With Christian radio and fans going starry-eyed over Chris August, the positive buzz keeps coming in.

“This is a new artist with intense staying power. Someday we’ll all be saying ‘remember when?’” -Sarah Taylor, KCMS

“Chris August has the amazing ability to write songs that not only do you hum along to but impacts you in a deep and meaningful way. Starry Night has connected with our audience in this way from the very beginning.” -Ben Milton, WGTS

“Starry Night has been one of those special songs that come along seemingly out of nowhere and connect deeply with our target audience, the song has tested awesome from the first test and continues to do so.” -Kris Love, WYLV and WDLF

“There are so many singer/songwriter out there…. here comes one that can finally deliver.” -Corey Mann, LESEA Broadcasting

Currently, August is playing shows all across the country in support of the new album and is gearing up to join multi-platinum group Point Of Grace on their upcoming 2010 “Home For The Holidays” Christmas tour and then will join the highly anticipated Winter Jam 2011 Tour.

While he may be considered a “new” artist, Fervent Records’ newly signed singer-songwriter Chris August is anything but a rookie in the music industry. The self-taught pianist, guitarist, and producer previously toured as the keyboard player and opening act for pop sensation Ashlee Simpson and worked with Ryan Cabrera, Brian McKnight and Jessica Simpson before shifting his focus to his solo career. Chris, a native of Dallas, Texas, put his refined skill set to work when he co-produced his debut record with acclaimed producer Ed Cash. While he is not one to shy away from writing about his faith, Chris isn’t afraid to embrace relationships and heartache in his songwriting. Chris cites influences such as Stevie Wonder, John Mayer, and Gavin DeGraw who all contributed to the polished pop/rock sound that is sure to resonate with all who listen.

For additional information, please log on to: www.chrisaugustmusic.com, www.myspace.com/chrisaugustmusic or www.twitter.com/ChrisAugust.

Last year Avatar dominated the charts. This year, there have been a ton of remakes, loads of sequels, and some outright lame movies. So we’re really wanting to know, what your favorite movie was?

Inception?
Iron Man 2?
The A-Team?
Toy Story 3?
The Last Airbender?
The Twilight Saga: Eclipse?

Leave a comment below. We’re hungry for your thoughts…

In their post they argued these three reasons:

It creates a more attractive worklpace to potential, and younger, employees who see social media as a staple of work life.

It improves productivity with those employees who were allowed to take breaks to surf the internet for fun.

It creates a more engaged workforce by allowing employees to use social media to connect with colleagues, which in turn improves communication and speeds up decision making processes.

But just as the many bloggers, employees, and businesses who argue the validity of using social media during work hours, there are many more who think that employers should ban social media sites in the workplace as they are potential time wasters.

There’s a debate going on about the effect of social media on worker productivity. Some say it steals too much time from the job at hand during work hours. Others say the quick mental break helps workers refocus so they get on with their tasks.

But what do you say?

Do you log in to Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn at work? Does it lower productivity or does it help you get through the day? Where do you stand on the issue? How about your employer? Come on, you can tell us.

“The internet is a place of commerce that connects the entire world. It’s like there’s a bazaar around every corner that sells everything you could ever imagine.”

Miller’s online library, LindseysLibrary.com, features his reviews of 180 books. He created LindseysLibrary.com with teachers and librarians in mind as a resource blog of quality young adult literature. While the web site was established for the benefit of the readers, Miller said it has its perks for him as well. He is able to connect with many of the authors of the books he reviews, and they even send him personal copies.

“Another nice perk is that when you become a tastemaker, people begin to care about your opinion. At this point, almost every major publisher sends me books to review,” Miller said.

Miller is also a musician and has released an album through TuneCore.com, which he said gave him the ability to sell without having to burn CDs and finding a way to distribute them.

“Especially with music, we don’t necessarily need labels anymore. As long as someone is good at connecting with people and makes excellent music, they can make good money from publishing their music to the online stores.”

As long as you are an expert in something, whether it be music, literature, or art, you can create a web site for that topic and create a following, Miller said.

“As an artist or craftsman, you can take advantage of this, whether by selling your wares on specialist stores like Etsy or Deviantart, through a music distribution channel like TuneCore for the online music stores, selling on the big stores like eBay or Amazon, or setting up your own online store,” Miller said.

A layperson who has a love for a particular art or craft and makes money through sharing his or her expertise is often referred to as a maven or tastemaker. Through the internet, a maven can quickly gather massive amounts of followers who have similar interests.

“From a marketing perspective these folks can be incredibly valuable resources for getting a new product out to people,” Miller said.

A maven can make money from a blogs in two ways, Miller said: through online advertising and by joining an affiliate program through a larger online vendor like Amazon. If someone buys a product through the maven’s blog, then the author receives a percentage of that sale.

“I would recommend that if you have something that you love, even specific things like certain subgenres of house music, and you consider yourself an expert on the subject, then start a blog and review the products in that group,” Miller said. “At the very least, it’s a fun way to connect with people who are interested in the same things, and sometimes you even get to connect with the people who make the things you love.”

Publishing your book, promoting your music, or selling your artwork is no longer limited to an exclusive, upper-echelon group. Through the internet, these outlets are now available to everyone, and Miller tasks himself with sharing his successes as a way to inspire others.

For Christians desiring to bring salt and light to the world through their music, writing, and art, the internet is a landscape abounding in endless opportunities. There has never been a better time to put your talents to work and share your creations with the world.

“At the basic level, ordinary people on the internet became shapers of culture.”

Alright, so maybe they’re not biological twins, but we think they still look alike. Maybe distant cousins twice removed or something. Regardless, the duo will be taking the seats of Simon Cowell, Ellen DeGeneres and Kara DioGuardi, all who have recently announced their departure from the hit show.