It’s pretty fascinating to see how large Twitter has become in the few short years since its inception.

But in the past week or so I don’t think even the creators of the microblogging site ever dreamed it would grow as big as it has, playing the role of citizen journalist and possibly beginning a revolution in the Middle East.

If any of you have Twitter, you’ve probably noticed the top trending topic for the past week has been the Iran election.

Iranians rioting through the city streets in protest of the recent presidential election turned to the social networking site to voice their concerns, plead for change and post graphic images and videos of the violence unfolding around them.

Twitter provided an invaluable avenue for the people of Iran to discuss details of the riots when western media outlets were sadly turning a blind eye. CNN was among the top offenders. No surprise there really.

After CNN took a hit from Twitter, with people tweeting mass criticisms behind a #CNNfail moniker, the broadcaster began paying more attention to the upheaval in Iran. Who did they use as a primary source for information? That’s right - Twitter. 

I never thought I would see the day professional news organisations used a social networking site as a source, but low and behold they have. Can’t blame them too much really. With journalists being ousted from the streets and forced to report from their hotel rooms, its no wonder Twitter videos are playing the role of raw news footage.

I think it is excellent people who generally never would have known about the Iranian protests, let alone know an election even took place, are now tuned in and forming opinions on the topic.

What scares me though is there is no way of verifying or checking information broadcast over Twitter. Although I was always skeptical when it came to CNN reports, now I’m totally distrusting. I might as well sift through my fashion followers and hit an Iran trending topic to read the latest news. I’ll judge for myself what’s real and take it from there.

Not great for the news biz.

Faking over Twitter is becoming a trend. Canadian reporters Rosie DiManno and Melissa Agrelo recently uncovered celebrated Canadian journalist Peter Mansbridge’s fake Twitter persona. Hundreds of other celebrities have been twit-mated as well. 

How do we really know the information we’re getting is the real deal?

Regardless, the role Twitter has played in Iran has been truly astonishing. The company actually delayed scheduled maintenance time to coincide with nighttime in Iran, so less people would be affected. 

Anyone reluctant to join Twitter (and I was once one of them) cannot deny the influence and impact the site has had on our world. Critics stating the site was banal should now be silenced. It is reshaping the way news is delivered to a mass audience. Never before could news travel so quickly to so many different people around the world.

Where else can you discover what Ashton Kutcher’s having for dinner in Hollywood and watch a live Iranian protest at the same time?

I think its safe to say that Twitter isn’t going anywhere. Unlike Myspace who sadly let 30 per cent of their workforce go this week. Perhaps they can find jobs as professional Tweeters? 

Follow me: Lori_Christine

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It is important to relish the small but wonderful things in life. You know, the every day occurrences that on a large scale are miniscule but sometimes make the difference between a good day versus a bad.

For me, it’s those small pleasures that I cherish. Like the feeling after you let an enormous sneeze out that’s been building for hours. Or, the first scoop of peanut butter out of a fresh jar. And I know I’m not alone. We all have our lists. 

In honour of this evening’s Webby Awards I’m going to pay a little blog attention to a charming Canadian called Neil Pasricha whose personal venture into the web world has bestowed him top honours in the best culture/personal blog category at tonight’s ceremony.

In amongst blogs created by oh, The New York Times, Pasricha’s 1000 Awesome Things wordpress will take centre stage.

I heard about this blog a while ago from a friend who knew how excited I get about silly things, like finding out something is on sale when the cashier rings it through, seeing my food approach when I’m at a restaurant, or winning the armrest at the cinema.

And that’s exactly what this excellent blog is devoted to. 

It’s such a simple idea with an equally simple layout and I’m kicking myself for not creating it first. But alas, hindsight is 20/20 and I’m happy for Mr. Pasricha. 

Go on with your clever self, and please, don’t stop at 1000. 

Inevitable book deals are in the wings for this fellow and I’ll be his first customer.

So, thanks Neil. I hope for my sake, not yours, that it’s on sale at the register when I make the final purchase.

x

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Reading the newspaper used to be a very therapeutic experience for me.

Waking up bright and early to find a brand new edition at my doorstep felt great. Dangling my slippers, sipping a hot drink, staining my fingertips as I flipped through the front section. Bliss.

My weekday couldn’t start until I reached the end of at least one edition.

The news may not have always been pleasant, but it was important and thought-provoking and I used the information as armour all through J-school.

But now, the only thing I feel after reading my daily paper is anxiety. Extreme anxiety. The news isn’t just unpleasant, it’s downright frightening.

I can’t crack a paper these days without reading how 20-somethings are being laid off and overlooked for jobs that used to be reserved for graduates.

Hundreds of inches have been devoted to the topic.

I feel like the newspaper, whom I once loved so dearly, is screaming at me. Instead of congratulating me for all my hard work through university, the paper is ridiculing me with its anorexic careers section and feature-length articles on lost dreams of the young and penniless.  

The Guardian’s Kathryn Hopkins wrote a delightful piece this week about the graduate job crunch. According to the article, 50 per cent of employers are suspending recruitment due to the economic downturn. Young people are facing the worst unemployment crisis of any age group.

Fabulous.

Alright so I may not get my dream first-job or even an unpaid internship this year. Never fret - onto Plan B: Rejigging my CV so I come across as the perfect nanny or the best french fry fryer around. 

“My career objectives are to win a Pulitzer Prize and learn the ingredients of your delicious secret sauce.”

That is, if my McDonald’s application will even be seen amongst the inevitable thousands they will receive from young and old alike this summer.

Why pity the graduate when this 46-year-old mother of three was just made redundant and needs to pay the bills? Both stories are unfortunate, but I bet my bottom dollar she’ll be beckoned towards the Golden Arches first.

I, meanwhile, will be beckoned towards the unemployment office. It won’t be so bad. It will be like a class reunion, but instead of waiting 25 years like most graduating classes before us, we get to have the party in six months. Hoorah! We’ll all look 20 years older thanks to the stress anyway.

I miss the days when all a recent graduate had to do was be seduced by Mrs. Robinson.

Last weekend the Saturday edition of the Toronto Star featured a massive article on young people across the GTA who instead of saving up for their dream homes or dream weddings are living in a nightmarish hell known as “my parent’s basement”.

Even if they were able to get that mortgage and move into the house of their dreams, they soon lost their job. Then their spouse was laid off. They go from planning a family to planning a budget tighter than a Lady Gaga jumpsuit. Not pretty.

So what’s the solution? A lot of my formerly optimistic mates are re-enrolling in school, hoping to weather the economic storm in the cosy and hopeful university halls who keep turning out graduates despite the dismal news.

‘Things will get better’ is the universal post-secondary slogan these days, isn’t it?

Before I resolve myself back to the classroom or to a lifetime of burger flipping, I’m frantically hunting for a silver lining.

Maybe I could start my own business? I’ll make the most delicious fortune cookies. Maybe I’ll win the lottery! But I can’t afford a ticket.

Well, if worse comes to worse, I personally find it comforting knowing those newspapers who once held my heart will undoubtedly hold the heat when I use them as blankets after I can no longer pay the bills.

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Reconfirming that it’s the hippest house on the block, the Obamas have just registered a White House photostream on flickr.

I wish my family album was this exciting: http://www.flickr.com/photos/whitehouse/

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I was extremely pleased to learn that my girly-crush-of-the-minute Rachel McAdams launched a new earth-friendly website today (or two years ago)

Green is Sexy is hopefully the latest blockbuster hit for McAdams. The site, which gives helpful tips for keeping your carbon footprint down to a bare minimum, comes on the heels of her newest film State of Play.

I saw the movie last weekend and thought it was great. This site gets two green thumbs up as well.

Check it. 

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Apparently the Queen sends e-mails.

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/montreal/story/2009/04/29/montreal-royalemail-0429.html

I demand a twitter account!

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Meghan McCain is one feisty (daughter of an almost-First..) Lady.

I noticed her on the presidential election trail last year. She was the young, hip, pretty girl standing next to her hopeful, elderly, unhip father, presidential candidate and Arizona senator, John McCain. 

After the election, you might assume the young republican would fade into the background.

But not this blonde.

And certainly not in this social networking savvy world we live in.

The 24-year-old started a controversial and popular blog on The Daily Beast web site and even began twittering in her pajamas before bed (I know this because she told me… via Twitter). 

Her first major controversy is what drew me back to her a few weeks ago.

In March, McCain used her blog on The Beast to discuss her dating woes.

In the entry, she describes how the election had obliterated her personal life.

Not only was she not attracted to the Democratic Obamanites, she somehow stopped liking the Republican McCainers along the way, as well.

Sex and politics in McCain’s world apparently do not mix. 

The article, entitled Looking for Mr. Far Right was very self-indulgent, but then again, who has a blog that isn’t?

Later, conservative pundit and radio host Laura Ingraham spoke out against the blog and criticized McCain for her opinions and- get this- her weight.

In Ingraham’s humble opinion, why listen to McCain when she’s “too plus-sized to be a cast member on the television show The Real World”?

Oh dear Ingraham, what is a girl to do?

McCain did not take the harsh critique lying down (with a bowl of ice cream).

Instead, she hit the talk show circuit and wrote a fantastic blog entry entitled Quit Talking About My Weight, Laura Ingraham.

I had a new found respect for McCain after the controversy. She was a strong woman, comfortable with both her appearance and her opinions. Kick ass.

But now, McCain is back in the news, this time for her blog entry entitled Karl Rove, Twitter Creep and an odd rant she posted over Twitter, which listed all her life accomplishments  in a series of nine tweet entries (which she later deleted).

This is the problem with Twitter.

In the nano-seconds it takes for someone to use up 140 characters in an entry, they can completely (seemingly) ruin their lives.

Ok, this didn’t exactly happen to McCain. And, she’s right- Karl Rove is a major creeper. I wouldn’t allow any political figure, other than Barack, follow me on Twitter. Certainly not one from the Bush administration. Blah!

That being said, you seriously have to watch what you post online, or even, write in e-mails.

People have tweeted their way right out of a career.

Oh, it’s so easy to one minute think the cheeky quip about your boss is clever and will make your friends laugh. It’s another to have to explain it in front of him or her and a bunch of human resources employees as they rubber stamp your termination papers.

Not so funny now, is it?

Just be careful. It’s my words of wisdom for you today, boys and girls. 

But, if you do have a funny quip about your boss, just store it in your mind. Then, take me out for happy hour and tell me over a couple of cocktails when I can really enjoy it, would ya?

Thanks x

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I am an avid reader of travel journalism. I love reading first-hand accounts of dreamy locales. As a writer, I also enjoy the endless possibility of fascinating stories surrounding every trip.

So today, as usual, I dug through the Toronto Star’s travel edition for tales of new and exciting adventures.

To my surprise, an article about London appeared. AIEEE!

But wait a minute here, what is this?

As I read through the article I realize this isn’t a story about the fascinating city. It’s about how not to get murdered on the tube. Hmmmmm.

I’ll admit being a street-smart female is as basic a necessity in travel as your passport is, BUT, this article just took it a teensy bit too far.

Pour example, here are a few of the writer’s tips:

• Don’t draw unnecessary attention to yourself by what you wear… Muted colours and conservative clothing will always help you to fade into the crowd and stay out of trouble.
• In male-dominated societies, make every effort to behave modestly.
• Wear a fake wedding ring to deter unwanted advances and sport sunglasses to hide your eyes.

Huh? Did I just accidently pick up a copy of the paper printed in 1955?

The thing that kills me the most is the headline reads, “Public transit a great way to explore.” !
Oh yeah, sounds like it. So long as you’re planning on packing a pistol under all those conservative attired layers.

In all fairness, some items listed in the article were useful for women (ex. don’t travel through strange places at night. Watch your bags.) But these, to me, are a bit much.

Unless this girl packed up her Dolerean and was planning to travel back in time to a London I’ve never been to, I think it’s safe to say, single women can still relax a little and enjoy their trip without the assistance of a fake wedding ring and full-time bodyguard.

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It takes a lot for a celebrity to shock the masses these days.

And it definitely takes a lot for a B-list celebrity to cause a stir.

Cassie, the very hot singer known for her hit single Me & U, has changed her look. Not unusual for a celeb to do, right?

Check out her twitter page to see the makeover. Then, let me know what you think. Thousands are weighing in:

Before:

After:

http://twitpic.com/34env

Tags: Fashion & Beauty, News & Gossip by lori
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That’s right!

Actor Kal Penn, better known as the weed-smoking ladies man Kumar in the Harold and Kumar series (Harold and Kumar go to White Castle and Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay), will be departing from his regular role on the television series House to take a job in Barack Obama’s White House Office of Public Liaison.

Kind of ironic since his role in the second film featured the two boys making nice with former president George W. Bush.

I didn’t think much of this actor until I started tuning into the newer seasons of House (mostly I was watching syndicated reruns when I couldn’t sleep). 

He was quite the scene-stealer and played the smart doc role to a T. He quickly became one of my favourite characters on the series (…even behind that hawt aussie surgeon. Crikey!)

I’ll be sad to see him go. In fact, I think I missed his dramatic departure this week. Apparently it aired on Monday evening and *spoiler alert*, his character committed suicide.  

His new role as associate director of liaison for Obama may look terrific on a resume, but the new gig means a considerable pay cut for Kumar dearest. Apparently he’ll only be earning a measly $90,000 now.

How will he survive?????

When asked if he thinks his past character roles will interfere with his new ‘real-life’ role, the actor quipped:

“You know, Superman flies and Anthony Hopkins eats people in Silence of the Lambs, but I think we’re all rational enough to know that those are both fictitious and the same goes with television.”

Good luck Mr. Penn!

x

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