Twitterville—a collection of snippets from the front lines of sm

Posted by Suzy Vitello Soulé on September 24th, 2009 at 08:05 AM | Comment!

In “Twitterville,” Shel Israel figures out how to write a timeless book about a dynamically morphing platform.

Rather than tapping out a prescriptive manual in danger of being obsolete before the ink is dry, Israel offers case studies, stories that illustrate the power of a particular social media medium.  In the book he cites, among other examples:

* Frank Eliason, who used Twitter to reverse Comcast’s blemished customer service reputation

* Bill Fergus, who was on the team at Henry Ford Medical Center during the first “live tweeted” surgery

* Scott Monty, social media officer for Ford, who held off a mob of misinformed Ranger fans and averted a PR crisis

* Connie Reece, who used Twitter to raise tens of thousands of dollars for cancer patients in need

* The Coffee Groundz, a Houston-area coffee shop that uses Twitter to pack the tables (and fight off Starbucks)

Worth a look!

Happy Birthday Bruce!

Posted by Suzy Vitello Soulé on September 23rd, 2009 at 02:51 PM | Comment!

One of my heroes just turned 60 today.  The Boss, that hunk of timeless energy and soulful lyrics, is beginning his seventh decade of life.  Though I’ve lived in Portland, OR for 20, count ‘em,  20 years, part of me is forever a Jersey Girl.  And, I’d like to qualify that by saying: A Jersey Girl who learned to drive listening to the Born to Run album in my dad’s car.

My husband laughs at me and my penchant for male singers with that particular brand of gravel-voice: Springsteen, Waits, Dylan.  Those throaty troubadours just seem to get to the heart of music for me, more so than the perfect pitch choir boys.

More than the voice though, is the story-telling in tunes like Jungleland, and Darkness on the Edge of Town and Born to Run.  It’s that particular brand of bad boy mixed with desire—I’ll always be a sucker for it.

Bridges and Roses in Portland and Pasadena

Posted by Laura McCulloch on September 16th, 2009 at 09:35 PM | (2) Comments

Portland is called BridgeTown among its many monikers.  Pasadena doesn’t share that distinction, but it does have one famous bridge!  The Colorado Street Bridge, pictured here.  Both cities are often referred to as The City of Roses, since Pasadena hosts the Tournament of Roses and Portland is host to the annual Rose Festival.  Both cities feature floral parades that are world renowned for their beauty and elegance. (NOTE: Although many call Pasadena The City of Roses, it is actually The Crown City. Just sayin’.)  So now these two famous west coast cities are also home to BridgePoint Creative! Please look us up when you are in P-Town!

Mary Travers 1936-2009

Posted by Laura McCulloch on September 16th, 2009 at 09:24 PM | Comment!

One of the most beautiful voices of our generation was silenced today. Mary Travers, along with Peter Yarrow and Paul Stookey, was a powerful force for justice and art. Since the early 1960s, Peter Paul and Mary sang about “love between our brothers and our sisters,” and Mary teamed up with icons Joni Mitchell and Mama Cass in harmonious renditions, including the popular “I Shall be Released.” 

I had the privilege of meeting and listening to Ms.Travers when PPM would come to Portland, through our friendship with Christopher Yarrow and his dad. Mary was one in a million, beautiful inside and out and will not be forgotten. 

Books for a Better World

Posted by Laura McCulloch on September 15th, 2009 at 06:29 PM | Comment!

Do you love books? We do. Do you want to make a difference? We do. Buy your books at BetterWorldBooks and make a difference in the lives of others. Oh, and free shipping!

Oregon Bounty

Posted by Laura McCulloch on September 14th, 2009 at 07:41 PM | Comment!

OK. I know. I left Portland for Pasadena, but I think I’m still an Oregonian. I ran across the Oregon Bounty site tonight and it made me a wee bit homesick. It is a beautiful site. Very cool. Enjoy it…wherever you might be!

GoodTube.org: GoodPeople. GoodWorks. GoodNews.

Posted by Laura McCulloch on September 11th, 2009 at 03:41 PM | Comment!

We heart GoodTube! GoodTube is an internet community dedicated to Good, a video sharing site for nonprofit organizations and people involved in volunteerism worldwide. It provides charities with a way to showcase their work, reach potential donors and inspire viewers. It is a place for video enthusiasts with a Good message to connect with a global audience. GoodTube is a nonprofit, non religious enterprise, and it is 100 percent free.

If you want to share the story of your nonprofit, please check out GoodTube!

Are you ready for the Cliq?

Posted by Suzy Vitello Soulé on September 11th, 2009 at 08:02 AM | (3) Comments

There’s a new phone in town.  Frankly, I’m a little skeptical.  You see, I am a pocket-carrying member of the iPhone Lovers Society.  Have been for several months.  I heart my iPhone so much, I can’t remember how I functioned without it.  True, I make my living by being hooked up to the e-mail like an IV drip, but that’s not the only reason my rubber-sleeved machine is my best friend.  This phone allows me to best live the life I’ve chosen to live—time management-wise.  Not to say that my life is the best life out there, but in charting a course towards maximizing economy of time, functionality and information, the iPhone frees me up—as long as I heed some caveats and rules:
1. No texting or email answering while driving
2. Try not to over-tweet when with the family
3. Experience comes first, communicating the experience, second

Although thoroughly convinced that the iPhone cannot be replaced, I’m intrigued by the new Android-based social networking tool: the Cliq.  The premise of Motorola’s stab at seizing the smart phone dollar is built around the “social skills” angle.  It’s email, Facebook, Twitter, phone, text and calendars all integrated, with both the touch screen AND a QWERTY keyboard. Despite the intriguing possibilities of this new kid in town, I’m still convinced that you’ll have to pry my iPhone out of my cold, dead hands!