(scan courtesy my friend Dennis B.)

Like I said, it was amicable and stuff like this shows it. So long and thanks for all the fish.

…wait a minute, NO MENTION OF KEVIN MARSHALL ONLINE DOT COM?! You’re dead [...]]]> The Times Union saw fit to feature my departure today in its print edition:

(scan courtesy my friend Dennis B.)

Like I said, it was amicable and stuff like this shows it. So long and thanks for all the fish.

…wait a minute, NO MENTION OF KEVIN MARSHALL ONLINE DOT COM?! You’re dead to me, you corporate shits.

Some of you have asked why I moved off the Times Union blogroll. There’s been some talk that it was due to a gross invasion of privacy from a Times Union staff member (although that did actually happen, it [...]]]>

a likeness

Welcome to the new home of Kevin Marshall’s America here on Kevin Marshall Online dot com.

Some of you have asked why I moved off the Times Union blogroll. There’s been some talk that it was due to a gross invasion of privacy from a Times Union staff member (although that did actually happen, it was done out of spite, and still nobody can tell me why) or a falling out of some sort.

The truth is a lot less sexy: it was just time.

When I joined the Times Union reader blogger army, it was with one goal in mind: to get some exposure, build a rapport with readers, gain some valuable experience, get connections, and above all do some good with all of it. With all that in mind, I can only say and will continue to say that I have no regrets about my time spent with the Albany Times Union and that it was a resounding success.

Well, except the part where I never got paid. But as much as I frequently joked about it, it was just that – joking – and it was a volunteer gig all along. That said, I had gotten everything I was going to get out of the arrangement, so it was time to move onto my own space and monetize it.

This space will continue along the same trajectory as the old blog, but with some tweaks here and there. What to look for over the course of the next several weeks:

• New features
• Plugs for (and the return of) Mixed Marshall Arts, my fighting/MMA blog.
• All of the old material from the old TU blog, plus all comments. Continue the same shitty conversations as before! Speaking of which…
• Occasional cussing
• Details on my foray into stand-up comedy(!)
• And, hopefully, much more.

Thank you to all of those who have followed me over and especially those few of you who have followed this blog in its various incarnations, from its pathetic beginnings in LiveJournal to its move to a WordPress.com blog to the Times Union to here on my very own space.

Onwards and upwards and all that…

It’s been an interesting and fun ride, mostly due to the readers I’ve encountered both in the digital realm and those that have done me the small courtesy of making [...]]]> After 18 months, nearly 750 posts, and over 9,000 comments, this will be the final post for Kevin Marshall’s America in the Times Union blogosphere.

It’s been an interesting and fun ride, mostly due to the readers I’ve encountered both in the digital realm and those that have done me the small courtesy of making themselves known to me in public and giving me the great compliment of saying they’ve spent a little time reading all the musings and missives in this space.

In addition the readers, thanks goes to the Times Union and its interactive audience manager/Blog Czar, Mike Huber.

It’s not the end of the blog. Kevin Marshall’s America will continue over atKevinMarshallOnline.com, along with some other things in the pipeline coming through that I’m very excited about and am eager to share with you.

So don’t think of it as you waving goodbye to me tearfully from a dock as I board a ship departing for the other side of the world, never to be seen again. Rather, think of it as you waving goodbye to the aforementioned ship while I scream “HEY DOOFUS, I’M RIGHT OVER HERE” from ten feet away.

As far as the Times Union and I go, though, this is a final goodbye. So long, and thanks for all the fish.

I’m at the Crowne Plaza for Over the Edge, and our first rappellers are about to go down! Here’s the view from the top:

I’m excited and nervous, but that’s neither here nor there.

The important thing is that you readers raised in excess of $2,000 for [...]]]> Hey everyone!

I’m at the Crowne Plaza for Over the Edge, and our first rappellers are about to go down! Here’s the view from the top:

I’m excited and nervous, but that’s neither here nor there.

The important thing is that you readers raised in excess of $2,000 for Special Olympics of NY. Dreams will be realized and self-esteems boosted due to your kindness. So on behalf of the Special Olympics of NY, thank you for your generosity.

And if you haven’t already, you still can still donate by visiting the website. A little bit makes all the difference in the world for the athletes and their families.

We (me and teammate Meghan Mae) go down at 3:30pm.

THE COMPLETE SCHEDULE

• 10am-3pm WGNA’s Kevin Richards –on site for a live remote
• 10:50am Erin Regazzo – Director of Marketing at the Times Union Center to rappel
• 11:00am Professional Boxers Vinny Maddalone, Shannon Miller and Mike Faragon along with Pugnacious Promotions owner Lisa Elovich to rappel
• 11am-1pm Tri-City Valley Cats Mascots
• 12pm-2pm WGNA’s Donation Request Lunch Hour
• 12:45-1:30 Capital Technical Rescue’s Special Ops Challenge with: APD Assistant Chief Brendan Cox, Army Nat’l Guard Sgt Scott Leslie, NYSID’s Frank Heuer
• 2:10pm Jeff Michaelson – Director of Catering at the Crowne Plaza to rappel
• 3:00pm Jared from Melville’s Mug to rappel– Melville’s will also sell tickets to throw water balloons at Jared while scaling the rock wall
• 3:35pm Times Union Blogger Kevin Marshall to rappel
• 5:50pm Tim Minahan – TD Bank VP to rappel
• 7:00pm After party begins at McGeary’s Irish Pub

I’ll be tweeting throughout the today! Follow @KevinMarshall to get updates throughout the day.

Join OTE on Facebook for updates

Also, congratulations to Laurel H. who won the $25 Target Gift Card!

Today and tomorrow I’ll be highlighting my two teammates in this effort and what they’re offering in exchange for your donation. Yesterday was Meghan [...]]]> This week will be focused on helping our team meet its goal of raising $5,000 for the Special Olympics of NY as part of their “Over the Edge” fundraising event.

Today and tomorrow I’ll be highlighting my two teammates in this effort and what they’re offering in exchange for your donation. Yesterday was Meghan Mae, who is offering a variety of baked goods in exchange for your generosity. Today is local musician and ne’er-do-well Phil Nagle.

Also, you can get a song written about you for donating. More info below.

Phil (right) with Danny DeVito (left)

NAME: Philip Thomas Nagle
HOMETOWN: Scotia, NY
CURRENTLY RESIDING: Scotia, NY
WHAT DO YOU DO? Attempting to become incredibly famous
FEAR OF HEIGHTS ON A SCALE OF 1 to 10: 8.5
WHY ARE YOU RAPPELING? : This is such an amazing cause, and its an incredibly opportunity for a amateur thrill seeker like me!
ANYTHING ELSE YOU WANT TO SAY: I am moving to LA 2 weeks after this thing! Help me leave with a bang!!

Phil, a musician, is making a variety of fun offers in exchange for your donation. Again, from the man himself:

• $10 or less: I will mail you a package including a letter and numerous extras, such as stickers, pins, drawings, fun things! The more you donate, the more you get!
• More than $10: I will write you a poem about how beautiful you are, and hand draw a full color representation.
• $25 or more: I will WRITE A SONG ABOUT ANY TOPIC YOU CHOOSE IN ANY GENRE YOU CHOOSE. Add $20 to one of the above two and I’ll make a theatrical video version.
• $50 or more: I’ll make an EP (5 songs) dedicated to any genre/topic you choose, with a hand made cover. -OR – I will make you a piece of art of any topic you choose. It will be brilliant and one day worth millions as I plan on becoming incredibly famous. :)
• $75 or more: I’ll make you a DVD of all the short films I have ever made, and will write you a song for the DVD menu screen. Please note, this is embarrassing for me!
• $100 or more: NAME YOUR OWN! If it is within reason, i’ll do it. Also, drum lessons, guitar lessons are available upon request.
• For a decent sum of money I will recreate 5 minutes of ANY film you choose.

To donate to Phil, CLICK HERE.

——-

Over the Edge is an event where individuals raise money to rappel down the 18-story Crowne Plaza Hotel in downtown Albany. For more information, visit Team Kevin Marshall’s America’s homepage on KevinMarshallOnline.com.

I say crude because my artistic skills are, to put it kindly, lacking. To put it not so kindly, I am terrible at [...]]]> If you donate $15 to Special Olympics of New York between now and Sunday at midnight, I will personally draw a portrait of you. UPDATE 7/29/11 – extended through the end of August!

I say crude because my artistic skills are, to put it kindly, lacking. To put it not so kindly, I am terrible at drawing and never took to it. But what do you want for $15? It’s a crude drawing. I do spend time on it, carefully examining the picture and doing my damndest to present an accurate and artistic representation. It may be crude, but rude it is not. I draw once every few years. But when I do, it’s with nothing but love.

To give you a taste, here’s a picture of me:

And here’s a picture I drew of myself:

And you can have one too for just a small $15 donation. GET EXCITED.

For more information on my Stuntraising efforts and the Over the Edge fundraiser as a whole, click here.

But that’s narrow-minded, judgmental nonsense. I’ll say it [...]]]>

Battle of wills

If you’re male, there’s a stigma that comes with owning a cat. There are some that see it as creepy or weird that men would willingly opt in to keeping a cat as a pet, perhaps owing to the stereotype cat owners have of being lonely women.

But that’s narrow-minded, judgmental nonsense. I’ll say it here, loudly and proudly: I, Kevin Marshall, am a cat man.

Granted, I’m also a dog man. If I see a dog, I immediately fall into a million pathetic pieces and start speaking baby-talk gibberish. So really I should say that I’m just silly for four-legged domesticated animals.

Thing is, though, dogs are high maintenance. They require the attention that someone like me – who’s always on the go – may not have time to give. Some people are just too damn busy for dogs, and I’m one of them.

A cat, on the other hand, is a perfect companion for me. My cat and I are very much alike. Like me she strikes pretentious poses, is holier than thou, rarely gets motivated, and has an undeserved sense of entitlement. Her favorite habit? Sleeping, just like me. Also, although I’m very cuddly and affectionate, I’m also potentially dangerous.

My cat Zoe and I have a bond, having lived with it for so many years (she turned 19 last month), and I was always her favorite. She became a part of my family in 1992, and when my mother decided to move down to Virginia, I inherited her and brought her with me to my new apartment. She literally has been with me for my entire adult life, and was there for my highest highs and lowest lows, purring contently on the lower-left corner of my bed. Sure, pets aren’t given a choice as to who their owner is, but she has not even made an attempt to break out and go outside in about four or five years, and that has to count for something.

I’m Kevin Marshall, and I am a cat man.