Pure Cuteness!

If you're feeling the stress of the end of term right now, here's something that will make you smile. Especially the little guy who chuckles at the end! :)

Follow up on Tiger's situation

So today, December 2, 2009 - Tiger Woods released another statement regarding his accident and the media attention he has been receiving.

He comments on his official website:

"I have let my family down and I regret those transgressions with all of my heart. I have not been true to my values and the behavior my family deserves. I am not without faults and I am far short of perfect. I am dealing with my behavior and personal failings behind closed doors with my family".

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Although he never comes out and states his infidelity, I'm assuming that's what he means by "transgressions"?

What I find the most interesting is on his official website is comments from viewers are allowed. I'm surprised that this is allowed as I'd assume most comments would be negative towards Tiger. However, when going through the comments posted, I noticed a lot of the posts were supportive of him and fans offered their love and support during his difficult time. I would have assumed a majority of the comments would have been negative.

I wonder if his sponsors will be as understanding and keep him as the face of their products?

Something Sure Seems Fishy

Why you should always tell the truth, tell it all and tell it first...



On Friday, November 27, 2009 golf's superstar Tiger Woods was in a traffic accident. A Florida Highway Patrol report says Woods pulled out of the driveway of his $2.4-million home in a black Cadillac Escalade at about 2:25 a.m, struck a fire hydrant and then a tree on a neighbour's property. Police arrived at the scene with his wife Elin, standing over him. The back window of the car had been smashed out.

Tiger and his wife have both declined comments to the media and even to the police regarding the issue. However today, Tiger made a comment regarding the crash on his website.

Woods said the crash was a private matter, and he intended to keep it that way.

“Although I understand there is curiosity, the many false, unfounded and malicious rumors that are currently circulating about my family and me are irresponsible,” he said. “The only person responsible for the accident is me. My wife, Elin, acted courageously when she saw I was hurt and in trouble. She was the first person to help me. Any other assertion is absolutely false.”

Although I can understand why Tiger would want to keep the accident a private matter, he is a well-known celebrity and unfortunately doesn't get that luxury. When an incident like this occurs to a celebrity, especially one with a reputable reputation, the media and public want to know all the details. However, because he and his wife are hush-hush on the matter, it seems slightly suspicious and leaves the possibility for a few questions:

— Where he was going at that time of the night?

— How did he lose control of his SUV at such a speed that the air bags didn’t deploy?

— Why did his wife smash the rear windows of the Cadillac Escalade?

— If it was a careless mistake, why not speak to state troopers trying to wrap the investigation?

By not answering these questions, it seems as though Tiger has something to hide, especially since the accident came two days after the National Enquirer published a story alleging that Woods had been seeing a New York night club hostess, and that they recently were together in Melbourne, where Woods competed in the Australian Masters. Tiger should have released a statement immediately to prevent suspicions and such questions.

Social Media is Constantly Evolving

One of the biggest shifts in media in recent years is the introduction of Twitter.

Using only 140 characters, Twitter provides a one-stop, real-time service for all of a person’s content. It allows us something that in the past only huge corporations could have: our own broadcasting network. If you’re on Twitter, and to a certain extent Facebook, you are in the broadcasting business. You can literally reach thousands with what you tweet.

One of the most interesting aspects of Twitter is the fact that it is a shared media. Though one person initially creates a tweet or links to a story, whatever you broadcast on your network, I can also rebroadcast too. On Twitter, this is called "retweeting".

Not too long ago, it was considered advanced in a technological sense to email a friend to inform him or her of something going on in the news. But now, in a matter of seconds you can share this information via Twitter with tens, hundreds, or even thousands of people.

Social media is constantly evolving and Twitter is no exception. Not only is Twitter used to post information and updates, but the site is also being used to create interesting online virtual art projects - 6 Incredible Twitter Powered Art Projects. Tweets are being visualized and mashed up with other content to create stunning online art.

Can You Feel the Love?

I knew there was a reason I liked Starbucks for more than just their Gingerbread lattes (if you haven't tried it, I highly recommend it!)

For this holiday season Starbucks has announced they will be making a big push in social media, calling it "Starbucks 2.0" because they recognize that their customers want to get more involved.

"It's like we've taken the version 1.0 of last year and now we're really doing it at scale and going to a lot more places where our customers already are," said Chris Bruzzo, VP-brand, content and online at Starbucks. "People are saying this is going to be a big year for social media and we're a microcosm of that. Whereas last year it was a curiosity, this year it's a core part of the program."

The chain is continuing its partnership with Red, launched last Thanksgiving, and created a new partnership with Pandora by offering a free "All You Need Is Love" CD, with tracks from U2, John Legend and the Dave Matthews Band, when consumers spend $15.

What I find most interesting is that Starbucks has also found a faster and easier way for consumers to get involved, even if they're not yet comfortable in social media. For these less-comfortable folks, Starbucks created the "love drawing," at StarbucksLoveProject, for visitors to create a digital drawing using different paints and colors. For each of the first million drawings, Starbucks is donating 5 cents to Red.

The Starbucks initiative is a great example of how to create an entire integrated campaign around the web and include all types of target audiences.

New Moon, Or Should I Say Three Wolf Moon?

November 20th is soon approaching and you know what that means... The Twilight Saga's second installment: New Moon!

To be honest, before the summer, I never even knew what the Twilight Saga was or why it was so popular. My 16-year-old cousin in Vancouver had the opportunity to meet the cast of the film while they were shooting and she posted a picture of herself with Robert Pattinson and Taylor Lautner as her Facebook profile picture. Everyone seemed to be commenting how lucky she was to have met these people.

Obviously, I needed to know what all the fuss was about, so I messaged her asking who these people were. This was the first time, I truly felt out of the loop (uh oh, am I getting old??) Anyways, as expected she was shocked and appalled that I had never heard of the popular craze and informed me that I HAD to watch the film because my life would not be complete without doing so (dramatic much?)

So one night, my friend and I ventured to the video store and rented it. Needless to say, I wasn't blown away by it, but I thoroughly enjoyed watching it. I thought some of the special effects were lacking, however later on I learned their budget was not overly large, and that the sequel to the film would have a much higher one.

With all the hype of New Moon soon to be hitting theatres, there's always bound to be spoofs and knockoffs, such as this one for your viewing pleasure:

YouTube and Target Team Together for the Holidays

I personally shudder at the idea of going to the mall to shop for gifts during the holiday season - the crowds, the elbows, the lines - no thank you! As a result, I assumed savvy shoppers that wanted to avoid the crowds would use the internet in order to purchase gifts and get ideas for the holidays.

Social media is not only changing holiday shopping habits, it’s also changing how major retailers try to reach you with their messages of holiday cheer.

YouTube and Target have partnered to launch a custom channel that is themed entirely for the holidays. YouTube Holiday Solutions includes videos on everything from home and party ideas to recipes, gift giving tips, and Target-specific holiday videos and a Target gift guide.



I feel this was a great idea by YouTube and Target to leverage social media as a way to provide useful resources for consumers this holiday season. I just wish Target was in Canada!