TAVERN TAN

If your craving some live American Music, then head over to Godfrey Daniel's June 8th at 8:00 p.m. to hear the Tavern Tan- The Lowdown. Small town pubs, bars, and local dives are missing the standard sound that used to be played all over the country.  With members that have played (individually or collectively) at Gun Clubs, Honky Tonks, Festivals in Europe, NY Studios, down in Memphis TN at Sun Records, and opened for various Big Game like Neville Bros, Van Morrison, John Lee Hooker (R.I.P.), and R.L. Burnside (R.I.P.), this is the sound of original roots rock n' roll. The sound of a small portable drum kit with the guitar amps along the back wall. So get excited!!!

2ND ANNUAL LGBT FILM SERIES AT STEELSTACKS BEGINS MAY 6

Month-long Series Includes Films & Discussions Focusing on LGBT Issues

BETHLEHEM, PA--Equality Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania Diversity Network, Pride of the Greater Lehigh Valley and ArtsQuest are pleased to announce the 2nd annual LGBT Film Series at the ArtsQuest Center at SteelStacks’ Frank Banko Alehouse Cinemas May 14-June 9. The month-long series, designed to raise awareness of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender issues, will feature seven films, as well as special discussion sessions and talkbacks hosted by prominent members of the Lehigh Valley’s LGBT community.

"Kudos to ArtsQuest for hosting the LGBT Film Series again this year," said Adrian Shanker, President of Equality Pennsylvania. "These aren't films that often get shown on the large screen. It's so great to have this series in the Lehigh Valley."

The 2013 LGBT Film series gets underway May 14 with Hedwig and the Angry Inch, an adaptation of the hit off-Broadway musical. Tickets for each film are $10 regular, $8 for students and seniors, and $7.50 for ArtsQuest Members. They are available by calling 610-332-3378, visiting artsquest.org/film or purchasing them at the box office of the ArtsQuest Center, 101 Founders Way, Bethlehem.

"Pride is honored to be a supporting partner of the LGBT Film Series at SteelStacks with ArtsQuest, Equality Pennsylvania and Pennsylvania Diversity Network," said Shawn Bausher, President of Pride of the Greater Lehigh Valley. "We commend ArtsQuest for continuing their support of the LGBT community and helping to increase awareness and educate the Lehigh Valley on these issues.”

The 2013 LGBT Film Series schedule is as follows:

Hedwig and the Angry Inch - May 14, 7:15 p.m.
Runtime: 91 min
Rated R
Adapted from the hit off-Broadway musical of the same name, Hedwig and the Angry Inch is the tale of an "internationally ignored" rock ‘n’ roll singer who hails from Communist Berlin and dreams of becoming an American sensation. The film features several songs by composer Stephen Trask, who also appears as a member of Hedwig's disinterested rock band; Miriam Shor portrays Hedwig's newfound love and backup singer.

Kiss Me (Kyss Mig) - May 20, 7:15 p.m.
Time: 105 min
Rated R
Released in the United States as Kiss Me (alternative American title "With Every Heartbeat"), Kyss Mig is a 2011 Swedish drama directed by Alexandra Therese Keining. The film won best Lesbian film at QCinema Fort Worth’s Gay and Lesbian International Film Festival.

Love or Whatever - May 22, 7:15 p.m.
Runtime: 84 min
Rated: NR
At 30, Corey thought he had it all: A successful career, a lesbian sister who's his best friend and, most of all, a bright future with his boyfriend, Jon. But when Jon dumps him - for a woman - Corey sets off on a wild journey of self-discovery that leads him to a GRINDR connection, Pete and a life changing choice: LOVE OR WHATEVER. This film is fresh off its world premiere at Frameline International LGBT Film Festival at The Castro Theater in San Francisco.

A Perfect Ending - May 28, 7:15 p.m.
Runtime: 90 min
Rated: UR
Perfect Ending is both very erotic and quite humorous. As we follow Rebecca Westridge on her journey, one thing becomes startlingly clear - sometimes a perfect ending isn’t what we expect it to be.  This film was officially selected at Frameline: San Francisco International LGBT Film Festival, Outfest: Los Angeles GLBT Film Festival and Philadelphia QFest in 2012.

Yossi - May 29, 7:15 p.m.
Runtime: 83 min
Rated: UR
From Israel's most beloved pop filmmaker comes a tender, joyous pleasure of a movie about love blooming in the wake of loss. Yossi was nominated for Best Narrative Feature at the Tribeca Film Festival in 2012, and Ohad Knoller won the People Award for Best Performance at the Paris Lesbian Film Festival.

How to Survive a Plague - June 2, 7:15 p.m.
Runtime: 120 min
Rated: NR
How to Survive a Plague is the Oscar-nominated (Best Documentary Feature, 2013) story of two coalitions - ACT UP and TAG - whose activism and innovation turned AIDS from a death sentence into a manageable condition. The film won Best Documentary at the Boston Society of Film Critics Awards, as well as Best New Filmmaker for David France. It was nominated at the Sundance Film Festival and the Independent Spirit Awards and won Best Documentary at the Gotham Awards.

Cloudburst - June 9, 7:15 p.m.
Runtime: 90 min
Rated: UR
With equal parts humor and grace, Cloudburst explores the important themes of life, death and love through the eyes of Stella and Dot, an aging couple, and the young hitchhiker they pick up en route to Canada. This film won audience awards for Feature and Best Actress in competitions and film festivals around the world, including the Philadelphia International Gay & Lesbian Film Festival (Audience Award – Best Feature) and the Milan International Lesbian and Gay Film Festival (Grand Jury Award – Best Film).

BRUNCH AND MAGIC OF FLOWERS HIGHLIGHT MOTHER’S DAY WEEKEND ACTIVITIES AT STEELSTACKS

Arts Quest and Bethlehem Garden Club will be hosting a Mother’s Day Weekend, May 11-12 filled with specials and events featuring a Mother’s Day Brunch, the Magic of Flowers event presented by the Bethlehem Garden Club and special floral workshops at SteelStacks.
On May 11, the Bethlehem Garden Club will present the “Magic of Flowers” during a weekend long celebration of Mothers. This includes “The Art of Tablescaping” showcasing the talents of many award-winning designers along with 40 National Garden Club design miniatures, which use dried plant material in each display. In addition, there will be a Town Square Flower and Plant Sale featuring Plants, Annuals, Perennials, Herbs, Hanging Plants, Floral Bouquets, Flower & Garden Gifts, and Tools of the Trade.  Sales times are Saturday, 11a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sunday, 10a.m. to 3 p.m.  Both events are open to the public and free of charge.
Also on Saturday, there will be two Floral Workshops. The first workshop will feature the dried flower designer, lecturer and author of “Harvesting, Preserving and Arranging Dried Flowers,” Cathy Miller. Known for her amazing design and 62 dried flower arrangements for the White House, she comes to Bethlehem to share her anecdotes and demonstrate her craft.  The workshop will be held at the Frank Banko Alehouse Cinemas from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Ticket prices are $10 per person.
Scott Rothenberger, internationally recognized, award-winning designer will present his workshop “Green Spaces for Better Places—Creating your Own Outdoor Paradise while Improving the Planet.” It is a colorful picture show full of inspirations and plans perfect for helping you with your landscaping and outdoor living. Held at the Muskifest Café from 1:30 p.m. to 3 p.m. Ticket prices are $10 per person.
The weekend will conclude with its Mother’s Day Brunch, 10 a.m.-2:30 p.m., at the Musikfest Café. Among the many options from which to choose are entrées such as Challah French Toast, Smoked Salmon, Cheese Tortellini, Herb Roasted Turkey, Roast Beef, Apple Crisp and more. The menu also includes a variety of appetizers and delicious desserts. Reservations must be made in advance by calling 610-332-3378 or visiting www.artsquest.org. Prices are $29.95 for adults ages 13 and over, $11.95 for ages 6-12 and free for children ages 5 and under.
The Bethlehem Garden Club will be providing the floral arrangements for the tables for the Mother’s Day Brunch.  Guests will be able to purchase any of the floral arrangements seen on the tables in the Musikfest Café!  Additionally, the Bethlehem Garden Club members will be designing and creating the floral arrangements in the Tent on the Town Square – come watch them channel their creativity and create beautiful pieces with flowers!

heART series

Hoping to energize the brain through creative thinking and meditation? Introducing a new workshop series, heART, the Banana Factory hopes to recharge the minds and spirits of its guests through a combination of art and meditation, regardless of art experience. The new series, set for April 26-28, 2013, is a collection of workshops emphasizing the renewal of the mind, body and energy taught by a group of world renowned artists.
During these workshops, guests will watch and participate in presentations by dancers, musicians, and visual artists from around the world. These workshops hope to teach and generate knowledge about different meditative art forms.
“I am a cancer survivor and when I came back to work as the Director of Visual Arts Education, I realized that there is a rich community of arts and healing. It became clear after working in a hospital environment that we could be really creative if we held these types of workshops at the Banana Factory. Whether or not you are a patient, survivor, family member, or even just the general public everyone would find this is of great benefit,” said Janice Lipzin, Director of Visual Arts Education at ArtsQuest.
The Banana Factory is pleased to welcome both resident artists, as well as some new faces.  Over the weekend, six workshops will take place. On Friday, April 26, John Fitzgerald Toya will be performing an Eagle Dance and Jim Donovan will teach a drum and chant workshop. On Saturday, April 27, you can create corn maiden pottery with John Fitzgerald Toya or learn the art of Vedic painting with Ingunn Moseng. Lastly on Sunday, April 28, Stephanie Smith is teaching a mandala drawing workshop followed by an art and rhythm workshop with Ibiyinka Alao.
Resident artist Stephanie Smith will be hosting the mandala meditation workshop. Smith’s workshop helps to focus on a person’s inner creativity. In the class, you will learn different techniques of rhythmic drawing to create a mandala—a circular art form used as a tool for meditation and self-expression. Participants will take home a beautifully crafted mandala they will be proud to display and use during meditation.
Jim Donovan, a former drummer and one of the founding members of the band Rusted Root, will provide a drum and chant workshop. Music lovers will “enjoy learning how to use power of sound to effectively unblock, transform and increase your energy” This workshop is open to all levels and will be an evening of ecstatic drumming and profound relaxation.
John Fitzgerald Toya, a Pueblo Native American and frequent Banana Factory artist, will be teaching two workshops. In his first workshop, he will perform an Eagle Dance, followed by a discussion on the significance of art as an integral part in healing and spiritualism in Native American culture.
 “The Eagle dance is extremely moving and I remember that there was not a dry eye in the house after it was done,” said Lipzin, a previous participant.
The next morning, Toya will lead a hands-on pottery workshop where participants will create their own traditional Native American corn maiden pot from clay.
Other heART workshops offered are Vedic Painting with Ingunn Moseng and an art and rhythm workshop with Ibiyinka Alao.
Moseng, a Norwegian painter, art educator and owner of Gallery Moseng in Norway, will lead participants in the way of Vedic art, described as “both feet firmly on the ground and the paint brush in heaven.” Vedic art is an individual process through which you can express yourself, but does not demand talent or mastering of any painting techniques.  
Alao, a Nigerian visual artist and first-place winner of the prestigious United Nations International Art Competition, will teach about African culture and spirituality, as well as art and rhythm.
 Both courses will offer a stress reducing and liberating creative experience for anyone enrolled.
“These workshops are a way to put art and wellness together. It is the correlation between these two that makes these workshops so wonderful,” said Lipzin
All the workshops will take place at the Banana Factory and will range from $35 to $45. The workshops are sponsored by Linny Fowler and Healing Through the Arts.  For more information and the complete workshop schedule, visit www.artsquest.org.

STEELSTACKS ART AND ARCHITECTURE TOUR

ArtsQuest and Historic Bethlehem Partnership will be serving visitors to Bethlehem by offering unique guided walking tours of the 150 years of American architecture at SteelStacks, as well as the public art and art exhibits that are part of this 21st Century cultural campus.
The 75-minute tour will feature art and architectural richness with examples of significant buildings erected as far back as the late 1860’s, in addition to public sculpture by local artisans. The trained guides will explore the history of the buildings and the emphasis is placed on learning how the architecture of the steel mills has evolved over time.

Visitors will start the tour with one of the earliest buildings on the former Bethlehem Steel site and now the oldest, the 1863 Stock House. Made fully of stone and brick, it was initially used to store raw materials in the iron making process.  Along the way, visitors will see the Bessemer Rail Rolling Mill, a “state of the art” facility and the first fully integrated steel mill in the United States, the 26,000 square food Turn and Grind Shop, the commercial style Steel General Offices, the new Leavitt Pavilion, the PBS 39 building and concluding with a tour of the ArtsQuest Center, home to a gallery, as well as a variety of permanent and temporary art.

Throughout the tour, visitors will learn about how in the early days of the 20th century, Bethlehem Steel became a major producer of structural steel and the wide flange beam, “the I beam,” which is now the logo of the company. It was said that 80% of New York’s skyscrapers contained structural steel produced by Bethlehem Steel. Being able to witness history in the making is what makes this tour different than any other.

The community’s commitment to bringing new life to the former Bethlehem Steel plant is also highlighted by the five large public sculptures at the SteelStacks campus. The art pieces featured on the tour will include the steel and fire sculptures designed by Elena Columbo, the “Bridge” and “Alchemy;” the handmade glass sculpture “The Four Elements;” the neon sculpture “Transformation” by Stephen Antonakos; and Salma Arastu’s “Celebration of Life,” a sculpture representing the joy of humanity and community.

The SteelStack Art and Architecture Tour will be on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sunday. The tours depart at 11 am, rain or shine. The tour will leave from the Visitor Center at SteelStacks 7 11 E. First Street, Bethlehem, PA 18015, and has a moderate walking distance. Tickets for the tour are $12 and are available online at artsquest.org and historicbethlehem.org or on the phone at 610-332-3378
 
For more information on the SteelStacks Art and Architecture Tour, please visit www.artsquest.org.

STEELSTACKS FEATURES FREE FAMILY MOVIES UNDER THE STARS THIS SUMMER

This summer, children of all ages are invited to enjoy family movie classics under the stars during the new Summer Family Movies Series at SteelStacks. The free weekly movie series presented by ArtsQuest will take place Wed., June 19-Aug. 28, at Levitt Pavilion SteelStacks, 789 E. First St., with presentations starting at 8 p.m.

The Summer Family Movies Series at SteelStacks, which is made possible thanks to Caruso Benefits Group Inc., features some of the most popular family movies in history including The Muppets, Paranorman, Shrek and The Lion King. The series gets underway June 19, 8 p.m., with Mary Poppins, the musical that warmed everyone heart’s when a magical nanny comes to work for a British family. The film starring Julie Andrews won five Oscars including best music.


The complete lineup for the Summer Family Movies Series at SteelStacks is:

JUNE
June 19, 8 p.m.- Mary Poppins
June 26, 8 p.m.- The Muppets

JULY
July 3, 8 p.m.- Rise of the Guardians
July 10, 8 p.m.- Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs
July 17, 8 p.m.- Paranorman
July 24, 8 p.m.- The Lion King
July 31, 8 p.m.- The Pirates: Band of Misfits

AUGUST
Aug 14, 8 p.m.- An American Tail
Aug 21, 8 p.m.- Madagascar 3
Aug 28, 8 p.m.- Shrek


Guests attending the Summer Family Movies Series are invited to bring their blankets and lawn chairs to sit on as they enjoy the movies under the stars. Free parking is available at the parking lots on First Street immediately adjacent to Steelstacks; food and beverages will be available at the Mack Truck Stop at the Levitt Pavilion, as well as the ArtsQuest Center at SteelStacks, located across the street from the Levitt Pavilion.

For more information on the Summer Family Movies Series at SteelStacks, please visit www.artsquest.org.

ArtsQuest Grease Sing-Along

Working at ArtsQuest has opened my eyes to a whole new understanding of both the Bethlehem cultural scene and non-profit organizations. Many Lehigh students do not not fully comprehend the expansive and sensational opportunities ArtsQuest provides as an organization. Yes, Musikfest is what they are most known for and the excitement around the office is unmatchable. However, there are so many smaller events coming up before August. 

One upcoming event that shouldn't be missed is the Grease Sing-Along at the Frank Banko Alehouse Cinema. Paramount Pictures has produced a subtitled* re-release of their blockbuster film Grease (which happens to be celebrating its 35th anniversary), and they will be screening it for audiences May 1st. It would be a great break right before finals to let off some steam and watch one of everyone's favorite classics! 

Your hosts are Joshua Neth and Cheryl Moritz from Allentown Public Theatre, who will be leading you through Summer Nights, Greased Lightning, You're the One That I Want and all of the awesome songs you know you want to hand jive to! They will have prizes for best costumes, so come dressed as your favorite character! 

It will be wednesday, May 1 at 7:30 p.m. and $8.00 for students. 

Creative City

Because I grew up in New York City with parents who both work in "creative" fields, I am biased. I have always seen the city as a place where creativity thrives and one of the most obvious places for someone creative to live and work.
New York is home to some of the most creative people in the world. It is right behind Silicon Valley as the second highest center for venture capital-backed start-up companies. It is intertwined with architecture, art. New York has built an economy of creativity alongside the largest financial world. As a city, it has come to recognize creativity as a precursor for innovation and uses the foundations (both physically and socially) of the city to expand.
New York is open to so many creative outlets including art, music, publishing, and more...just to name a few.

Move over November!

Sometimes I wish I was a boy just for the month of November. But only for one reason. Facial hair. November can no longer just be called November, there is almost always a defnitive "M" placed in front of it...MOVEMBER!

During November each year, Movember is responsible for milions of moustaches on men's faces across the world. With these sometimes stunning sometimes unsightly moustahces, these men are raising vital awareness and funds for men's health issues. 

I know I am a girl and I am not saying I don't support Breast Cancer Awareness month, because I most certainly do. I just wish there was a way we could show it. So I decided to look into the Movember movement instead of attempting to grow my own moustache.

Ultimately I was very moved by the vision, goals and achievements of Movember.

The people who participate in this month seek to raise funds and MoBros as they are often called become walking talking billboards for prostate cancer raising and awareness about male health. Through these actions they promote public and private conversations about men's health--often across various social media platforms.

 

Although this is not the campaign I will be working on, I thought it seemed a great reference point as we start to move along with our projects. This movement was started in Australia and was very small and intimate at the time and now it has reached men and women on a global scale. A lot of that has to do with bridging gaps between offline and online experiences and communicating more fluidly with the target audiences. 

You may witness some old crumbs in your neighbors moustache...but don't be alarmed. It is for a great cause!

The Social Media Housewife

So, I can no longer deny it. I am obsessed with reality television.

You name the show I watch it. I either watch it religiously or I have seen an episode or two. After watching three Housewives reunion shows tonight, I started to notice how much they mentioned  social media and the benefits of it for them as a brand. They often mentioned their blogs, twitter accounts and even Facebook.

 Part of what makes the Housewives Reunion show so popular is that Andy Cohen, the host, has the foresight to give people the opportunity to share their stories around the show and directly interact and engage with him, the cast and the network.

All the questions he reads come directly from a twitter followers of Bravo and the show.  It seems that their audiences love following these so-called "celebrities" and it is working very well for them. This genre has really boomed within the social media conversation and through these tools, the starts of reality shows have been able to optimize an online presence and create strong and certainly long lasting connections with their audience. I have never personally submitted but a question but it makes a huge impact as a viewer to know that I have the choice to become a part of the conversation. I recently read a quote from a Marketing Director that perfectly exemplified my feelings about social media and reality TV, it said  "“Social networks aren’t about Web sites. They’re about experiences.” The interaction between reality television stars and their audiences is all about creating an experience and not just about clicking on a website.

Hey, this book isn't about Twitter....

 

    It was a little ironic to read the title of the book when the book was not about Twitter nor any other specific service really at all. It was more along the lines of a manager’s guide to the social web and how it would be of value to businesses and personal use.

    Euan organized this book in a way that was easy to assimilate and relevant to anyone who wants to understand more about social media in the real world. This is a sterling guide, with each chapter only a few pages long and concluding with key points at the end of each chapter.

    I thought that Euan held our hands through the highs and lows of the new media opportunities and guiding us methodically through the chapter summaries gives us a idea of how important social media is to the world.

    One of the steps to success that he mentioned during the reading that emanated in my mind were first not to have a clear idea where you are headed, but instead follow the energy. I completely agreed with his idea that the more fixed you are in your aspirations the less likely you are to achieve them. It is more about taking a chance and being prepared to go wherever other’s use of the tools may take you. I thought this was very inspiring especially since social media is constantly adapting and changing and there is more chance of the community surviving if it is their sense of direction, which they arrive at through interactions with each other.

    This book felt like a conversation over dinner on how social media works rather than a structured lesson. It is a real hands-on guide giving actionable and useful advice.

    Blogging about my reflections on the book has really made me self-aware and able to reinforce my learning from Euan’s book. Happy to once again have been illuminated by the power of social media!  

I really enjoyed reading about who everyone enjoys following in the Twitter world. It seemed that we all have a tendency to succumb to following the large news outlets, sports teams and a few celebrities every now and then. I was very intrigued by Sofia's blog post about sacrificing in the scheme of following people. I agree that there may never be a happy medium between following people you actually interact with and being one of a billion followers on a popular feed. But the exciting aspect about Twitter and a lot of other social media platforms is the possibility for change. It is a constant conversation and unlike real human beings, if you decide to unfollow someone, you can just delete them with the click of a button. I think that finding who you want to follow is a process and I think the way Sofia is approaching it is right on target!

To follow or not to follow

Twitter is very dependent on your followers and as much as I enjoy tweeting about my late night snacking and my pleasure reading, I really look to Twitter as a source for entertainment, news and a couple of good laughs every now and then.

Twitter at times can seem like a lot of work. You are constantly having to update your tweets, scroll through your hundreds (or less :-/) of followers and pinpoint exactly which tweets you want to pore over. Not everyone would call making the choice of who to follow or un-follow a game plan but when I click that blue and white button I made the conscious choice to absorb the particular content that they present. 

When I created my new account, I, more so than my cardinal account, deliberately chose feeds I would find effective for this class. I did not want to overcrowd my feed with nonsensical stories from my friends or pictures from last night's party. I decided instead to follow various types of Lehigh accounts, news sources both local and national, a few Bethlehem organizations, and lastly a couple of entertainers including celebrities just to have a few light hearted tweets thrown into the mixture. 

My favorites to follow are Huffington Post, Obama 2012 and Stumble Upon. My favorite aspect about HuffPost's twitter feed is their stupendous source of news. They tweet about absolutely everything from campaign stories to Lindsay Lohan's most recent hit and run. It gives a broad range of news and it links to the actual article. They are very proficient at grabbing the eye of their consumer with their quick-witted penmanship. Their tweets create an ethical buzz within the twitter sphere. 

I follow Obama 2012 because as a first-time voter I want to stay informed about the campaign that I am choosing to support. As a full-time student, I do not always have to time to sit and watch a full hour of a news report and through his live tweeting, I can read quotes, stay updated on the President's whereabouts, etc. Lastly Stumble Upon because it helps you discover the best parts of the web, without actually having to search for it. You will quickly realize you are not wasting your time, although it certainly feels that way.

Reactions to Twitter/Facebook

I cannot say I was shocked by most of the response from my fellow students. We almost all use Twitter and Facebook in very similar ways. Facebook is the more obvious choice due to its longer existence. It is an accepted means of communication. It is a never ending social gathering in a virtual world! My fellow bloggers seem to use Facebook for many of the same reasons: staying in contact with friends, sharing pictures or using it to find support for an issue or cause. Facebook is an alternative form of entertainment that continuously is changing, for the good and the bad. Jovan mentioned in his blog how he felt the alterations were changing Facebook for the worse. The complexities that have been added make it difficult to operate and he would rather something more usable.  There are still many reasons why people use Facebook and my classmates targeted some of the main points.

Twitter for most of the bloggers felt it to be a more open and public form of communication. It was either a discussion forum or a source for news and articles. Amalia mentioned that her primary reason for using Twitter was for "finding articles, links, pictures, websites..." It seemed that everyone was a pretty active member of both social media outlets, using them daily. I am intrigued to see how this class will infuse the minds of myself and my classmates!

Facebook v. Twitter

            Twitter and Facebook are simply communication tools. They both have evolved and morphed and will continue to do so as the social media field progresses and I cannot wait to see what happens next. Twitter and Facebook are both platforms that play a large day-to-day functionality in my life. To me they both offer very different value, both good and bad. I liken Facebook to a reunion of sorts where as Twitter is more of a open forum discussion. Like a reunion, Facebook is great for connecting with old friends or potentially finding new friends, sharing your favorite things, and representing who you are though photos, status updates, etc. Twitter is a mixture of experts (news sources, politicians, etc) and commoners (me). People are able to speak for a few moments then it is up to someone around them to respond. For me, Facebook is better for connecting, reconnecting and rekindling relationships whether it be with friends or in the case of a brand or a business, their target audiences. Be that as it may, Twitter is better for sharing and gaining information, resources, and knowledge. They are two very different applications, thrown into the same category, “social networking device.” As a result, it can be a struggle to determine the differences between the two and which can be more beneficial in the respective situation. Facebook for avid users is a messaging system, a place to upload and share photos, way to share videos and music and so much more. Therefore, Facebook is a single alternative to all of the various social portals that have been created over the past decade such as Flickr, Myspace or AIM. The difference with Twitter lovers, although the usefulness may not be as readily obvious, is that Twitter encourages constant linking to anywhere and anyone. You are able to ask a question or make a statement and get an instantaneous response.

I doubt I could choose one over the other forever because they both are very valuable in distinctive ways. However, I decided to delve into the reasons as to why I personally like Twitter more than Facebook. With all of its new software and constant updates, Facebook is only getting more and more difficult to navigate and modernize. I have ultimately resorted solely to using it as a picture forum. I share my photos with friends and family and in return receive comments and likes. Facebook requires a severe investment of time before eventually realizing the sustained benefits. I do not have the time nor do I want to use my time in doing so. In addition, all this information sharing has brought the privacy issue to the foreground. In many ways it can be a gross violation of individuals privacy. I understand that by uploading it on to Facebook, it is now in the public domain. However, as seen in the article “Are your Facebook updates humiliating you?” ‘frictionless sharing’ is a perfect example of Facebook’s invasion of privacy. Major social readers are sharing your online activity without your knowledge. I acknowledge that there are ways to move around this type of sharing but it is just an example of another hardship of how Facebook manipulates its users.  

Twitter is more information based and educative. It brings news from all over the world to one single platform and allows access to anyone who seeks it. It user platform is much simpler to use and extremely easy with mobile apps, making it more flexible for users to log into Twitter anywhere at anytime. Lastly, the anonymity of it allows for a type of open communication that cannot necessarily be seen through Facebook’s platform. All solid reasons as to why I love Twitter.

To end my blog post, whether you choose Facebook, Twitter or both, the fact that YOU the user can make the decision is what really makes all the difference.

1st Post

Cathryn Sloane, the author of “Every Social Media Manage should be under 25,” gave a very intriguing argument concerning the generational gap of social media. However, I do not think that she understands the difference in using social media and the ability to turn that use into offering solid communication. Social media is a conversation, it may be different than other mediums but you still need to understand the communication basics and age should not be a factor in that. Although I am not an experienced professional I believe the reason employers value experience is that it gives you perspective and understanding.

You seem to have taken over around early July of 2012. There seemed to be a much more targeted posting schedule and the posts were more interactive with their readers.
It is important to capture Facebook likes in order to uphold your social media marketing campaigns. Some ways to increase your likes that I have witnessed are

1.     Hold a competition. It creates a tangible incentive to want to like the page.

2.     Provide enticing high resolution videos or photos. Compelling photos specifically for your target audience will keep them wanting more and makes them sharing