Kiss on the Lips

MTV 1G5G Jonathan Nathaniel

2010-03-30T15:15:00.010-04:00

Jonathan Nathaniel.

The last time I heard his contagiously loud laugh, he was still going by his alias "Jono."

In the past 5 years he has obviously grown up since the days of Mayfield Secondary School's Drama Program but has maintained that devilsh grin that was always camera worthy.

Who knew when I tuned into MTV 1 girl 5 gays for my weekly dose of homosexual dishing that I would hear a laugh I knew only too well. Here's what I learned about Jono...scratch that. Jonathan Nathaniel

1. He's not afraid to wear pastel pink.

2. The first gay guy to ever to not be totally engrossed by Ronaldo Cristiano???

----->helllllllllooooooooooooooooo

3. He's rooting for Team Prince William. Harry's got no swag.

4. Sadly states that his relationship with his father ends with the blood connection.

5. Prefers au naturale. Like a twizzler pull n' peel there's more to play with.

6. He would only pose nude if it were in a nurturing environment, such as an art class.

7. The first word that comes to his mind when he hears JUDE LAW: Deadbeat Dad.

8. Accepting his facebook friendship is a big commitment. He doesn't believe in deletions.

9. He is smarter than Tiger. Fears racy texting/sexting may surface.

10. Is still as adorable as he was 5 years ago. Dude this kid needs his OWN MTV show.

Jonathan Nathaniel. Glad to have you back<3

One Art

2010-03-30T14:46:00.005-04:00

One Art

by Elizabeth Bishop

The art of losing isn't hard to master;

so many things seem filled with the intent

to be lost that their lost is no disaster.

Lose somthing everyday. Accept the fluster

of lost door keys, the hour badly spent.

The art of losing isn't hard to master.

Then practice losing farther, losing faster:

places and names, and where it was you meant

to travel. None of these will bring disaster.

I lost my mother's watch. And look! my last,

or next-to-last, of three loved houses went

The art of losing isn't hard to master.

I lost two cities, lovely ones. And, vaster,

some realms I owned, two rivers, a continent.

I miss them, but it wasn't a disaster.

--Evening losing you (the joking voice, a gesture

I love) I shan't have lied. It's evident

the art of losings not too hard to master

though it may look like (Write it!) like disaster.

i miss NYC

2010-03-23T10:06:00.008-04:00

anddddddddddddddddd the shopping!

most beauty libs ever................................

mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm cheesecake!

Spring Can't Come Soon Enough

2010-03-22T22:55:00.013-04:00

MTV 16 and Pregnant SEASON 2

2010-03-22T17:13:00.005-04:00

My Take On The New Season of 16 and Sloppy....I mean Pregnant.

Perhaps it's just me.

And I know MTV strives for real people with real lives for this show......

But come on??

My heart goes out to these girls, but watching them week in and week out makes me want to scream!

This batch of overnight Starlets def are from a particular walk of life.... I strongly dislike this because it plays into the stereotypes of teenage pregnancy.

If you need me to spell it out, what I mean is that it portrays girls who come from broken homes, torn apart families and generally low-income school and neighbourhoods.

This really isn't fair. Teenage pregnancy isn't limited to those who can't afford Steve Madden's let alone Manolo Blahnik's.

The most recent episode shows Lori's struggle with adoption and she makes the point several times that because she herself doesn't have any blood relatives, it's gonna be hard to give up her only family member.

Are girls who lack solid family foundations more at risk for this??

Does anyone think she maybe got pregnant on purpose....or at least wasn't as motivated to be careful?

hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm....

Jamie Lynn Spears anyone??

CSMR: Victoria's Secret PINK

2010-03-19T08:23:00.011-04:00

Victoria's Secret PINK heats up Facebook!!!

Tons of companies agree about one thing: SOCIAL MEDIA as an effective marketing strategy.

But very few companies actually know how to apply it. Victoria's Secret PINK isn't one of them. They are currently leading the fashion category on Facebook with over 1.2 million fans/followers.

When it comes to meeting marketing objectives, this social media campaign exceeds them.

So what objectives are they using to make themselves one of the most successful Facebook fan pages?

1. Consistency
-PINK is posting regularly and often share content that is similar to previous posts.
-their "Facebook behaviours" are consistent in the sense that they routinely create posts, tags, photo albums and inbox messages.

2. Engagement
-PINK is not simply using Facebook to create an online presence, they are using it to create a two-way conversation with their consumers.
-they have a "wall" which a lot of other corporate fan pages do not, which allows for more engagement with clientele.
-PINK is constantly commenting, "liking," what their consumers are saying and inviting them to upload photos to their page.

3. Making Connections
-VS PINK stands out from the crowd of retail Facebook fan pages because it makes a direct connection with its online page and retail store locations.
-it meets this objective by posting coupons that consumers can print out and bring to their stores.
-it also gives customers information on new store openings and specific store promotions.

VS PINK brings a new shade of success to Facebook fan pages!
Check out more blog posts about this social media campaign:

Laura

10 Things I learned about being on Global News

2010-03-15T16:40:00.012-04:00

10 Things I Learned About Being On Global News

1. If you're not allowed to wear makeup while doing whatever activity your being filmed about. Rethink the activity.

2. Never underestimate "Mockfidence": fake confidence comes across as good as the real thing when your under the bright lights.

3. Laugh at yourself, because no matter how much you try to avoid it, you'll be caught on camera stuffing chocolate covered almonds in your mouth.

4. Smile as much as you can. You'll probably feel ridiculously dumb, but anything other than a smile on tv looks like the most akward frown you've ever seen.

5. When someone asks you a question, answer. Don't think, twist, or try to craft something witty.

6. Suck in, Suck in and Suck in.

7. Don't pass up a networking opportunity. When Jennifer Palisoc asks you what you do, tell her.

8. Asking your friends to check your teeth is 100% appropriate. Asking the camera man is not.

9. Don't just give your number, ask for theirs.

10. Say the word "i" as much as possible, say the word "beachy"....never.

TO find out more about Spray Tanning Specifics, check out Casey's blog

Watch the full news segment here!!!!!!!!

Alex and Luke: NEXT MTV HIT??

2010-03-10T12:29:00.006-05:00

Alex and Luke

Potentially the most creative idea yet for a hit reality show, what's interesting is the idea for a show couldn't be farther from their to-do list.

Basically, these two electic souls decided to ditch corporate la la land and head off on a roadtrip that is directed strickly through social media. What this means is that Alex and Luke are getting in their car on March 20th and deciding where to start driving based on what people "tweet" them.

They are planning to drive and explore every region of North America by using a social media compass. This means that every willing person can have a voice and impact where they want to go.

They are planning to record their entire trip and upload daily videos, twitpics, blog postings and more!!

With every pledge or donation you make they will post your name on their car, send you post cards and so on.........

Check out their website at alexandluke.com
follow them on twitter @alexandluke

THANKS FOR YOUR VISIT TO HUMBER!!!!!!!!!!!

Personal Brand Plan

2010-03-01T10:27:00.004-05:00

I really would rather title this my "Personal Presence Plan" because the word "brand" automatically challenges the authenticity of your online communication.

But for tagging purposes and in order to make it easier for others to link to my personal brand, I titled it just that.

Although I plan to blog and twitter about a variety of topics that interest me, my main starting point for this blog was to focus on MTV Canada reality TV shows. The rationale behind this is, I'm taking something (a show) that is already popular amoung youth and then creating a discussion point around that where we can critically think about the issues that arise within the shows.

Through this blog, I hope to demonstrate my effective writing and communication skills in order to establish myself as a respected individual within the public relations online community!

Take a look at my slideshare for a more detailed view of my Personal Brand Plan.

Real Word DC: Gay Rights Activism

2010-02-26T22:40:00.006-05:00

REAL WORLD DC: Makes us take a second look at our knowlegde of LGBT rights

When watching episode 8 of MTV's REAL WORLD:DC I was suprised at the discomfort level surrounding LGBT issues.

As Mike discusses his career with the Human Rights Council in DC with his mother, she practically throws up when he says "LGBT"???????

After further explaining what the gay rights jargon is all about, his mom does apologize for originally telling Mike to keep his mouth shut about his sexuality while filming the show.

But listening to Mike's conversation about the current 28 states that still hold ZERO rights for homosexual individuals really was a wake up call to me.

I thought most of this issues were taken care of by now and it made me really question that as Canadians, are we still fighting for equality?? Or did we just give up after the right to get married was granted?

Take a look at this (lengthy) but interesting blog about the current status of gay rights in Canada by clicking here.

Want more blogger thoughts on Mike Manning and Real World DC? Check out Rob at moretoconsider.com

MY THOUGHTS>>>>

Lights, Camera, PR 2.0 Action

2010-02-25T20:33:00.008-05:00

Get Your Social Networking Passport Ready Because PR Has Headed Digital

PR 2.0 marks the true convergence of public relations and the internet...and it's changing the industry for the better!

Gone are the days when marketing consisted of a one way conversation between a brand and its' consumers. With the various Web communities, consumers are now invited to participate in the dialogue with a company or brand.

As Deirdre Breakenridge says, the new PR trend towards social media, "puts the public back in public relations."

Having an organization communicate with its' publics via social networking mediums, the human side of the company is demonstrated effectively. This is an excellent marketing tactic because consumers prefer to drive their own communication.

This new communications strategy doesn't come free of intimidations. Heres what Adrian Capobianco tells brands that shy away from opening social media dialogue for fear of negativity, "people are already saying it anyways, so you might as well create and manage the dialogue rather than just sticking your head in the sand."

It is essential for PR practitioners to embrace the blogosphere because as Nan Lin describes in his book, "we need a fundamental understanding that social capital is captured from embedded resources in social networks."

Bottom line when it comes to social media and PR is that you have to be active, current and forthwright. Mark Brooks' advice says it best, "If you don't take a stance, then you don't stand for anything."

For more information on how to utilize social media to maximize your online relationships with consumers check out Mashable and Mitch Joel's blog.

MTV Teen Mom Season Finale

2010-02-10T14:08:00.008-05:00

"Teen Mom: Don't Say Goodbye, Say So Long"

Is anyone else feeling uneasy about saying goodbye to this bunch???

After following them through the first season of 16 and Pregnant the struggles of going through a pregnancy in your teens were more than apparant!

What separates Teen Mom from the usual MTV reality show stream consists of two things: their lack of celebrity coupled with their ability to really connect with an audience.

Unlike their fellow MTV stars, this group won't be appearing on the red carpet at the Grammy's, on endless soldout MTV Aftershows, or blogged about by Perez Hilton because of one main reason....

They're Too Real.

And that's just exactly why we will all miss them so much!

MTV Canada Blog Begins!!!

2010-02-03T23:43:00.009-05:00

ATTN: Enough with the assignment blogs, it's time to announce my official blog description.............

MTV Canada

Yeah that's right I said it. Everyone watches it, everyone complains about watching it and the controversies are ENDLESS.

So why not stir the MTV Canada pot and throw in a blog focusing mostly on the major reality tv shows.

By blogging about various shows such as The Buried Life, Jersey Shore, 16 and Pregnant, 1 Girl 5 Gays, Real World DC, I hope to be able to zone in on issues that are important to youth in Canada....

That is about as general as I would like to leave it for now and I will be including a mini-video blog with every post!

Be sure to also follow me on twitter: @AislinO

Enjoy!!!!!

Response Post: Baby Boomers Love Facebook

2010-01-31T12:48:00.006-05:00

Parents on Facebook, Are they Socializing or Checking up on Teens?

Mitch Joel, author of social media blog Six Pixels of Separation recently wrote about the usage of social media by the baby boomer generation.

Joel states, "One common misnomer is that social media and the Internet is a place for kids, teens and university students exclusively. Nothing could be further from the truth."

This information is based upon a report issued in July 2009 stating that facebook users aged 55 and over have skyrocketed from under 1 million to nearly 6 million. The university and high school students on facebook has declined by 20%.

A recent report by emarketer was consistent with previous findings that 47% of online boomers maintain a profile on at least one social network.

What is missing from these reports is how motivation for social media usage differs across generations.

College and high school mostly utilize social media as a form on online socialization, whereas I think that older generations might be using facebook as a "watchdog" maneuver to check up on their younger children, teenagers, nieces and nephews.

Some teenagers have created some response sites to this such as the website myparentsjoinedfacebook.com

To follow up further on this issue check out Mitch Joel's post on Facebook, Creeping and the Future Of Online Social Networkings Growth.

Pandora Radio Review

2010-01-26T12:51:00.011-05:00

Pandora Radio: Nuts and Bolts

Pandora Radio is a social media application that allows users to find new music based on what your current tastes are. Pandora was created by the Music Genome Project allowing users to enter a song or artist that they enjoy and Pandora responds by playing selections that are musically similar.

Each time you enter in a song you are able to rate the songs that Pandora provides as being similar. If you give a song a negative rating Pandora takes this into account for the next round of recommendations.

Therefore, ideally the more you use Pandora, the more familiar it becomes with your musical taste and the musical recommendations will get better and more suited to you.

Pandora is fairly usable with an easy search tool box, facebook applications and sidebar gadgets for Windows Vista/7. Recently, Pandora added a mobile application for the ipod and itouch.

The biggest setback for this media application is it's limited utility; servicing only those with United States IP addresses. If your a Canadian user and attempt logging into the site you are directed to this content disclaimer page.

Rewind or Repeat is not an available function. Play of a single artist is limited as Pandora is meant to generate similar music not function as a play on demand service, which also limits its potential staying power.

Another impact to utility is Pandora's limit on the amount of negative ratings it can register per day. You have to be one of the first 12 people to give a song a "thumbs down" or else the capacity has been reached and your negative song will continue to remain on your list.

Pandora does offer both free and fee based memberships, however the free option include advertisements that interrupt the flow of music. If you want an ad free Pandora service and the option of having the mini player function, it will cost you.

There are some positives and benefits to this social media application, to view these check out Laura Teed's Blog.

"How To" Facebook Fan Page!

2010-01-21T11:39:00.005-05:00

How To Make The Most of Your Facebook Fan Page

For many companies and organizations, creating a Facebook Fan Page is a key component of their marketing strategy. With over 350 million+ users one of the best places to brand your organization is through a fan page. Over 10 million users become fans of fan pages everyday and when people "fan" your page, their friends see it and your brand spreads!

For exact specifics on how to set up your facebook fan page check out Catherine's blog!

However, there are ways to enhance your fan page in order to make your brand stand out against the millions.

STEP 1: connect your fan page with multiple social media platforms
A lot of organizations take for granted the internet savvy consumers that are using social media sites and they make the mistake of not connecting their website with a user friendly link to their facebook page, twitter, etc etc.

The facebook fan page for Coca Cola does this extremely effectively.

STEP 2: create contests that include participation
Offering contests and coupons exclusively for facebook users is a great way to give consumers a reason to check out your page. The Sears facebook fan page offered customers a free $10.00 coupon to use in stores, which was an effective incentive to persuade users to join their fan page.
STEP 3: Add a custom tab
By adding a custom tab to your facebook fan page you can specifically control the exact branding that takes place. Not only does this create a specific "uniqueness" and a certain "feel" to your page, it also can be used to gain more information about the demographics of the consumers viewing your page. Again, Coca Cola is a great example because they set their custom tab as the default tab for their page and request specific information such as the consumers location via this method.

For more specifics on how to add a custom check out Owen's blog!

AMERICAN IDOL: PANTS ON THE GROUND

2010-01-20T13:02:00.016-05:00

"Lookin' like a fool wit chur pants on the ground"

When 63-year-old Larry Platt took the stage at American Idol auditions last week, I had one of those eye- rolling "Idol" moments. "Here we go, another over-age idol contestant who thinks they can squeeze in a singing career before retirement."

The civil rights activist from Atlanta quickly proved me wrong! Platt entered the audition requesting to perform a song that he wrote himself: "Pants on the Ground."

Check it out:

"You know, I have a horrible feeling this song could be a hit" Cowell replied after hearing Platt's rap and flashy dance moves.

He was right. ABC's The View invited "General" Larry Platt to perform on their talk show on Monday, January 18th.

When asked how he came up with the unique lyrics of the song, Platt replied "I saw a young man walking with a baby bottle or pacifier in his mouth, with his pants on the ground and I made up the rap on the spot."

His nephew Jason said he was "really proud of my uncle, he's finally getting the word out that he always wanted to do for all these years… he's been a real good inspiration to me."

This overnight Idol sensation quickly made his "Pants on the Ground" rap a hit across the nation. The YouTube clip of his Idol audition has over 1 million plays and Jimmy Fallon did an acoustic spoof as Neil Young on his late-night show.

Larry Platt's vibe was felt in NFL quarterback Brett Favre's dressing room as the Vikings celebrated a win over the Cowboys.

Check out Brett Favre's rendition:

American Idol draws singing hopefuls from all corners of America but it is rare that a 63-year- old General could make such an impact with his self-made rap song Pants on the Ground.

The next Susan Boyle anyone?

Nine Men Taken Off Plane at Pearson

2010-01-17T19:51:00.010-05:00

Tourist or Terrorist? Looks like Sunwing had trouble deciding!

On January 8th at 6:00AM while most of us were soaking up the last moments of Christmas break sleep ins, a group of vacationers were getting aboard their Sunwing plane at Pearson International Airport in Toronto. The passengers were headed for Holguin, Cuba and were set to take off at 6:20AM, but that unfortunately didn’t happen. As the plane taxied down the runway a group of nine men were ordered off the Sunwing aircraft after asking the airline staff “unusual” questions about the plane’s on board security.

Martha Chapman, the spokeswoman for Sunwing left quite a vague impression when answering media questions regarding the incident. She simply stated that “the men were asking most unusual questions to the flight attendant staff as the plane taxied down to the runway.” The flight attendant was clearly alarmed by the specificity of the questions and immediately consulted with the flight’s Senior Captain. Chapman stated “at that time the airline’s head of security advised the crew to return to the gate and have all passengers deplaned.”

These men were greeted by Peel Regional Police and the Canadian Border Services Agency. The aircraft, minus these nine men, took off about an hour and forty five minutes later.

What has people talking about this incident is that the airline has yet to release exactly what questions these men were asking about the on board security, only stating that they were “most unusual” and “very specific”.

The only other piece of commentary Sunwing has to offer via Chapman is to say that “in today’s atmosphere of heightened security, I think that most airline’s would be considered doing the wise thing if they were to deplane passengers that were asking these specific questions.” However, the airline did refund the cost of their tickets.

http://http//www.cbc.ca/consumer/story/2010/01/08/tor-sunwing-plane-pearson-security.html#socialcomments

But after posting this news release, many CBC readers beg to differ. They argue that because so much has been left out of this story, one can only speculate about the nature of the questions being asked. One reader argues “what if the questions only appeared to be unusual to that specific flight attendant.”

Another reader writes:
When did the pilots have their last drink. When did they sleep last. Are they carrying laptops and checking email, or playing games. Did a mechanic's supervisor over ride the mechanic and sign off on the worn out mechanical parts that would cause this plane to crash into the ocean. Were the ground crew properly screened, to prevent them from placing something into my luggage to compensate for the stuff they stole. All of these questions represent violations that have already occurred, and asking them would lead to me being thrown off the plane. And all of them are within the right of passengers to know, since we PAY to have these questions answered on our behalf. Yet, not only are they afraid of the questions, they CONTINUE violating .

This does have some validity, because as passengers it would seem appropriate that we have the right to know about security features.

Other readers have quite the opposite opinion stating that “if you are dumb enough to ask unusual questions about a plane’s security as it is taxing down a runway in this day and age, than you deserve to be treated like a criminal.”

Perhaps an interesting take on how the internet and social media affects our knowledge of events is shown by the information provided in a “response post” on the CBC website. This person happened to be onboard the flight and provided some interesting information:

“I was on that flight and can provide a bit more information. Only a bit, because we weren't told very much. First, there were no alcohol or drug issues on this 6:20 a.m. flight. Second, the only question that I know was asked concerned life jackets. Third, the crew were suspicious because the men did not make eye contact. Fourth, the men were dark skinned and included Sri Lankans and possibly some Armenians. Fifth, at least four of the men showed up at our resort the next day”

Conveniently Sunwing failed to mention that the men were found innocent and allowed to board another plane the next day to attend their vacation. They also left out any information about the racial and cultural backgrounds of these men. All of this information wouldn’t have been made readily available to an entire country 20 years ago. Today with the influx of the Internet and social media we are able to see current events in a much more critical way.

The question remains nonetheless, were these potential terrorists or just curious tourists? And has our security been heightened to the point of paranoia or are we simply living in a world where this is expected?