Lohan Makes News ... Again

When I think back on times I've publicly embarassed myself (and boy, there have been a few that I'll share down the road in this space), I've reacted.  Not by doing more of the same, but by actively reflecting and, yes, hibernating, until I've come to terms with how to handle myself better in the future.

I've talked to and know many people who aren't afraid to make mistakes in the public eye, but work hard to correct their mistakes and pick themselves back up.  They keep going.  They forge ahead.  And they make things right.

Poor (if that's the right word) "Mean Girl" Lindsay Lohan has not, and all I can think is what a shame.  Here is someone who has what many young people can only hope for:  fame, looks, money - basically, enough of everything.

To think that, yet again, she's in the news for stealing a $2,500 necklace from a Venice jewelry store is troubling and saddening because Lohan, who is the same age as me, clearly knows no limits and takes no responsibilities for her actions.  Whether or not she took the necklace is still not clear, although it's being reported that Lohan was the last person seen wearing the necklace and one of her associates took it back to the store once news broke that it was missing.

I can only wonder if the "Mean Girls" and "Parent Trap" star will still have a following when she returns to acting.  By now, everyone knows about her drug problems and the assault charges currently filed against her.  So, can fans or just average movie goers in general turn a blind eye when supporting her in the theaters?  I think I'll be able to because I believe in second chances, redemption and all that other stuff that makes us human. 

I can only hope she - and those troubled, like her - can pick herself back up and genuinely strive to change the course of her life.  After all, she has many years left, let's hope she makes them worthwhile.

Twitter Addiction - You Have It?

I posted a link to an article by Diana Adams (@adamsconsulting on Twitter) earlier today because it's one that really resonated with me.  In it, she is open and honest, concise and to-the-point, and happy to offer some great insight into the world of Twitter.

You can read the post here: Bit Rebels Blog

She confesses that she, like so many of us, is a Twitter addict.  She's one of those people who wakes up during the middle of the night and checks her phone that's strategically placed underneath her pillow so that she can stay up-to-date on her Twitter feed. 

For me, someone who's learned to love and really embrace the Twitter world over the last year or so, I completely understand what she's saying.  You become somewhat addicted to checking your Twitter feed, staying up to date on the trending topics and seeing what breaking news is happening all over the world.

Many people out there since don't "get" Twitter.  It's not because it's so difficult to understand; it's because they don't want to get it.  Sometimes, people are far too afraid of the unknown.  Twitter is a great way to share information, connect with people of similiar interests and stay up on pop culture or news from the industry in which you work.

Every time I get an RT, I'm thrilled.  Every time someone DMs me, I try to respond as quickly as possible.  And every time someone @ mentions me, I remember it.  Weird, I know, but it's just the wonderful world of Twitter.

I'm happy to have it.

Chaos In Cairo

Anderson Cooper.  Katie Couric.  Christiane Amanpour.

They're among the well-known journalists in Cairo reporting on the horror happening right now in Egypt, where more than 300 are reported dead and thousands injured.  Anderson Cooper and his CNN crew were punched and kicked for about five minutes Wednesday morning, virtually every news outlet known-to-man has reported.  And Couric and Amanpour have been on the scene anchoring for CBS and ABC respectively about the troubles there, with the fighting and violence playing out right behind them.

I had to ask myself, "What if I was a part of one of these journalists' families?"  It's a selfish job - going to a country in the middle of a violent uproar to see it firsthand, tell the story and bring it back to viewers who sit in the comfort of their own homes.  But, someone's got to do it.

The New York Times is reporting that, in fact, journalists from all over the country have been attacked.

In an interview with The Huffington Post, Cooper said "A man jumped out of the crowd and tried to push us around.  It sort of allowed other people in the crowd to focus on us. Other people came out of the crowd. Somebody punched me in the head, and from there things escalated quickly."

Crowds followed them, hitting and cursing them as they scrambled for safety.  Anderson admitted this was the first time he'd ever been attacked when reporting in such a setting and vowed not to go back to the area where they were attacked.  He told The Huffington Post it's not safe for any journalist to be in Tahrir Square.

Too bad it took four blows to head for him to come to that conclusion, but fortunately, he and his crew are OK.

Imagine being the child or the spouse of a newsperson like Cooper or Couric or Amanpour right now (or any newsperson - producer, cameraman, etc - there).  Knowing that your loved one is so close to harm's way is surely an unsettling feeling.  I can only hope these newspeople are able to communicate to their families back home, let them know they're alive and well and continue on their mission to safely bring the world the unfolding news from Egypt.

God bless them.

No Internet? Oh, No!

What would you do without the internet?

Surely you've heard the Egyptian government, this week, cut off the internet so Egyptian civilians could not rally or protest the political regime with the use of services such as Twitter, Facebook, blogs and email.  Nor can they access any news websites.  It seems that if you have government backing, you can do ANYTHING - even cut off the internet.  It's a move "unprecedented in internet history," according to Renesys, an internet firm from New Hampshire.  Feel free to take the time to read exactly how Egypt cut off the internet.

We don't realize how dependent we are on it until it's, gasp, taken away.   Fortunately for us in America, we're not dealing with what the people in Egypt are.  Thousands have taken to the streets to protest the government, poverty, and unemployment, amongst other issues.  Death tolls from the looting and use of police force is estimated at around 300 right now. 

While we pray for the people in Egypt that order is soon restored and no more deaths occur due to all this unrest, it allows us all to reflect on how lucky we are and ask ourselves "What would we do without the internet?"  How would we get information, how would we talk to our nearest and dearest and how, oh how, would we pass the time?

I know, for me, I wouldn't be able to get any work done.  I rely heavily on email, instant messaging, visiting websites and working within advertising sections of Google, Bing and Facebook for my job.  I know I'd miss the social interaction that comes from Facebook where I can instantly agree with a pal's statement by clicking the "like" button underneath their latest post.  I know I'd simply go insane without seeing what was happening in my Twitter stream at least a few times a day.  I'd be asking myself what the biggest trending topic of the day was, what eCommerce articles I was missing and what entertainment controversies were just beginning to brew.

                

Hopefully, with Egypt's President Hosni Mubarak announcing his resignation today, we can see an end to this turmoil - and a restoration of one of our greatest freedoms in this world: the use of the internet.