Isn't Media Supposed to Be For the People?

I've been working with the media in one way shape or form for most of my life.  Whether it's been as a journalist or someone sending in the press releases and holding the press conferences.  I've worked for the new media (online) and the old media (paper) and never have I seen an organization move into a community with so much hostility.

Now before I get too far into this let me first say that I'm not one to hold a grudge and it doesn't take much to get my feathers ruffled but the actions of a new media source that moved into my community over the past year and change is really starting to get under my skin.

For those that don't know I make my home with my family in the Thousand Islands Region of Ontario.  The heart of this region is Brockville and we are lucky enough to have several great media companies covering the region.  The most senior, of course, is the Brockville Recorder and Times followed by the EMC St. Lawrence both of which are, for the most part, old media.  Just over 5 years ago now a new media source came to town in BNTV/Brocknews.  BNTV/Brocknews is a web-based newspaper and television news source. About a year ago SNAP Brockville came to town with it's paper and website that feature only the good news in the area, something that in a region struggling with unemployment and going through an identity crisis as it's manufacturing industry slowly shuts down, is a welcome change.  Around the same time another new comer came to town, KnowBrockville.  KB brought it's own magazine and website to the table which offered yet another point of view as well as some excellent columns and contests for it's readers.  

Now as someone who is very involved in the community and sits on numerous community groups I know that there is no such thing as too much media.  Each source has it's own following and each can bring it's own perks to the table when it comes to promoting community events etc...

I'm not going to name names but one of the above has decided that there is no room for the others and will stop at nothing to eliminate the competition.  Even to the point that they have started to block anyone from their Facebook page who has any ties to the others.  

Long before I moved to this area I took part in the weekly #followfriday ritual on Twitter, several months ago one of the local new media companies started their own Follow Friday on Facebook, giving their followers a chance to share their businesses etc...(on a side note this isn't a new practice, it's something that has been going on on Facebook in the social media circles for quite some time, giving page admins a chance to share their latest client's pages with others).  The Follow Friday idea, regardless of who thought of it, was brilliant.  Naturally the idea gained steam and others (including other media) quickly started to follow suit.  As the social media admin for the Athens District Chamber of Commerce I also started running the Follow Friday program to give our members a chance to showcase their Facebook pages.  To be honest I don't even know for certain which page had the Follow Friday first but honestly WHO CARES!!!  There is so much hostility everywhere else in this world is it really worth squabbling over who did the Follow Friday thing first?  

Interestingly enough is that I don't even know how I ended up as a casualty of this media war.  Sure one of the new media has published a blog or two of mine, but I'm not employed or even directly affiliated with them. My blog is also published in the Ottawa Citizen, I'm also not employed or affiliated with them.  The only reason the local group publishes my blog is because they asked me if they could. I'm assuming it's because of that affiliation that I'm now too blocked from their Facebook page.  To me this means I can't promote Facebook pages on the page not to mention that many are potential advertising clients to this organization.  The whole thing just doesn't make sense to me, I'm new to the area have been open to working with anybody or any organization that is interested in working with me.  I currently represent numerous local businesses and organizations that look to me for advice on where to spend their online advertising dollars.  How can I justly advise them to spend their money with an organization that has hostile intentions towards other businesses?  I simply can't.

So to the organization in question, if you are reading this I ask you to think about your actions.  You are a media source and would like to be reputable.  I can't speak for anyone but myself and I know that my actions have never warranted being blocked from your Facebook page.  Simply because I promote my clients on Friday's, something that you encourage others to do, or because I have a blog that is featured in another publication?  Seriously?  Are we in Kindergarten now?  Imagine how powerful the local media could be if you all worked together and stopped the hostility?  This region needs strong media to showcase the good bring people into the area. There are enough advertising dollars to go around.  Each of you has a place in Brockville or Leeds and Grenville.  As I mentioned earlier I will not mention any names, if you know who I'm talking about great feel free to discuss it with them but please keep the name to yourself, they know who they are.  If you are affiliated with this organization please feel free to drop me a line and we can discuss exactly what I have done to deserve this blacklisting.

Brockville's Not So Bad

It’s been a while since I wrote a personal blog post on a topic.  I suppose that’s because of my technical background and most of my interests are in that area.  But news came out today that has many in the community I call home up in arms and I think it’s worth discussing.

Today MoneySense magazine published a list of the bestplaces to live and ranked 190 communities across Canada.  Brockville, which is the area I call home (and gladly so) ranked 165 on the list.  Now this ranking takes several categories into consideration and then ranks the communities based on a percentageof points assigned to each category.   The numbers are less than flattering for Brockville but is there truth behind the numbers?  

If you aren’t familiar with Brockville it’s a scenic city located in the heart of the 1000 Islands Region of Ontario on the shores of the St. Lawrence Seaway.    No one would question that its tourist potential is huge.  So why does it rank so low on places to live?  Well again based on statistics alone one can’t argue that there aren’t many career opportunities.  True companies like Proctor and Gamble have factories in Brockville and they do hire from time to time but those opportunities are few and far between and generally are labour positions which don't suit an office junky like me.  

My family moved to the area just over two years ago and both my wife and I have to commute out of town to work.  As an IT (Information Technology) professional I have worked in both Ottawa and Kingston since coming to the area. Don't get me wrong it's not for lack of trying to find full-time work in Brockville but there just doesn't seem to be a demand for my line of work.  But is that a bad thing?  Sure it would be nice to have my workplace closer to my life but it's not the end of the world if it's not possible.  It's just a matter of perspective.

Take this perspective on it; the cost of living is cheaper than Kingston and much cheaper than Ottawa.  Brockville is located right on the 401 and just minutes from the 416 making it an ideal location for someone who doesn’t mind commuting to work.  Living in Brockville also means living in a community where a few hundred thousand dollars means a house with a large yard, where you know your neighbours (and since there is space between you and them, like them too) compared to the bigger cities like Kingston or Ottawa where a similar dollar amount means a tiny cramped townhouse. 

Brockville is roughly and hour commute from Kingston (3) and an hour commute from Ottawa (1) putting it in a great location to work in either city.   An added bonus is that many companies now allow their employees to spend some of their time telecommuting (aka working from home) in an attempt to lower their carbon footprint.  And besides if you put it all in perspective I know people that live in the big cities that spend more time in gridlock than I do commuting to and from work.

As for culture, I’m sure if you look exclusively at numbers you’ll find that Ottawa and Kingston may have more culture than Brockville but there are also more people in those communities and I’m willing to bet that it’s cheaper to see an artist perform (not to mention more intimate) at the Brockville Arts Centre than it would be to see the same artist perform at ScotiaBank Place or even the K-Rock Centre in Kingston.

I could go on and on but my problem with reports like the one from MoneySense is that they are so black and white.  Perhaps in the future when a report like this is released it should be titled “Canada’s Best Places to Statistically Live”.  Are the areas that Brockville can improve?  Sure but isn’t that something that can be said about every community?  The bottom line is that the people who live in Brockville, for the most part, love the city.  The people, who come to visit every year, also love the city.  So why should we care that the staff of MoneySense Magazine, who probably have never been to Brockville, don’t consider it a worthy place to live?

 If it’s any consolation, the community I grew up in, Temiskaming Shores, is ranked at 171 and I consider it one of my top 10 places to live along with the Brockville area, North Bay (62) and Petawawa ((81) / Pembroke (124).

More about me:

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My Ottawa Citizen blogs:

Tech Connection: http://blogs.ottawacitizen.com/tag/tech-connection

HoeDown Blogger: http://blogs.ottawacitizen.com/tag/hoedown-blogger

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I don’t think so Tim

With another provincial election in the books many people are waking up today asking “What happened?”  After 8 years of being lied to by a Liberal government how on earth did they get reelected.

The answer to that question is simpler than one might think.

When the campaign started, unofficially, back in the summer it looked like it would be a clear knock-out by Tim Hudak’s Ontario PC party.  The people of Ontario were tired of the lies and tired of their cost of living getting more and more expensive by the day.  Once the campaign ads started it was clear that the Ontario PC party wanted to remind people how badly the McGuinty Government treated them.  I’ve been following politics since I was very young, working on campaigns long before I could vote.  I don’t hold a degree in political science and nor am I an advisor for any major political party.  2 weeks into the campaign I wrote a blog saying that if the Hudak campaign doesn’t stop with the attack ads they will turn around and bite them.  Guess what? That’s exactly what happened.

See the people of Ontario are smarter than that and I think that many may have felt a bit belittled by the ads.  They knew how bad they had been treated and after two previous elections in the previous year they were tired of the politics of another election.  What Ontario needed was someone to stand up and show them an alternative.  Having done my homework I know that Tim Hudak is and was that alternative.  He’s a family man, well educated and represents positive change for the province of Ontario.  The problem is Ontarians were never presented with that Tim Hudak.  They only saw the finger pointing Tim Hudak and missed the ads that talked about the man himself, mainly because they got a fraction of the airtime than the others.

So let’s look at the campaign that was run by the Liberal party.  I saw many ads where it was just Dalton standing in front of a white screen talking about his achievements over the past 8 years.  No promises, no attacks.  He came across calm, poised and reassuring.  And as I had predicted slowly it helped his numbers rebound enough to give him a large minority government.

So what needs to happen now?

Well the Liberals have a minority.  If the Ontario PCs are smart they won’t force Tim Hudak to resign, he did manage to pull in 37 seats in his first attempt which is not a bad haul.  Forcing Tim to resign would mean a leadership convention in the New Year and then at least a year to groom a new leader before they could even attempt to take on Dalton McGuinty’s Liberals in an election.  That election would almost certainly be lost unless the candidate that squares off against Dalton has a lot of political experience.

My advice, Tim Hudak needs to stay on as party leader.  I don’t think the loss should rest on Tim’s shoulders.  I believe that it was the pundits at the Ontario PC party that failed Tim.  They failed to read the mood of Ontario voters, had they paid attention to social media, rather than using it as a broadcast medium, they would have noticed that they need to change course and soften their stance. 

To the candidates that didn’t get elected, don’t disappear.  In this election the people made it about their local candidates and chose the candidate(s) they knew best to represent them, I don’t believe they intentionally voted for Dalton McGuinty as a leader.  If unsuccessful candidates would actually show an interest in their ridings after an unsuccessful election, rather than disappear into the night after the polls close, they might have a better chance in the next election because people would know them and people vote for people they trust and are familiar with.

So how long will it last?  It all depends on what card the Ontario PC party plays next.  If they keep Tim Hudak on board as leader then I figure within a year or two they could challenge Dalton again, I’d be trying to avoid another election in 4 years because then you’ll end up in the same boat as this year where Ontario will have a municipal election, a federal election and a provincial election all in the same 12 month period.   But right now image is most important for the PCs.  

After all Dalton McGuinty’s Liberals successfully turned him from a man with a target on his back into premier dad. 

So what now, NDP?

Yesterday morning was a dark day not only for Canadian politics but for the Canadian people from every corner of our great nation.  NDP Leader, and Leader of the Official Opposition, Jack Layton succumbed to the cancer he so hoped to beat.  Yesterday was a day that many mourned his untimely death and celebrated his life and the legacy he will leave behind.

So today we must ask whether the NDP can survive without Jack.  Some may say it's too soon but a political party is much like a business, only it represents people, and eventually a new CEO must be chosen to step into the role that Jack left behind.  Some will say that the party doesn't stand a chance without Captain Jack at the helm and others try to hold onto some of Jack's optimism and in his own words say "don't let anyone ever tell you it can't be done."

There is talk that the Liberals, currently under former provincial NDP boss Bob Rae, will try to merge the two parties into one Liberal Democratic Party or something like that but something tells me that the merger will turn into more of a hostile takeover by the Liberal party decimating everything Jack Layton and company spent years building up.

So can the NDP be successful on their own without Captain Jack?  What would Jack say? Yes.  Winston Churchill once said "whether you say you can or you can't, you're right!"  The NDP needs to pick themselves up, sooner than later, dust themselves off and regroup.  The foundation has been built, it may not be ready to consider a serious run at the governing party in four years but it's ok to plan to stay in the opposition.  I find it highly unlikely that the Liberals will be in any position to make a serious run at the government in 4 years either so I figure, unless a major Conservative scandal on the horizon, they have at least 8 years of time to build.  Remember it only took Jack Layton 10 years to go from rookie to Leader of the Opposition so it is possible.

So what do they need to do now?  Well clearly step one is do some serious soul searching within the party and find a leader, learn from the Liberals who have had several failed attempts at finding a leader that clicked with Canadians.  Another thing to keep in mind, don't look for Jack part 2, you are likely not going to find him or her and odds are good that if / when you do they will probably disappoint because they aren't enough like Jack.

Politics is like hockey.  It's a team sport and sometimes a team leans too much on their star player, it doesn't mean they can't do well without him it just means that the rest of the team needs to step it up!!  Jack was an optimist and was very much an extrovert, he loved the spotlight and the spotlight loved him.  Ok that isn't too unusual for a politician but the difference is that Jack's character made people feel like they could trust him, and that's where he was different from most other politicians.  At this point it the plan should be sustainability, keep the momentum where it is and build on it slowly and time will tell if they can pull it off.

Anything is possible, Jack taught us that.

12 Most Obvious Signs You Are Addicted To Social Media

Blog originally appeared on: 12most but it was worth sharing again.

Social Media is everywhere; it is integrated in every platform and, let’s face it, it’s here to stay. Nearly 20 years ago, the Blackberry came to market and it revolutionized the way we read and send email. It was infamously renamed the “Crackberry” because people became absolutely addicted to email in the palm of their hand. It lead to a plethora of other smart devices and, ultimately, was the catalyst for the development of the Droid and Apple platforms that now dominate the smart device market. Today, we are connected 24/7 through every platform, on demand, almost anywhere we go. The big social platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn are now available on mobile in an array of formats such as HootSuite, Tweetdeck, or other applications. And now, with other up and coming social media platforms like 4Square, Quora, Empire Avenue, and StumbleUpon, we are “socially” reinventing the way we play, consume, and share information. At this point, we really can’t avoid the “Trap” of using and consuming socially driven content.

However, like everything in life, there must be limits. The enjoyment of using these platforms can evolve into an unhealthy obsession that may not only be problematic for you but for those closest to you in real life. The signs are everywhere, and if you care about your friends and loved ones, you will read the list below and help them (or yourself) find a healthy Social Media/life balance. Ladies and Gentleman, I present you with the farcical, and hopefully entertaining and completely made up (by me), list of the 12 most obvious signs that you are addicted to Social Media.

1. You Read, Comment, and Promote someones Blog about Nothing

Folks this really happened. Ask our friend Gini Dietrich about it. A blog about nothing became widely read, promoted, and commented on. There is no doubt her friendly ways and generally fabulous content contributed to it, but… A blog about nothing??? WIth so much insightful content, shouldn’t we spend our time on the interwebs at reading a blog about “Something?”

2. Hashtags in your email

It starts in emails, texts, and other non “Social” platforms and then you start speaking with @. It’s a slippery slope, but trust me, you didn’t meet @thedomesticexec, you met/chatted with a person and that person is named Michelle Kay.

3. Check in on 4Sq…Everywhere you go!

Are you the mayor of your house, your convenient store, the local bakery, the Starbucks around the corner, the Shell station down the street, and the corner watering hole? Get Help

4. Following or Listing your Pet

This sort of treks down the road of people who believe their animals can speak. Folks, your animal should not have a Social Media account on Twitter or Facebook, and definitely not on LinkedIn. If they could speak, what they would tell you is “You are CRAZY”.

5. It’s “First” in the morning

If you check your mentions, messages, retweets, live stream, or any other page associated with any of your social media accounts prior to brushing your teeth or using the washroom, you are definitely addicted. If you check any of those things immediately after brushing your teeth, you are on the “High Risk” list. Try eating breakfast first, moving the blood to your “Brain” may prove helpful in the actions that follow.

6. You update your Status

While out with “Real People” – Are you updating your status while on a dinner date with your spouse or significant other? You’re obsessed. Do you Tweet or post on Facebook #justmet or other @hashable content before you finish the meeting? One word… NUTSO!

7. You Share EVERYTHING

This one may be the worst and it probably deserves its own 12most. if you feel the need to share your every thought, wish, and lose all inhibition on your Facebook page, please stop. You, singlehandedly, are the reason for my disdain of the platform. There is such a thing as TMI and it’s rife on Social Media. Friends of mine that currently do this, consider yourselves warned. Next step, I BLOCK you and change my phone number.

8. Eaves become more important than Real Money

Please, please, please tell me you check the value of your “Real” stock portfolio before you check that of your Empire Avenue portfolio? Being rich on EAV yet being without work in real life is a real problem.

9. Involve yourself in SM activities that don’t Involve you

Do you become active in chats, causes, and events that you don’t actually contribute, donate to, or attend? If you do, you are a “Social Crackhead”.

10. Dreaming in 140

Do you tweet in your dreams? If it happens once, it may just be a coincidence. If this is a daily/nightly occurrence you need to see a specialist.

11. “Liking” your own content

Not only is this a sign that you are an addict, it is also a sign that you are a total narcissist. If you would publicly walk down the street and scream “I am awesome, smart, good looking, funny, etc…” Then you get a hall pass on this. In that case you are not addicted to social media, you are just an idiot.

12. Klout becomes your Social Currency

I would rather have a few close friends and a job than a high Klout score. So far I’ve met exactly 11 other people in Social Media who share that sentiment.

Now, let’s go ahead and grade just how addicted we are. Please go down the list and answer each of the above 12 most with a yes, no, or maybe.

For each yes, give yourself 3 points
For each Maybe, give yourself 2 points
For each no, give yourself 0 points

If you score between 0-6 you are either a non addict, or perhaps a power user that has become caught up in a few addict like tendencies.
If you score between 7-17 you are on the verge of a serious problem
If you score between 18-26 you need to enter a program that removes you from your electronic devices for a period of at least 1 week. At this point you may be beyond help.
If you score 27 or more, you are @SeanMcGinnis – no one else could possibly have this many Social Media addictive tendencies and still have my genuine respect (Love you Brother)

Thanks everyone for stopping by, reading the social media addiction signs, and taking the test. For all of our sakes, I hope you have no more than a few of these habits but, if you do, we here at 12most still love you and appreciate your readership.

Until next time, I’m Dan Newman, I’m just a guy with a blog, and these are my 12 most.

Daniel Newman

http://newmanon.com

Daniel Newman is the CEO of United Visual Inc. Parent company to United Visual Systems, United Visual Productions, and United GlobalComm. The family of companies is focused in Visual Communications and Audio Visual Technologies. Newman is also an Adjunct Professor of Management at North Central College. A Chicago native all of his life, Newman is an avid golfer, a fitness fan, and a classically trained pianist.

Capital Hoedown done, blogging bug remains

I just finished a week of blogging about the Capital HoeDown for the Ottawa Citizen’s Festival Goer, so now what?  Over the week Ottawa Citizen readers have blessed me with well over 2,000 visits to my posts and the feedback I have received through social media has been incredible.  I’ve been blogging on and off for a few years but could never get a solid readership going.  Maybe it was just the wrong topic or maybe it was the fact that this time my blog was featured on the Ottawa Citizen’s webpage which gets way more traffic than anything I’ve ever written about.  This latest stint for the Citizen proves that there is an interest in what I have to say and I just have to keep trying to give my blog exposure through every method possible.

So I’ve decided to go back to my original blog and start writing about whatever comes to mind at that particular moment.  I’ve considered talking to the Citizen about possibly continuing on as a blogger with them but the difficult thing about that is what to write about.  I have knowledge on social media, technology, obviously a love for live music and entertainment but you can’t put that all into one blog, or can you?  I will have to see what the Citizen says.  I’m not doing this for money; if that was the case I would have continued down the road to journalism which I did a u-turn on almost 20 years ago now.  I write because I enjoy sharing my thoughts with others and love to hear other people’s opinions on similar topics.  Sometimes I write to educate or to tell a story about an experience or to give advice and sometimes to just brighten someone’s day.  That’s why I called my blog Hendrik’s Rambles, because it’s not about just one topic.  

So there you have it.  I’m going to continue writing and putting it out there and hope that people will read and share my thoughts with others.  Time will tell if anything more will come of it. 

Lucky number two for Tara Oram

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My latest blog entry for the Ottawa Citizen:

Lucky number two for Tara Oram

What's the Buzz about Google+?

So after a week of playing with it it’s time for me to weigh in on Google+.   So far the entire buzz around this new social network has been positive so I was excited when I got my first invite and jumped in with both feet.

As a social media specialist I look at Google+ from two primary angles.  #1 what is going to draw the users from existing platforms such as Facebook and Twitter to Google+? And #2 how can I make it work for my business customers?

So let’s start with #1.  Google+ or G+ whatever you want to call it comes with a typical colorful Googleesque interface.  It runs very smooth from section to section which I definitely prefer over bulky networks like Facebook and Twitter which have been known for lag and even downtime.  But I have to remind myself that Google+ is still very new and has a fraction of the users that Facebook and Twitter have.  So what’s going to drive users to Google+?  Well at first it’s going to be curiosity because it’s something new and different.  Second many who have become frustrated with Facebook over the last few years, mainly due to bad hype and misinformation, will be looking for a new social home.  So let me give a quick overview of how Google+ compares to Facebook and Twitter.

Firstly in Google+ there is no such thing as a friend request.  Google+ lets you arrange your contacts in groups called circles.  So when you find someone you want to follow you simply add them to one of your circles and their posts appear in your primary feed, or if you would rather you can simply select a specific circle and only follow that one (not sure why you would want to follow someone and then not read their posts but that’s another blog entirely).  These circles are very popular and getting a lot of buzz but are they really new?  Quite simply the answer is no.  The behave exactly like Facebook friend lists (many people don’t know that you can organize your Facebook friends into lists and when posting you can also chose which lists you want to share with and which you don’t).  You can add people to multiple lists and, again, like Facebook the users don’t know which lists you have added them to.  Twitter also has lists, these aren’t as private (unless you chose to make them private, meaning only you can see who is in the list).  With the public Twitter lists, people can follow them (I’m still not 100% sure what this does as I don’t believe it adds the posts from those users to your newsfeed so it’s handy if you want to follow a specific topic), however unlike Google+ and Facebook you can not filter your tweets by your twitter lists.

Google+ lets you create Hangouts, basically they are multi-user chat rooms that you can do video chat in.  I haven’t tested this out yet, mainly because I have little to no interest in video chat.  So in comparison to Facebook and Twitter, well Twitter you can’t do video chat and multiuser chat is not impossible but not private as all tweets are broadcast to your followers.  Facebook just rolled out its video chat last week through it’s partnership with Skype.  I figure with Skype on Facebook’s side Google will always be a step behind when it comes to the video chat.

Now let’s talk mobile.  I very rarely still user Facebook and Twitter on their actual websites, instead I browse via their respective apps on my Blackberry Bold 9000 or my iPod Touch 3.  Both Facebook and Twitter have fantastic apps for both platforms.  Yesterday to much hype Google rolled out the iPhone app for Google+.   First chance I got I went into the iTunes App Store on my iTouch only to come up empty-handed.  Further research showed that the app is only available for iOS 4+ platform, which I’m running so I’m guessing it’s just not available in Canada yet.  As for Blackberry there is talk of an app in the works for the 6.0 OS eventually, which of course my Bold 9000 doesn’t run.  The good news is that if you are an Android user you can expect to use Google+ with full functionality.  If you run Windows Mobile or Nokia Symbian there’s no word of an app anytime soon for you.

Ok so there’s no app there must be a mobile site right?  Well yes but because of the advanced functionality of Google+ (mainly the look of it) as of right now you will only be able to access the mobile site on Android (1.5+), iPhone/Touch/Pad iOS 3.0+, Blackberry 6.0, Windows Mobile, Nokia Symbian.  The latter three phones only support the basic XHTML site, my phone runs BBOS 5.0 so I haven’t been able to test it out yet to see how it compares to the Safari version.

So in summary, and keep in mind Google+ is very new and much can (and likely will) change, much of the hype since Google+ was launched was that it could be the deathblow for Facebook.  In my honest opinion, based only on what I have seen so far, I have to disagree.  So far Google+ to me is simply a bloated version of Twitter with Facebook like functionality but lacks much of the depth that Facebook has.  Until Google releases it’s business platform for Google+ I can’t comment on it but until then I can assure you I’ll keep tinkering with it and testing out new features as they come about.

What are your thoughts?

I should mention that this post was actually inspired by the post: Why I Keep Forgetting About Google+ by Marissa Gagnier

Summer 2011

Hard to believe that the Summer of 2011 is almost upon us.  Just a few short months ago I was out clearing about a foot of fresh snow from my driveway.

It's been a while since I last posted so I'll bring you up to date on what's been going on.

Firstly lets talk about hockey.  I know I know summer weather is here why would I want to talk about something that takes place on ice.  Well four words can describe that: Vancouver Canucks Stanley Cup.  Need I say more?  The holly grail of hockey and most difficult trophy in professional sports to win that has eluded Canada since my Montreal Canadien's won it in 1993 could be coming home as early as tonight.  It's fitting that it comes home to a Canadian team  that has never won it (and the last time they were in this position was in 1994, the year after the Habs won).  So Go Canucks Go, whether it's tonight in Boston or in nail-biting style on Wednesday night in Vancouver for Game 7 I wish them the best of luck.

Since I last posted an update I happily scratched another concert off of my must see Bucket List as Dawn and I,  finally, got to see Bon Jovi.  I swear Jon has been purposely avoiding me or something because he kept coming around when I was either busy or out of town so this time there was no way I was going to miss it.  Although it wasn't exactly easy getting to the show.  I've been to countless shows or hockey events at Scotiabank Place and never had any issues getting there.  But I go for Bon Jovi and it takes me two hours from Barrhaven to get to the show forcing us to miss almost the full first hour (by the looks of the traffic in the parking lot we weren't the only ones).  The show was amazing, and that's an understatement. I went with my traditional 100 level seats directly behind the stage.  Ok I'll explain why I go with behind the stage seating.  First of all it's much cheaper than anywhere else in the arena and usually you get the best view.  Bon Jovi was unique, although the seats didn't always offer the best view of him the screens were a show on their own.  I've talked to people who had seats at the 300 level in front of the stage who paid double what I paid and my "cheap" seats were better than theirs.  It sucked missing the first hour of the show but the 90 minutes that we did see were well worth it!!

Of course for me most summers are filled with summer festivals and events and I was hoping that this summer would be no different.  Especially with the Capital Hoedown having such a stellar line-up this year.  Of course last year we were lucky enough to win tickets for the three day event but so far this year no such luck.  We considered buying tickets but unfortunately vehicle repairs and other emergency household expenses this spring have made that impossible.

Another event that I was hoping to get on my attendance list again this year  was the New Liskeard Bikers Reunion, for those of you not familiar with this event it's a huge event that is celebrating 19 years this year.  It's a fundraiser to fight cancer in memory of Terry Phippen, the organizer's brother who passed away of cancer several years ago.  This event gets bigger every year with about 20,000 bikes expected this year.  One of the key highlights of this event is the Terry Phippen Memorial Freedom Ride, which is a 120 km (70 mile) ride through Northern Ontario communities with highway's lined with supporters watching about 12 miles of bikes pass through.  The entire ride is escorted by the OPP giving the bikers priority.  We won't be in attendance for this years reunion, summer vacation schedules just didn't lineup for that weekend.

Luck did strike again this year and I managed to score tickets to another hot concert a little closer to home.  INXS in only their second of two stops in Ontario live at Brockville Riverfest.  Having grown up listening to the band and then watching the televised search for their new lead singer several years ago INXS has always been on my list of bands to see and I can't think of a better setting than Blockhouse Island in Brockville right on the banks of the St. Lawrence River.  Other highlights of that weekend are Julian Austin on July 1 along with a fly by of a Canadian Forces Hercules aircraft and then Heroes day on July 2 where any member of the Canadian Forces who comes in uniform will get free admission for the day (and night for the concert).

The final week of July will be spent in Northern Ontario on a small lake deep in the woods getting some much needed family time and R&R.

A bit closer to home an exciting event that's coming up on June 18 and 19 in Athens is the Firefighters competition.  Athens is hosting the 99th Annual Eastern Ontario Firemen’s Games this year which should make for an exciting weekend coming up.  Local country star Craig Curtis will take to the stage on the Saturday evening which should be an entertaining event.

The rest of the summer is still in the planning stages with an expected trip to the Metro Toronto Zoo with the kids at some point before the end of July (that's when our free passes expire).  Who knows what else will come up over the next few weeks.  Maybe my luck will continue and I'll find a way to win our way into the Capital Hoedown once again.  I also hope that this year I manage to take in a race or two at the Brockville Ontario Speedway, kept meaning to go last year but never ended up going so it's on my list this year.

So that's what's been going on and what's coming up.  Stay tuned, it should be an exciting summer!!

Inside the ChatterBox: The Typical Tweeter - Where Do You Fit in?

Worth a read if you use Twitter.

Inside the ChatterBox: The Typical Tweeter - Where Do You Fit in?

Social Media with a Twist

Those of you who know me know I'm a bit of a social media and smart phone addict.  I also tend to spend a lot of time in my car and hate nothing more than getting stuck in traffic.

I recently was introduced to a new social media app for your smart phone called Waze.  In short it's a GPS.  Ok ok I know that most smart phones have a built in GPS.  So what makes Waze different?  Well it's simple, YOU!

As I mentioned Waze is a social media GPS.  What makes it different from other GPS' is that it's interactive.  See most GPS manufacturers have static maps that they update perhaps once a year.  With Waze it's users update the maps on the fly just by using the app.  The more you and other users, called Wazers, drive a route the sooner the Waze can make adjustments to the map.  So in other words the users build their own maps, through a process called munching.

One of my biggest pet peeves is waiting for the traffic report on the radio and usually being stuck in the traffic by the time it comes on.  Waze users provide real time reports on Traffic Issues, Police Traps and Hazards giving you insight into what lies ahead in your commute. 

Waze is currently available for Blackberry, iPhone, Andriod and Windows Mobile, Symbian etc..  For more information on Waze visit http://www.waze.com/ or click on the logo above.

Another interesting social media app is GetGlue.

Get glue is based on the multitude of check-in apps such as Foursquare and Yelp but instead of checking into places you check into topics such as movies, music, tv shows, books and so on.

What's nice about GetGlue is that although people can follow you it has a level of anonymity.  Unlike most social apps you don't have much of a profile.  GetGlue doesn't ask where you live or even your phone number and shoe size like many of the current day apps want to know.  On GetGlue you can put as much or as little in your profile as you want because people will follow you based on your interests. 

To make things even more fun you get to earn stickers for checking in to things and if your posts or reviews on a certain topic get enough votes you will achieve Guru status.

GetGlue is a light hearted app that can be accessed through the web at GetGlue.com, iPhone, iPad, Android or mobile web.  An app for the Blackberry is reportedly under development at this time but no word on when you should see Glue in AppWorld.

New Year, New Look, New Blog

Thanks to some feedback from a friend, whose opinion I greatly value, I have decided to give my blog an overhaul.

With a new year on the horizon and new experiences just waiting to be had, and written about, it's time to reorganize my blog and make it legible.

Watch for a new look early in 2011.

The Apollo Group presents Mich Smithers

Habs train derailed by Flyers? Not so fast we've seen this before.

Montreal Canadiens vs. Philadelphia Flyers - 2010 Eastern Conference Final



OK I think it's time I jump on the bandwagon to defend my beloved Habs. Firstly let me acknowledge that losing 6-0 in the opening game of a series is not my preferred way to start now that the game is over the only important number is that the Flyers lead the series 1-0. The last time I checked this is a best of 7 series and there are still at least 3 chances for the Habs to pull out a win, or 3, before they can be counted out.

Lets take a trip down memory lane. At the start of the playoffs the Habs won game 1 of their series versus the Caps but then went on to lose 6-5 in game 2. Game 3 the Caps took control of the series with their 5-1 win leading many to believe that it was game over for the Habs. After the Caps won game 4 6-3 taking a gripping 3-1 lead in the series it was clear that the Habs season would be coming to a crashing halt very shortly. But it didn't. Habs went on to win the next 3 games taking the series in 7 and moving on to face the Penguins.

Critics quickly counted Montreal out and called their win over the Caps a fluke and a lucky break and advised Montreal fans to prepare for their ultimate demise at the hands of Sid the Kid and the Pens. After losing 6-3 in game 1 it was easy to believe that the critics may be right and that the 8th seeded Habs wouldn't stand a chance. But then game 2 comes along and the Habs, once again, prove the critics wrong with a strong 3-1 win over the Pens. And so went the series. The Pens would take game 3 and the Habs would tie it in game 4. After the Pens won game 5 many said ok it's over for the Habs now. Even if they win game 6 the Pens will take the series in game 7. Wrong again. Habs took game 6 and game 7 to win the series.

So why is it that, once again, after 1 game everyone has counted the Habs out so soon? Has history not shown that this team clearly has a solid game plan. These guys know what they were doing and I have faith that they will prevail in this series as well.

I expect a tight series, again, but the Habs have proven that they know how to adapt. Watch for a different team to show up on Tuesday night. My advice for the Flyers is don't get over confident, it will be used against you if you do.

Should be a great series, stay tuned.

American Idol 9 Top 10

So it's down to the top 10 on American Idol once again, naturally most of us only care about four or five contestants that still remain.

My blog this year will be following one contestant and that is Crystal Bowersox. This week the 10 hopefulls performed songs from my least favorite category, R&B Soul with guest Usher.

As expected most of the contestants struggled with this genre but Crystal, as always, came out shining with her rendition of Midnight Train To Georgia:



The only other contestant who I think stands even a slight chance against Crystal is Siobhan Magnus. Last night was an off night for her but she could prove to be a wildcard that will give Crystal a run for the title, but I still think Crystal should take it. Here is Siobhan's performance of Through the Fire:



If I have time I'll post a recap tomorrow, but I don't expect either of these two ladies to go home tonight.

American Idol 9 Top 11

So here we are at the top 11 during what, in my mind, is one of the worst season's of American Idol since I started watching the show about 4 years ago.

It seems as well as though even the celebrity mentors are avoiding the show as so far this year they have had three themes...Billboard for the weeks leading up to the top 12, then the Rolling Stones and last night Billboard top 100. Cute that they had Miley Cyrus as the mentor, loved it when Casey James walked in and said I'm a huge fan...of your dad. That pretty much summed it all up.

To all my followers who have been requesting that I get this blog up and running here we go. But due to a lack of time I will only be noting the best performances of the night.

Last night and so far this season it's been all Crystal Bowersox. Here is a video of her performance of Me and Bobby McGee by Janice Joplin:



My pick for the 9th American Idol is without a doubt Crystal. None of the other candidates even come close to her power and style. When my Classic Rock radio station here in Ottawa is talking about her and playing her performance you know she's made an impact.

On that note Carrie Underwood is performing in Ottawa tonight.