Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Having fun with an app

I have been seriously lacking on blog posts for the past few months.  I am going to try to post something here regularly starting in the new year.

Last night I was thinking to myself how it would be fun to do something with an app on my iPhone that I use all the time.  The app I am talking about is Instagram.  Are you also using this app?  Feel free to participate in this.

Every day of the new year, starting January 1, take one photo and post it to Instagram.  I know people do this on Facebook or in their photo albums but I am not sure if anyone uses this app to do it.  Lets see if we can make it the entire year with a new photo.

I will post all my photos on my Tumblr page.  If you want to participate use the hashtag #InstagramADay

Monday, July 11, 2011

How Much is too Much?

There are so many articles and blogs written about Twitter follower count and how it is important.  Yes, I do feel that the number of followers you have is important.  The more followers you have the more people who are reading your 140 characters.  The more people read what you write the more influence you have in the world.  No, I will not be writing another blog about the importance of follower.  This post will be about who you follow.

As of right now, I am following 575 accounts on Twitter.  Back when I was following only about 300 accounts I felt like it was too many.  Over the past six months or so there were many great companies and people I couldn't not follow so my count quickly increased.  Now that I am nearing 600 I really feel as though it is nearing that too much stage.  I have no doubt

Sometimes when I start following someone or someone starts following me I take a look at their following/follower count.  I often seen numbers in the thousands on both ends and think to myself, "how do they do it?"  That question is better answered on the following count because the followers do not have an effect on what that person reads.  Does the person who follows 2,000 people actually read every tweet on their timeline?  Even with my 575 following count, I will be the first to admit that I do not read everything on my timeline.  I know some of the tweets are less than 140 characters but sometimes it is hard to read everything throughout the day.

Most of the time I am checking Twitter via my iPhone causing me to flip through Tweets much faster than I would the computer which is why I say I do not read everything and sometimes I only have a couple of minutes to read through.

If you are reading this please answer the following questions for me in a comment.
- How much is too much?
- Do you read every tweet that comes through your timeline?
- Did you ever think you would be following as many accounts are you currently are?
- How do you frequently check Twitter?  Phone? Computer? Tablet?

Sunday, June 26, 2011

Social Media v Television

The idea for this blog post came to me several days ago.  So many television shows are including social media into their platform.  There are several different ways that these shows have decided to include it.  For today, I am going to speak of how they incorporate Twitter during each episode, or most episodes.  Yes, hash tags on Twitter are easy to create and most are fan done but there are may shows that create their own for fans to tweet about.  Having them created by the show, in my opinion, is much better because everyone can be in the same conversation.  If a fan creates the tag there are chances that each spells differently or includes different words.


I am only going to get into a few shows, those that I watch, but I know the list is endless.


I am going to start off with the show "The Voice" because it is probably the most relevant as of right now.  This show is the reason why I chose to write this blog post.

If you have never seen this show let me give you a little information as to what it is about.  The host is Carson Daly.  There are four 'coaches' Christina Aguilera, Adam Levine, Cee-Lo Green, and Blake Shelton.  The first few weeks of the show there were blind auditions where the coaches seat was turned away from the contestants.  When a coach liked what they heard they turned around and had a chance of obtaining that contestant for their team.  If one coach turned around for that particular person they "got them."  If more than one coach turned the contestant would be able to pick whose team they wanted to be on.  Each coach had to get eight people on their team.

The next step was to get each team down to four with the battle round.  During this round, two contestants from each team would battle it out with a coach selected song and one person would be sent home.  Two weeks ago on the show the last four for each team sang a song.  Through the different voting methods one was kept based on Americas vote and one was selected by their coach.  Last week on the show the final two for each team sang a song and based 50% on Americas vote and 50% of the coaches score, the person with the highest score stayed.  This Tuesday, is the final performance night.  America will vote and on Wednesday the winner will be announced.

Okay, now that I have told you all about the show, lets get into how they use social media.  They have a Twitter account for the show @NBCTheVoice.  The hashtag for the show is #TheVoice.  Throughout the live shows you can tweet to the twitter handle and the hashtag and some will get displayed across the bottom of the screen in the form of a ticker.  Aside from this, contestants will tweet to fans through their own twitter accounts in the lounge area.  The Voice has an in show and online correspondent, Alison Haislip, that will read twitter questions, tweeted to @NBCTheVoice, to the contestants and have them answer it.    Because The Voice is a live show they are able to do everything in real time which I think is a wonderful thing.  Yes, the odds of having your tweet scroll the screen or be read on air is slim the way they engage the viewer is well done.

One last thing about this show and then I will move on to the next.  My favorite contestant on the show is Javier Colon (@javstwtr).  His coach is Adam Levine or as they say on the show he is on Team Adam.  On Tuesday, I am not saying you have to vote for him but it would be a good idea.  If you want to hear him sing check out this video:



I do not know how many of you watch "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" on a regular basis but Ellen has a whole segment based on Twitter.  I may not get to see it everyday a the time it airs but thanks to the DVR I am able to see it whenever I want.  The segment she has is called 'Twits and Ask' and it originally started with her Twitter page (@theellenshow) and fans of her show could use a hash tag (which at the moment I can not seem to remember) and some of the questions would be answered.  Because her twitter account became so popular and she now has almost seven million followers it has now moved to her website where you can submit a question and video as well as include your Twitter handle.  From most of the segments I have seen on 'Twits and Ask' most of the questions answered have been only those who have a Twitter account.  Yes, other talk shows do include questions but no one does it to the extent that Ellen does.  I do DVR most of the shows such as "Regis & Kelly," "Rachael Ray," "The Nate Berkus Show," and "The View" and these shows do have a Twitter but do not include it on air.  Kelly Ripa will sometimes speak of tweets but maybe once every few days, and only during host chat or to tell a guest they should follow each other.  "The View" hosts will speak of Twitter only when something happens on it.


The next two shows I am going to include in one because they are closely related.  "Glee" and "The Glee Project" show a hash tag on screen throughout the show.  The fans on Twitter can 'chat' about the show but the show does nothing with it.  For "Glee" the hash tag is #Glee and for "The Glee Project" the tag is #TheGleeProject.  For two television shows that are so current for so many people I wish they did more than just a hash tag.  Figure out a way to incorporate the social media into the show.  I know a lot of the "Glee" characters (not the specific actor or actress) have their own Twitter accounts and they should use it on the show.  They could try posting questions on the character accounts that would pertain to an episode they are filming and have the characters read the tweets in reply to the question as if it were part of the conversation.  For "The Glee Project" it would be a little harder because the show is a competition.  Something they can do is tweet a theme for an upcoming episode and fans can use the hash tag and tweet songs that fit that theme and the contestants can possibly sing some of the suggestions.

There are so many other shows out there that include Twitter such as some on the Food Network and MTV but these are some that stand out for me right now.  It is fun for the fans when they can get in on the conversation whether it is just with their friends on Twitter or with an entire community that is watching the show.

What are some of your favorite shows that use social media?  What shows would you like to see include social media in their platform?

Thursday, June 16, 2011

Last night I had an amazing opportunity to see new Glee cast member Darren Criss play a solo show in New York City at Irving Plaza.  The show was completely sold out and the place was packed.  At first we went upstairs thinking we could get a better view of the stage but turned out we could not see it at all.  I went downstairs to see if the view was better.  Good thing I did this because it was a lot better.  I was not able to see the entire thing but I was able to see a lot of it (more than what I would have been able to see from the balcony).

There were two openers.  The first was John West.  He was good but I do not know if his music was 100% my taste.  I believe he played for about a half hour.  Next up was one of Darren's friends from college and his name is Theo Katzman.  He was really good and more my type.  He was acoustic and solo which is right up my alley.  Theo only played for about 15 minutes.

At about 9pm Darren took the stage.  The place went crazy when he came out.  The crowd shifted so far up it was insane.  I felt bad for the people all the way up front who were probably being squashed.  The show was fantastic and Darren is a true talent.  He sang several of his song, some from his StarKid days, Glee songs, and a couple from when he did Harry Potter the musical.  I do not know if this is all the songs but here they are -

  • Human
  • One Fine Day
  • Sami
  • Teenage Dream
  • Part of Your World
  • Not Alone
  • Don't You
  • I Still Think
  • Stutter
  • The Coolest Girl
  • Valerie
  • Going Back to Hogwarts
  • Granger Danger
  • I'll Make a Man Out of You
If I am missing any please let me know!  He had the Warblers come out and sing "Teenage Dream" and "Sami" with him.  Naya Rivera (Santana on Glee) came out and sang "Valerie" with him.  Although I saw Glee Live last year I was all the way up top at Radio City Music Hall and it was hard to see faces but seeing her much closer last night I was able to see how pretty she is.  Yes, she is very pretty on television but it is completely different "in person."  For the two songs he sang from the Harry Potter musicals "Going Back to Hogwarts" and "Granger Danger" he had his friend and I believe co-star, in the play, Lauren Lopez come out on stage with him.  With each special guest the crowd got more and more excited.

I am pretty new to the whole "Darren Criss Fandom" so I did not know many of the songs he sang.  Usually when I go to a concert and I do not know the words I do not fully enjoy the show but this was far from the case.  I enjoyed every second of it and glad that I was able to attend the show.  I wish I was not so late to the game being as he played New York City last summer at venues I have attended.  But, I guess they say, "better late than never."

This Saturday I have the opportunity to see Glee Live and I am really looking forward to it.  

If you go to my YouTube channel you will be able to see a few videos I took last night.  

Here are a few of the photos.  For some reason they all did not load to my computer so I will have to do that at another time and post them for you to see.







Friday, June 10, 2011

Let's Add Another One

On Wednesday, I wrote a blog about my favorite iPhone apps.  Little did I know that a new one would be coming out just yesterday and I love it even more than its sister app.  The app is 'Hanging with Friends' and it is like hangman, but, in the words of Elle Woods "so much funner."  This app has a free and paid for version.  Download it.  Give it a try.  I can almost guarantee you will be instantly addicted to it.  If you download leave a comment and let me know what you think of it, in fact, let me know your username and we can vs each other.

Wednesday, June 8, 2011

My Favorite iPhone Apps

Here are my six favorite iPhone apps.  All are free so you don't have to worry about spending any money, well except to actually get an iPhone, which is completely worth it!

1. Foursquare - I have been using this app since about the time I got my iPhone, which was in December 2009.  The app has been around for a while but I didn't know about it.  If you have never used this app or never heard of it here is the quick lowdown.  You check into the venue that you are at.  With each check-in you obtain a certain amount of points.  If you are the most frequent visitor of a venue in a 60 day time span you will become the mayor of that location.  Certain venues you can obtain badges or even unlock certain specials.  American Eagle currently gives you 15% off your purchase when you check in and show the cashier that you have done so.   Crumbs bake shop offers a free medium coffee with your check in on a Friday and a free cupcake for the mayor of the location on Fridays as well.

2. Instagram - This is an app that I am fairly new too but I am in love with it.  It allows you to take a picture and add a filter to it.  You are able to connect this to your Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare, E-mail, and Tumblr to name a few.  My favorite filter on Instagram is Nashville.  Have fun with your photos and download this app!

3. Orbitz - Yes, this is Orbitz as in the travel website.  If I am not able to get to a computer I will use this to find out prices for flights.  Most of the trips I have been on in the past 2 years or so I book via Orbitz.  Everything is in one place as far as travel documents go.  One of the great features of this website, although it has never happened to me, is if you book a flight today for $499 and the day that it leaves the price of the flight drops to $350, Orbitz will credit you the difference as part of their Price Assurance policy.  Go book a trip!

4. KICK Map - I do have a pocket subway map that I carry in my wallet and in case of emergency I can use it, although I do know the NYC subway system pretty well.  If I have my phone on and need a map I will open up this app for a quick peak.  It does not give me specifics or connections but it gives me ideas and from there I can use my knowledge of the system.

5. Words with Friends - I may not be all that good at this game but I do enjoy playing.  I usually only play it once a day because of time but there are some days where I can make a few moves in a game.  It is along the lines of Scrabble for those who do not know what it is.  Do you play this game?  Are we not playing against each other?  Leave a comment with your username and I will start a game with you.

6. Food Network - This is pretty self explanatory but for those who do not know I will let you know what it is.  Are you a cooking or baking junkie like myself?  Do you ever want to search your favorite Food Network chef recipe with the touch of a finger?  Download this app and you can get recipes from your favorites.  You can also take a look at photos from some of your favorite FN shows, get the schedule of shows for a particular day, and watch episodes of shows to name a few.  Save a tree and have all the recipes you could need 24/7.  My favorite chefs are Ina Garten and Anne Thornton.  Who are yours?

What are some of your favorite FREE iPhone apps?  I only say free so that people who have an iPhone and no money to spend on apps can download them.

Tuesday, June 7, 2011

First Stop...New York City!

Last week my friend Erika, who is going to be in New York for the summer, sent me a text message and asked if we could have a fun day in New York City on Saturday.  I had no plans and did not think twice about doing this.  Having "out of town" friends in New York is always fun because I get to play tourist in my own city.  What is good though, is that most of my friends have been here before and do not want to see the places that are tourist traps.  She made a post on her blog about how she wanted to go to the Brooklyn Flea Market, The Strand, and FAO Schwarz.  I knew I wanted to find the Cupcake Stop so that I could finally try it out.

The day started off with a nice train ride into Manhattan.  Once arriving we headed to the subway and after a few transfers we made it to the market.

We stopped at almost every jewelry table to admire some of the beautiful handmade items and a few tables with vintage pieces.  I ended up purchasing two necklaces from a really nice lady named Amy Lapierre.  The name of her company is Birdhouse Jewelry.  If I had unlimited funds I would have purchased a lot more from her.  I am sure I will be back to this flea market throughout the summer with Erika or other friends and will acquire more from Amy's collection.  For your viewing pleasure this is what I purchased.  Sorry for the not so good quality of the pictures.  It was hard to photograph and get the detail of the design in the same shot.

This is a long pendant that has an impression of Lily of the Valley and says May on it.  There are green emerald beads on it because that is the birthstone for the month.

This is a regular length necklace.  It has the letter "M" on it with a few other charms, I guess you could call it, including two beads, a pearl, and a silver circle.

We saw some other really interesting things at the marketing including these switch plates - 


We ended up staying for about an hour which was enough time to walk around and see everything as well as make our purchases.

Next stop...FAO Schwarz.

When getting off the subway we actually walked into a street fair which was a nice surprise.  It was several blocks long but the smell of the food cooking was making us hungry so we knew it was best to go to where we were supposed to go.


If you have never been to this store I highly suggest making the trip.  I have been before but it has been a while.  Good thing I am 26 years old and not interested in toys because I would be a kid in a candy shop.  The only downside to this store is that you must be ready to empty your wallet because it is very expensive.



The reason we went was so that Erika could see The Big Piano.  We got there in time for a wonderful show.  After the show ended we had the opportunity to try it out and take pictures.




Following fun in a toy story we hopped back on the subway and headed to SoHo.  I was on a mission to find the cupcake truck and it happened to be parked on Broadway and Prince right by the subway stop.  Instead of going to Little Italy for lunch like we originally planned I suggested this really nice place I always walk by when shopping in SoHo called Spring Street Natural.  Because it was a beautiful day we were able to sit outside and enjoy a delicious lunch.  I had some organic hummus and organic edamame.


For dessert I had this amazing brownie with peanut butter sauce and mint chocolate chip gelato.  For those of you stumbling upon this page I have a very strong sweet tooth and usually never pass on dessert.


After lunch we walked up and down Broadway so I could get my cupcake to bring home with me and so we could check out the wonderful stores that SoHo has to offer.  I ended up getting a red velvet and a chocolate mint.  They were absolutely delicious in case you were wondering.

Our final stop of the day was to the Strand in Union Square.  I have always heard of this place but never got the chance to go to it.  In fact, until about a year ago I never knew exactly where it was in the city.  I am not a book reader but I did end up buying three books.  All three are World War II/Holocaust books. Two of the books are by Primo Levi, The Reawakening is the second book in a series.  I read the first book several years ago for a college history project.  The bottom book is a memoir of Oskar Schindler as told by his widow Emilie Schindler.


You can not beat the prices at this place.  I got all three books for $20.  If you are in New York City and love to read I highly suggest getting yourself to Strand.  I know Erika saved a bunch of money because she waited to get her books at the Strand and hopefully you will get to do the same.

I hope you enjoyed my first real post here.  Please leave me some feedback about what you think.  Know some place in New York City I should check out this summer that you think I have not visited?  Please leave me a comment and tell me!

Welcome

Hello readers.  I have been contemplating starting one of these blogger pages for a while now.  Because of a great group of girls I have recently connected with I decided that now is a better time than ever to just do it.  Thank you "Mastermind Girls."    I am going to be using this page to post about fun things I do and many things that I like.  Yes, if you follow me on tumblr I will still be posting there.  I will try to connect this page with that one so that if you are following my tumblr you can see what I post here.  I will not be posting everything that I post or re-blog over there because some of it is not really relevant to what I want on this page.

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