YouTube remains the number one destination of choice for video clips of momentuous occassions, such as Republican Senator Joe Wilson criminally outrageous “You Lie” outburst during the presidential joint address to Congress on September 9th.
However, for a constant up to the minute streaming source of material debating the proposed changes (or lack of) to healthcare  reform,  CNN recently hilited some of the best twitter streams to follow. 

See the list after the jump

In no particular order:

PolitiFact. (@politifact) A Pulitzer-Prize-winning news group, which is part of the St. Petersburg Times, sorts fact from fiction on the health care debate and other topics. That “You lie!” comment, for instance? A lie, Politifact says. With over 5000 followers, @politifact likes to tweet on a micro level, such as fact checking whether the Baucus healthcare bill would tax medical devices such as X-ray tests and surgical needles!

SusannahFox. (@susannahfox) Fox’s Twitter feed is packed with anecdotes and statistics about how social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook are changing doctor-patient relationships and the state of health care at large. With over 3000 followers, one example tweet is the fact that according to Fox 38% of internet users look online for information about hospitals or other medical facilities. (not a particularly earth shattering tweet IMO)

kevinmd. (@kevinmd) Blogger and doctor Kevin Pho offers up commentary on his life as a physician and the health care system. With over 15,000 followers, Kevin offers a unique insiders’ perspective to inform outsiders ( you & me)

whitehouse. (@whitehouse)  The official White House Twitter feed covers a slate of topics, but heath care has been especially big on the administration’s recent tweeting agenda. Not surprisingly, given how ugly and the agenda has become. With over 1.5 million followers, by far the largest audience of all the tweeters mentioned by CNN.

AmerMedicalAssn (@amermedicalassn) This doctors’ group tries to spice up the health care debate with  tons of newsy updates on the latest votes, disputes and developments.  Pretty interesting tweets too and over 5000 followers.

Stephen Fry contemplates Twittercide

For those of us who know who Stephen Fry is, know that he is an incredible talent, be it for his brilliant humor, (BlackAdder, Jeeves and Wooster, A bit of Fry and Laurie) his stunning command of the English language (he studied English at Cambridge University together with Kenneth Branagh and Emma Thompson) and his ability to master and amass a huge fan base using the latest communication craze -Twitter.

Throughout his life he has suffered with serious bouts of depression, self doubt, come to terms with being gay ( very much the underlying theme in the movie Peter’s Friends) and yet for a giant of a man ( 6ft 4 ) is such a gentle soul that he has a hard time dealing with, or rather coping with, his legion of Twitter fans, all one million + of them.

Recently he was in the news stating that he would no longer be using Twitter, stating that he could no longer deal with some of the hate tweets he would receive. A decision known as Twittercide.

“I would not say that I lost faith in Twitter, I would say that I lost faith in my ability to negotiate it,” Fry said at a social media conference, attended by Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey in London yesterday.

But Fry was also referring to blogs in general . “Of all the stinking, sliding, scuttling, weird, entomological creatures that inhabit the floor of the internet those comments on blogs are the most unbearable, almost beyond imagining,” he recalled with regard to his since changed decision to stop tweeting.

In my humble opinion Fry is coming to terms with the darker side of human nature, where hatred and bigotry is now guaranteed the gift of immediacy and anonymity that the internet provides. In person would be totally unacceptable and in many cases illegal (incitement to religious hatred for example), but someone tapping away at his computer from anywhere on planet earth can spew the worst that humanity has to offer.

The internet is changing. It is no longer just a place to find information, it has now morphed into the next phase of its evolution; namely, real time communication. The mudslinging and war mongering is picking up speed as different hate groups and individuals look to safeguard their prejudices and belief systems.

I am glad that Stephen has decided to continue tweeting. The virtual world needs more ambassadors like him. Hiding is not an option. Facing the enemy and informing those on the sidelines is a job that Fry did not ask for, but has been thrust upon him by his legion of fans and bigots alike.

Or at least provides an alibi when you need it most.

Such was the case with seventeen year old Rodney Bradford, a 17 year old from Brooklyn, arrested on suspicion of armed robbery and incarcerated for twelve days on Rikers Island awaiting trial.

Rodney was accused of robbing two people in a Brooklyn housing project, where Rodney also resided. However, Rodney insisted he was at his father’s apartment in Manhattan at the time the crime took place. His alibi was backed up by his father, but the police believed neither of them.

That all changed when Rodney remembered that he had left a message on FaceBook for his girlfriend that simply read, ” where my IHOP?” in reference to an ongoing joke he was having with his girlfriend.

It turns out that the Facebook update took place one minute before the armed robbery in Brooklyn twelve miles away.

All charges have since been dropped and Bradford has been released unconditionally. He now has an attorney working on his behalf to seek damages from the city for the wrongful incarceration. Perhaps Mr Bradford will keep us all update on his lawsuit with Facebook updates!

And all for a good cause too – “Children In Need”. Project receives three gold stars from Care.Tv!! This video may well go down in history as the most distruptive music technology out there – otherwise known as word of mouth + human kindness. Enjoy.

YouTube remains the number one destination of choice for video clips of momentuous occassions, such as Republican Senator Joe Wilson outrageous “You Lie” outburst during the presidential joint address to Congress on September 9th.
However, for a constant up to the minute streaming source of material debating the proposed changes (or lack of) to healthcare  reform,  CNN recently hilited some of the best twitter streams to follow.

In no particular order:

PolitiFact. (@politifact) A Pulitzer-Prize-winning news group, which is part of the St. Petersburg Times, sorts fact from fiction on the health care debate and other topics. That “You lie!” comment, for instance? A lie, Politifact says. With over 5000 followers, @politifact likes to tweet on a micro level, such as fact checking whether the Baucus healthcare bill would tax medical devices such as X-ray tests and surgical needles!

SusannahFox. (@susannahfox) Fox’s Twitter feed is packed with anecdotes and statistics about how social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook are changing doctor-patient relationships and the state of health care at large. With over 3000 followers, one example tweet is the fact that according to Fox 38% of internet users look online for information about hospitals or other medical facilities. (not a particularly earth shattering tweet IMO)

kevinmd. (@kevinmd) Blogger and doctor Kevin Pho offers up commentary on his life as a physician and the health care system. With over 15,000 followers, Kevin offers a unique insiders’ perspective to inform outsiders ( you & me)

whitehouse. (@whitehouse) The official White House Twitter feed covers a slate of topics, but heath care has been especially big on the administration’s recent tweeting agenda. Not surprisingly, given how ugly and the agenda has become. With over 1.5 million followers, by far the largest audience of all the tweeters mentioned by CNN.

AmerMedicalAssn (@amermedicalassn) This doctors’ group tries to spice up the health care debate with  tons of newsy updates on the latest votes, disputes and developments.  Pretty interesting tweets too and over 5000 followers.

How many of us hear of a great new site from our friends and business aquaintences only to promptly forget about it the next day?

It took me nearly 11 years since the birth of the internet to find out what all the fuss was about. Everyone I knew had dial up access but it was not until I entered the job market and had access to high speed internet that I actually got myself connected at home. For a couple of years prior, I would always go to an internet cafe to check up on my emails…..

As a part time domainer who entered the industry in May of 2006, I realized I had missed the boat big time as far as being able to buy or trade in any decent dot com names. Way out of my league, I was about to ditch when I heard about the dot tv extension.

Realizing that the “tv” brand would make sense given where the internet was headed, I managed to make a decent profit from the extension that was heavily undervalued at the time.

I was still  six years late, as the extension was created in 2000, but still early enough to have a decent portfolio of names.

Where am I going with all this?? Well, I remember telling myself that I had to be part of the action at the START of the next big thing…..

To be continued

First of all, one has to be impressed by their huge library of quality, full length popular TV shows.

Second of all one can’t help to be stunned by the sheer quality of picture and sound quality. After all a lot of the shows are aired on prime time TV – none of the amateur poor quality footage we have allowed ourselves to become accustomed to from sites such as You Tube.

Finally, and this is truly its main attraction, your favorite shows can be viewed at your leisure even if you missed it when it gets aired on tv. Essentially, Hulu gives you the oppurtunity to create your own TV guide and schedule….no more driving home like a maniac to catch the latest episode of House (or whatever you’re into)

The internet, video and TV morphed into one are no longer the future, they are the present and that’s what the big deal is!!

Here is another show to enjoy at your leisure…….Hells Kitchen!!

Think your reflexes are fast??!!

Think again, courtesy of YouTube ……….