Category: news

An Experiment in Social Media [updated!]

Tonight when I came home from work there was a helicopter flying over our neighborhood.  So I went online and searched the usual places for news:  OC Register and Google News.  When they turned up blank I went to Twitter.  I found that my local police department had a twitter account so I sent them a message.

my first tweet

As of this post I have yet to receive a response.  I then did a search in twitter with the keyword “irvine”.  This turned up a lot of tweets on the concert tonight.  But weeding through that mess I found some people were actually talking about all the police activity in Irvine.

behind house

I checked the radio, nothing.  Saw the ABC 7 chopper in the air, so I asked them what’s going on and they still have not replied either.  Back to my search:

ocreggieThis twitter user actually was notifying the OC Register, to what was going on.  Still nothing on their twitter account yet.

armored rescuePossibly the most exciting tweet of the ones I saw tonight about the action.  But still no answers.  Things get even more interesting with this next tweet:

swat

This was the apex of the action this evening.  Later I saw:

under attackThat seems to be the end of it.  As of this posting I have not seen anything more about the police activity in Irvine.  I did call the Irvine police department’s non-emergency line.  They said they have detained someone, and everything is ok now.  Then the operator said she had 80,000 other calls and had to go.

The experiments outcome?  Twitter provided more information to me than any other medium when the action was actually happening.  Nothing was on TV, or the major networks websites.  The twitter accounts like the Irvine Police, OC Register, etc, did not have anything about the events that were unfolding in my city.  The lesson I learned tonight?  Twitter is great for instant information, but the whole story cannot be told in 140 characters.  I look forward to reading about whatever it is that happened tomorrow morning.

This has been a great experiment for me, especially since I begin my Social Media class next week at UCI.  Of course, the class is online!

UPDATE:  Irvine Police Tweet and post press release.  This was VERY close to our house.  I’m glad everything was resolved and no one was hurt.  I think it is very cool that the IPD tweeted this!

press release

Hostages and Murder in Woodbridge, Irvine


View Larger Map

I was really shocked to read this one.  I would have never thought this could happen in Woodbridge.  Michelle told me about it Saturday morning, but I didn’t think it was this big of a deal.  Read the article here.  Here is a map.

Cinderella, others arrested in Disneyland labor protest

Cinderella, Snow White, Tinkerbell and other fictional fixtures of modern-day childhood were handcuffed, frisked and loaded into police vans Thursday at the culmination of a labor protest that brought a touch of reality to the Happiest Place on Earth.  The arrest of the 32 protesters, many of whom wore costumes representing famous Disney characters, came at the end of an hour-long march to Disneyland’s gates from one of three Disney-owned hotels at the center of a labor dispute.

Whole story at CNN.

5.8 Earthquake in Chino Hills

Shook pretty good here in Irinve thought too!  Hope everyone is ok.

USGS Website

Beijing Olympics | August 8 – 24

Looking forward to the Beijing Olympics.  It’s exciting to see the US Athletes breaking records, especially in my favorite sport of swimming.  Michael Phelps is continuing to master his technique and setting records he’s constantly breaking.  Plus, Dara Torres, at the age of 41, secured her spot on the US Olympic team and in the process set records too.   It will be exciting to see the athletes compete in a few weeks.  Go team USA!!

Official Website of the Beijing Olympics >>>  http://en.beijing2008.cn/

Target Attempts to Kill My Unborn Child

In a study released Thursday they found that the smell released from new shower curtains is toxic.  This smell may cause:

liver damage as well as damage to the central nervous, respiratory and reproductive systems

But you’re okay after the smell goes away right?  Wrong!

some chemicals were found in the air 28 days after a PVC shower curtain was unwrapped and hung.

Throw away your PVC/Vinyl shower curtains now!  Then was your hands very well!

Link to the LA Times article.

Link to the Study.

Tiger Woods Disses Hockey

When asked about the Stanley Cup Tiger said:

“I don’t really care,” he said. “Let’s talk about the Dodgers.  “I don’t think anybody really watches hockey any more.”

He could have just said I don’t watch hockey.  He doesn’t have to say something like that.  Its not like golf is the most fascinating thing to watch on TV.  These guys just walk (or ride little cars) around chasing a ball.  There is no hitting, fights, not even any running.  Their claim to athleticism is hitting the ball farther than the other guy!  I’m not trying to bash golf.  It does have its place in sports, but for a sport that needs support, this was the wrong thing to say.  He is a role model and people listen to him.  That is not the kind of press that hockey needs.

Come on Tiger be a little more professional.  All athletes need to be careful what they say, including you.  If you would have seen the game last night that went into triple overtime, you would have a little more respect for the sport.

Sorry Michelle, I know you’re a big Tiger fan.

San Diego State University – Drug Bust

“A drug ring operating out of San Diego State University was broken up today after a five-month sting operation, resulting in the arrests of nearly 100 people, many of them college students accused of selling drugs to fellow classmates, the Drug Enforcement Administration said.

Value of the drugs exceeded $100,000.

Drugs found included: cocaine, ecstasy, prescription drugs and marijuana.

Weapons found included:  a shotgun and four handguns.

The oragnized drug ring included 75 students and 21 non-students.

One of the students arrested in the case was about to graduate with a degree in criminal justice, said Special Agent Ralph Partridge. Another was studying homeland security.”

 Data Source:  NY Times

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/06/us/07student.html?hp