The Jackson's were jamming it out with their number one hit song "ABC, its easy as 1,2,3 (and all the little birdies sing...ABC)." Migrate from 1973 to 2009. We now have a new version of number one, though not in the form of a song, but rather a social phenom platform called Twitter http://www.twitter.com. You've read about it how many times? Now, it's time to get on board.

Sure MySpace http://www.myspace.com  and Facebook http://www.facebook.com  are still hot, but they have a much more personal edge. The latest and more user-friendly version is Twitter. And, I am especially sharing  this with you professionals that are all about LinkedIn. Twitter, launched in 2006, is the easiest way to connect, network, and get your word out to the masses now consisting of 6 million users. PR? This is a great way to engage your own viral campaign. For you, your company, your business, your message. Regardless of age or niche, join now.

Public stalking opp? Well, that is one valid POV. We are human beings and we live in the viral world. Being connected and watching people is what we do. We just don't have the rubber necking online that occurs in real life.

A message, or tweet, consists of 140 characters (max) -- so, it's easy to keep followers updated on your activities all from your phone, or computer. Our lives, as big and as exciting as we would like to portray, get broken down into minutia of what we are up to moment by moment. In 140 characters or strokes. I am following entrepreneurs - local and national. I am also following President Obama, Marti Barletto, Delia Passi, Katie Couric, Starbucks, and others. For now, I passed on following Jane Fonda but am following Martha Stewart. And some great Mommy bloggers & sites.

Matt, Barbara, Kelly, Lisa, Carl, Kate, Bob, Andi, Richard, Jill, Suzanne, Amy, George, Tachel, Rasheda, Michelle, Yvonne, David, Thomas, Laurie, Nicholas, Andrea, Deborah, Sheila, etc, etc, etc -- please check it out. Get yourself an account, takes 2 minutes and start engaging. The world, and I, are waiting!

Drive Your Bargain,

Anne  www.twitter.com/annefleming

 

 

 

 

 

 

The number of viral impressions each and every day is in the billions. We upload photos of ourselves, homegrown videos, and tell the blososhpere community about our great and sassy lives and attributes. On the many online social and dating networks we spin ourselves, how "awesome" we are, and our looks (only put up our best photos), and how great everything is. Exaggate? No! Well, maybe just a tad.

Notice on a recent date or interview when asked about our strengths we can talk about ourselves non-stop and leave no stone unturned. When it comes to us - humans have the capacity to talk incesently.  The other person then asks for areas where we get tripped up or about our “weaknesses or shortcomings” – and, our answer is 42 seconds in length. And, as a society we are coached and get tips on how to minimize or spin our weaknesses into a remarkable positive attributes. Spin sayers and people players – that is what we do. “Looking good” till the cows come home.

 

So, isn’t it just perfect when such a hot and high profile movie star like Christian Bale  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christian_Bale 

has a dramatic meltdown, a hissy fit, a rant like no other, a YOU’VE -GOT-TO-TAKE-A-TIMEOUT-NOW moment? Well, in Christian's case, make that moments. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29056200/ . We watch this clip and declare “What the F is wrong with that guy?" "He’s got all the money in the world; what a baby!" "He should be grateful; we are paying for his meal ticket." "I am not going to anymore of his movies.”  Or... some version of these statements.

 

(Heck, even his sister says he needs help. And, maybe an anger management class or getting fired from the set could very well be in order for Mr. Bale!)

 

But the rest of us sit back and send the video to our friends, or post a blog about it in our www.Facebook.com  or www.Myspace.com and blah blah blah about our judgments and opinions about this guy. The once hottie you had it for, suddenly gets dismissed and his photos deleted from your folio.  

When are we under the microscope? Who watches us when in the privacy of our home we get triggered? Who watches our meltdowns and our yelling or our tantrums? When are we out for all human and viral consumption?

The numbers are compelling – half of all marriages end; and the divorce lawyers are making ga-gillions. So, you think these relationships are ending amicably? If there is sex or money or children involved, I think not. Maybe during a divorce, or, even a “happy marriage”  -  a voice inflection (or two), a mild melt-down (or three), or even a scatological word (or four) might have come out of your mouth. But, is your $%^&@# tirade caught on tape? Frankly, Usually, Like Almost Never, No.

Remember your last blow up or melt down? You know the one....when you just HAD to have just that one extra glass of wine? Can we not just give each other a break before rushing to judgement? Our human-ness is the same for all 6.7 billion of us … how we act and react to our environment and its' triggers does differ, but we all have been miffed or angered many, many times. And yes, for even the most mundance and stupid reasons.

Today, go and be gentle with yourself and generous with others. In traffic, don’t be so stingy for god's sake… you getting to your destination one-half of a nanosecond sooner will not have a cosmic variance on the history of the world.  

Drive Your Bargain,

Anne

Just leave it to Google to come up with something so simple, value-added, and free. When on the road and you need directions, or store hours, etc, simply dial 1.800.GOOG. 411.   Don't waste your money on information calls to Verizon, etc - and don't spend time manually dialing the number. Here's an example of how it  works. I am driving along in my car and I need to call a local store and I don't know the number. I hit the speed dial for Google information and the voice at the other end says, 'City & State.' I say,  'Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.' He says, 'Business, Name or Type of Service.' I  say, Sullivan Chevrolet.' He says, 'Connecting' and Sullivan Chevrolet answers the phone. How great is that? This is nationwide service and it is absolutely free!  Click on the link below and watch the short clip for a quick demonstration. <http://www.google.com/goog411>, or, just give it a jingle. Huh, now I can postpone buying my TomTom for another 30 days! :) Drive Your Bargain, Anne

 

	1 800 466 4411. For some of us that don't have a GPS (yet), save the above number in your favoriites, now!   Just leave it to Google to come up with something so simple, value-added, and free. When on the road and you need directions, or store hours, etc, simply dial 1.800.GOOG. 411.    Don't waste your money on information calls and don't waste your time manually dialing the number. Here's an example of how it  works. I am driving along in my car and I need to call the golf course  and I don't know the number. I hit the speed dial for information that I have programmed. The voice at the other end says, 'City & State.' I say,  ' Venice , Florida ..' He says, 'Business, Name or Type of Service.' I  say, Firewheel Golf Course.' He says, 'Connecting' and Firewheel Golf Course answers the phone. How great is that? This is nationwide service and it is absolutely free!  Click on the link below and watch the short clip for a quick demonstration. http://www.google.com/goog411, or, just give it a jingle. Great; now i can postpone buying my TomTom for another 30 days! :) Drive Your Bargain, Anne

Call it what you want. Six Pack. SixBurgh. One for the Other Thumb. It makes no difference.

The dynasty has morphed from the 70's to the 80's well into the 21st century. Modest. Humble. Sometimes weed-smoking and more times penalty-poking. But, hey, they aren't saints. What they are, who they are -- this team with a remarkable roster full of talent and toughness, coached by a man who seconds only to Socrates by turning an inquiry into a philosophical riposte, and owned by a family that purchased the team decades ago for $2500., are gritty, hard-fighting, and most candidly... 60 minute men. Tonight, the dynasty continues as this 2008 team was crowed World Winners in one of the toughest sports today.

The Nation -- the Steeler Nation <http://www.steelers.com> -- is one happy group of campers from all of the four corners of the world. Who knows, with President Obama such an obvious fan, maybe tonight there are a few more converts in our 'nation'.

Congratulation to our Boys. Tonight and for the next several months (well into 2009 training camp, no doubt) we are all proud to bleed Black and Gold.

 Drive Your Bargain,

Anne