AMBUSH onLINE Celebrates 1st Year
with Record 4.5 Million Hits

It is hard to believe it has already been a year since AMBUSH onLINE was launched. Imagine our surprise when the stat reports released January 20 showed the total hits at 491,047 from Jan. 6-20, 1997. This figure brought total hits to over 4.5 million since January 1, 1996.

AMBUSH onLINE is comprised of 7 interactive sites including gayamerica.com, gaybars.com, gaymardigras.com, southerndecadence.com, ambushmag.com, gayneworleans.com and gayneworleans.org. In addition, 3 other sites including andtototoo.com, lagpac.com and crescentcity.com are under the administration of AMBUSH onLINE.

Location has been the key to the success of this operation. When we started this project a year ago, it occurred to us hardly anyone at that time was using the word gay plus location.com or holiday.com. Our past experience in the beauty pageant business had us scrambling to register those domain names we had a hunch would be good. However, we never could have imagined that these selections would have the tremendous success the sites have exhibited.

At the beginning we had hoped to at least do a 100,000 hits the first year, but over 4.5 million hits, no way! That is the beauty of the web. There are no closets here. The web will clearly show corporate America the financial impact the gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender community can deliver. We are talking billions. Hello...

The focus of AMBUSH onLINE changed in September when the Web Team comprised of ourselves, Sonny Cleveland and George Patterson took over the reigns of control. It was imperative that clients felt they could rely on the word of AMBUSH. Over the years, clients had always been treated with courteous and professional behavior. And this was the direction we wanted AMBUSH onLINE to take.

The Web Team breakdown follows: Rip does page and site design including fine detailing. Sonny does all of the graphics and animations as well as page design. George does research and prepares copy and photos for web placement. Both George and Marsha surf the web for the latest to keep abreast of the best design to enhance AMBUSH onLINE client pages and sites.

The Rainbow Award Moves to Gay America

Gay America was chosen as the new host site of The Rainbow Award effective January 12, 1997 [www.gayamerica.com/awards/]. Original Award administrator Excalibur, in announcing the selection to us writes, "We have had many requests to take the responsibility of continuing The Rainbow Award Program. We know your work very well and would be honored to 'pass the torch' to you and your staff."

The Rainbow Award is exclusively bestowed upon those gays, lesbians, bisexuals, and transgendereds who have made a contribution to the GLBT Web community through excellence in content, design, creativity, presentation or overall concept of their personal Web page. Beginning in 1996, the award program has selected some 180 recipients for the prestigious award.

The original site at www.geocities.com/WestHollywood/1728/ displays the following message: "PLEASE FOLLOW US TO OUR NEW SITE! Change your bookmarks to www.gayamerica.com/awards/. A very special 'thank you' to Rip and his great staff at Ambush, Inc. for continuing this important and much needed Award Program for the GLBT community!" --Excalibur--

Four of our sites have won the award including ambushmag.com, gayneworleans.com, gaymardigras.com and southerndecadence.com.

In its first week of operation at Gay America, the program received 34,972 hits. The new award committee is currently accepting submissions at www.gayamerica.com/awards/ for the February honorees.

KCQ Bar Run Makes 16 Stops

The first annual King Cake Queen Bar Run was a smashing success. Led by reigning KCQ Smurf, the tour began at St. Ann and Bourbon. We had cocktails at the Bourbon Pub and Oz before boarding our limo shuttle from Chisholm Livery driven by one of our favorites Roy. Then it was off to the Marigny for a stop in at Another Corner and The Copper Top.

Smurf rang her yellow cowbell signaling the shuttle call and it was off to Metairie. Angles was our first stop and what stop at Angles would be complete without a photo shoot under the showgirls sign. Next up was 4 Seasons, where some of the "showgirls" got to see a little peak at what Carnival is all about. You know what some people will do for those beads.

The cowbell sounded and it was back to the Quarter. Hitting the Rampart Strip we got to see all the bars, Mother Bob's, Footloose, Buckaroos, TT's and Wolfendale's.

Then it was off to Rubyfruit Jungle, down to the Golden Lantern and MRB. Next up was Lafitte's, the Double Play and our final stop the Corner Pocket where Beefy had king cake for us all.

Smurf entertained some 23 guests on the tour including KCQ II Jay Loomis, KCQ IV elect Reba Douglas, Toni Pizanie, Ms. Fly, Miss Do, Peter Thomas, Lisa Beaumann, Stephanie Williams, George Patterson, Mickey Gil, Sonny Cleveland, Mike Moran, Patrick Rita, Dione, Randy Stephens and James Comeaux.