Some bitter OJ

I'll be honest, I don't like orange juice with pulp. I never have and chances are that will never change. Pulp is just unnecessary -- it gets stuck in your teeth, hits the back of your throat in a creepy way, and just doesn't make any sense. I kinda feel the same way about OJ Simpson. He gets stuck in strange situations (i.e., "the teeth of life"), is most definitely creepy, and certainly makes no sense. OK, maybe that's a lame analogy but hey...I try. Seriously though, what have OJ's contributions to society truly been (and don't mention playing football because that is a worthless contribution). I feel bad asking that about any human being but I look at this guy and have to wonder what his value to our community is.

So now that OJ is back in the news--with a vengeance, it seems--I haven't really been paying too much attention. I'm not really even aware of what he's battling in court. I was just trying to find some information but couldn't even anything on the homepage of CNN.com. Something to do with stolen goods? I don't know.... But it leads me to ask the question, are we seeing karma in action?

I know my answer. What's yours?

CNN * YouTube Debates

Referencing my last post, these debates are so much better than I was expecting. Sure, CNN is still very much involved...and selecting the video submissions...but for the most part I think it's an incrediby innovative way of approaching relevant topics.

My friend Kim and I keep exchanges text messages back-and-forth about who we like! Social media at its finest!

FYI...I'm NOT voting for any person who wears a hearing aid.

Social Media & Politics

If you haven't already heard, politicians and major [American] news organizations are jumping on the social media bandwagon. Actually, bandwagon isn't the appropriate term to use. Typically, I think of "jumping on the bandwagon" as being associated with something trendy or fleeting, and social media is certainly here to stay. Politicians and news organization undoubtedly recognize this and are therefore taking note of how to integrate the medium with their business models. The big question right now is just how much does social media play in both of these fields? Does it dictate news stories and political platforms? Or does it merely supplement them? Personally, I don't think anyone really knows the answer (although there are definitely strong opinions about both), and we probably won't for years to come.

I bring all of this up because I just learned that CNN is hosting the first-ever Presidential video/social media debates. I'm a little surprised that I'm just hearing of this since I live much of my life online. Anyhow.... Taking place tomorrow (7/23) at 7pm EST these debates will unarguably be historic, and could determine the relevance of social media in such vital events. The concept is really quite simple: candidates will answer questions directly from the American public, via video-sharing powerhouse YouTube.com. No journalists. No panelists. No agendas. Or so we're told.

Dubbed the "CNN * YouTube Debates" the live broadcast will launch with the Democratic Presidential candidates. The Republicans will follow in mid-September. Of course, only time will tell just how much of an impact these initiatives will make, but it'll be interesting to watch.

If you're interested in taking part in this landmark event click here. The deadline for submissions is today (7/22) though, so you'll have to hurry!

Everyone's a Celebrity

Earlier this morning I was watching CNN, when there was a very interesting segment featuring former Vanity Fair Editor-in-Chief Tina Brown. She has recently been in the media promoting her novel chronicling the life of Princess Diana, aptly titled "The Diana Chronicles."

The segment during which she was featured on the news network was primarily focused on celebrities--specifically American celebrities--and out of her interview came a quote I thought was the perfect representation of the topic:

"These days everyone is a celebrity, and nobody is intriguing."

She stated that the last real intriguing celebrity in recent American history was John F. Kennedy, Jr., and that the celebrity pop-tarts of today are famous for doing nothing...and are pretty uninteresting.

I couldn't agree more (but thank goodness they are or I wouldn't have nearly as much to write about).