buzz like this in the future. These are some of the key elements of what happened…

1. I wrote a blog post on a popular topic.
2. I mentioned and linked to many popular shows, companies, and people.
3. I posted a link to my blog post in Facebook.
4. I am “friends” on Facebook with several folks in the industry.

How did my blog catch the attention of the tech news media? Was it through the Facebook post? A general Google search? Or a trackback from one of my links to other sites? Which is the better SEO strategy? Certainly, a combination of all of these is a good strategy. It’s an interesting thing to consider.

Anyway, so that’s what my day has been all about. Today will probably be the highest traffic day for my blog, ever.

It’s pretty uncanny how the blog post that got so much attention today talked about how I could gain the attention of my podcasting peers in San Francisco through the promotion of my podcast. Instead, I received the attention I was craving, but through my blog.

I guess beggars can’t be choosers.

Here’s an image for my scrapbook. My blog featured on the front page of TechMeme…