Twitter - Life in Real Time

TWITTER .. It amazes more more each day. I can't help but feel anyone who isn't using Twitter or is poo-pooing it's value is really missing the boat. Take tonight for instance when a @2drinksbehind (Mike Wilson) a passenger on Continental Airlines flight 1404 from Denver to Houston gave a real time account when the plane he was on ran off the runway at take-off. Twitter isn't just something you do to pass the time, wake up folks!

Photo from TwitPic


The Twitter transcript:

Pretty exhausted at this point, so I'm heading off to bed. Good night!about 1 hour ago from web
I'm very grateful to still be here. Thanks again to all the well wishers. I'm amazed and humbled by it all. about 1 hour ago from web
@mjcarrasquillo this was on takeoff. I'm not sure, but I would speculate some type of mechanical failure. about 1 hour ago from web in reply to mjcarrasquillo
fortunately, there didn't seem to be any life-threatening injuries about 1 hour ago from web
there was a fire station nearby and that's where we all ended up right after the crash about 1 hour ago from web
I made for the exit door as quickly as I could, fearing the right wing might explode from the fire. once out, i scrambled down the wing about 1 hour ago from web
whoever was on the left side exit row, god bless him, was johnny on the spot and instantly had the door open - people crowded out in a massabout 1 hour ago from web
by the time the plane stopped we were burning pretty well and I think I could feel the heat even through the bulkhead and window about 1 hour ago from web
i believe it was after the jolt that the right engine, which was near my row, caught fire about 1 hour ago from web
i think we might have gone into a ravine and dropped some distance as there was a sudden bottom-dropped-out feeling and then a jolt about 1 hour ago from web
shortly after we veered off, the plane quite obviously left the runway at high speed (maybe 100 kts) and proceeded to go 4 wheel drivingabout 1 hour ago from web
a 1st class passenger I talked to indicated he saw the left engine come off at the time, but it's unclear if this was a cause or an effect about 1 hour ago from web
to all who've asked, it's hard to know exactly what went wrong -- we were in the middle of a normal takeoff when we suddely veered offabout 1 hour ago from web
Thanks for all the well wishes everyone. Sorry for the radio silence, but my battery died in the middle of all this and I just made it home about 1 hour ago from twitterrific
You have your wits scared out of you, drag your butt out of a flaming ball of wreckage and you can't even get a vodka-tonic. Boo about 4 hours ago from twitterrific
Continental keeping us locked up at the presidents club until they can sort everything out. Won't even serve us drinks. :( about 4 hours ago from twitterrific
Can't see much, but that's the crash site. http://twitpic.com/ut2cabout 6 hours ago from twitterrific
This was crash #2 for me. Maybe I should start taking the bus. about 7 hours ago from twitterrific
Ugh ... My glasses fell off in the mass exodus getting off the plane .. Can't see very well about 7 hours ago from twitterrific
Holy fucking shit I wasbjust in a plane crash! about 7 hours ago from twitterrific

I feel like Gumby

Remember Gumby, the green clay humanoid figure who was the star of a Saturday morning television series of the same name which ran for almost 35 years?

What you say, do I have in common with a green clay cartoon figure? For one, we're roughly the same age. He hung out with Pokey a red clay pony and I hang out with Oscar, a 16 year old dachshund in diapers. Before age took over and his mane went white, Oscar had beautiful red hair.

Eddie Murphy played Gumby on Saturday Night Live and those not familiar with his work were reprimanded with his most memorable phrase, "I'm Gumby, dammit!". Hmm "I'm Sandi, dammit" Has a nice ring .....

Today, Gumby is a common nickname for someone who is very flexible. It's even a saying in the Marine Corps "Semper Gumby" which jokingly translates to "always flexible". While I am not a US marine, I do run my kitchen like a mess hall and I am pretty much known for my flexibility. Not in the physical sense of the word mind you (I am sure Gumby is a bit stiff to after all these years too.)

I often catch myself in mid sentence "No problem, I'm flexible." I guess it's too late to change now. I have built my reputation on going with the flow, being flexible. Accommodating others. Looking out for the other guy. It's nothing extraordinary, yet slowly becoming a lost art. Simply put, it's just plain old good customer service.

Won't you be my neighbor?

Blogging .. Vlogging ..Twitter .. Facebook .. UStream .. YouTube .. Social Media

It's all been around for awhile now, although it's brand new to me. Two weeks ago I dusted myself off and set out to learn as much as I could about what I have been missing. Overwhelmed at the thought, I had little idea where to begin.

Jackie at AgingBackwards turned me on to Twitter. For the first couple of days I was clueless, the tail was wagging the dog. The more I observed, the more I read, the more I realized how far out of the loop I had been and what I had been missing. I dipped a toe in and I typed in my first Tweet, or is it a Twit?

From that moment forward, Twitter has become my University of Social Networking and I am working towards my MBT (mastering the basics of Twitter). I have been learning from the "best of the best" reading all that they write, their Twits, their blogs. I have been inspired and motivated by the likes of Chris Brogan, Guy Kawasaki, Gary Vaynerchuk, Sir Richard Branson, Danny Brown, Peter Shankman and the list goes on .....

In went the other toe. I have now advanced to blogging. Aligned Deb, who I met through Twitter designed the banner at the top of my blog. And New Old Mom who I met during a live chat on how to make money blogging (who knew?) told me that she will teach me what she knows. That's the beauty of Twitter. Perfect strangers helping each other. As technologically forward as it is for novices like me, the concept takes me back to my childhood, when neighbors were truly friendly and helping each other was a pleasure not an imposition. It's the covered dish dinner, well without the covered dish.

Welcome to the neighborhood!

Ho, Ho, Hold the Stress and Pass the Turnips

Recipe for Holdiay Dinner Disaster

1 handful of dysfunctional relatives

1 pinch of unresolved issues
Marinade - Over sized punchbowl of eggnog and Uncle Dave

24 pound frozen Turkey and mom

Flames and sharp objects

Meet the family

Mom ... Mom fancies herself a gourmet as she is a devotee of the Food Network and she's convinced she and Paula Dean
were switched at birth. She's always trying a new "creation" but things don't always go as she plans ....

Dad - He's the rock ... No matter what goes right or goes wrong, Dad is the fixer of all.

Cousin Chaos a.k.a. Myrna ... Habitually late, Myrna is in her own time zone. Not only is she always late, but the world
revolves around Myrna and her latest crisis. If there is no crisis Myrna creates one .....

Big News Sister Sue ... Sue always makes the most untimely announcement at the most inappropriate time .. Like the
Christmas she decided to quit college and blurted it out in the middle of dinner .... Mom clutched her pearls and dropped the turkey, Uncle Dave gulped another eggnog and of course cousin Myrna jumped on the bandwagon.

Uncle Dave .... The family "Cooter Brown". He's a little heavy handed with the eggnog, he tends to get louder with every sip and thinks he's the life of the party ...

Uncle Dave's wife Emmy ... Otherwise lovingly referred to as "Green with Emmy" .... She envious of everything and everyone. She's the passive aggressive one ...

The children. "Jacked Up" Jackie and Jill" ..... A slight case of ADD combined with a healthy dose of holiday sugar treats has the kids all jacked up on a sugar high and acting crazy. Not listening and acting silly they might just be what puts mom over the edge!

Sound familiar?? We all have one or know someone who has a least one family member like this! If so my friend, Patricia Rossi, etiquette/life style coach can help you navigate the holiday table and all the antics in between.

Twelve Days of Twit'mas

On the first day of Twit'mas my Tweetheart gave to me
New followers totaling 1,003.

On the second day of Twit'mas my Tweetheart gave to me
Two DM love notes and
New followers totaling 1,003.

On the third day of Twit'mas my Tweetheart gave to me
Three teleseminars
Two DM love notes and
New followers totaling 1,003.

On the fourth day of Twit'mas my Tweetheart gave to me
Four calling clients
Three teleseminars
Two DM love notes and
New followers totaling 1,003.

On the fifth day of Twit'mas my Tweetheart gave to me
Five golden ringtones
Four calling clients
Three teleseminars
Two DM love notes and
New followers totaling 1,003.

On the sixth day of Twit'mas my Tweetheart gave to me
Six videos a playing
Five golden ringtones
Four calling clients
Three teleseminars
Two DM love notes and
New followers totaling 1,003.

On the seventh day of Twit'mas my Tweetheart gave to me
Seven Twitpic sunsets
Six videos a playing
Five golden ringtones
Four calling clients
Three teleseminars
Two DM love notes and
New followers totaling 1,003.

On the eighth day of Twit'mas my Tweetheart gave to me
Eight email updates
Seven Twitpic sunsets
Six videos a playing
Five golden ringtones
Four calling clients
Three teleseminars
Two DM love notes and
New followers totaling 1,003.

On the ninth day of Twit'mas my Tweetheart gave to me
Nine links to learn from
Eight email updates
Seven Twitpic sunsets
Six videos a playing
Five golden ringtones
Four calling clients
Three teleseminars
Two DM love notes and
New followers totaling 1,003.

On the tenth day of Twit'mas my Tweetheart gave to me
Ten typers typing
Nine links to learn from
Eight email messages
Seven Twitpic sunsets
Six videos a playing
Five golden ringtones
Four calling clients
Three teleseminars
Two DM love notes and
New followers totaling 1,003.

On the eleventh day of Twit'mas my Tweatheart gave to me
Eleven laptops loading
Ten typers typing
Nine links to learn from
Eight email messages
Seven Twitpic Sunsets
Six videos a playing
Five golden ringtones
Four calling clients
Three teleseminars
Two DM love notes and
New followers totaling 1,003.

On the twelfth day of Twit'mas my Tweatheart gave to me
Twelve Tweetup meetups
Eleven laptops loading
Ten typers typing
Nine links to learn from
Eight email messages
Seven Twitpic sunsets
Six videos a playing
Five golden ringtones
Four calling clients
Three teleseminars
Two DM love notes and
New followers totaling 1,003.

twitter.com/AgingBackwards twitter.com/McMedia

Rate My Space but Be Gentle ...

At the urging of my friend Lucille, I posted my recently renovated kitchen on HGTV's "Rate My Space". I heard someone say "HGTV’s Rate My Space is the American Idol of home decor." That should have been my first clue as to what I was about to experience.

Like me, I bet you are saying to yourself "What in the world do a singing competition and decorating show have in common. By all accounts, the people who post comments on Rate My Space share the same unbridled passion and enthusiasm as the fans of American Idol.

I had never seen the Rate My Space show or web site prior to uploading my photos. Either I was completely naive or just simply so excited to share my dream kitchen with other people who enjoyed design as much as I do, that I was ill prepared for the onslaught of comments. Of course the compliments felt great but I had no idea that the critisims would sting so much. When one Rate My Space reader took five paragraphs to tell me that he/she felt the kitchen I painstakingly designed after a two years of flipping through magazines lacks warmth and fails the basics of design 101, ouch! I quickly learned to enjoy the good with the bad and found that even the design world has a Simon Cowell or two.

You can view and Rate "our space" under kitchens and it's titled Pinnacle of Design at

http://ratemyspace.hgtv.com

About the show ...

Designer Angelo Surmelis Helps Homeowners Make the Grade 
with Help From HGTV.com's Virtual Community

KNOXVILLE, Tenn.--(Business Wire)--
This summer, HGTV will premiere its first primetime program based
on the phenomenally successful online feature HGTV's Rate My Space.
Inspired by HGTV.com's most popular online interactive feature and
hosted by designer Angelo Surmelis, the new series will preview on
Sunday, June 8 at 10 p.m. ET/PT immediately following HGTV Design
Star, and will premiere in its weekly time slot on Thursday, June 12
at 9 p.m. ET/PT. In addition, Angelo will dish about the rooms posted
on the "Rate My Space" Web site and offer advice the help homeowners
improve their room design - during his weekly 2-minute online videos
called "Spacecasts" on HGTV.com.

Since its launch in 2007, millions of online users have discovered
that HGTV.com's "Rate My Space" Web page is a unique place to post
photos of their room designs and possibly earn a coveted five-star
room rating from their online peers. Now, viewers can tap into this
HGTV.com phenomenon with Rate My Space and watch as designer
Angelo Surmelis helps lucky homeowners improve their low-rated room
designs.

To help homeowners achieve their desired look and a higher rating for
their space, Angelo invites them to select their three favorite room
photos from the Rate My Space site. Next, he and his design team will
identify the styles, objects and finishes that captured the interest
of the homeowner and use those elements as inspiration for the new
space. Along the way, Angelo will provide viewers with plenty of style
tips and design ideas. In the end, pictures of the new room are
re-posted on the Rate My Space site (http://ratemyspace.hgtv.com) and
everyone hopes the room will earn five stars.