Top 3 Shared Stories on Facebook 2011: Media & Parenting

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Most Shared Stories on Facebook 2011

Facebook released the top 40 Most Share Stories on Facebook of 2011. It’s a list dominated by Yahoo and CNN stories ranging from light-hearted articles of babies and dogs to more serious topics such as the Japanese Quake and Steve Jobs.

Here at Clean Cut Media, we’ve posted on a number of articles on these very popular topics from Steve Jobs, the Japanese Quake, to the Golden-Voiced Homeless Man. Finish this article then check them out later!

Top 3  Media & Parenting Related Articles Shared on Facebook

Since we are a media site, we wanted to list below a few notable and well written articles related to MEDIA as well as Parenting. We’ve provided an excerpt so you can get a feel for the article before clicking through. The titles of the Articles are links.

Enjoy! Please leave comments below on your thoughts on the article!

Parenting Talking to Child - Mother ParentHow to Talk to Little Girls

This is a very enjoyable article discussing how even the smallest compliments can really mess up a girl’s perception of what is important especially when it comes to her looks. Considering we’ve written many articles here about a Girl’s Self Image, Young Girl’s Perception of Beauty, among many other similar topics, this article seemed pretty relevant to our readers. I think you’ll find yourself saying “that makes a lot of sense…” Please do comment your thoughts on the comment section below on this post.

Little Maya was all curly brown hair, doe-like dark eyes, and adorable in her shiny pink nightgown. I wanted to squeal, “Maya, you’re so cute! Look at you! Turn around and model that pretty ruffled gown, you gorgeous thing!”
But I didn’t. I squelched myself. As I always bite my tongue when I meet little girls, restraining myself from my first impulse, which is to tell them how darn cute/ pretty/ beautiful/ well-dressed/ well-manicured/ well-coiffed they are.
What’s wrong with that? …
…This week ABC News reported that nearly half of all three- to six-year-old girls worry about being fat.
…15 to 18 percent of girls under 12 now wear mascara, eyeliner and lipstick regularly;
…eating disorders are up and self-esteem is down;
…25 percent of young American women would rather win America’s Next Top Model than the Nobel Peace Prize.
…Even bright, successful college women say they’d rather be hot than smart.

…Teaching girls that their appearance is the first thing you notice tells them that looks are more important than anything.

Parents, Don’t Dress your Girls like Tramps

This piece is more of a rant towards parents than anything. However, the rant is still valid in pointing out that parents really need to take more responsibility about how their kids dress and understand how they are really messing up their child’s perception of themselves by dressing them up inappropriate ways. Check it out, then if you feel like ranting about it , leave some comments below on this post ok!

I guess I’ve been out-of-the-loop and didn’t realize there’s been an ongoing stampede of 10-year-old girls driving to the mall with their tiny fists full of cash demanding sexier apparel.

What’s that you say? Ten-year-olds can’t drive? They don’t have money, either? Well, how else are they getting ahold of these push-up bras and whore-friendly panties?
Their parents?

Noooo, couldn’t be.

What adult who wants a daughter to grow up with high self-esteem would even consider purchasing such items? What parent is looking at their sweet, little girl thinking, “She would be perfect if she just had a little bit more up top.” …

… It’s easy to blast companies for introducing the sexy wear, but our ire really should be directed at the parents who think low rise jeans for a second grader is cute. They are the ones who are spending the money to fuel this budding trend. They are the ones who are suppose to decide what’s appropriate for their young children to wear, not executives looking to brew up controversy or turn a profit.

Ron Clark - Teachers Parents & Students

What Teachers Really Want to Tell Parents

This piece is not “media” related per say, but an article I enjoyed mainly because I have many friends who work full time as teachers and understand a little bit of the pains teachers go through. A good interesting read none-the-less. Feel free to comment with your opinions in the comment section below.

Today, new teachers remain in our profession an average of just 4.5 years, and many of them list “issues with parents” as one of their reasons for throwing in the towel…

…For starters, we are educators, not nannies. We are educated professionals who work with kids every day and often see your child in a different light than you do. If we give you advice, don’t fight it. Take it, and digest it in the same way you would consider advice from a doctor or lawyer. I have become used to some parents who just don’t want to hear anything negative about their child, but sometimes if you’re willing to take early warning advice to heart, it can help you head off an issue that could become much greater in the future…

…Please, take a step back and get a good look at the landscape. Before you challenge those low grades you feel the teacher has “given” your child, you might need to realize your child “earned” those grades and that the teacher you are complaining about is actually the one that is providing the best education…

Hope you enjoy those! Please leave some comments below and give us your thoughts on these matters!

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Black Friday & Cyber Monday Sales Hits New Records

Black Friday & Cyber Monday Sales Hit New Records

Online Shopping for Black Friday once again broke all previous records with sales of $816 million, up 26% compared to 2010. Even Thanksgiving Day (November 24th) which traditionally is a low sales day, saw a 18% increase in sales to $479 million.

Cyber Monday is estimated to have produced $1.25 billion dollars in sales (according to ComScore), up 22% from Cyber Monday 2010 which also was a record at the time. Last year we were stunned as Cyber Monday exceeded 1 Billion. However the sales continue to roll in. Other surveys conducted by IBM and eBay found even greater increases of 33% and 25% respectively. It’s final. Americans are spending more and more each year. Doesn’t matter if the economy is down, people will buy what they want.

Black Friday Sales Statistics at $816 Million

Black Friday Visits & Sales Statistics

Amazon, Walmart, Best Buy, Target & Apple Leads the Way

Amazon, Walmart, Best Buy, Target, and Apple were the top 5 most visited retailer properties during Black Friday. 50 million Americans were out and about, visiting retail stores to search for the best Black Friday deals. These visitors accounted for a 35% increase in visits versus 2010.

Black Friday ComScore RetailA source from Apple Retail has shared that Apple’s forecast for Black Friday was 4X the normal sales levels. However, by 7PM, Apple had already blown past those forecasts fueled through big ticket items like the iPad and MacBook Air sales.

Other Black Friday Sales & Visit Statistics

  • Mobile devices accounted for 14.3% of all online Black Friday traffic, up 5.6% and responsible for 9.8% of online sales.
  • Ecommerce sales were up 59% compared to last year.
  • Black Friday mentions on Facebook & Twitter was up 110%.

Cyber Monday Sales Statistics – Tops $1.25 Billion!

On Cyber Monday, the average American consumer spent $198.26, up 2.6% from 2010. That’s nearly $200 dollars a person folks. More than 1 in 10 people used a mobile device to do research while about 6.6% of sales took place on the mobile device itself. This is 3X compared to 2010.

Mind Boggling Numbers: What do you think?

  • Any of these statistics surprise you? Disturb you?
  •  Were you able to find anything good on Black Friday or Cyber Monday?
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The Hunger Games Trailer: Book to Movie

The Hunger Games Movie Trailer

Hunger Games by Suzanne Collin Short Review: It’s Awesome

Super Short Review: Wanting to find a fun book to read? Have extra credits on Audible and want wondering what book to download next? The Hunger Games Trilogy. I read it. Ok. So I listened to the Audiobooks. Almost the same thing. It’s an excellent read (listen?). Very gripping. Dives deep into the psychology of it’s characters and touches upon themes of independence, big brother, the sinfulness (evil) of people, trust and relationships. It’s not for children however, tons of violence as expected from a book centered around… 24 youths forced to… battle to the death… more info below.

The Hunger Games Story

16 year old Katniss Everdeen lives in a post-apocalyptic world in a country called Panem which lies where United States once existed. Panem consist of a wealthy Capitol and 12 surrounding run down districts. The government holds power through an annual event called the Hunger Games where each of the 12 districts chooses a boy and a girl representative or “tributes” to a highly televised battle royale to the death. The Hunger Games is as much as a “show” as is a fight to survive as your popularity can gain you more favors and donations from the outside world. Unfortunately only one of the 24 tributes are allowed to walk out alive. It is a government that controls through fear and resource control. The winning district is rewarded with food and benefits in a world where resources are scarce. Katniss’ younger sister is chosen as a tribute, so Katniss chooses to volunteer to replace her and thus enters the Hunger Games a place of shaky alliances, friendships, suspicion and a lot of posturing.

Hunger Games Movie - Katniss Selection
The Hunger Games Tributes are Chosen - Peeta & Katniss
Hunger Games Movie - Katniss Sign
Katniss Displays a "Special" Sign to the District

The Hunger Games the Movie is Coming – Watch the Trailer

This past week, the first theatrical trailer for The Hunger Games was released to the delight of many fans of the book. The Hunger Games the Movie is set to release on March 23, 2012 featuring Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss Everdeen. It is expected to be a huge blockbuster considering the Hunger Games Trilogy is one of the best selling books in the modern era. It is regularly in the top reads on Amazon, one of the first to hit 1 million sales on the kindle and easily one of the highest downloaded book on Audible. The rights were picked up by Lionsgate. Word is that it will be PG-13. Watch the trailer below!

 

The Hunger Games Themes

Government vs Independence: The majors themes in The Hunger Games involve topics of government control vs. personal independence. The “capital” in this book controls the populace through fear and forces the hunger games upon them as a means to assert their power.

Survival vs Value of Human Life: Through the struggle through the hunger games, the themes of survival vs humanity becomes very apparent centered around the value of human life. Lot of the characters struggle through being put in a position of placing their own life against the life of others. What is acceptable for survival? Is it ever ok to hurt (or kill) another person in order to survive? Should one feel guilty over lying and deceiving others as needed?

Hunger Games Movie - Katniss Fight
Will Katniss be able to Kill other Youths if it Came Down to it?

Selfishness of Man: Personally, one thing I appreciate about these stories is that it is very blunt about the innate selfishness of man. People often want to think that deep down inside all people are “good,” but let’s be honest here. When we look at little children who have no concept of image or wearing masks, we know we are born innately selfish. You need to teach them to share. You need to teach them to be thankful. You need to teach them that they just can’t cry because they don’t get what they want and not to bite the kid next to them. When we are honest with ourselves and our thoughts, our motives, we know that we think mainly of ourselves and how we feel above everything else. We know if all boundaries and rules were removed as it is in the scenario in this book, all hell would break loose and eventually everyone would simply do as they please. Thank God for laws, and punishing sticks.

This book is very real about this truth. When it comes down to it, everyone innately wants to serve themselves. It is a beautiful thing to see characters fight their way away from this innate desire to survive to thinking for the good of someone else even while everyone else is becoming dead to their sensitivity. It is often the thoughts of someone Katniss loves that helps her fight from spiraling into just forgetting humanity altogether. But the struggle is very real and very difficult especially for the main protagonist Katniss. You can tell her natural inclination is to mistrust and watch out for herself. Having compassion and love is a considered a “weakness” within the book especially when everyone in the hunger games are just simply trying to outlive one another. This is true of the real world, where the message often tells us that ultimately we need to watch out for ourselves and do what we need to do to get ahead in life. But just like in real life, it is compassion and love that we all know is how it is meant to be. When we see people suppress the urge to serve oneself out of love for another, it is something we know to be right. When people sacrifice their own good for someone they love, we know that is right. Yet again, this is something that does not come naturally. It is hard and something we need to fight for. I think this is portrayed well within the story.

Other Themes: There is this “love conquers all” type of feeling which is not necessarily a great theme to take in blindly without some context.

Warnings: This is NOT a children’s book. When it comes down to it, it is a battle royale so many people die. Also there is a lot of discussion on deception and posturing which without proper understanding can be really confusing. However it is a relatively clean series in all other aspects.

The Hunger Games - Suzanne Collin Series

The Hunger Games Trilogy – The Books

The Hunger Games originally released in 2008, followed by Catching Fire in 2009 and Mockingjay in 2010 completing the Hunger Games Trilogy. It has since become one of the most popular, bestselling series. It remained on the New York Times list for over 100 consecutive weeks.

HEY! Book 1 of The Hunger Games is only $5 on Amazon. Great filler to get that $25 free shipping 🙂
Link to the The Hunger Games Book 1 Here

Audiobook

The Audiobook version of the Hunger Games is fantastic. The reader Carolyn McCormick does an excellent job portraying all the various characters guys and girls! Two links for you below.

Audible Subscribers: Book 1 of Hunger Games on Audible is link is HERE

Non-Audible Subscribers: Click on the image below and get the Audiobook Free!

1 FREE Audiobook RISK-FREE from Audible

Have you read the Hunger Games?

Let us know your thoughts on the book!

  • Did you read it or listen to it? Like it?
  •  Any other themes you found to be interesting?
  •  Are you looking forward to the movie? Why?
  •  Other similar books you’d like to recommend to others?
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Benefits of CommentLuv Premium: SEO & Community


The CommentLuv Plugin

Benefits of CommentLuv Premium: SEO & Community

First of all, I thank every one of you for visiting Clean Cut Media and double thanks to those who contribute to the discussion through commments! You are what makes this blog go and keeps me motivated to continue.

We are now testing out a new commenting system called CommentLuv Premium. It’s called CommentLuv because it shows “love” to those who leave comments by allowing them to leave a link back to one of their own blog entries. In theory (and through the testimony of many prominent bloggers), over time this should increase blog traffic as well as increase engagement on the site. It gives incentive for the “LURKERS” (people who read but never contribute) to actually leave a response. It also attracts bloggers from other blogs to come leave a comment. It also gives visitors incentive to “like” our facebook page or “+1” our content. (Go Like our facebook page!!)

CommentLuv Premium is an EXCELLENT piece of plugin. If you are a blogger, go to the link below and check it out. It’s on sale for a limited time!


The CommentLuv Plugin

LINK TO COMMENTLUV PREMIUM WEBSITE

The CONS of CommentLuv Premium Plugin

The only downside is that many visitors will now come simply to try to add their links, try to draw in visitors but most of all to get “link juice.” A link what? In the world of SEO (search engine optimization), a link to your site in essence gives your site a vote of confidence in the eyes of the search engines. It gives your site more credibility. When super simplified, Google assumes that if people are linking to your content, it is because they like it. Thus the more links you got, the better. The more links you have from STRONG sites with high “pagerank” (a score determined by Google), the better. Our site at the moment is a solid PR 4, so I expect a lot of spam from those seeking to get links to their site. Luckily CommentLuv has a great spam filter built in.

But because of this, some house rules that were always in place but thought I’d share…

Commentluv Comment House Rules

1) MODERATION: Every comment here is moderated. When you Comment, it’s put into moderation to be reviewed before going live.
2) NAME: You must leave a LEGITIMATE name. If you put in names of your products or particular keywords you want to stuff in there, it will not be approved. (ex. Brian = Good, Internet Games Online = Not Good)
3) URL: It must be a good, clean site. Get rich sites, inappropriate sites, arbitrage sites, or any site that I wouldn’t want any of our users to visit will be removed.
4) COMMENT: Hey SEO guys, it’s really easy to spot spammers. More than 1 URL link? Disapproved. Nonsensical Comment? Disapproved. Comments clearly written by some outsourced company who does not speak english? Disapproved. Keyword stuffing into comment? Disapproved. Any links to pharmacy products or get rich schemes? Disapproved. Comments that say absolutely nothing but “Good Post” “Informative post” coupled with a keyword stuffed URL? Disapproved.

Basically, leave a real name, a good comment and there is nothing to worry about.

Examples of Bad Comments

Might as well have our readers learn a little about commenting! Here are some examples of bad spam comments that is supposed to be “sneaky” but then on a second look is obviously random.

POST: Siri Humor 
Comment: “insightful, made me think a lot…”
Response: this is not a thought provoking article.. it’s a bunch of screenshots of hilarious siri responses to funny questions. This comment is obviously a canned answers pasted through automated bots or by cheap SEO services using cheap tricks to put up links.

POST: Sept 11, 2001 – Remembering 9/11
Comment: “You certainly understand how to keep a readers amused. Between your wit as well as your videos, I was nearly moved to start my own blog (well, almostHaHa!) Congrats. I truly loved what you needed to state, and more than that, the way you offered it. Too awesome!”
Response: First of all, this comment is so poorly written. This is written by someone outside of the country. Secondly this post was about 9/11, it was a very SERIOUS post. This comment is utterly inappropriate, but it makes sense because no one had read the article. Again just bot or a mindless comment eager to get a link.

More Fun Fake Blog Comments

Lot of these remind me of those non-sense sentences written in asian stationaries :). I left small commentaries on each one. Enjoy!

“No matter the ending is perfect or not, you cannot disappear from my world.”
– Yes… so true.. I think

“Hello, I just wanted to tell you, I disagree. Your post doesn’t make any sense.”
– So what did you disagree? You don’t make any sense…

“Very energetic post, I liked that bit. Will there be a part 2?”
– Energetic post.. nice

“Incredible quest there. What occurred after? Take care!”
– One quest is enough for me.

“This video post is really great, the echo quality and the picture feature of this video post is in fact amazing.”
– Especially when there is no videos in the post. Echo quality?

“Hurrah, that’s what I was exploring for, what a information! present here at this weblog, thanks admin of this web page.”
– “what a information”… what?! “weblog”… who says weblog?

“Hello, every time i used to check webpage posts here in the early hours in the break of day, for the reason that i enjoy to gain knowledge of more and more.”
– sounds like a bad parable..

“Hello to all, for the reason that I am genuinely eager of reading this web site’s post to be updated daily. It includes pleasant material.”
– omg

“I every time emailed this website post page to all my friends, for the reason that if like to read it next my contacts will too.”
– I every time think.. I understand, so I read it and so my contacts will understand and think a posting.

“Hi there, I want to subscribe for this blog to obtain most up-to-date updates, so where can i do it please assist.”
– This one is very sneaky!!! but it’s not legitimate.

Commentluv Premium Plugin“Hi there, after reading this awesome post i am too cheerful to share my familiarity here with friends.”
– Too cheerful to share your familiarity? Oh COME ON!

  • Anyone else has hilarious examples of comments left in your spam folder? Share below! (please remove all links and no inappropriate words)
  • How has your experience been with CommentLuv?

For bloggers interested in CommentLuv, Click the Image on Right.

 

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Hi, I am Siri, the Humble Killing Personal Assistant

Siri Logo iPhone 4S

iPhone Siri Questions

  • How do you feel about a machine talking to you?
  • Is this the beginning of the end?
  • Terminator or Matrix mean anything to you?

Siri the Humble Personal Assistant is Born

Apple recently released the iPhone 4S packed with a new Dual-core A5 chip, an excellent all new 8MP camera, an assistant named Siri, IOS5, iCloud, and… wait a what?!

Siri is your “humble personal assistant” as it or she… will tell you. It has been created to take in your commands as you would normally say it, and it supposedly adapts to your commands the longer you use it. So you could say something like “Tell my wife I’m running late” or “Remind me to call my doctor” or “Any good Korean restaurants around here?” and the it… she will tell you what you need to know, or do whatever you’d like. It’s pretty awesome and scary.

I am Siri, your Humble Personal, Killing, Assistant!

Terminator Siri iPhone
I am Siri, your Humble Personal, Killing, Assistant!

Just don’t use your phone to pass secrets, bank account numbers, social security numbers, and by all means don’t give it your twitter login. Who knows what that crazy Siri might do that may ruin your life (or the world) forever.

Siri does have a sense of humor though… I just hope it never starts to giggle… in the middle of the night.

Siri’s Humorous Responses

Siri - iPhone 4S - Love You
You Don't Love Me - Siri
Siri - iPhone 4S - Murder
You Need Help Buddy - Siri
Siri - iPhone 4S - Meaning of Life
Meaning of Life? Why Ask Me? - Siri
Siri - iPhone 4S - Who is on First
Who is on First - That's Right! - Siri
Siri - iPhone 4S - Temperature
Temperature? It does't Matter - Siri
Siri - iPhone 4S - Oh Stop
Let's just be Friends - Siri
Siri - iPhone 4S - Oh My God
I found you God - Siri
Siri - iPhone 4S - Meaning of Life 2
Meaning of Life - Easy! - Siri
Siri - iPhone 4S - Meaning of Life 3
Meaning of Life. App for That - Siri
Siri - iPhone 4S - Marriage
Can't Marry You. No Seriously - Siri

More Siri Freakiness to Come

Have many more where those came from. We will post more later.
For now enjoy! Vote in our Poll, and Comment below which one is your favorite!

[poll id=”29″]

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Did You Know Your Children Can Buy M Rated Video Games?

M Rated Video Games Mature 2
All the Things a Child Needs?

Did you know your kids may be able to buy M Rated Games?

Did You Know: Selling of video games is self-regulated. This means video game merchants can decide to check ID, not check ID, or just sell any rated video game to any age group. Based on a Federal Trade Commission study, about 20% of minors were able to purcahse mature video games on a national average. One nationwide chain was high as 50%.

US Supreme Court Rules – No Restrictions

Couple months ago, US Supreme Court ruled that, YES, game merchants should be allowed to sell violent games to kids. The US Supreme Court ruled on Brown v. Entertainment Merchants Association formerly Schwarzenegger v. EMA) deciding that the 2005 California law that prohibited sale of violent games to minors as unconstitutional. The SCOTUS ruled in a 7-2 vote. The original California Law was enacted to limit the sale of violent games to minors.

Leland Yee Senator

California Law of 2005 Law Banning the Sale of Violent Games to Minor

California Senator Leland Yee introduced the original law banning the sale of violent games to minors in 2005. It held a $1,000 fine for any infractions by retailers. He wanted to regulate the video game industry due to various connections between violent video games and aggressive behavior in children. Similar laws passed in other states. This law was challenged numerous times and eventually show down on June 2011.

 

Why Rule Against Restricting Minors from Buying Violent Games?

One reason the Supreme Court ruled against this previous California law was the consideration that the definition of “violence” was too vague. The video gaming industry defended themselves by proclaiming that even Super Mario Brothers could be considered “violent” and so how is anyone to deem what is violent? On the opposite end of the spectrum was discussions over games such as “Postal 2” where the player can urinate on non-player characters then set them on fire.

Other reasons that were considered was whether the state government should have any rights to implement such restrictions and whether it conflicted with the first amendment.

Are We on a Slippery Slope? Standards Changing?

Ques: If we are allowed to sell M rated Games to kids, why stop there and sell M Rated Movies?

Outside of the ruling here is a question. Are we going down a slippery slope?

Over the past 15 years, I’ve seen the definition of “PG-13” change dramatically over that short period. Standards change over time, little by little.

Forget the arguments about first amendments or the rights of the government for a moment. If we don’t place boundaries on limiting what a minor can purchase, are we heading down a slippery slope? If selling R rated video games is ok, why not R rated movies? Something will have to eventually give. If M rated video games are ok, why not adult movies? How can we say yes to one and not the other? If someone demands these things, how can we argue? Who has the right to determine where the line needs to be drawn? Why?

In the movie industry, we’ve already seen that “line” shift dramatically. There was once a time PG-13 would be completely safe to take your children. Not anymore. Standards have changed over time. Plus who is to say where the line is? It’s concerning when the video game industry seems to have the most say. Is this a subjective matter?

  • What is your opinion on this?
  • What are your thoughts on the continual changing of our standards in media?
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9 11 / September 11 Quotes & Statistics [Infographic]

9-11 September 11 Firefighters9/11 September 11 Statistics Infographic

Let’s not forget the fateful day of 9 11. September 11, 2001.
Below is a Statistic Infographic of the World Trade Center events of 9/11.

  • Some Key Statistics of 9/11
  • 4 Planes, 19 Terrorist
  • 3 Major Attacks at the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and the Crash at Stonycreek Township which is believed to have targed the US Capitol Building / White House.
  • 18,000 Small Businesses were Destoryed or Displaced
  • The Collapse of the World Trade Center reached speeds of 120 miles per hour
  • 1,506,124 Tons of Debris removed from site
  • 2,000 First Responders Injured in the attacks
  • 36,000 units of Blood Donated at the New York Blood Center
  • 99 Days Fires Burned after the Attack

9-11 September 11 World Trade Center

  • 3,051 Number of Children who lost parents
  • 343 Firefighters & Paramedics who died
  • 125 People who died at the Pentagon
  • 92 People killed on Flight 11
  • 64 People died on Flight 175
  • 64 People died on Flight 77
  • 44 People died in Flight 93
  • 23 NYPD Officers lost in the attack

“Time is passing. Yet, for the United States of America, there will be no forgetting september the 11th. We will remember every rescuer who died in honor. We will remember every family that lives in grief. We will remember the fire and ash, the last phone calls, the funerals of the children,”
– President George W. Bush, November 11, 2001

911 September 11 World Trade Center

“Now, we have inscribed a new memory alongside those others. It’s a memory of tragedy and shock, of loss and mourning. But not only of loss and mourning. It’s also a memory of bravery and self-sacrifice, and the love that lays down its life for a friend- even a friend whose name it never knew.”
– President George W. Bush, December 11, 2001

“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble, therefore we will not fear even though the earth be removed, though the mountains carried into the midst of the sea, though its waters roil and be troubled, though mountains shake with its swelling,”
— US President Barack Obama at the Ground Zero ceremony, reading Psalm 46.

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The Teen Choice Awards Chooses R-Rated Movies?

Just a discussion starter. So share your your thoughts below…

What are your thoughts on the fact that three R Rated, raunchy comedies earned multiple nominations at the TEEN choice awards?

Hangover Part 2 Movie
Sneaking into the Minds of Unaware Teens

R-Rated Nominees – The Hangover Part II, Bridesmaids, Bad Teacher

The three R rated movie in question are “The Hangover Part II”, “Bridesmaids” and “Bad Teacher”. The Hangover Part II earned a six nominations, while Bridesmaid and Bad teacher were nominated for best comedy. Remember this is the TEEN choice awards for 13-19 year-olds voting for what they consider the best movies, shows, and music of the year. Anyone under 17 must still be accompanied by an adult to watch these movies due to their content. The Hangover Part II and Bridesmaid have been one of the more popular movies of this summer. The Hangover centers around a Drunken Bachelor party romp where the characters can’t remember what happened.

Harry Potter: Deathly Hallows Movie
What is the Meaning of This? That's Evil! - Voldemort

“The Twilight Saga: Eclipse” led the pack with twelve nominations including best sci-fi fantasy film. TV Musical “Glee” follows with nine including top TV Comedy. The Twilight Saga swept the awards last season, but expects to face stiff competition from “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1”, “X-Men: First Class”, “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides,” and “Super 8.”

Something is Just not Right

So I pose the question again.

What are your thoughts on the fact that three R Rated, raunchy comedies earned multiple nominations at the TEEN choice awards?

I think, it’s a testament to how much our standards have fallen in terms of what is considered appropriate and not appropriate for our teen’s consumption, let alone public consumption as a whole (including adults!). I bet for most reader, this news doesn’t seem like big news at all. Is there anything that can be done or will our standards just fall lower and lower? Did you know the US Superior court overruled a law, saying it is ok for stores to sell Mature Rated video games to children? Also I remember just a mere 10 years ago, what passes as PG-13 today would cause a riot even though it was Rated R. It’s a slipper slope folks.

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Social Media Consume 1 out of every 6 Minutes

Social Media Icons Facebook Twitter YouTube

Social Networks all Consuming: Facebook, Linkedin, Twitter & More

Time spent on social networking has doubled since 2007. Facebook, Twitter leads the way in the ever growing social media presence. ComScore released their latest figures on this social media growth.

The average U.S. online user spends 1 out of every 6 minutes on a social networking site.

Astounding Social Media Growth

That is a whopping 16% of all online time compared to a mere 8% in 2007. Facebook leads the with 700+ million users but many social network sites like Linkedin, Twitter, and Tumblr hit all time record highs this past month of May. Linkedin recorded 33.4 million visitors in May 2011 while showing 58% overall growth from 2010. Twitter 27 million, a 13% growth from 2011. Tumblr 10.7 million with an amazing 166% growth from last year. Tumblr seems to be experiencing a sudden surge of popularity this year.

Linkedin Twitter Statistics Social

Facebook is currently the 4th largest web property with 157.2 million visitors just in the month of May reaching 73% of the total internet population every month.

Social Networking Statistics Facebook Linkedin

Linkedin IPO – Social IPOs are Coming

A new wave of IPOs are starting to pop up as Groupon and Linkedin recently went public to spectacular public offerings. Pandora just double it’s price due to demand. Facebook also has plans to IPO as early as next year. Other tech companies such as LivingSocial, Zynga and Twitter are still abuzz and potentially going public as well. Are these companies worth the evaluations they are seeing? We have yet to see. So much of the value is based on potential and potential only at this point.

  • What are your thoughts on this growth? Will it continue?
  • 1 in 6 minutes are spent on social sites.. good or bad?

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Peter Jackson’s Hobbit Preview Video

Peter Jackson Hobbit Preview Video

Peter Jackson’s Hobbit Preview Video

Peter Jackson posted a 10-minutes production video with tons of behind-the-scenes footage for the Hobbit. In this video he revisits some of the locations of the footage as well as gives us a chance to see some of the cast members interacting with one another. See Andy Serkis, Ian McKellen, Martin Freeman and Richard Taylor of Weta Workshop in action. [That is Ian McKellen aka Gandalf in the picture above with Peter  Jackson]

The Lord of the Ring series, though contains a lot of violence, is a very clean set of movies with tons of great themes such as friendship, love, morality, and deeper themes of the human condition of pride, power, and greed.

Check it out Below! Let us know what you think in the comment section below! Anyone excited to see this?

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Best April Fools Day Jokes Online

Best April Fools Day Jokes Online

It’s that time of the year again. April Fools Day. More and more, you can’t believe a single thing you read on the web. I love it. Last year we summarized the Best April Fools Jokes in History. The year before we actually posted a fake april fools post. This year we’ll just be adding a few more recent online april fool jokes of note. We only included the latest. See last year’s post to see a fuller list. Enjoy!

Starbucks Plenta and Micra Sizes

“Whether customers are looking for a large or small size, the Plenta and the Micra satisfy all U.S. and Canada customers’ needs for more and less coffee,” said Hugh Mungis, Starbucks VP of Volume. “Our size selection is now plentiful.”

Starbucks last year announced that in response to consumer requests for more sizes, that they would add two additional sizes. The Micra at 2 ounces and the Plenta at 128 ounces. The Plenta looks pretty much like a KFC Bucket. Awesome. This came after the announcement of the new size Trenta at 32 ounces which help give a bit of legitimacy. Check out the hilarious sizes below. April Fools!

Starbucks Plenta Micra April Fools Sizes
Give me my KFC Bucket Latte

Google Chrome – Browse the Web with Sound

Google Chrome Sounds Extension
Now You can Experience the Sounds of the Web

Surfing the web when bored? Bored of surfing the web? Google Chrome last year differentiated itself by offering the latest plugin to add SOUNDS to your web browsing experience. It provides audio feedback depending on what you do and what you browse. April Fools!

The hilarious part is that the sounds are ridiculous and often really annoying. You can still find it here: Google Chrome Sounds – Try it out, let us know in comments what you think!

Google Translate for Animals

You think Google Translate is awesome? Did you know Google had come up with Google Translate for Animals?

This application recognizes and transcribes the voices of animals for most common species. Best part is all the fun videos. Below is an intro, and one of the fun additional videos. Enjoy. The actor in the second one is hilarious. April Fools!

Videonuze – In Unprecedented Deal, Google and Apple Team Up to Privatize the FCC

Videonuze came out with a hilarious post that Google and Apple has bought out the Federal Communication Commission (FCC). The FCC is the government agency that usually governs the media & broadband business sectors. It also helps controls the rules and regulation of business transactions. Here is an excerpt below. Funny piece. April Fools!

VideoNuze has learned that Google and Apple have teamed up to privatize the FCC in a transaction preliminarily valued at $42.5 billion. Though the U.S. government is already widely believed to be controlled by corporate interests, this is the first time that a formal deal to transfer ownership of a government agency has been contemplated. The deal has far-ranging implications for the media and technology industries, not to mention for American democracy. VideoNuze has gained exclusive access to the details.

…In a follow-up interview, Apple’s CEO Steve Jobs added further detail, “I was sitting in my office micro-managing the legal weenies on this HTC lawsuit aimed at gumming up the Nexus One’s rollout when my iPhone rings with Eric’s caller ID. Ordinarily I wouldn’t even answer that back-stabbing, lying sack of you-know-what’s call but I wanted to rub his nose in our big legal plans. So I nonchalantly answer the phone, ‘What’s up dirtbag, looking for some more of Apple’s product ideas to steal?’ And he’s like, ‘yeah, whatever, look, here’s why I’m calling.’ And then he proceeds to tell me about this cockamamie scheme that he and those two Doogie Howser co-founder dorks of his have come up with, to privatize the FCC.”

Full April Fools Article

Google – Official Australian Google Maps Version

Google announced the Australian Google Maps will not be customized to Australian speak. See the hilarious changes below. Yea it was April Fools.

Directions
“Chucka U-ey” – Execute a U-Turn
“Hang a Right” – Make a right turn
“Fang a Left” – Make a left turn
“Hit the frog and toad” – The road
“Hoof it” – Walk
“100 Clicks” – 100 kilometres
“Not within Cooee” – Not close by
“Down the road” – Unspecified term indicating distance

Driving Styles
“Hit the anchors” – Brake, now
“Flat chat” – Going very fast
“Hoon” – Fast, irresponsible driver
“Bingle” – Car accident (not Lara)
“Bogged” – Stuck
“All over the shop” – Veering across lanes
“Rough as guts” – Car needs a tune
“Bag em up” – Smoke the tires
“Drive like my Grandma” – Going too slow
“Amber Gambler” – Runs orange lights
“Sunday Driver” – Poor driver.

Daily Burn iPad Weight Scale April Fools
Try this on Your iPad...

The iPad Fit Series

Not all that funny, but the picture is hilarious so just for kicks.
Try this at home. (if you weight 30 pounds).

Google Gmail Motion by Google

A bonus April Fool’s Joke from this year! Since lot of people are enjoying this newest one from Google, check it out below. If you are confused whether this is real or not, no worries, Google did notoriously come out with Gmail on… you guessed it April Fools Day. I think Gmail still exists today…

Gmail Motion Google Moves
Try out these various moves! It work's!

Want to see More April Fools Jokes?

Check out last year’s Best April Fool in History Post
The year before that we had our own April Fools Post Here.

  • What are some other good April Fools Jokes you know?
  • What is the best Aprils Fools Joke you’ve seen or done?
  • Which one is your favorite?

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Sparkrelief – Housing for Japan Tsunami Victims

Sparkrelief LogoFind a Home for Japanese Tsunami Victims

Sparkrelief, a new non-profit that provides disaster relief released a special page where Japanese residence can offer up their homes as temporary shelters for those who affected by the recent Japan earthquake and tsunami. It is a very smart and clever idea worth sharing to the masses.

Homes for Japan Tsunami VictimsProviding More than Shelter, but Community

This page, put together in a matter of days, allows users to submit their homes with a short description so those seeking relief can for the time being find a place to go. The founder Eli Hayes says that providing a home goes far beyond simply offering shelter and food, but it provides a chance to experience community and care. “… you’ve lost a sense of community… What happens when you go into someone’s house and they take you in and start cooking you breakfast in the morning is that you have that community back again.

Sparkrelief Japan Tsunami Victims

Hayes and his brother understands this need as they were once displaced from their homes due to the Oakland fires. Without a place to stay or the means to stay at a hotel, they ended up sleeping in someone else’s home. When Colorado was hit by fires, Hayes found it difficult to find shelters for the disaster victims, grabbing from various bulletin boards as he found them. Thus he create a site to help consolidate the information which he carried over to the current situation. He hopes more groups can be involved and plans to add more features in the future.

Hayes isn’t making any money from Sparkrelief and says he is funding his staff of three out of pocket.

Personal Thoughts

I find this to site to be clever, and well-intentioned. It is one of those “why didn’t anyone think of this before” moments. There are obvious issues Hayes will have to deal with in terms of verifying the validity of the listings, partnering with local governments, getting the word out so people know to turn to this site for as a resource, and of course wondering how those displaced from their homes will ever be able to visit this site. The hope is that those who do have access and are servicing the needy can use this as a resource to find them some shelter.

We wanted to share this site, both as we always admire creativity and good intentions, but also to help get the word out and show a little love for their efforts

  • Good idea. Don’t you think?
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