wallydownundy

Newcomers to Twitter are likely to assume the transient nature of the communiques mean no one will pay attention to their Tweets. Look at the medium - even if you follow a few dozen people the updates scroll down your monitor at a fairly rapid pace. It’s tough to know who reads your 140 character messages.

Same with text messages - with billions sent around the planet each day, who’s going to read them all, let along look back at the archives?

US Congressman Anthony Weiner has learned the hard way that nothing says forever like Twitter. This Democrat from the state of New York was shamed yesterday when announcing lewd images and messages had been sent by him. Earlier when the messages were unearthed he claimed his account had been compromised.

The sordid affair reeks on two levels. First we don’t expect elected representatives to be sending near-naked images of themselves to housewives. (His famous chest shot is in today’s The Australian but you have to search Google images to find his underwear image. Apologies for not hot-linking that memory.) Nor do we expect to find their text streams with porn actresses.

But once the news has been discovered, the second level of disappointment comes from the series of lies told to feebly cover the trail. Congressman Weiner claimed his Twitter account had been hacked and those images of him were sent by someone else. (Amazingly most thought photos of his near naked torso would be kept in a location safe from hackers.)

In true Washington fashion, Congressman Weiner held a press conference and apologised. His confession was coupled with tears of shame. Today the on-line and traditional media are covering “Weinergate” - see The Daily Conversation on YouTube.

For those familiar with Twitter and Facebook and texting, there’s no need for a reminder that these messages are permanent. Ask the college student who posted he was too hungover to go to work but forgot that he’d friended his boss. Ask any of the overnight celebrities made famous (or infamous) by YouTube. (Don’t cry for UCLA Girl - her video rant against Asians in the library went viral and she wound up leaving UCLA.) But for a newcomer the flickering screen of message after message leads to the incorrect assumption that these messages last moments.

Nothing could be further from the truth. Just ask Congressman Weiner. The fact that each message is saved and stored and archived means a quick review of the account brings up all a person’s postings. And it looks as if there will be a permanent, open archive of all these Tweets.

In April last year Twitter announced the US Library of Congress would archive every Tweet since the platform’s inception.  That will give tomorrow’s historians ample materials to research.

Maybe they’ll help future generations of Congressmen understand that nothing says forever like Twitter.

Relying on digital sources for news updates can only satisfy those with multiple personalities. Either that or I have the wrong news aggregators.

Because I was born and raised in the USA, I still access news sources in the USA. This week the headlines have all been about guns in the aftermath of the assassination attempt on Congresswoman Gifford. Stories have also drawn in Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin as her fundraising page had cross-hairs over Gifford’s electoral district and the phrase “Don’t Retreat - Reload”. (In her defence Palin today called accusations against her “blood libel” and insisted she retains the right to free speech.)

For my Australian life, I access news sources from Sydney and other capital cities. The news here is almost exclusively flood-related. This morning at 4:00 am the floodwaters peaked in Brisbane and will now take several days to recede. Thousands have been left homeless and scores killed. The economic devastation will rival that of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans.  

To switch between the two subjects takes a quick mind and a steady nerve. Both are intensely painful subjects that are at the heart of each country’s psyche. As an American I grew up knowing we were all allowed to have guns. I handled them from my teen years even though I didn’t hunt. And as an Australian I know the land is subject to tremendous forces of nature. Our winter storms come from Antarctica. Our nation’s centre is all but inaccessible during summer - people die wandering away from stranded cars in the hot desert clime.

Until I change my news aggregator to “Dear Abby” or Horoscopes or Movie News then I’ll have to live with the torment of catastrophe in today’s news.

I met a former boss of mine for lunch yesterday. He’s originally Australian but lives in New York, and I reported to him when I was in Hong Kong (confused yet?). It was great to spend time and hear what’s happened in the ensuing 10 years since we worked together.

Over the years he’s had a plethora of titles - Vice President, Senior Vice President, Executive Vice President, CEO, Chairman of the Board. Clearly he’s been a success.

Yet as the business card holder was filled and refilled again and again by increasingly posh cards with weightier titles, the glamour of the card began to fade. When he approached retirement he quipped to his wife that he’s had every title known to man - spare one.

Today as a retiree he carries a card with the title, “Chief Tribal Warlord.” To those who had the good fortune to work for the man, he’s not that fierce (unless you missed your margin for a month!).

When I did run the business in Hong Kong one man had been with the business forever. In his latter years he wondered who no one had the title “Queen of the Nile” anymore. Can you guess what the brass plaque presented for his birthday read?

I also did an assignment for one of the smaller European nations. The Prince visited and as a thank you gave me platinum cufflinks that featured the royal seal. We had to address him as “His Most Serene Highness.” Yet he was much like any other businessman.

Corporations run amok with grandiose titles. What are the more extreme you’ve seen? And if you could have any title on your card, what would it be? Twitter away and use the hashtag #mytitle.

I’m tough on myself. There’s a lot I don’t like. I’m too broad around the midsection and my forehead has some permanent wrinkles already. (And no, it’s not due to constant surprises!) Then I look back and think there’s more I’d like to change. Perhaps a different alma mater? Higher GPA in high school?

Too bad I never met US Senate-hopeful Richard Blumenthal.

This wanna-be elected official in Connecticut seems to have fabricated portions of his career. Here’s a great video taken in 2008 – look for the catchphrase, “…from the days I served in Vietnam…”

Seems reasonable, no? Problem is all of his experience was States-side following a record five deferments.

So. One lie. Is that all?

As investigators pour over Dick’s record (why is it always a politician named Dick?), more anomalies appear. He says he was captain of the Harvard Swim Team. Now that might have been plausible if Blumenthal actually was on the team. Seems Dick wasn’t on the team he purported to captain. Oops.

In the face of mounting evidence and criticism, Richard Blumenthal has wedged himself into the corner of denial, stonewalling and obfuscation (”Here’s a video link where I accurately cite my Vietnam experience”).

So now I think. If I could re-make myself a la Blumenthal, what might I change? Maybe I won the Bermuda’s Cup in 1982. Perhaps I was founder of a major national charity that helps homeless youth. Or could I have been considered as the first non-scientific crew member of the Atlantis Space Shuttle.

No matter what I’ll have lost four inches off my waist and restored my smooth forehead. That’s my mimunum entry point for re-fabricating myself a la Blumenthal.

Dick. Is that you?

The downside of living in Australia is the Oscars are held during our work day. While North Americans are snug in their TV rooms we’re in our cubicles hashing out assignments. It’s the nature of our time zone. Yes, one of the penalties of living in the world’s most livable city is we’re always a day ahead. Alas.

Yet on Oscar night the torment is all the worse. In the Age of Twitter, every update was available on the instant. Even Associated Press couldn’t post wire columns fast enough to keep up with the flow from Twitter. Charlize Theron’s dress?

Cherryandjoy: Just had my fix of the Oscars dresses- Rachel mcAdams looked fab in Elie Saab but what was Charlize Theron thinking?!

When some favourite films were overlooked?

She_Beautiful: WHAT THE F**K?!?!?! HOW DID PRECIOUSNOT WIN?!?? Yo this s**t is fkn FIXED! Ugh! #Oscars -____-
(Apologies She_Beautiful as I have corporate minders to watch so I asterisked your post!)

AllisonWestover: Why Oscar chose “Hurt Locker” over “Avatar” http://twurl.nl/bjyzhk http://bit.ly/ZoPj1

And of course the after-parties!

muthafcknerica: I have 2 admit Grammy after partiesare awsome, but Oscar parties are fabulous. Vanity Fair party was breathtaking. #nocomparison

Now why did Vanity Fair misplace my invitation again? That’s 20 years in a row!

The Twitter posts came so fast and so furious it was hard to keep up. Near the conclusion I entered “Oscars” and a slew of postings came up. In under one minute and additional 28 posts were made on the same subject.

Of course it was hard to concentrate at work as colleagues screamed out “Jeff Bridges” or “Sandra Bullock” or “Up”! In the end the show has yet to start here in Sydney but I already know all the winners. I suppose getting a photo to go along will add the glamour to the clamour!

Or maybe not - Thanks E! Online for all the photos…

I need to hire good people and I need to hire them now. Australia is approaching technical full employment. That’s when anyone who wants a job is able to find one. There are always that cannot work or choose to lay low for awhile. The skills demand is even tougher in some technical areas of public relations (technology, healthcare, finance, digital). See the role we’re recruiting for now on Linked In.

Yet across the Pacific it’s bad news in America. Not only is unemployment static at just under 10%, the length of unemployment exceeds anything seen in recent history. NPR reports the average length is six months - with some reporting of a year or more without work.

The fall-out in America of long-term unemployment is going to be felt at the polls. Any government in power when the economy is down fares badly. In Australia we may be unhappy with elements of government, but since the economy is doing so well we’ll just leave the incumbents in power. Obama’s mid-term elections occur in November.

Will this be the “Change” he spoke so passionately about?

Through the miracle of modern technology and a wide network of contacts, I am the guest lecturer this evening at the International Public Relations course at Indiana University. My former Ford colleague Jim Bright has been a professor there for several years. Given his troupe is preparing for a field trip to Japan - and to satisfy their interest in how a boy from New Jersey is lucky enough to land in Sydney - I get to speak to the class.

As I gaze out of the Skype video window into the classroom, I’ll see 16 students. Nate from Evansville has the wickedest sideburns I’ve ever seen. Ashley was inspired by a cruise at age 13 and one of her dream jobs is to work on a ship as liaison with international travelers. Sam is “super jealous” I get to live in Australia as he’s already been here - and is itching to get back! There’s Rachel from Chicago and Bene’ from Nashville (one of my favourite American cities). Alexei is keen to learn the cultures of Japan and India, while Shabrelle can’t decide between public relations and corporate law (is it because they’re both creative fields?).

Angela wants to know if we really say “G’Day Mate!” (We do.) Alex est Francophone parce’qu’elle adore la France (moi aussi)! Meanwhile Kristopher speaks Japanese which may not prove useful in South Bend (not South Park) but will be a bonus in Tokyo. Paula is from Tulsa and is keen to learn about Asian cultures (there’s a lot to learn). Samantha’s already done an internship and is fluent in Spanish. And Alexandra is already an officer with PRSSA - the student public relations association.

Finally I’ll see Professor Bright and his able assistant Kate Lee (who is privately cheering for her fellow Canadians in Vancouver now).

So as you all hunker in to the cold and wet and snow of Indiana, spare a moment’s thought for all of us trapped down here in Australia. (Speak to you soon!)

If you do NOT live in Indiana and know the title of this blog is the name of a song then you’re 45 or older. More like 50. Face it – the mirror and the high school yearbook photo look like chalk and cheese. It’s sad getting old!

But if you are from Indiana then you probably hear this song blasted in the Brickyards or while cruising up from Louisville or over to Indianapolis.

And if you’re one of Jim Bright’s students at Indiana University, you can leave comments on the topics or questions you have for an “around the world – twice” public relations guy!

Funny story making the rounds on-line today.

Young man hides 12 beers in his room. His sister reports it to their parents so he’s grounded. Beware – payback is a bitch!

With all this time on his hands, brother rummages through his sister’s room and finds her “Dream Boy” list. Ten minutes later that is up on Facebook with tags to all the boys mentioned. Pretty soon all of sister’s dream boys see exactly what she thinks of them.

How did she go to school the next day? And how did the boys of “Twighlight” respond to be tagged?

Read the story here…

The Global Financial Crisis touched down in Sydney – and promptly left. In 2009 one quarter of economic activity experienced contraction – followed by a robust rebound. Already the Reserve Bank of Australia has increased interest rates to slow growth. Australia is faring well.

In the USA, signs of life are emerging. Yet the “green shoots” of economic growth promised by President Obama appear to be weeds in the lawns of foreclosed homes. The New York Times contains an exposé on real estate in Cape Coral Florida. There houses that once sold for $850,000 are available for under $300k. Of the 64,000 single family homes, more than 18,000 have been foreclosed. Today an entrepreneur drives an air conditioned van around with potential investors. The tour is of foreclosed homes.

Most striking in the article is the human element.

Kevin Jarrett seems a lot like me. He’d relocated for work and initially found selling real estate a good profession. (Change the name, change the city and change the profession and pretty soon you might relate, too.) He and his wife and daughter settled into a good life with a nice home and a few investment properties. But when the bottom fell out he was hit. Hard. After the three investment properties were taken by the bank, his wife left – taking their daughter. He tried to maintain his home. One day when washing his face the water was turned off. He lost his home and is on the move.

The Grapes of Wrath 2010.

Looking at the level of hardship in previously well-off communities like Cape Coral makes it apparent this recession will take a decade to heal – so long as a double dip doesn’t occur. The “floor” of this drop is a long, long way from the heights before the plunge. The way back up takes a lot longer than the drop.

Australia (again) was well sheltered. Even housing prices retained their gusto. Some outer-west suburbs in Sydney dropped by double digits. Yet by the September quarter 2009 housing starts had increased 10% nationally. Prices have increased in most Sydney suburbs. Of the major global economies, Australia was one of three to record growth (alongside Singapore and South Korea).

All that said, Australia has seen pockets of hardship – and for every Kevin Jarrett of Cape Coral there’s a similar hard luck story Down Under. Thankfully strong economic leadership and underlying demand for Australian products and services mean there are fewer of them.