Click on the headline above to read the latest news about friend and former colleague at California Baptist University, Cynthia Wright.
(Thanks, PressKitn!)
Friday, July 3, 2009
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Cell phone revolution: people of Iran "beg to differ" with Ayatollah
It's astonishing and certainly an historic moment in our world history, where hundreds if not thousands of Iranian citizens are videotaping or sending SMS messages to points around the globe giving us glimpses of the post-election chaos in Tehran.
Demonstrations. Police crackdowns. Violence. Death.
The theocracy no longer meets the needs of the people. It is clear they are unwilling to accept the "holy ordained" edict of the Ayatollah that the election results stand. The people of Iran want change: the economy, the current leadership, the integration into a greater world society. It is a nation divided. There is no outside nationality trying to take power or change things...pray for this nation, and its difficult time of change.
"A nation divided cannot stand," we learned in our own American history lessons. It is not about religion. It is about freedom to choose. In a pluralistic society, we must allow one another space, and respect, despite our differences--no matter how emotional we are about them.
Coverage: almost.at
Global Voices
"Here goes everybody," by Clay Shirky
Demonstrations. Police crackdowns. Violence. Death.
The theocracy no longer meets the needs of the people. It is clear they are unwilling to accept the "holy ordained" edict of the Ayatollah that the election results stand. The people of Iran want change: the economy, the current leadership, the integration into a greater world society. It is a nation divided. There is no outside nationality trying to take power or change things...pray for this nation, and its difficult time of change.
"A nation divided cannot stand," we learned in our own American history lessons. It is not about religion. It is about freedom to choose. In a pluralistic society, we must allow one another space, and respect, despite our differences--no matter how emotional we are about them.
Coverage: almost.at
Global Voices
"Here goes everybody," by Clay Shirky
Saturday, June 20, 2009
Seeking Ashton Kutcher
Okay, they say it's impossible...how can a tiny chapter of professional public relations practitioners (forgive the alliteration) get megaproducer/star/celebrity and husband of Demi Moore to Riverside to speak/make us laugh at our annual awards ceremony? And, saddest of all...we can't even set up an episode of "Punk'd" to see how Ashton would react when we offered him only $500 to show up for 20 or 30 minutes one hour east of Los Angeles where he lives?
I Tweeted this morning that I need help reaching the famous funny guy (and prolific Tweeter). Stay tuned...can six degrees (more like a thousand in this case, by the time you add up the entourage he no doubt has protecting him from pedestrian folk like me) work? We need Ashton to wow us on Oct. 21, 2009. We also wouldn't mind him giving away a Nikon camera - that would be the PR coup of the decade for our 80-member club!
Let me know if you can pass on my request to Ashton, thanks! :)
I Tweeted this morning that I need help reaching the famous funny guy (and prolific Tweeter). Stay tuned...can six degrees (more like a thousand in this case, by the time you add up the entourage he no doubt has protecting him from pedestrian folk like me) work? We need Ashton to wow us on Oct. 21, 2009. We also wouldn't mind him giving away a Nikon camera - that would be the PR coup of the decade for our 80-member club!
Let me know if you can pass on my request to Ashton, thanks! :)
Saturday, June 13, 2009
Colbert ribs Iraqi officials on show from Baghdad
NPR's Quil Lawrence reported yesterday about Stephen Colbert's on-show antics as he broadcast live from Baghdad his unique brand of parody. Interestingly, Colbert's character from The Colbert Report--a "pretend" journalist--interviewed several high-level Iraqi politicians, and they received his ribbing well. Here's part of NPR's account:
The first guest was Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister Barham Salih. Colbert asked him about progress toward democracy.
"We are making progress," Salih said. "We are moving along, thanks to the help of this wonderful U.S. military, who have come from afar to help us and give us a chance at building a decent nation here." The troops in the audience responded with loud cheers and applause.
"Please, sir," Colbert interrupted. "Let me tell you how this works: I do the pandering, OK."
Salih protested that he meant what he said. He is one of the few members of the Iraqi government who will publicly thank American troops for being in Iraq. Salih is from Iraq's ethnic Kurdish minority, which strongly supports the American occupation from its autonomous region in the north of the country.
"Now, sir, you're a Kurd," Colbert said. "You once advocated for a separate Kurdish state. Why is a united Iraq the best answer now?"
"Life is not about perfect solutions," Salih said. "Perhaps every Kurd would like to see an independent Kurdistan still. But we all have accepted — Kurds, Arabs, Shiites and Sunnis — that a democratic Iraq will provide all of these communities of Iraq with most of what they need."
"So you're kind of like Texas?" Colbert quipped. "You'd like to be your own state, but you see the reality on the ground."
"That's a good one," Salih said, laughing.
The next guest was the head of ground operations in Iraq, Lt. Gen. Charles Jacoby. Again, Colbert demonstrated the growing power and influence of news parody. It was a rare instance in which Jacoby spoke to a journalist — or at least someone who plays a journalist on TV.
The first guest was Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister Barham Salih. Colbert asked him about progress toward democracy.
"We are making progress," Salih said. "We are moving along, thanks to the help of this wonderful U.S. military, who have come from afar to help us and give us a chance at building a decent nation here." The troops in the audience responded with loud cheers and applause.
"Please, sir," Colbert interrupted. "Let me tell you how this works: I do the pandering, OK."
Salih protested that he meant what he said. He is one of the few members of the Iraqi government who will publicly thank American troops for being in Iraq. Salih is from Iraq's ethnic Kurdish minority, which strongly supports the American occupation from its autonomous region in the north of the country.
"Now, sir, you're a Kurd," Colbert said. "You once advocated for a separate Kurdish state. Why is a united Iraq the best answer now?"
"Life is not about perfect solutions," Salih said. "Perhaps every Kurd would like to see an independent Kurdistan still. But we all have accepted — Kurds, Arabs, Shiites and Sunnis — that a democratic Iraq will provide all of these communities of Iraq with most of what they need."
"So you're kind of like Texas?" Colbert quipped. "You'd like to be your own state, but you see the reality on the ground."
"That's a good one," Salih said, laughing.
The next guest was the head of ground operations in Iraq, Lt. Gen. Charles Jacoby. Again, Colbert demonstrated the growing power and influence of news parody. It was a rare instance in which Jacoby spoke to a journalist — or at least someone who plays a journalist on TV.
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Everybody knows his name...
I wrote a story on my laptop about a pleasant bartender at the Ontario International Airport "Applebee's" restaurant while waiting for a plane last week. [So that my CBU colleagues don't freak out: no, I wasn't drinking in a bar, I was there for coffee in the a.m., but happened to sit near the bar since the restaurant and bar were proximate!]
This morning, I sent the story about "Doyle" to Jennifer Dean at the Press-Enterprise newspaper, who writes and maintains a blog for moms/families in addition to her reporting duties as a feature reporter. She posted it this afternoon:
http://blogs.pe.com/moms/2009/06/riverside-resident-cheers-airp.html
[Thanks, Doyle, and Jennifer!]
This morning, I sent the story about "Doyle" to Jennifer Dean at the Press-Enterprise newspaper, who writes and maintains a blog for moms/families in addition to her reporting duties as a feature reporter. She posted it this afternoon:
http://blogs.pe.com/moms/2009/06/riverside-resident-cheers-airp.html
[Thanks, Doyle, and Jennifer!]
Monday, June 8, 2009
L. Gann going places!
I love this story! I have been getting calls for over a year from a persistent young representative for Meltwater, which offers media distribution and monitoring services online. This rep, Lawrence Gann, effectively outsold my current vendor, and we moved our services to his firm last week. So, the young Lawrence comes to CBU to train me and my ITS colleague on the use of the service and its features, and as we are chatting over lunch following the training he mentions he attended the American Idol finale party at Fox.
Lawrence had not watched ANY American Idol segments this season, and as he was sitting with executives from FOX, Chris Allen walks over and Lawrence starts chatting with him. Lawrence introduces himself first, being the friendly, confident sort. Upon introducing himself, Lawrence hears laughter from behind him as he says something to the effect of "I'm Lawrence Gann...and you are...?"
The Fox guys let Lawrence know that he is shaking hands with this year's AI winner. Chris Allen laughs, too, and says, "I guess you didn't watch the show?" Lawrence admits that he hadn't, he just came to the party at the invitation of his Fox pals.
Lawrence then had his photo made with Chris, which he sent me a copy of and I am posting here.
This kid (Lawrence) is going places!
Not everyone under 30 is glued to the tv, afterall!
I love this story! I have been getting calls for over a year from a persistent young representative for Meltwater, which offers media distribution and monitoring services online. This rep, Lawrence Gann, effectively outsold my current vendor, and we moved our services to his firm last week. So, the young Lawrence comes to CBU to train me and my ITS colleague on the use of the service and its features, and as we are chatting over lunch following the training he mentions he attended the American Idol finale party at Fox.
Lawrence had not watched ANY American Idol segments this season, and as he was sitting with executives from FOX, Chris Allen walks over and Lawrence starts chatting with him. Lawrence introduces himself first, being the friendly, confident sort. Upon introducing himself, Lawrence hears laughter from behind him as he says something to the effect of "I'm Lawrence Gann...and you are...?"
The Fox guys let Lawrence know that he is shaking hands with this year's AI winner. Chris Allen laughs, too, and says, "I guess you didn't watch the show?" Lawrence admits that he hadn't, he just came to the party at the invitation of his Fox pals.
Lawrence then had his photo made with Chris, which he sent me a copy of and I am posting here.
This kid (Lawrence) is going places!
Friday, June 5, 2009
Photo taken walking by Ground Zero today
I took this photo from 1 World Financial Center, while walking through an indoor breezeway to dinner at THe Grill Room, which overlooks the Hudson River at Liberty Street. The World Trade Center site, former home of the Twin Towers, is a gaping hole surrounded by the trappings of construction, but at dusk as we passed by, I didn't see any signs of work going on.
We break at 2:30 p.m. tomorrow, and I will begin to explore the neighborhood...our hotel is literally a stone's throw from Ground Zero, and I can see the Statue of Liberty from my hotel room window. Ambition to hop on the subway, too, and check out select targets as far north as 23rd Street, but staying on the southern end of the island this trip. Kids may be disappointment, because a trip to take a photo of the American Museum of Natural History would require further explore up to Central Park West, and I'm not inclined to try to cover so much ground in so little time.
PRSA Leadership Rally rocks...very organized, PRSA staff is great, and learning lots from fellow chapter officers.
Monday, June 1, 2009
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Mother's Day, 2009
I am so blessed! Katie's friends Savannah and Alex spent the night, and we made a fabulous "girl's dinner," with everyone in the kitchen and setting the table beautifully, dressing up, candles, the whole deal. They are such amazing young ladies, even at 11 years old. Just a delight.
This morning, Alex, who is a skilled pancake "designer" (!) made a heart-shaped pancake stack for me, and Katie made the scrambled eggs, and they brought the breakfast to me in bed. I'm attaching a photo.
In addition, this really blew me away - Alex's mom, whom I've only met once, brought over a beautiful floral bouquet of long-stemmed Irises or Lilies, I'm not sure which flower family. Photo uploaded as well.
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
New student video below...or click on Vimeo post at right for full-screen version!
CBU intramurals can be fun, and frustrating, as depicted in this video report produced by a team of Journalism students at a soccer match in mid-April, 2009, at California Baptist University in Riverside, CA. As often happens on the Front Lawn during extra-curricular athletic events at CBU, it was a sunny and BLUSTERY day.
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