More Talk on American Billiard Radio

Mike Howerton asked me to join him on American Billiard Radio last week and of course I obliged. You all know me - Imma ham!  haha

I'm used to being on the podcast for only a segment of the show;  Mike and I talk about a topic, maybe two. This time I was informed right before we started that I would be the only guest for the entire show!

What??  

Did that startling info rattle me right before he hit that "record" button?  Aw, heck no!  I mean, who wouldn't want to talk about themselves for an hour, right?  Not this chick.  lol.

Our discussion ranges from Serena Williams to why I didn't turn pro to the weather (yes really!) to Katniss and Danielson (the two special sections in my blog) to verbal abuse as a Tournament Director to green fees to playing in tougher tournaments.

Mike REALLY keeps me on my toes and keeps it engaging the entire time.  I had no idea we talked for an entire hour, I just keep yakking like I can do sometimes :)

Here is the link if you want to kill some time and hear Mike and I discuss all sorts of things related to pool.

I Get Distracted When Reading

I mentioned in early March that Mike Howerton interrogated me on the new American Billiard Radio broadcast show.

Interrogated, inquisitioned, whatever.

If you don't have time to listen to the podcast (like I don't lol), I thought I'd share a little from that broadcast.  Why?  Well, because Mike asked me questions I normally don't get asked and consequently hadn't thought of to share.  I know what you're thinking, damn she shares a lot already!  But, Mike really probed me (ahem, verbally) and I realized the other night when I couldn't go back to sleep, that some of the answers I've never written about in my blog.  Blasphemy, I know!  So, I'm going to resolve that today for you.  Why?  Well, my name does start with "Me" and so it makes sense to talk about myself, right?  (I know, lame excuse).

One of the things he found fascinating (my word, not his) was that I try to blog 10-15 times a month.  Ask anyone, that's a lot!  He then was intrigued:  how do I come up with so many things to write about?  And I shared this tidbit I hadn't shared with anyone before:

If you read my blog regularly, you know that I share articles from magazine (online or in print) about things that I relate to pool.  However, it's not just online articles or magazines, it's anything I read.  And that kinda gets in the way of me getting through a book. 

For instance, I tried in January to read the recommended golf book, "A Good Walk Spoiled" and I couldn't concentrate!  By the 4th page I had around 5 things I could blog about that I could relate to pool that I read in the book!   Gosh, I get so distracted when I read books.  SO many things cross my mind, "Oh, I could write about that" or "Oh, yea, that reminds of this I could write about."  Even leadership books/articles from work - I will read a few pages and start using my highlighter like I'm on crack:  I underline or highlight so many things!  But, the highlighted sentences aren't for me to remember something that would be helpful at work, noooo, they are about things I want to write about in my blog!

Yes, seriously.

The other thing I shared with Mike (and the fans who listen to the podcast) is that I do not have Internet at home.  So, that means all the blog posts, all the interviews, and all the broadcasts are done from my work office after work hours.  Eeek, that may imply I have no social life, lol, but not having Internet at home is the reality I live in.  The homeowners have recently begun the process of a petition to get Internet in our area, but it's been this way for a very long time and I am used to it.  But, it's a little fact of the Melinda Bailey life lol.

I'll share more things like this in the future.  Strap your boots on!

American Billiard Radio Continuing

As I sadly wrote about in January, David Bond passed away.  He was the DJ and breath behind  American Billiard Radio.

Mike Howerton of AZBilliards and I decided to try and keep Dave's dream alive and so Mike is leading the podcasts now, just not weekly as Dave could do, and I have agreed to still be a regular contributor.

Mike and I talked last night and the podcast is located here.  I felt like I was in an inquisition!  But seriously, he asked great questions that I enjoyed answering (and of course I talked about a couple of recent blog articles).  We also talked about how Dave will be missed and his unexpected passing.

RIP David.  I hope we are making you proud.

RIP David Bond

It's the type of message you dread:  "Can you call me?"

On Saturday night I received such a message.  And I was told my friend David Bond had been found passed away that morning.

David Bond is my friend who ran American Billiard Radio and I was a monthly guest on his podcast show.

I then reached out to a couple of people who knew him, and it's always tough to give such bad news.  Hearing a mutual friend cry on the phone from the pain was heartbreaking.

David will be missed.  He had a sense of humor that was off the charts, really loved to gab, and had a passion for our sport.  He was working on a project that was taking a lot of time:  the Chicago Billiard Museum.  Turns out Chicago has a lot of billiard history than most of us never knew.

David's American Billiard Radio program will live on through the previous podcasts.  But, he will be sorely missed.

Find 'American Billiard Radio' as a Podcast on iTunes!

In case you didn't know (like myself), American Billiard Radio is on iTunes!

Just search "abr - American Billiard Radio" in iTunes and you will see the podcasts come up.

Click below image to enlarge the snapshot of what the podcast looks like on iTunes.

Enjoy!

Looks like a couple of the episodes I was on are the highest rated.  You, Guys....blush

ABR, March 16: Are you Being Watched?

I am now a regular contributor on American Billiard Radio (ABR).

Here is the latest: 

March 16:  I share the thought processes of those of who don't love playing on the stream table, against those who welcome playing on a stream table (and tell all their friends beforehand).  

Are you Being Watched?

• ABR link:  http://www.americanbilliardradio.com/listen/2017/3/17/are-you-being-watched
• Blog related link:  http://pooljourney.blogspot.com/2017/03/playing-on-live-stream-love-it-or-hate.html

What a Chat Led To

I mentioned that I am now a regular contributor of American Billiard Radio.

My purpose is to contribute by chatting about a topic I've written about in my blog.  And my goal is to help at least one person each time I'm on the program.

Simple goal, right?

hahhaa

But, I never really know what I am going to talk about and sometimes decide on the fly what the topic will be for that day.  I try not to spend a lot of time thinking about it, I'm much much better on my feet.

So when David Bond (the host) contacted me late last Thursday, I looked at the topics from the recent week of blog topics from my blog to figure out which one might be good to chat with him about:

• Advice and the Ramifications

• Last Lady Payouts

• Learning Differences of 9ball vs 8ball

• Pool Shirts and Hustlers

• Missing the Six Ball

• Talking After You Miss

Every topic was actually interesting and I really wanted to talk about them all, lol, but I decided on "Talking After You Miss."

Basically, I explained that after a player misses, the extroverts (more than the introverts) sometimes don't sit right down in their chair, and instead make small talk to someone in the crowd, and that's not really fair.  Although not normally intentional, it's still a distraction to your opponent.

I told David, "let's say I'm the introvert and you are the extrovert..."  And I went on to explain that when he, as an extrovert, talks to someone in the crowd after he misses it's actually a distraction to me who is now at the table trying to shoot.  Further, he doesn't even realize that it's really not fair he gets to talk to someone, because in reality it can have a calming effect to vent.   And yet I sit down and take care of my emotions internally.  Further, after I miss I give him the courtesy of being quiet and not talking to others.

He then shares that he is indeed actually an extrovert (I didn't know lol), and that now he felt bad reflecting on the topic because he's prolly done this in every tournament he's played in!  LOL.  He felt so badly about it, he labeled the episode, "Are You Rude?"

Are Your Rude? 

Tonight Mr. Bond chats with Melinda Bailey, author of Pool is a Journey, about "table talk" and how it may effect your opponent during a match. Did we forget how to be courteous to our fellow players? 

I got quite tickled that I indeed helped at least one person DURING taping!  lol.

Check out the broadcast for yourself HERE.

We talked more about it after the taping ended and he really was affected by the topic and wondered if he bothered a lot of players unintentionally all the years.  Poor fella.  RUDE.  Just kidding.  :)

American Billiard Radio Debut

Well, I shouldn't really call this a "debut" as I was interviewed by American Billiard Radio (ABR) last year.

But the "debut" is:  I will now be a regular contributor!

David Bond (creator and main host dude) asked me about joining the team late last year and I told him I would have to think about because my plate is run-ith-over.  But I did give it some thought over the holidays and decided I would be honored to contribute and help out!

So, you get to hear my non-sexy voice prolly 1-2 times a month if you listen in already regularly.

New episodes/broadcasts are posted 9pm central time just about every single Thursday.  

I will mostly be talking about blog topics with David.  Going in depth a little more on what I write about.  I will cover only one topic each time, and I will try and correlate the topic to a recent blog post, although I LOVE some oldies, but goodies, that I might locate in the deep archives that I may wish to talk about.

The goal is not to talk simply about pool per se.  The goal is to provide tips and advice and learning experiences that have helped propel my game, which I hope will help others.

If even one person learns something new to help their game, I will be pleased. :)

http://www.americanbilliardradio.com/