Mike1MB At WebHomeTown.net

U.S. Constitution:

noreply@blogger.com (Mike Cunningham) — Thu, 06 Jan 2011 22:42:00 +0000

We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

Article I

Section 1. All legislative Powers herein granted shall be vested in a Congress of the United States, which shall consist of a Senate and House of Representatives.

Section 2. The House of Representatives shall be composed of Members chosen every second Year by the People of the several States, and the Electors in each State shall have the Qualifications requisite for Electors of the most numerous Branch of the State Legislature.

No Person shall be a Representative who shall not have attained to the age of twenty five Years, and been seven Years a Citizen of the United States, and who shall not, when elected, be an Inhabitant of that State in which he shall be chosen.

Representatives and direct Taxes shall be apportioned among the several States which may be included within this Union, according to their respective Numbers, which shall be determined by adding to the whole Number of free Persons, including those bound to Service for a Term of Years, and excluding Indians not taxed, three fifths of all other Persons. The actual Enumeration shall be made within three Years after the first Meeting of the Congress of the United States, and within every subsequent Term of ten Years, in such Manner as they shall by Law direct. The Number of Representatives shall not exceed one for every thirty Thousand, but each State shall have at Least one Representative; and until such enumeration shall be made, the State of New Hampshire shall be entitled to chuse three, Massachusetts eight, Rhode-Island and Providence Plantations one, Connecticut five, New-York six, New Jersey four, Pennsylvania eight, Delaware one, Maryland six, Virginia ten, North Carolina five, South Carolina five, and Georgia three.

When vacancies happen in the Representation from any State, the Executive Authority thereof shall issue Writs of Election to fill such Vacancies.

The House of Representatives shall chuse their Speaker and other Officers; and shall have the sole Power of Impeachment.

Section 3. The Senate of the United States shall be composed of two Senators from each State, chosen by the Legislature thereof, for six Years; and each Senator shall have one Vote.

Immediately after they shall be assembled in Consequence of the first Election, they shall be divided as equally as may be into three Classes. The Seats of the Senators of the first Class shall be vacated at the Expiration of the second Year, of the second Class at the Expiration of the fourth Year, and the third Class at the Expiration of the sixth Year, so that one third may be chosen every second Year; and if Vacancies happen by Resignation, or otherwise, during the Recess of the Legislature of any State, the Executive thereof may make temporary Appointments until the next Meeting of the Legislature, which shall then fill such Vacancies.

No Person shall be a Senator who shall not have attained to the Age of thirty Years, and been nine Years a Citizen of the United States and who shall not, when elected, be an Inhabitant of that State for which he shall be chosen.

The Vice President of the United States shall be President of the Senate, but shall have no Vote, unless they be equally divided.

The Senate shall chuse their other Officers, and also a President pro tempore, in the Absence of the Vice President, or when he shall exercise the Office of President of the United States.

The Senate shall have the sole Power to try all Impeachments. When sitting for that Purpose, they shall be on Oath or Affirmation. When the President of the United States is tried, the Chief Justice shall preside: And no Person shall be convicted without the Concurrence of two thirds of the Members present.

Judgment in Cases of Impeachment shall not extend further than to removal from Office, and disqualification to hold and enjoy any Office of Honor, Trust or Profit under the United States: but the Party convicted shall nevertheless be liable and subject to Indictment, Trial, Judgment and Punishment, according to Law.

Section 4. The Times, Places and Manner of holding Elections for Senators and Representatives, shall be prescribed in each State by the Legislature thereof; but the Congress may at any time by Law make or alter such Regulations, except as to the Places of chusing Senators.

The Congress shall assemble at least once in every Year, and such Meeting shall be on the first Monday in December, unless they shall by Law appoint a different Day.

Section 5. Each House shall be the Judge of the Elections, Returns and Qualifications of its own Members, and a Majority of each shall constitute a Quorum to do Business; but a smaller Number may adjourn from day to day, and may be authorized to compel the Attendance of absent Members, in such Manner, and under such Penalties as each House may provide.

Each House may determine the Rules of its Proceedings, punish its Members for disorderly Behaviour, and, with the Concurrence of two thirds, expel a Member.

Each House shall keep a Journal of its Proceedings, and from time to time publish the same, excepting such Parts as may in their Judgment require Secrecy; and the Yeas and Nays of the Members of either House on any question shall, at the Desire of one fifth of those Present, be entered on the Journal.

Neither House, during the Session of Congress, shall, without the Consent of the other, adjourn for more than three days, nor to any other Place than that in which the two Houses shall be sitting.

Section 6. The Senators and Representatives shall receive a Compensation for their Services, to be ascertained by Law, and paid out of the Treasury of the United States. They shall in all Cases, except Treason, Felony and Breach of the Peace, be privileged from Arrest during their Attendance at the Session of their respective Houses, and in going to and returning from the same; and for any Speech or Debate in either House, they shall not be questioned in any other Place.

No Senator or Representative shall, during the Time for which he was elected, be appointed to any civil Office under the Authority of the United States, which shall have been created, or the Emoluments whereof shall have been encreased during such time: and no Person holding any Office under the United States, shall be a Member of either House during his Continuance in Office.

Section 7. All Bills for raising Revenue shall originate in the House of Representatives; but the Senate may propose or concur with Amendments as on other Bills.

Every Bill which shall have passed the House of Representatives and the Senate, shall, before it become a Law, be presented to the President of the United States; if he approve he shall sign it, but if not he shall return it, with his Objections to that House in which it shall have originated, who shall enter the Objections at large on their Journal, and proceed to reconsider it. If after such Reconsideration two thirds of that House shall agree to pass the Bill, it shall be sent, together with the Objections, to the other House, by which it shall likewise be reconsidered, and if approved by two thirds of that House, it shall become a Law. But in all such Cases the Votes of both Houses shall be determined by Yeas and Nays, and the Names of the Persons voting for and against the Bill shall be entered on the Journal of each House respectively. If any Bill shall not be returned by the President within ten Days (Sundays excepted) after it shall have been presented to him, the Same shall be a Law, in like Manner as if he had signed it, unless the Congress by their Adjournment prevent its Return, in which Case it shall not be a Law.

Every Order, Resolution, or Vote to which the Concurrence of the Senate and House of Representatives may be necessary (except on a question of Adjournment) shall be presented to the President of the United States; and before the Same shall take Effect, shall be approved by him, or being disapproved by him, shall be repassed by two thirds of the Senate and House of Representatives, according to the Rules and Limitations prescribed in the Case of a Bill.

Section 8. The Congress shall have Power To lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises, to pay the Debts and provide for the common Defence and general Welfare of the United States; but all Duties, Imposts and Excises shall be uniform throughout the United States;

To borrow Money on the credit of the United States;

To regulate Commerce with foreign Nations, and among the several States, and with the Indian Tribes;

To establish an uniform Rule of Naturalization, and uniform Laws on the subject of Bankruptcies throughout the United States;

To coin Money, regulate the Value thereof, and of foreign Coin, and fix the Standard of Weights and Measures;

To provide for the Punishment of counterfeiting the Securities and current Coin of the United States;

To establish Post Offices and post Roads;

To promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts, by securing for limited Times to Authors and Inventors the exclusive Right to their respective Writings and Discoveries;

To constitute Tribunals inferior to the supreme Court;

To define and punish Piracies and Felonies committed on the high Seas, and Offences against the Law of Nations;

To declare War, grant Letters of Marque and Reprisal, and make Rules concerning Captures on Land and Water;

To raise and support Armies, but no Appropriation of Money to that Use shall be for a longer Term than two Years;

To provide and maintain a Navy;

To make Rules for the Government and Regulation of the land and naval Forces;

To provide for calling forth the Militia to execute the Laws of the Union, suppress Insurrections and repel Invasions;

To provide for organizing, arming, and disciplining, the Militia, and for governing such Part of them as may be employed in the Service of the United States, reserving to the States respectively, the Appointment of the Officers, and the Authority of training the Militia according to the discipline prescribed by Congress;

To exercise exclusive Legislation in all Cases whatsoever, over such District (not exceeding ten Miles square) as may, by Cession of particular States, and the Acceptance of Congress, become the Seat of the Government of the United States, and to exercise like Authority over all Places purchased by the Consent of the Legislature of the State in which the Same shall be, for the Erection of Forts, Magazines, Arsenals, dock-Yards, and other needful Buildings;--And

To make all Laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into Execution the foregoing Powers, and all other Powers vested by this Constitution in the Government of the United States, or in any Department or Officer thereof.

Section 9. The Migration or Importation of such Persons as any of the States now existing shall think proper to admit, shall not be prohibited by the Congress prior to the Year one thousand eight hundred and eight, but a Tax or duty may be imposed on such Importation, not exceeding ten dollars for each Person.

The Privilege of the Writ of Habeas Corpus shall not be suspended, unless when in Cases of Rebellion or Invasion the public Safety may require it.

No Bill of Attainder or ex post facto Law shall be passed.

No Capitation, or other direct, Tax shall be laid, unless in Proportion to the Census or Enumeration herein before directed to be taken.

No Tax or Duty shall be laid on Articles exported from any State.

No Preference shall be given by any Regulation of Commerce or Revenue to the Ports of one State over those of another: nor shall Vessels bound to, or from, one State, be obliged to enter, clear or pay Duties in another.

No Money shall be drawn from the Treasury, but in Consequence of Appropriations made by Law; and a regular Statement and Account of Receipts and Expenditures of all public Money shall be published from time to time.

No Title of Nobility shall be granted by the United States: And no Person holding any Office of Profit or Trust under them, shall, without the Consent of the Congress, accept of any present, Emolument, Office, or Title, of any kind whatever, from any King, Prince, or foreign State.

Section 10. No State shall enter into any Treaty, Alliance, or Confederation; grant Letters of Marque and Reprisal; coin Money; emit Bills of Credit; make any Thing but gold and silver Coin a Tender in Payment of Debts; pass any Bill of Attainder, ex post facto Law, or Law impairing the Obligation of Contracts, or grant any Title of Nobility.

No State shall, without the Consent of the Congress, lay any Imposts or Duties on Imports or Exports, except what may be absolutely necessary for executing it's inspection Laws: and the net Produce of all Duties and Imposts, laid by any State on Imports or Exports, shall be for the Use of the Treasury of the United States; and all such Laws shall be subject to the Revision and Controul of the Congress.

No State shall, without the Consent of Congress, lay any Duty of Tonnage, keep Troops, or Ships of War in time of Peace, enter into any Agreement or Compact with another State, or with a foreign Power, or engage in War, unless actually invaded, or in such imminent Danger as will not admit of delay.

Article II

Section 1. The executive Power shall be vested in a President of the United States of America. He shall hold his Office during the Term of four Years, and, together with the Vice President, chosen for the same Term, be elected, as follows:

Each State shall appoint, in such Manner as the Legislature thereof may direct, a Number of Electors, equal to the whole Number of Senators and Representatives to which the State may be entitled in the Congress: but no Senator or Representative, or Person holding an Office of Trust or Profit under the United States, shall be appointed an Elector.

The Electors shall meet in their respective States, and vote by Ballot for two Persons, of whom one at least shall not be an Inhabitant of the same State with themselves. And they shall make a List of all the Persons voted for, and of the Number of Votes for each; which List they shall sign and certify, and transmit sealed to the Seat of the Government of the United States, directed to the President of the Senate. The President of the Senate shall, in the Presence of the Senate and House of Representatives, open all the Certificates, and the Votes shall then be counted. The Person having the greatest Number of Votes shall be the President, if such Number be a Majority of the whole Number of Electors appointed; and if there be more than one who have such Majority, and have an equal Number of Votes, then the House of Representatives shall immediately chuse by Ballot one of them for President; and if no Person have a Majority, then from the five highest on the List the said House shall in like Manner chuse the President. But in chusing the President, the Votes shall be taken by States, the Representation from each State having one Vote; A quorum for this Purpose shall consist of a Member or Members from two thirds of the States, and a Majority of all the States shall be necessary to a Choice. In every Case, after the Choice of the President, the Person having the greatest Number of Votes of the Electors shall be the Vice President. But if there should remain two or more who have equal Votes, the Senate shall chuse from them by Ballot the Vice President.

The Congress may determine the Time of chusing the Electors, and the Day on which they shall give their Votes; which Day shall be the same throughout the United States.

No Person except a natural born Citizen, or a Citizen of the United States, at the time of the Adoption of this Constitution, shall be eligible to the Office of President; neither shall any Person be eligible to that Office who shall not have attained to the Age of thirty five Years, and been fourteen Years a Resident within the United States.

In Case of the Removal of the President from Office, or of his Death, Resignation, or Inability to discharge the Powers and Duties of the said Office, the Same shall devolve on the Vice President, and the Congress may by Law provide for the Case of Removal, Death, Resignation or Inability, both of the President and Vice President, declaring what Officer shall then act as President, and such Officer shall act accordingly, until the Disability be removed, or a President shall be elected.

The President shall, at stated Times, receive for his Services, a Compensation, which shall neither be encreased nor diminished during the Period for which he shall have been elected, and he shall not receive within that Period any other Emolument from the United States, or any of them.

Before he enter on the Execution of his Office, he shall take the following Oath or Affirmation:--"I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my Ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States."

Section 2. The President shall be Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy of the United States, and of the Militia of the several States, when called into the actual Service of the United States; he may require the Opinion, in writing, of the principal Officer in each of the executive Departments, upon any Subject relating to the Duties of their respective Offices, and he shall have Power to grant Reprieves and Pardons for Offences against the United States, except in Cases of Impeachment.

He shall have Power, by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, to make Treaties, provided two thirds of the Senators present concur; and he shall nominate, and by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, shall appoint Ambassadors, other public Ministers and Consuls, Judges of the supreme Court, and all other Officers of the United States, whose Appointments are not herein otherwise provided for, and which shall be established by Law: but the Congress may by Law vest the Appointment of such inferior Officers, as they think proper, in the President alone, in the Courts of Law, or in the Heads of Departments.

The President shall have Power to fill up all Vacancies that may happen during the Recess of the Senate, by granting Commissions which shall expire at the End of their next Session.

Section 3. He shall from time to time give to the Congress Information of the State of the Union, and recommend to their Consideration such Measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient; he may, on extraordinary Occasions, convene both Houses, or either of them, and in Case of Disagreement between them, with Respect to the Time of Adjournment, he may adjourn them to such Time as he shall think proper; he shall receive Ambassadors and other public Ministers; he shall take Care that the Laws be faithfully executed, and shall Commission all the Officers of the United States.

Section 4. The President, Vice President and all civil Officers of the United States, shall be removed from Office on Impeachment for, and Conviction of, Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors.

Article III

Section 1. The judicial Power of the United States, shall be vested in one supreme Court, and in such inferior Courts as the Congress may from time to time ordain and establish. The Judges, both of the supreme and inferior Courts, shall hold their Offices during good Behaviour, and shall, at stated Times, receive for their Services, a Compensation, which shall not be diminished during their Continuance in Office.

Section 2. The judicial Power shall extend to all Cases, in Law and Equity, arising under this Constitution, the Laws of the United States, and Treaties made, or which shall be made, under their Authority;--to all Cases affecting Ambassadors, other public Ministers and Consuls;--to all Cases of admiralty and maritime Jurisdiction;--to Controversies to which the United States shall be a Party;--to Controversies between two or more States;--between a State and Citizens of another State;--between Citizens of different States;--between Citizens of the same State claiming Lands under Grants of different States, and between a State, or the Citizens thereof, and foreign States, Citizens or Subjects.

In all Cases affecting Ambassadors, other public Ministers and Consuls, and those in which a State shall be Party, the supreme Court shall have original Jurisdiction. In all the other Cases before mentioned, the supreme Court shall have appellate Jurisdiction, both as to Law and Fact, with such Exceptions, and under such Regulations as the Congress shall make.

The Trial of all Crimes, except in Cases of Impeachment, shall be by Jury; and such Trial shall be held in the State where the said Crimes shall have been committed; but when not committed within any State, the Trial shall be at such Place or Places as the Congress may by Law have directed.

Section 3. Treason against the United States, shall consist only in levying War against them, or in adhering to their Enemies, giving them Aid and Comfort. No Person shall be convicted of Treason unless on the Testimony of two Witnesses to the same overt Act, or on Confession in open Court.

The Congress shall have Power to declare the Punishment of Treason, but no Attainder of Treason shall work Corruption of Blood, or Forfeiture except during the Life of the Person attainted.

Article IV

Section 1. Full Faith and Credit shall be given in each State to the public Acts, Records, and judicial Proceedings of every other State. And the Congress may by general Laws prescribe the Manner in which such Acts, Records, and Proceedings shall be proved, and the Effect thereof.

Section 2. The Citizens of each State shall be entitled to all Privileges and Immunities of Citizens in the several States.

A Person charged in any State with Treason, Felony, or other Crime, who shall flee from Justice, and be found in another State, shall on Demand of the executive Authority of the State from which he fled, be delivered up, to be removed to the State having Jurisdiction of the Crime.

No Person held to Service or Labour in one State, under the Laws thereof, escaping into another, shall, in Consequence of any Law or Regulation therein, be discharged from such Service or Labour, but shall be delivered up on Claim of the Party to whom such Service or Labour may be due.

Section 3. New States may be admitted by the Congress into this Union; but no new States shall be formed or erected within the Jurisdiction of any other State; nor any State be formed by the Junction of two or more States, or Parts of States, without the Consent of the Legislatures of the States concerned as well as of the Congress.

The Congress shall have Power to dispose of and make all needful Rules and Regulations respecting the Territory or other Property belonging to the United States; and nothing in this Constitution shall be so construed as to Prejudice any Claims of the United States, or of any particular State.

Section 4. The United States shall guarantee to every State in this Union a Republican Form of Government, and shall protect each of them against Invasion; and on Application of the Legislature, or of the Executive (when the Legislature cannot be convened) against domestic Violence.

Article V

The Congress, whenever two thirds of both Houses shall deem it necessary, shall propose Amendments to this Constitution, or, on the Application of the Legislatures of two thirds of the several States, shall call a Convention for proposing Amendments, which, in either Case, shall be valid to all Intents and Purposes, as Part of this Constitution, when ratified by the Legislatures of three fourths of the several States, or by Conventions in three fourths thereof, as the one or the other Mode of Ratification may be proposed by the Congress; Provided that no Amendment which may be made prior to the Year One thousand eight hundred and eight shall in any Manner affect the first and fourth Clauses in the Ninth Section of the first Article; and that no State, without its Consent, shall be deprived of its equal Suffrage in the Senate.

Article VI

All Debts contracted and Engagements entered into, before the Adoption of this Constitution, shall be as valid against the United States under this Constitution, as under the Confederation.

This Constitution, and the Laws of the United States which shall be made in Pursuance thereof; and all Treaties made, or which shall be made, under the Authority of the United States, shall be the supreme Law of the Land; and the Judges in every State shall be bound thereby, any Thing in the Constitution or Laws of any State to the Contrary notwith-standing.

The Senators and Representatives before mentioned, and the Members of the several State Legislatures, and all executive and judicial Officers, both of the United States and of the several States, shall be bound by Oath or Affirmation, to support this Constitution; but no religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or public Trust under the United States.

Article VII

The Ratification of the Conventions of nine States, shall be sufficient for the Establishment of this Constitution between the States so ratifying the Same.

Done in Convention by the Unanimous Consent of the States present the Seventeenth Day of September in the Year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and Eighty seven and of the Independence of the United States of America the Twelfth

In witness whereof We have hereunto subscribed our Names,

George Washington--President and deputy from Virginia

New Hampshire: John Langdon, Nicholas Gilman

Massachusetts: Nathaniel Gorham, Rufus King

Connecticut: William Samuel Johnson, Roger Sherman

New York: Alexander Hamilton

New Jersey: William Livingston, David Brearly, William Paterson, Jonathan Dayton

Pennsylvania: Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Mifflin, Robert Morris, George Clymer, Thomas FitzSimons, Jared Ingersoll, James Wilson, Gouverneur Morris

Delaware: George Read, Gunning Bedford, Jr., John Dickinson, Richard Bassett, Jacob Broom

Maryland: James McHenry, Daniel of Saint Thomas Jenifer, Daniel Carroll

Virginia: John Blair, James Madison, Jr.

North Carolina: William Blount, Richard Dobbs Spaight, Hugh Williamson

South Carolina: John Rutledge, Charles Cotesworth Pinckney, Charles Pinckney, Pierce Butler

Georgia: William Few, Abraham Baldwin

in reference to:

___________________________________________________________________________

U.S. Constitution Text: Founding Document Read By House Republicans (view on Google Sidewiki)

Ashton to CNN... My Kutcher is Bigger Than Your Kutcher - Joel Comm

noreply@blogger.com (Mike Cunningham) — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 17:23:00 +0000

So in case you've been in the closet without your BlackBerry, iPhone, and TV, Here's the Deal:

Celebrities have discovered Twitter.
Businesses are discovering twitter, because celebs have.
Celebs are talking about Twitter on talk shows.
Talk show hosts are signing on to Twitter, and talking about Twitter on air.
News shows cover Celebs, News Shows are using Twitter to collect and quickly mini-broadcast.

Even the Greatest Newbie cannot avoid hearing about Twitter, and wondering "what is this about?" So they log on, they follow the Celebs and News people, they take a while to find out their friends use Twitter. They finally get around to following everyday people, family, friends, maybe even you and hopefully me.

What does all this mean to us as Internet Marketers? More prospects in the Twitterverse! But they are harder to get to, because there are so many others vying for their attention. Just Tweeting isn't going to get there, being accessible via Twitter Adds to Your IM Message, but it can't be the only thing. Creating "Viralness" for yourself and your product/service is going to be harder and harder as Twitter grows to reach 100 Million Tweeters. (Wow, do we need to turn the Bass up, it'll sound like AM Radio)

______________________________________________________________

Ashton to CNN... My Kutcher is Bigger Than Your Kutcher
Posted on April 16, 2009 01:10 PM

Twitter has experienced massive growth in the past year, with the number of people signing up each month accelerating. It has also become the media darling of the day. It seems that everyone is Twittering.

However, with only 10-12 million people on the site, its clear that everyone is NOT Twittering.

Don't fret. They will be soon.

So where is the media paying the most attention to Twitter?

You guessed it. It's all about the celebrities.

Shaquille O'Neal can't spell, but he loves to tweet. He challenges people to find him when he tweets about giving away free tickets to a game.

Jimmy Fallon turns a regular Joe (Bryan Brinkman") into a Twitter celebrity when he calls on all his followers to follow him.

And the list of celebrities on Twitter goes on.

Britney Spears, Ellen DeGenres, John Mayer, Lance Armstrong, Ryan Seacrest, MC Hammer and many more have quickly become the Twitter Elite. Most of these are fully embracing the Twitter culture by interacting with their fans on a regular basis.

And of course, there is Ashton Kutcher and Demi Moore, who recently brought their across-the-room tweets to the general public. Both are receiving massive media attention, especially due to Kutcher's most recent stunt.

Essentially, Kutcher put out a video stating that he wanted to beat CNN's Breaking News Twitter account to one million followers.

CNN has been at the #1 position on Twitter since the election and Kutcher is gaining quite rapidly.

You can read more about the details of the story on Mashable.com.

I'm more interested in how Kutcher and CNN are using Twitter, and why I think Kutcher is more relevant than CNN.

Let's take a look at both accounts.

On the left (yes, that is supposed to be a pun. Deal with it...) is CNN Breaking News.

This Twitter stream is exactly what you would expect... breaking news.

There's no conversation. There's no interaction. There's no dialogue. There's no relationship.

Is there even a person behind the CNN account? If there is, they don't want you to know. They don't WANT you to interact with them. They just want you to read the news as they choose to deliver it.

On the other hand, let's look at Ashton Kutcher's Twitter stream.

True to Twitter culture, Ashton is actually interacting with other people. He's engaging in dialogue. He is communicating with his fans in a down-to-earth way that communicates he gets it. And he cares.

I would like to see him following more people, but that's a matter of personal preference.

Like the email newsletters that clutter your inbox due to their impersonal one-way communication and end up in your trash folder, I predict that the CNN news feed will become less relevant as time goes on.

After all, isn't Twitter made up of over TEN MILLION citizen journalists who are always on the scene and able to report breaking news before CNN has a clue what is taking place?

Wasn't the Mumbai terrorist attack and the Continental plane accident in Denver proof that we the people have the potential to report breaking news far quicker (and sometimes more reliably) than CNN or any mainstream news establishment?

The bottom line is that Ashton Kutcher is demonstrating the real power of Twitter to build relationships and enhance branding. CNN's attempt to bring old media ways to the new media are stale and boring.

Ashton, I'm behind ya bubba. Whether you get to one million before CNN or not really isn't relevant, because YOU are relevant.

Oh, and one more thing. If you are reading this Ashton, I'm happy to send you a signed copy of Twitter Power. Just shoot me a tweet and I'll take care of it.

______________________________________________________________

Mike Cunningham
Download MY Twitter Report No Co$t -Double Opt-in Request form- Download My Twitter Report http://www.webhometown.net/Twitter-eBook.htm +5 Twitter eBook Bonuses

Watch for My New Internet Presence for 2009.

It's Live! See the link on my page now!

2009 The Biggest and Best Ever!

http://twitter.com/mike1mb
Also follow me, I'll follow you back.

One Trillion Dollars ($1,000,000,000,000)

noreply@blogger.com (Mike Cunningham) — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 23:10:00 +0000

On my WebHomeTown.net Blog:

Thursday, April 9th, 2009

One Trillion Dollars

($1,000,000,000,000)

How much is that really? What does it look like?

Find out!

Twitter Police Activity

noreply@blogger.com (Mike Cunningham) — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 21:48:00 +0000

Sorry some of this Video is Very Dark, not only in content but in Video Quality. Also the sound is set quite loud.

Twitter Cops - Protecting the World From Useless Tweets

posted : Saturday, April 4th, 2009

tags : twitter video hd

neutrino reblogged this from mengto
mengto posted this

2 Comments

Music Industry and Twitter, A Round Up by Adrian Fusiarski

noreply@blogger.com (Mike Cunningham) — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 00:17:00 +0000

Jan 25, 2009 Author: Adrian Fusiarski

I’ve been using Twitter ’seriously’ (I’m not sure how you measure that) for a few months now but I was a slow starter as I previously mentioned here.

I think at first the problem for me is that it just seemed like it was going to be another web 2.0 novelty that’d I’d quickly tire of and abandon after a while. I did abandon my Twitter profile leaving myself hanging with less than ten followers and half a dozen posts.

Not for the first time, I was wrong. There are just so many tech and music people ‘twittering’ it kind of reminds you of all the Google euphoria when the search engine was so ubiquitous that ‘to Google’ became a verb.

What helped me a lot was seeking out the help of a bunch of people that did ‘get it’ by searching Google (as always). I thought I’d gather together a bunch of the best online blog posts and articles that I found in my research.

How To Use Twitter For Music Promotion (About.com) Twitter.

About.com Music Careers writer Heather McDonald is always very concise in her writing, unlike me. Once signing up for Twitter Heather recommends, “looking for fellow music types. Music fans, journalists, artists, labels, etc - these are the people you want to follow you.” She continues.

“Twitter can be a great way to not only keep fans informed about your news but it can also make them feel closer to the whole process when you tweet about things you’re working on as you’re doing them. The trick is not to go too far and overload people.”

More...

More Luddites B^&@#ing about Twitter

noreply@blogger.com (Mike Cunningham) — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 03:47:00 +0000

March 3rd, 2009 |

social web, web culture

Could be Jon Stewart being sarcastic, but this is a commonly held opinion, by Non Believers.
Let me know How you feel about TV comments about Twitter.

Jason Calacanis - What to do if your startup is about fail (or “Don’t Stop Believing”)

noreply@blogger.com (Mike Cunningham) — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 08:34:00 +0000

What to do if your startup is about fail (or “Don’t Stop Believing”)

Location: Mahalo HQ, Santa Monica
Date/Time: February 26th 2009 6:25pm
Subscribers: 12,483
Rock out To This While Reading: Don’t Stop Believing
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ip1zsUIosoA
Forward To: Startups that are hitting the wall

A lot of CEOs with less than 12 months of capital left have been
asking me for advice about what to do, given the massive economic
turmoil we’re facing. I thought I would take the time put these
various conversations into one email to help those who are “up against
it,” as we say in Brooklyn.

Now, sprinting to the startup precipice is one of the most horrible
and exhilarating experiences you can have as an entrepreneur.

The exhaustion sinks in as you slam on the brakes. You dig in your
heels and watch the dirt and pebbles fly off the cliff as your left
foot dangles down in the ravine, with your right foot desperately
trying to save you. Your momentum could–if the wind kicks in–send
you straight down to your death. Heck, even the two inches of earth
under your right foot could give way and send you to your death. Or,
you could slip and fall on a magic carpet that will take you to the
Promised Land.

OK, that last part is made up. You’re probably screwed and you know it.

This email is intended for startup companies with less than 12 months
of cash in the bank, who know in their hearts that their VCs have lost
faith, and that Google, Yahoo or Microsoft aren’t going to pick them
up on a magic M&A carpet ride.

This is the email I’d like you to forward to your friends who are
running startups that could go under in 2009.

Some background
————————-
I’ve been to the precipice and faced the fall a couple of times. I’ve
learned a couple of things from the experience. I can tell you that
the first time it happens, you’re terrified, because everything you’ve
done–all the effort and dreams–will probably be lost (like tears in
the rain).

More...

Katy Abby Says: My smartphone is smarter than your smartphone!

noreply@blogger.com (Mike Cunningham) — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 17:50:00 +0000

WACKY WEB WEEK

My smartphone is smarter than your smartphone!

By Katy Abby

It happens every time: just when you think you've got the newest, slickest, most-awesome gadget on the market, a new model comes along that makes your posh purchase look like peanuts. Nowhere is this more apparent than with cell phones. Today's latest smartphones top their predecessors by offering mind-blowing features that we could barely dream of in years past.

Enter the Pomegranate. It does absolutely everything you'd ever want a cell phone to do, and then some! Just don't tell your iPhone .... Play the video

Help people find this article on the Web (explain):
Digg	Delicious	Reddit	StumbleUpon	Other	Permalink

How to use TweetDeck - Mike's Recommended Twitter Application

noreply@blogger.com (Mike Cunningham) — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 01:20:00 +0000

Blogging Art and Practice
A blogging coach’s tips and techniques for a better blog
By Kathy Purdy

TweetDeck is the most useful application for managing Twitter that I’ve found. While many call it “intuitive,” some of my clients are intimidated by it. Perhaps they don’t realize it has tooltip-type hints when you mouse over the various buttons, or maybe the tips don’t explain enough. For those of you who want more than tooltips, here is a basic introduction to TweetDeck.

Organize your screen with these buttons

The following nine buttons function as toggles. That is, click once to open, and click again to close. They are found at the upper left of your screen. (Where appropriate, I’ve linked to some tutorials on another site that explain certain functions in more detail.)

More...

Click here to type a message (status update). When you click this button, several other buttons become available which I will collectively refer to as the tweetbox. They are explained below.
This opens or closes a column that shows all updates from everyone you follow. Usually it’s open.
Click this button to start a new group.
Click here to set up a search column.
Click here to start a column that monitors all replies to you. (That is, all messages that have @yourtwittername in them.)
If you want to have a column of all your direct messages, click here.
This button sets up a column with all your favorited tweets.
Twitscoop enables you to see what the hot twitter topics are.
12seconds is “the best place online for video status updates.” When you click this button it will ask you for your login.

More...

Other Twitter tutorials

The advantage of a still tutorial such as this one is that you can refer to it as you’re using TweetDeck. But a video tutorial can help give you the big picture. I chose these particular tutorials because they illustrated features of TweetDeck that I haven’t covered in this tutorial. You will find a lot more videos on YouTube about TweetDeck, but most are of poor quality.

* How to Create a Group and Use the Search Function
* Rearranging Columns, Search Function, Change Settings (including colors)
* New features in the latest version 0.21b
More...

Look for the links to Ian Dodsworth Interview, the originator of Tweetdeck.
I love Tweetdeck and Find Grouping makes Twitter so much more managable.

Mike
http://www.twitter.com/mike1mb

New Blog Posts at WebHomeTown.net

noreply@blogger.com (Mike Cunningham) — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 01:21:00 +0000

So you want to know all about Basketball, or Feng Shui, or maybe even Bad Breath or my all time favorite, Affiliate Marketing.

Well We've got a blog with all that and More. New Topics all the time and new facts.
Read these excerpts:

Affiliate Marketing Parasites:

Affiliate Marketing Parasites:
No, We really mean Web Sites, but it did catch your attention didn’t it?
Choosing the Perfect Web Hosting for Your Affiliate Sites
OK. So you have finally decided to become an affiliate marketer. You have finally settled on what products you are actually going to sell. Now, how to promote them?
Very little, if any, [...]

Theories of Feng Shui

Theories of Feng Shui
Feng shui theories today work with the goal to arrange the environment made by humans in certain spots known to have good Qi. In order to find this spot, it should be the right location and an axis in time based on the accepted theories. In order to understand it better, here [...]

Where You Get Basketball News First?

Where You Get Basketball News First?
It is amazing how the different medias of communication can provide news, as in first seen, first heard, and what more can a basketball fan want than first hand basketball news? This is the glory humans have achieved by seeking modern devices than those that are in the [...]

The Different Bad Breath Herbal Remedy

The Different Bad Breath Herbal Remedy
You know you have the big H or halitosis or in even simpler terms, bad breath, but you’re ashamed of going out in the open and get it cured? Try home remedies with the different bad breath herbal remedies available. These procedures will help treat your current annoying oral condition [...]

Mike1MB's Blues Hour

noreply@blogger.com (Mike Cunningham) — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 04:21:00 +0000

My 1st Ustream.tv show Mike1MB's Blues Hour

Twitter Repaired, Wolfenstein Redux, Spam King Suicide, No Stop Signs,

noreply@blogger.com (Mike Cunningham) — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 16:33:00 +0000

More re storation underway

5 hours ago

We’re still putting follower/following relationships back into place. There will be inconsistencies over the next several hours as this restoration takes place. We will provide more updates as they become available.

Update (2:14p): we’re going into maintenance mode to speed up some of the recovery work we’re doing. We’re think the downtime will be brief.

Update (2:34p): Maintenance was only about 5 minutes. We’re still restoring data.

Update (3:36p): We believe that by around 7p Pacific around 95% of the data will be recovered.

Followers and Followings Restored 7 hours ago

We have restored 99.6% of the following/followers that temporarily disappeared as a result of a database error. The remaining 0.4% are on their way back.

NOTE: Although we have fixed the problem, the numbers and profile pictures in your sidebar will probably not be accurate until tomorrow afternoon because they are cached.

Wolfenstein Redux, No It's Your Next Windows.

Windows Blackcomb / Vienna (Codenames)

Wait For It: About 1:50 into this presentation get you pistol ready.
Start Shooting Nazis!

Update: Fugitive 'Spam King' Found Dead With Family

(many people made comments on the original ZDNet item, wishing Death to this guy.
I'm sure no one wanted that at the cost of two innocent lives. Tragic.)

By Thomas Claburn, InformationWeek , July 24, 2008 07:05 PM

Edward Davidson, the "spam king" who reportedly forced his wife to help him escape from a Colorado prison on Sunday, has killed himself, a woman, and a toddler, according to The Denver Post.

Earlier Thursday, Colorado NBC affiliate 9News.com reported that three people had been found dead in an apparent murder-suicide in the area of East Arkansas Place, near the town of Bennett, Colo.

More...

‘Spam King’ escapes from federal prison

Could This be What Twitter's been trying to find? Certainly this is a dangerous criminal on the loose, but did we have to lose half of our Contacts? Many Questions Unanswered.

Posted by Ryan Naraine

Edward “Eddie” Davidson, a notorious e-mail spammer who was sentenced to jail time in April, has escaped from a federal prison camp in Florence, Colorado.

Davidson (left), also known as the “Spam King, made a run for it when his wife visited him last Sunday and is now officially listed in “escape” status, according to a statement from the U.S. Attorney’s Office. He was last seen in Lakewood, CO.

The FBI, IRS, and the Rocky Mountain Safe Streets Task Force are helping the U.S. Marshals in the search for Davidson.

Davidson was housed in a minimum security facility. Minimum security institutions, also known as Federal Prison Camps (FPCs), have dormitory housing, a relatively low staff-to-inmate ratio, and are work and program-oriented. FPCs are generally located adjacent to larger institutions, where inmates help serve the labor needs of the larger institution.

This from the Rocky Mountain News:

“He jumped in the car with his wife,” said Will Cochenour of the Lakewood police Tuesday. “When they were leaving, he forced her in the car, brought them home and left after a change in clothing. He’s still at large.”

More...

Michel Fortin Twittered:
This is the funniest video I've seen in a while!

Having seen Cluster Mind F**ks at the Corporate level, I agree. It takes a committee to really screw something up right.

Twitter Repaired, Rumor MacBook Touch, Twitter Squeeze, Knit Gas Mask

noreply@blogger.com (Mike Cunningham) — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 22:59:00 +0000

Yes there's a lot happening today on the Web/Net, What do YOU call it?
Results: 33% Net 33% Web 33% Internet - not quite a Universal Answer.

I personally had a great day thanks to Mark Ress and his Ustream.tv God is Good Show. Good Friends and Strangers taking time to be thankful, ask for help or blessings.

More re storation underway

5 hours ago

Update (2:14p): we’re going into maintenance mode to speed up some of the recovery work we’re doing. We’re think the downtime will be brief.

Update (2:34p): Maintenance was only about 5 minutes. We’re still restoring data.

Update (3:36p): We believe that by around 7p Pacific around 95% of the data will be recovered.

I'm missing Twitter right now so I thought I'd start with that as my lead story:
Missing followers Wed 24

Folks are reporting problems with missing followers - that is, seeing the follower counts drop on their profile pages.

We’re looking into this now.

Update: We’re going to go into maintenance mode to correct this problem.

Updated follower/following counts 2 seconds ago

We’re still in the process of recovering from the missing follower/following problem that occurred earlier today. Over the next several hours, you may see inaccurate counts or timeline inconsistencies as the correct data is propagated to all parts of the system.

One thing to note: Even after this recovery is complete, your counts may appear lower than previously. In almost all cases, this is not due to missing data. The counts we display on your profile page are not always up-to-date. For example, when we remove spammers from the system (which we’ve been doing a lot lately), the follower counts are not updated in real-time.

As we push out the changes to fix this afternoon’s problem, the counts will be updated to reflect the latest numbers.

New Twitter Anti-Spam Bot Causes Chaos

Written by Sarah Perez / July 24, 2008 6:00 AM / 15 Comments

Twitter Anti-Spam Bot Punishes Community Managers and Causes Follower Counts to Drop

Did you notice a big drop in your Twitter follower numbers yesterday? It seems that the Twitter team recently decided to step up their Twitter spammer detection, and, in typical Twitter fashion, their algorithm sent the service haywire, leading to yet another sighting of the Fail Whale while the issue was resolved. Meanwhile, Twitterers everywhere were in an uproar over their lost follower counts.

Spam Detection Goes Too Far

Earlier this week, ZDNet reported that many Twitter users we re no longer able to add followers thanks to the new limits put in place to discourage spamming. Unfortunately, this action caused some major trouble for community managers, like Pandora's Lucia Willow, for example, who stated her case over on Get Satisfaction. In addition to Pandora, Comcast, Jet Blue, and several others were also affected. In order to add new followers, they had to delete older ones - not a good idea for those that want to stay tuned into their community. More....

Rumor: MacBook touch Coming in October

Those of you clamoring for an Apple tablet may finally get what you've been waiting for. According to a MacDailyNews source who leaked wireless iTunes a week before its official announcement, we can expect a sort of "MacBook touch" in October. And the source wasn't light on the details, either:

Think MacBook screen, possibly a bit smaller, in glass with iPhone-like, but fuller-featured multi-touch. Gesture library. Full Mac OS X. This is why they bought P.A. Semi. Possibly with Immersion's haptic tech. Slot-loading SuperDrive. Accelerometer. GPS. Pretty expensive to produce initially, but sold at "low" price that will reduce margins. Apple wants to move these babies. And move they will. This is some sick shit. App Store-compatible, able to run Mac apps, too. By October at the latest. More... Picture Only

Twitter Squeeze

This is being leaked out only to my readers and Twitter followers!

The Twitter Squeeze is coming…

Twitter Squeeze is the most exciting strategy I've developed since Blog and Ping!

More... The Ustream Video introduction Only Perhaps the weirdest thing I saw today: Knitted Gas Mask

Sarah Lane, remember her from TheScreenSavers, now host of DIY variety show popSiren Asked on Twitter if someone would knit this for her. After reading about it, I have to agree this is a useful idea. Maybe the cyclists could use these in Beijing for the Olympics.

Using Twitter, My Advice, Info and Tips

noreply@blogger.com (Mike Cunningham) — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 16:38:00 +0000

Note: This was an Email, that one of the recipients asked to publish, and sure you can just give me the Props!

This Email is primarily to my friends from the abandoned Social Butterfly Empire, but I'm copying some others, who are also friends and will respect our intentions. Those intentions are learning, discussing and sharing knowledge, news, tips, advice and anything else that improves our ability to Social Network.

I'm going to turn this conversation into a discourse on Twitter. That's where I've been making new friends in the same arena that we met in. Web2.0 Social Marketing! I've found that Twitter is an ideal way to learn and research Internet Marketing in the Social environment.

One thing I can tell you for sure is that the Twitter Internet Marketing community is great.
If you are not following them, and there is no group, you're missing the best part of Twitter and maybe of the whole Web2.0 experience. Here are 6 names that I believe should definitely be on your list of following.

The way I've built my list of peeps I'm following, is by looking at people I like, and following who they follow. The other thing is when you click on a person in someone else's following list, Right Click to open in a new tab. Then you can find out about that person in that tab. When you are done, simply close it and go back to the original list tab, and look at someone else.

When I look at a person, I scan their tweets to see if they are interesting to me, especially if they have tweeted links to sites. I'll open that URL, usually a tiny, in a new tab, and see if what they tweeted was interesting to me. If a person just has tweets about their eating, drinking, dog walking, etc and not much else, I don't need to follow them. The other thing that influences me heavily is the information about their website. Not having one is a pretty good sign that this person isn't sharing, and that's the key to Twitter.

And any time you see someone with very many people they are following and very few following them, beware, they are probably not following for good reasons. But if examining a follow candidate it doesn't hurt to see who they follow. Applying the Kevin Bacon 6 step theory works. If you get to know them and they know somebody influential, eventually you too will know somebody influential. Key in all this is participating in conversations with other Twitterites in a way that makes them appreciate and desire to be your friend. Making that first, second or even third contact requires that you listen, actively to what your target is saying. There will come a point that you feel you know enough to comment in a way that applies to their subject. The comment you choose to make should be non-threatening, add to the conversation, and not necessarily require an answer. Questions are usually answered when germane to the subject, but may not be, if they are considered nosy, disruptive, or off topic. Many active Twitterers receive hundreds if not thousands of comments daily, don't be disappointed if they don't answer immediately or ever, to one particular comment. Comments scroll by quickly on such a person's home Twitter page.

I shouldn't have to say what is not a good thing to say as a first comment,. You know what you consider to be intrusive, rude or pushy. Apply your own standards and think of how the other person might feel. Feelings are important, how someone feels positively about you, makes gaining their confidence and friendship easier. It may never be appropriate to try and sell a new friend your product or service, certainly not early in your acquaintance. (hidden link above) By listening to them over time, you may find they have a need, then of course as a friend offering help you are welcomed. Remember I'm talking about being in the sphere of Internet Marketers who are using Twitter to create their own Social Web2.0 presence. Many of these people are experienced professionals, with systems, groups, and subscribers of their own. Some have thousands of customers for their products and mailing lists of enormous size.

There are many tools you can use to add to Twitter. Twitter doesn't have to be seen only in a browser window.

One up and coming alternative is TweetDeck. This does require the installation of the Adobe Air Platform, which is free and totally unobtrusive when installed. Its new so there aren't a lot of applications yet. One other Air application I know of is MeBone a chat client aggregator and replacement.

What might be the most popular Twitter client is Twhirl. Twhirl operates as separate Sidebar type tool on the desktop. It too is an Air Application. Advantages to using Twhirl are the ability to cross post to FriendFeed, Pownce and Jaiku.

If you are a Firefox user which you should be, (Internet Explorer has so much bad publicity, I'm not going to add to it here) the TwitterFox addon is a handy status bar tool to view recent posts and make comments.

Like everything else in the world today there is a Wikipedia article on Twitter. There you can read about the history, uses, and technology of Twitter and more.

Those are just suggestions, there are dozens of Twitter accessories/addons. A good place to learn more about Twitter is the Twitter HandBook, right now its on its way to the publisher. But you can read practically everything in it at TwitterHandBook.c om as it is being written online in an interactive way. This book is written by: Warren Whitlock & Deborah Micek .

Throughout this, I've only mentioned Coachdeb twice, but I feel a better introduction is necessary. She's the Queen of Tweets and her authorship confirms this. Here's what you'll find about her in the Twitter Handbook:

Deborah Micek is a co-founder of the international business coaching company RPM Success Group ® Inc. She and her partner John Paul are authors of the 1st book published on New Media Marketing: Secrets Of Online Persuasion. They are creators of the ONLY Web site system to put New Media to work marketing FOR you — BLOG i360™.

/End Twitter Story

On to other things of interest to my marketing friends, perhaps you would find selected Bookmarks interesting, I'll try not to overload.

Mike's space Microsoft's Live Blogging space

MyYahooBlogLogMike1mb

My Flickr Page

PeoplePlus - brightkite.com Ask me for an Invite!

Discover the hidden communities behind the places that you visit. Brightkite lets you make the connection and start a conversation.

Get Satisfaction A service you can use as your own support team, Free

USTREAM.TV Something I should Make better use of, I Will!

Free Req Webcam, Mic to Broadcast, record your own Videos

Stream Video clips, Internet Radio Cams, News Events or Watch Free TV Online. USTREAM.TV Shows: LIVE VIDEO, Webcam & Video Chat Rooms, Streaming Broadcasts

TinyURL.com - shorten that long URL into a Tiny URL

HotWords.com - What is the World Searching for? Keyword Search Rankings

Twitscoop - What's hot on twitter right now? Twitscoop, what's hot on twitter right now?

SEONIK - SEO link generator Analyze your web a page at a time

Social Bookmarking Sites

Social bookmarking sites are a popular way to store, classify, share and search links through the practice of folksonomy (an Internet-based information retrieval methodology consisting of collaboratively generated, open-ended labels that categorize content such as Web pages, online photographs, and Web links) techniques on the Internet.

Ok that's a start I have hundreds, maybe all not as good as these, maybe better «-- blatant teaser.

And in Closing: Here's an interesting article from Coachdeb's husband, they are so cool. They have the vision of Web2.0 and a plan.
http://tribalseduction.com/blog/play-big-brother-with-crazyegg/

How Freddie/Fannie Fallout Could Affect Main Street - NYTimes.com

noreply@blogger.com (Mike Cunningham) — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 14:24:00 +0000

If you're wondering "Why would Mike post this?", you have to realize that what happens to Freddie and Fannie trickles down a long way. Those scatologically inclined know what runs downhill. Most of us don't live on the financial mountaintops, this is going to affect us. Let's see how, read on:

By RON LIEBER

Published: July 12, 2008

The stock market swoon over Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac this week has left many consumers scratching their heads, wondering if buying a home is a worse idea than it was seven days ago or whether to take down the “for sale” sign in the yard.

So now is a good time to step back and assess the landscape.

Thus far, the biggest damage has been mostly to Fannie’s and Freddie’s investors, though the overall stock market has recoiled as the companies stumbled. In the housing market, consumers are still moving into new homes, and people continued to close on new loans Friday.

But if you are shopping for a home or a mortgage or considering selling a home, you may wonder what will happen next if things get worse for Fannie and Freddie. Will mortgage rates rise, and home prices fall further? Could the troubles affect the rates you are charged for other loans? Answering these questions starts with a brief (I promise) primer on what the two entities do and why they’re important.

More...

Liberate Your Control Freaks!

noreply@blogger.com (Mike Cunningham) — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 17:52:00 +0000

My friend, Alex Simpson, shared a great Presentation about Social Media over at his blog recently

(Visit him here)

If you enjoyed this presentation - I’d highly recommend making ACID LABS a regular read - better still, go there and subscribe to their RSS feed. When it comes to social media - Stephen Collins and Acid Labs kinda sorta know what they’re talking about - a lot more than me for sure - and that’s why I’m keeping their site on my reader list!

As always, a wee comment wouldn’t go amiss from you 1-2 readers

Alright Alex, I’m stealing this for my New Site too.
I think you’re going to like it! And you’ll be among the first to know about it. So many great ideas floating around, I need to hole up and write some original stuff. I faced this in High School, where I said it’s impossible to be original at this late date. And that God was Man’s symbol of his own deficiencies. Man invented God to be inferior to! Well boy did I get squelched, “Kierkegaard already said that and Blah Blah.” For crying out loud, was he 16? Did he live in a town/city where the most common advice from elders was, “you don’t want to work at the Steel. Get out of here and live!”

Now It’s Get Out and Live! Doesn’t matter from where, Just Do It! (sorry Nike)

Approximately 800 vulnerabilities discovered in antivirus products | Zero Day | ZDNet.com

noreply@blogger.com (Mike Cunningham) — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 04:08:00 +0000

Zero Day

Ryan Naraine, Dancho Danchev, Nate McFeters

In what appears to be either a common scenario of “when the security solution ends up the security problem itself”, or a
product launch basing its strategy on outlining the increasing number of critical vulnerabilities found in competing antivirus products, the IT/Security consulting firm n.runs AG claims to have discovered approximately 800 vulnerabilities within antivirus products based on exploiting a standard malware scanning process known as “parsing” :

“During the past few months, specialists from the n.runs AG, along with other security experts, have discovered approximately 800 vulnerabilties in anti-virus products. The conclusion: contrary to their actual function, the products open the door to attackers, enable them to penetrate company networks and infect them with destructive code. The positioning of anti-virus software in central areas of the company now poses an accordingly high security risk. The tests performed by the consulting company and solutions developer n.runs have indicated that every virus scanner currently on the market immediately revealed up to several highly critical vulnerabilities. These then pave the way for Denial of Service (DoS) attacks and enable the infiltration of destructive code – past the security solution into the network. With that, anti-virus solutions actually allow the very thing they should
instead prevent.”

More....

How did n.runs manage to discover the vulnerabilities they claim they found? By following the very same logic on which a great deal of the current vulnerabilities are based on, the way in which the scanner parses the file it’s supposed to scan :

More....

My comment on ZeroDay:

Isn't there anywhere in the world today that you can feel safe? These are the people we are paying to protect us. Like a Bullet-proof vest made of Swiss Cheese! But so far, unless I do something stupid, I go Virus free. Something stupid defined as listening to someone who told me the problems I was having with receiving Ustream.tv was my firewall. Sure enough I opened it up and Ustream did improve, and for a couple of days I was happy getting a much faster video, better sound, faster video. And then, Bang! Pop-ups, Freeze ups, Browser crashes, you name it.Thankfully I've had plenty of experience cleaning up other people's messes, usually far worse than this.

Took several passes with 3 different cleaners, but its gone and life is normal again. It was a long weekend!

Blogged with the Flock Browser

What The F**k is Social Media? by Marta Kagan

noreply@blogger.com (Mike Cunningham) — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 04:31:00 +0000

Ok the asterisks are important. Maybe the word offends you, that's why they are there. Whatever Watch this presentation. It contains your future. I'm not kidding, this is Real!

Note: I just realized I did not give credit for this Amazing, Insightful, Genius SlideShow to Marta Z. Kagan.

Marta Z. Kagan

Social Media Evangelist | Online Marketing Pro

| View | Upload your own

I've been trying to say this to everyone I meet, sometimes it falls on deaf ears.
Get a hearing aid, you're not too old.

George Carlin's Last Interview

noreply@blogger.com (Mike Cunningham) — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 23:47:00 +0000

Monday was a sad day, thankfully, some of the man has been preserved in what he, himself, called 'the most complete interview I’ve ever done." Congratulations to Jay Dixit! I just read that HBO/Showtime will be airing a retrospective of his live performances. Time to get out the Tivo/VCR whatever. Below are the great Questions Jay asked. For more go to the original Brainstorm Blog.

Jay Dixit

June 23, 2008 in Brainstorm

Jay Dixit is a Senior Editor at Psychology Today.

Ten days ago, on Friday, June 13th, 2008, I had the extraordinary privilege of talking to George Carlin. As far as I know it was the last in-depth interview he gave before he passed away yesterday at age 71. Originally it was slated to run as a 350-word Q&A on the back page of Psychology Today. But I was so excited to talk to him—and he was so generous with his time—that I just kept on going. By the end I had over 14,000 words.

On stage, George Carlin came across as a grouch, often vulgar and sometimes misanthropic. But with me he was patient and warm, happy to talk through the minutiae of his creative process and eager to share stories about his childhood, his evolution as a comic, and his influence. What struck me most was the joy in his voice as he talked about the wonderful feeling he got in his gut while writing. I was also moved by the gratitude he expressed for his mother, who he said “saved” him and his brother—leaving her bullying, alcoholic husband when George was just two months old, getting a job during the worst years of the Depression, and raising two boys on her own.

He spoke about the pride he took in his work. As a ninth-grade dropout, he said, it was gratifying to see his words quoted in textbooks, classrooms, and courtrooms. And he was proud to have inspired other comedy greats, who routinely called him to say, "If it weren't for you, I wouldn't be doing this." As he looked back on his astonishingly prolific 50-year career—which includes 130 Tonight Show appearances, 23 albums, 14 HBO specials, three books, and one Supreme Court case—the interview became a sort of retrospective of his life.

Finally, after two hours, he gently mentioned that his arm was getting tired from holding the phone. “I really appreciate all the thought you’ve put into all these questions. Really, it’s the most complete interview I’ve ever done,” he said. “Is it tomorrow yet? I think it is.”

“It feels like it is,” I said, struggling to keep up with his wit.

“All this is for a quote unquote back page?” he said.

“This is for the back page, but, I don’t know, I just love you and your work so much!” I gushed. “I just had so much I wanted to ask.”

At the time, I was embarrassed by what I’d said. But when I heard the sad news this morning, my feelings changed instantly. I’m honored that I got to speak to him, and I’m grateful that I got to tell him how much I admired him before he died.

It would be impossible to overstate George Carlin’s contribution to standup comedy. Along with Richard Pryor and a few others, he essentially created the genre as we know it today. But he was more than just a comedy pioneer. He was a freethinker who never backed down, and he truly changed the course of American culture. He will be missed. —Jay Dixit

Selected Questions from the interview:

How do you think about comedy and self-expression? Expressing what’s within vs. looking at the outside world and making observations?

Do you go around observing and trying to collect funny things? Or do you just live your life and then say how you feel about what you happen to have seen?

Do you think that the richness you described comes from just being able to access more experiences, having information on file? Or is it judgment?

You talked about how comedy's all about incongruities, contrasts, exaggeration. Do you think about those techniques or those principles of humor consciously?

Do you think there are any downsides to having gotten to the point where you are, where all of this is happening automatically? Or are there some advantages a 20-year-old would have?

You talked about how wonderful it is, this feeling of writing. So what is your process like?

And what's your filing system?
What's the process of going from something that's true about the world—observing it—to actually making people laugh?

How is it that you find things that are unexpected?
You made an analogy to playing the violin. I wanted to ask you about mastery. You’ve been doing this for, as you said, over 50 years, and it seems like you've only gotten better with time. So I'm wondering what you think has enabled you to do that. Is it like playing the violin? Is it just practice? Is it getting good feedback? Is it—you know, what is it that allows you to hone your craft?

What is your philosophy about physical performance? You walk around a lot, you make a lot of gestures.

Were you always making people laugh, sort of automatically, just because of your personality?

Can you remember the first joke you ever told?

I want to talk about the transformation that you did in the 60s when you went from what you once termed the “middle-American comic” to this different persona—it was much more subversive. How did that happen and why did that happen?

In what way did the mescaline and LSD give you the insight and the confidence to make this transformation? What role did the drugs play?

So after that transformation, to what extent is the persona that you have on stage—to what extent is it your real personality? I know you’re making jokes and some of that involves exaggeration, but do you feel that you’re acting angrier, more bitter, more caustic on stage? Or are you just being yourself as accurately as possible?

So it sounds like it is your true personality, but it’s heightened for the stage.

So let me latch onto that metaphor: you’re grabbing somebody and you’re saying, “Don’t you see it? Don’t you see it?” But if you really don’t care about America, then why are you doing it? Why are you on stage? Is it just because you want to express yourself? Do you want to help people?

So how would you say that you feel towards people? You say on the one hand you are sort of contemptuous but on the other hand you want their approval in some way? Is that not a contradiction?

Let’s switch gears a little bit and let me ask you about religion. I mean you were talking about it decades ago. Now, atheism and religion bashing have gone mainstream: Richard Dawkins, Christopher Hitchens, Sam Harris. You were way ahead of the curve. What’s it like hearing them saying many of the things you said in the 1970s?

You were central in the Supreme Court case in which justices affirmed the government's right to regulate your “Seven Words You Can Never Say on Television” act on the public airwaves. How do you think about the role of vulgarity in your humor?

What’s the funniest bit you’ve ever heard?

How has your comedy changed over the years?

You asked me to remind you to tell me about Arthur Koestler.

So, sitting in front of a computer, “Wait till they hear this, this is great material.” What’s the difference between that and actually standing on stage hearing the audience roaring with laughter?

Let me ask you about your influence—how do you feel that you have influenced other comedians?

Do you mentor other comedians?

Has your sense of humor helped you in other areas of your life, besides your career as a professional comedian? Meeting people? Making friends? Dealing with loss?

I guess I'm pretty much done. We've been talking for a long time and I really appreciate your taking all this time. Was there a good question you thought people should ask that never got asked?

So the last question is: What are you working on now?
Is there anything else you want to add?

No! And I really appreciate all the thought you’ve put into all these questions. Really, it’s the most complete interview I’ve ever done. Is it tomorrow yet? I think it is.

Read the Full Interview

My Special Sauce and a lesson from the Kung Fu Panda!

noreply@blogger.com (Mike Cunningham) — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 03:12:00 +0000

In a recent article Alex Simpson wrote about a lesson taught/learned from the movie Kung Fu Panda! Well that made me hungry with all the talk of recipes and "secret ingredients."

Okay - down to the lesson! There’s a point in the movie where Jack Black, sorry, PO Panda, opens the mysterious Dragon Scroll only to find out it is completely blank! He’s then told “There is no secret ingredient in the secret ingredient soup” And i though - BINGO! that’s marketing summed up - there’s no secret ingredient! Its all about trying ingredients to make the recipe that works best for you, and more over, that of your client. There is no magic bean, no special sauce, no “brand X” to make marketing strategy work without fail!

But it also reminded me of:

My Special Sauce:
My family loves my special spaghetti sauce. It's really not that special and as Alex suggests above it’s the combination of many things. Here is the first time written never to be duplicated recipe:

Start Here:
5-7 Large onions, sliced, diced, cubed or all of those.
6 Sweet Peppers, I prefer 3 green, an orange/yellow and 2 reds. Again sliced, diced, etc. No seeds, of course.
2 Long Italian Frying peppers sliced into circles or half moons.
A Tablespoon or two of Olive Oil
Saute' all that over medium heat in wok or large pan (Teflon helps) until everything is no longer crisp. Use a strainer to drain the oil for re-use. Put aside in a bowl.

Mushrooms, regular fresh white mushrooms, or canned if necessary about 1 Lb. fresh and/or 3-4 cans.
Red wine vinegar about 1/4 cup
Garlic, Garlic and maybe more Garlic! 2-3 heads about 12-20 cloves each, peeled, sliced, juicy. Or the jarred kind already diced fine, about 4 Tablespoons.
Add the oil saved above back to pan/wok add the garlic simmer carefully until garlic is browned but not blackened.
Add the red wine vinegar stir for a minute or so at high heat, reduce add the mushrooms. Saute until fresh mushrooms are shrunken appropriately. or until canned mushrooms seem to be fully cooked, they are to begin with that's what makes them tricky. You get the idea!
Time to strain this again saving the oil/juice. just add to the bowl with onions etc.

Now for the true flavors,
2 Lbs of Ground Beef
1 Lb of Ground Pork
1 Lb of Ground Veal
Into the wok/pan add about half your saved oil/juice. Break the meats up as you stir, reducing them to just crumbles. Along the way add in Pepper, I use both black, coarse grind and fine white ground pepper. Add some salt too, a pinch is too little a cup too much. Here's where I spice it up a bit, Basil, Rosemary, Thyme, maybe a little celery salt, oregano, naturally, and whatever else catches my eye.
When nicely browned, strain again hold in wok and add in all the previous ingredients. You should now have about 7-8 lbs of materials.

Onto making the sauce.
I use a 20 Qt pot as this is a big lot.
I like the Classico brand they have many varieties, I mix and match about 8-12 jars plus a big #10 can of stewed plum tomatoes, heat for a bit adding 5-8 whole bay leaves, maybe a 1/4 to 1/2 bottle of red wine, something that got opened and stayed open too long, not a good bottle. Then in goes all the veggies and meat. This should have brought that 20 Qt. pot up to about an inch below the top. If it didn't then maybe it's time for a few more jars of Classico, or a quart of regular V8 or more tomatoes of some kind. After you've go this heated up to a very slow boil, just a bubble now and then.

It's time to taste, I like to get a Tablespoon and try to capture a mushroom, pepper and some meat, let cool and sample. This will not be the final taste but should give you an idea where you're going. Most likely if you were shy, Salt is first addition. Maybe more pepper, maybe some garlic or onion salt, maybe more red wine.

Tricky Part I
Here comes a very tricky part, I like to add sugar, but unless done very carefully or in the form of simple sugar(sugar in water until it's all liquid, ratio about 5:1 ) it will drop to the bottom of the pot and burn. There's nothing you can do, if you feel that something is stuck to the bottom of the pot, it is. Stir gently and just don't go all the way down when re-canning. By the way that's where we're headed. We're going to use the Classico jars to put our sauce into when we're done. Plus some other containers, 1Qt Baggies about half full are good for 2-3 person dinners.

Sounds fairly easy, but here's what makes it really work. Making sure the temperature is less than a boil, allow the mix to simmer/cook with a lid on but not sealing for 8-12 hours. Stirring as often as you can, usually I do this overnite so that means either the wife or I getting up several times each during the night, stirring and tasting. A trick I use with a gas stove is taking one of the burner rings not in use and putting it atop the one I'm cooking on. This raises the pot away from the direct heat, which reduces the chance of sticking. Tasting all night long is a bonus, and allows to get a feel for making adjustments.

Tricky Part II
I like to add Cheese to my sauce, usually 3-4 kinds, Romano, Parmesan, Fontina, and Gruyere, being the best. These have to be added slowly and near the end of the cooking as they will definitely stick, not only to the bottom but also to the sides of your pot. Total mix is about 2/3 cup but ratio is to taste/availability.

Usually this recipe makes us sauce for a month or 2 depending of course
how often we have pasta.

But in My Special Sauce there is a hidden secret ingredient:

TIME!

The Time it takes Chopping, Slicing, Stirring adds up to between 6-8 hours.

The Time Slow cooking until everything blends perfectly, 8-12 hours.

The Time we enjoy that sauce over almost 2 dozen meals over 2 months.

The Time I took to write that up and post it, and share it here.

The Time I get to hear from those who love it or hate it.

PRICELESS!! Of course!

Inconveniencing Your Audience Increase Your Persuasiveness

noreply@blogger.com (Mike Cunningham) — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 15:35:00 +0000

Just a Snippet: Go to Article

How can inconveniencing your audience
increase your persuasiveness?

Colleen Szot is one of the most successful writers in the paid programming industry. And for good reason: In addition to penning several well-known “infomercials” for the famed and fast-selling NordicTrac exercise machine, she recently authored a program that shattered a nearly twenty-year sales record for a home-shopping channel. Although her programs retain many of the elements common to most infomercials, including flashy catchphrases, an unrealistically enthusiastic audience, and celebrity endorsements, Szot changed three words to a standard infomercial line that caused a huge increase in the number of people who purchased her product. Even more remarkable, these three words made it clear to potential customers that the process of ordering the product might well prove somewhat of a hassle. What were those three words, and how did they cause sales to skyrocket?

Szot changed the all-too-familiar call-to-action line, “Operators are waiting, please call now,” to, “If operators are busy, please call again.” On the face of it, the change appears foolhardy. After all, the message seems to convey that potential customers might have to waste their time dialing and redialing he toll-free number until they finally reach a sales representative. Yet, that surface view underestimates the power of the principle of social proof: When people are uncertain about a course of action, they tend to look outside themselves and to other people around them to guide their decisions and actions. In the Colleen Szot example, consider the kind of mental image likely to be generated when you hear “operators are waiting”: scores of bored phone representatives filing their nails, clipping their coupons, or twiddling their thumbs while they wait by their silent telephones — an image indicative of low demand and poor sales.

Now consider how your perception of the popularity of the product would change when you heard the phrase “if operators are busy, please call again.” Instead of those bored, inactive representatives, you’re probably imagining operators going from phone call to phone call without a break. In the case of the modified “if operators are busy, please call again” line, home viewers followed their perceptions of others’ actions, even though those others were completely anonymous. After all, “if the phone lines are busy, then other people like me who are also watching this infomercial are calling, too.”

More...

culture that a struggles even to think beyond 140-character blips

noreply@blogger.com (Mike Cunningham) — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 17:35:00 +0000

Nick Carr: Is Google making us stupid? | The Open Road - The Business and Politics of Open Source by Matt Asay - CNET News.com

Speaking of Twitter, am I the only one who views it as further evidence of a soundbite culture that struggles even to think beyond 140-character blips?

It's not yet on the Web, but the July issue of The Atlantic has an exceptional and provocative article by Nick Carr, asking "Is Google Making Us Stupid?" It's a riff on Carr's book, The Big Switch (reviewed here), but covers new ground and has me worried. Carr writes:

The human brain is almost infinitely malleable...James Olds, a professor of neuroscience who directs the Krasnow Institute for Advanced Study at George Mason University, says that even the adult mind "is very plastic...The brain...has the ability to reprogram itself on the fly, altering the way it functions."

As we use what the sociologist Daniel Bell has called our "intellectual technologies"--the tools that extend our mental rather than our physical capacities--we inevitably begin to take on the qualities of those technologies.

"Excellent!" you say, "Now I'll be able to retrieve an infinite amount of information, like Google." Maybe. Or maybe our ability to retain and process information will continue to dwindle. Remember books? Those were the things we read before e-mail, Web browsing, and Twitter came on the scene.

Speaking of Twitter, am I the only one who views it as further evidence of a soundbite culture that struggles even to think beyond 140-character blips?

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Attn: Alana Taylor, You missed the Big Party! Via Reuters 6/6/08

noreply@blogger.com (Mike Cunningham) — Sun, 08 Jun 2008 21:06:00 +0000

Widow throws party to find place in heaven

PATNA, India (Reuters) - A rich 80-year-old Indian widow has spent
thousands of dollars on a feast for 100,000 people in the hope it would
please the gods and open the doors of heaven for her, local officials
said.

People from surrounding villages and towns were fed lunch over two consecutive days by Phuljharia Kunwar, who lives in the eastern state of Bihar and has no family or relatives.

Kunwar spent $37,500 on the feast. Local officials
More...

M.P.A.A - Laser-Printers Downloading Indiana Jones

noreply@blogger.com (Mike Cunningham) — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 00:20:00 +0000

By Brad Stone

A new study from the University of Washington suggests that media industry trade groups are using flawed tactics in their investigations of users who violate copyrights on peer-to-peer file sharing networks.

Those trade groups, including the Motion Picture Association of America (M.P.A.A.) Entertainment Software Association (E.S.A.) and Recording Industry Association of America (R.I.A.A.), send universities and other network operators an increasing number of takedown notices each year, alleging that their intellectual property rights have been violated under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act.

Many universities pass those letters directly on to students without questioning the veracity of the allegations. The R.I.A.A. in particular follows up some of those notices by threatening legal action and forcing alleged file-sharers into a financial settlement.

But the study, released Thursday by Tadayoshi Kohno, an assistant professor, Michael Piatek a graduate student, and Arvind Krishnamurthy, a research assistant professor, all at the University of Washington, argues that perhaps those takedown notices should be viewed more skeptically.

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Aiptek Introduces PocketCinema V10 Mini-Projector

noreply@blogger.com (Mike Cunningham) — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 23:55:00 +0000

At Computex 2008, Aiptek is showing its PocketCinema V10 mini projector.

read more | digg story