Clinton Portis confirms he’s still alive after Twitter rumors
February 22, 2012 by admin
Filed under Twitter News
(John McDonnell – THE WASHINGTON POST)
Here was a weird thing that happened on Sunday and early Monday: people on Twitter started wondering whether Clinton Portis had died in a car crash. Like, famous people started wondering, too.
“What happened with clinton portis?” Maurice Jones-Drew asked on Twitter.
“Crazy people talking this Clinton Portis nonsense and I was just with the dude out…wow twitter sways people to say anything,” Redskins cornerback Josh Wilson wrote.
“Clinton portis is my family!!!! Alive and well! Whoever said that I wish I could c u in person! #TryYourLuck!!” Browns cornerback Joe Haden wrote.
Portis, naturally, chimed in on Twitter himself.
“Not sure about the rumor that’s out but I’m alive and well, before it even begins to spread of a car crash!!!!” Portis wrote. “I’m in bed goodnight world hopefully I don’t go in my sleep 2night!”
Still, people continued to speculate about Portis’s death for hours after that, and his name was trending for much of Sunday night and Monday morning.
If you wanted to know more, Portis was on 106.7 The Fan with Holden Kushner Monday afternoon, and he confirmed that he was not, in fact, dead.
“That rumor scared the mess out of me, got my mama calling me wanting to talk every hour,” Portis said. “I don’t know where the rumors came from, but I’m alive and well. Man, I done got calls from everybody. I guess it’s a trending topic on Twitter or whatnot….But I’m good, man. I appreciate the people that are worried, but it ain’t my time yet.”
Portis also talked about his potential comeback, saying he spent the last year traveling and being a dad, and also watching the Redskins. Which led to this.
“With the way Rex was playing, turnovers and all, your record 3-1, why go make the drastic change?” Portis asked. “Then all of the sudden you start the controversy in the locker room, and Beck comes in, and then you go back to Rex, and guys start to [get injured]….It was just a lot of shuffling, as usual.”
And he yet again wrapped up his tenure in D.C.
“I enjoyed my time with the Washington Redskins,” Portis said. “I don’t regret anything, I don’t look back and wish I would have changed anything. It was a moment in life. You know, everything comes to an end. That’s relationships, buying a new car, buying a new house.
“You always love it in the beginning, and towards the end, you see a new car that you want, or you feel like you need to upgrade and move, or you want to re-do your house. Nothing lasts forever, and I understand that. And I understand the decision that the Redskins made in moving on….I don’t have any regrets. I think Mr. Snyder gave me the opportunity to do something that most people would die for.”
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Twitter wags take digs at Saif Ali Khan’s ‘first solo hit’
February 22, 2012 by admin
Filed under Twitter News
The brawl between Bollywood actor Saif Ali Khan and NRI businessman Iqbal Sharmaat at a hotel in Mumbai, which led to a police case against the actor, has inspired a spate of jokes on twitter.
Sharma was left with a broken nose after the mid-night brawl.
A user posted on twitter: “This was Saif Ali Khan’s first solo hit.”
“Breaking News: WWE talent scouts after Saif Ali Khan to sign a 5 year contract,” said another user.
Another joke went: Shah Rukh Khan has some competition now from Saif Ali Khan. Bhala uska bashup mere bashup se safaid kaise?
Shah Rukh had got into a fight with director Shirish Kunder a few days ago.
“Saif Ali Khan has a stunt to sell the tickets of agent vinod..its called “Beating Black” Ticketing Publicity stunt,” a user tweeted.
“Saif Ali Khan has assaulted a South African in the TAJ. Seem like this TAJ hotel is a pretty unSAIF place,” was another wisecrack.
“And this is the man some people have chosen as their Nawab???? Not a “saif” choice, I say!” a user posted on twitter.
Article source: http://www.dnaindia.com/entertainment/report_twitter-wags-take-digs-at-saif-ali-khan-s-first-solo-hit_1653607
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Chris Brown Feuds With Miranda Lambert, WWE’s CM Punk
February 22, 2012 by admin
Filed under Twitter News
It’s an interesting time for Chris Brown. With several career highs, which include a Grammy win and performance at the show earlier this month, come several personal lows, including feuds with two other celebrities.
On Tuesday, Brown took to Twitter to address some comments made by WWE wrestler CM Punk in a video he released on TMZ, which itself came in response to an ongoing Twitter feud the guys have been having.
“I’m a lifelong proud, drug-free, straight-edge individual, so Chris and I come from two completely different worlds,” Punk said in the video, referring to a previous tweet Brown had posted accusing Punk of taking steroids. “I don’t have a manager, I don’t have a bodyguard, I don’t have an assistant, I have no need for a PR team what to tweet or when to delete tweets, and I don’t hit women. Period. In my world women are to be revered and respected and I firmly believe that in this life there are consequences and repercussions for people’s actions, and I don’t think Chris has paid for what he’s done. Picking up trash on the side of a highway does not make amends for repeatedly striking a woman in her face and sending her to hospital.
“So if Chris wants to throw stones my way now, I say that’s fine. Let’s put some gloves out and get in the ring and I will choke you out and I will make you feel as weak and as powerless and scared and alone as any woman who has had the misfortune of knowing a sad, cowardly, little boy such as yourself. And all proceeds can go to a women’s shelter of my choosing … Chris Brown isn’t a man and that’s fine. I just know that someday, somewhere, somehow, somebody will put Chris Brown exactly where he belongs and that obviously doesn’t have to be me, I would just really like it to be.”
After the video was released, Brown responded, “@cmpunk the video u just posted was cute! It’s so funny how defensive u are. And the fact that I really don’t know who you are and could give a sh– is the funny part! I miss the real wrestlers! (Hacksaw Jim duggan, Brett the hitman heart, coco beware, rowdy roddy piper) #Notnopunks.”
Several tweets later, he brought it back to Punk, but noted that he would no longer be addressing the issue. “Note: today will be the last day I bring @cmpunk existence up! The confrontations that people continuously bring my way are very amusing,” he wrote. “Cuz honestly, that sh– is too time consuming to argue wit every person who has their own issues to deal with!”
It all started on February 20, when Punk tweeted about Brown’s 2009 assault of his then-girlfriend Rihanna. From there, the two became involved in a Twitter back-and-forth. Since Brown’s last tweet about the video, as of press time, Punk has not tweeted about it again.
This is hardly the first bit of criticism that Brown has received since his Grammy win on February 12. While a number of celebrities tweeted their criticisms of Brown’s win and performance that night, country star Miranda Lambert has been the most vocal about it.
Brown responded to her post-Grammy tweets, writing, “Using my name to get publicity? I love it! Perform your heart out! Go buy Miranda Lambert album! So motivational and ‘PERFECT’!”
Not only did she tweet about it, but in concert last week Usmagazine.com reported Lambert addressed the issue further, saying, “I just have to speak my mind, because where I come from, beating up on a woman is never OK. So that’s why my daddy taught me early on in life how to use a shotgun.”
Article source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1679663/chris-brown-feud-miranda-lambert-cm-punk.jhtml
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Twitter adds another wave to the small business marketing ocean
February 22, 2012 by admin
Filed under Twitter News
Let’s not forget that Facebook launched something very similar in September of last year, again specifically targeting the small business market. The thinking behind this is simple: there are only so many companies around the world that can pay the tens of thousands of dollars that it usually costs to advertise effectively on Facebook and Twitter. Rather than limit themselves to a very narrow market of advertisers, both companies have scaled down their ad platforms and made them more user friendly, targeted and cheaper. This allows them to reach the tens of millions of small businesses that are looking for ways to drive customers to its site and its doors.
Small businesses will soon be able to use promoted tweets, or advertisements sourced directly into a potential customer’s Twitter stream, to drive awareness and traffic to a certain site, page or offer. And like Facebook, Twitter uses a cost per click model that only charges when someone actually takes action on your ad, be it retweeting, responding, or clicking on the link. Twitter is also partnering with American Express, offering $100 in free advertising credits to the first 10,000 eligible businesses to sign up with an Amex account. How popular is Twitter you might ask? The site was set to surpass 500 million users as of today. That’s a very large pool of potential customers, regardless of the business.
So what does this mean for small businesses? Basically, things just got a little bit more complicated for you as a small business owner. It’s now possible to be hosting ads or spending money and time on a number of social platforms – including Google AdWords, Facebook, Twitter, Yelp, Groupon or any number of online review, group buying or location based social sites. The online advertising landscape has become a ferocious ocean that’s difficult to navigate and even more difficult to fish successfully in. Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest and every other social platform are ultimately going to rely heavily on the millions of small businesses around the world for advertising dollars and traffic. While they may not spend tens of thousands of dollars on one campaign, as a group it far outnumbers the Fortune 500 that can. With enough volume, small business owners represent a huge opportunity for social networks to build their own businesses on.
Despite Twitter’s emergence in the space, the important lessons for small businesses owners when it comes to advertising spend hasn’t changed. Ultimately it’s going to come down to how each one of these advertising options can potentially impact your specific business, drive revenue and customers online. If you find that any of these social ad platforms can’t, won’t, or aren’t performing the way you had hoped, put those hard earned dollars into something that will. And as always focus is key. Putting your eggs into many different baskets without clear line of sight into what’s coming in versus what’s going out will never make for an effective marketing program. As more and more options pop up, don’t feel like you have to use all of them, or even one of them. Do some homework and even dedicate a small spend to testing each out before making a big investment.
What do you think, is Twitter a platform you as a small business would use? Or is it just another social network that your customers aren’t using yet, and isn’t worth the advertising investment?
Article source: http://www.boston.com/business/specials/small_business_blog/2012/02/twitter_adds_another_wave_to_small_business.html
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Chris Brown, Rihanna collaborations spark controversy
February 22, 2012 by admin
Filed under Twitter News
“YIKES!!!!!!!!!!!!” That’s how Chris Brown, 22, tagged his remix of “Turn Up the Music,” one of two collaborations with ex-girlfriend Rihanna, 24, that the pair intentionally leaked via Twitter on Monday.
The blogosphere has been on fire since late last week when the two dropped cryptic tweets alluding to a duet. After producers of Rihanna’s lusty track “Birthday Cake” tweeted the remix would shock the world, rumors immediately circulated that Rihanna would celebrate her birthday by releasing an extended take of the track featuring Brown’s vocals.
It was an unlikely collaboration to say the least, considering Brown is currently serving five years’ probation for brutally assaulting her three years ago on the eve of the Grammy Awards. But they are back together again, at least on the two songs.
Hip-hop blogger/tastemaker Karen Civil, who unveiled details of the collaboration on her popular, self-titled blog last week, said that given Rihanna’s knack for being provocative, the track shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone.
“I think that it can only help them both at this time,” Civil said. “We can’t go back and change what’s already been done, or recorded and released in this case. Will it hurt Rihanna’s career? Perhaps, in the aspect of standing up against domestic violence. However a listener or fan cannot dictate someone’s life, and she is entitled to her own decisions.”
The controversial songs, which weren’t officially released by either artist’s label, come on the heels of Brown’s performance and win at the 54th Grammy Awards last week.
He became a trending topic on Twitter that evening, as did the phrase “wife beater.” There was furor that the Recording Academy they invited the singer to perform twice and rewarded him with the trophy for RB album. His awkward shuffling onstage demonstrated he hadn’t expected the win, and the relative hush of the audience seemed to say, “You should not be here.”
“Chris Brown twice? I don’t get it. He beat on a girl … Not cool that we act like that didn’t happen,” tweeted country music star Miranda Lambert.
The producers were also criticized for giving the singer two performance slots as the academy struggled with how to pay tribute to pop titan Whitney Houston, who passed away on the eve of the telecast. “Congrats to Chris Brown!,” wrote a reader in response to The Times coverage of his win. “Proving that even if you’re a worthless human being who savagely beats women you can still be granted fame, fortune and professional accolades! Well done sir!”
Recording Academy President Neil Portnow defended the decision of booking Brown, remarking that evaluating artists on their personal lives is a “slippery slope that we wouldn’t want to get into.” “What he did was a personal thing — it had nothing to do with his career,” he said.
Grammy Awards executive producer Ken Ehrlich went on to say, “We’re glad to have him back. I think people deserve a second chance, you know. If you’ll note, he has not been on the Grammys for the past few years and it may have taken us a while to kind of get over the fact that we were the victim of what happened.”
As the blow back intensifies this week with the release of the singles (Brown can now be heard serenading her with, “Girl, I wanna … you right now, Been a long time I been missin’ your body” on “Birthday Cake”), the big question becomes whether people can forgive Brown if Rihanna has.
If the Grammys were any indication of the general consensus about Brown, the answer is a resounding no. But other artists such as James Brown, Ozzy Osbourne, Creed frontman Scott Stapp and Motley Crue’s Tommy Lee have been arrested on domestic abuse charges and the general public seems to have forgotten or at least forgiven.
So why is there still such a reaction to Chris Brown? What makes him any different from the laundry list of celebs that have rap sheets, yet continue to find success? The performer has remained compliant with the terms of his probation, and pleaded his case on the talk show circuit following his arrest.
But his subsequent missteps — including Twitter rants, a violent meltdown backstage at “Good Morning America” and the leak of a nude photo — certainly didn’t help his case. Plus, his happy-go-lucky demeanor that had served him so well as an RB/pop heartthrob drew criticism from former fans who felt he wasn’t remorseful enough.
Last weekend Brown tried to convey those very sentiments — why me? — on Twitter. He said he found it “strange how we pick and choose who to hate! Let me ask u this. Our society is full or rappers (which I listen to) who have sold drugs (poisoning)” … “but yet we glorify them and imitate everything they do. Then right before the worlds eyes a man shows how he can make a Big mistake and Learn from it, but still has to deal with day to day hatred.”
Fans of Rihanna expressed disappointment when the pair began to follow each other on Twitter last year, and when she made a request (also last year) to reduce a restraining order against Brown to Level1, meaning the two can have contact, provided Brown doesn’t “harass, annoy or molest” her.
Rihanna defended the decision, telling Rolling Stone: “I just didn’t want to make it more difficult for him professionally. What he did was a personal thing — it had nothing to do with his career. Saying he has to be a hundred feet away from me, he can’t perform at awards shows — that definitely made it difficult for him.”
Harvard psychiatrist Dr. John Sharp, who appears on “Celebrity Rehab,” thinks the two can have a successful reunion. However, because they are in the public eye, they should address why they believe it’s healthy to have contact again. “You have to be very careful. There’s not a lot of good statistics … [The singles and their public communication are] going to draw a lot of attention, but it’s not going to answer a lot of questions,” Sharp said. “In this case, their business has been in the public eye and if they are going to get together for music, or whatever, they have to say something about it to make it clear.”
When Billboard drafted open letters to the singers expressing concern, Rihanna dismissed them both on Twitter when she wrote she was, “Chiefin’ while ppl spend hrs on letters.” She paired the tweet with a “kanyeshrug” and an expletive.
It’s an about-face from when she sat down with Diane Sawyer in 2009 and addressed why she reconciled with Brown briefly after his arrest. “When I realized that my selfish decision for love could result in some young girl getting killed, I could not be easy with that part,” said the singer. “I couldn’t be held responsible for telling them ‘Go back.’ Even if Chris never hit me again, who’s to say that their boyfriend won’t?”
Now in “Birthday Cake,” she purrs, “Remember how you did it, if you still wanna kiss it, then come and get it.” On Brown’s track, she sings, “I love you, baby.”
“What’s the fundamental motivation?” Sharp asks of the songs. “Is it designed to be the best musical collaboration, or is it two people who have not made these necessary changes together? We just don’t know. The good news is sometimes when you have a couple that’s in the spotlight like this they can be a little more accountable. Maybe this could work to their advantage. You could hope. It’s dangerous. But accomplishable.”
gerrick.kennedy@latimes.com
Article source: http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/music/la-et-brown-rihanna-story-20120222,0,5932773.story
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Twitter Tweaks iOS App, Adds Ice Cream Sandwich and Other Android-esqe Devices
February 22, 2012 by admin
Filed under Twitter News
Maybe this is Twitter’s way of acknowledging the heat that its feeling from competitor clients with all their fabulous features. Maybe Twitter is returning to its own feature-rich roots. Either way, The latest Twitter updates to iOS devices, plus additions of other Android devices is sure to get people to refresh their app update screen.
Both regular Android and iOS devices get the ability to swipe on tweets to reveal additional options like reply to, retweet, favorite or share it, or view the Twitter user’s profile, without leaving your timeline. Additionally, a simple, yet recently relevant change is now Twitter does a better job of letting you know that it will be uploading (not just scanning) your contact information to help you suggest other users to interact with.
iOS specific updates include more sharing options when you touch and hold links in tweets, more control over your DM’s and fonts, and brings back copy/paste tweet functionality. Twitter adds ICS-compatible Android devices as well as the Amazon Kindle Fire and Barnes Noble NOOK tablets into the mix that take advantage of the various screen resolutions.
If you prefer official apps versus 3rd-party ones, check out the latest Twitter version and let us know what you think in the comments section.
Article source: http://appscout.pcmag.com/apple-ios-iphone-ipad-ipod/294395-twitter-tweaks-ios-app-adds-ice-cream-sandwich-and-other-android-esqe-devices
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Twitter for iOS and Android gets updated, gets Kindle Fire support
February 22, 2012 by admin
Filed under Twitter News
Twitter has brought updates to both its iOS and Android versions, bringing some pretty strongly demanded features with the updates. According to their blog, there are some new features that are common to both platforms, and others, which are exclusive to one platform or the other. Here goes.
Twitter for iOS and Android gets updated
The new features that are common to both the mobile platforms are the Swipe shortcut and Find Friends. On the home timeline, you can now swipe a tweet to either reply to it, retweet it, favourite it, share it or view the tweeter’s profile via their post without leaving your timeline. The Find Friends feature is basically a confirmation alert when you choose to find friends using your phone’s contacts. This follows the hot water that applications, like Twitter and Path have been in where they were found to store entire user address books without any notification to the user. If you choose to find Twitter friends via your contacts, you will now get an alert that states that you’re uploading your contacts’ telephone numbers and e-mail addresses to Twitter. Their details will only be uploaded, if they’ve chosen to be find-able via their contact information.
On to the exclusives. For iOS, Twitter’s returned the copy and paste function. They had previously taken away the ability to copy and paste the text of tweets or user profiles, but now it’s back. Just press and hold to copy. Twitter’s also increased the share function where you used to only be able to copy or email a link to the tweet. Now if you see a link in a tweet, you can tweet it yourself, copy it, e-mail it or choose to read it later via the ‘Read Later’ service (which you will find under Settings Advanced). They’ve also updated the way Direct Messages look and returned the ability to mark all DMs as read. Finally, iOS users can change the font size of their Twitter application under Settings Advanced.
For Android users, Twitter’s added support for new devices, including the Amazon Kindle Fire, the Barnes and Noble Nook Color and the Nook Tablet, which will release on the 23rd of February. The app is also updated to support other Android devices running Ice Cream Sandwich. To download or update Twitter for your iOS or Android device, go to the iOS App Store or the Android Market.
Article source: http://tech2.in.com/news/smartphones/twitter-for-ios-and-android-gets-updated-gets-kindle-fire-support/283742
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Bradley to hold fire after Twitter users left spitting mad
February 22, 2012 by admin
Filed under Twitter News
MARANA, Arizona |
MARANA, Arizona (Reuters) – A dumb-founded Keegan Bradley said even he was taken aback by his excessive spitting as he watched television replays of his play during the final round of last week’s Northern Trust Open in Los Angeles.
Bradley ended up losing a three-way playoff for the title at Riviera Country Club, where fellow American Bill Haas triumphed, and was initially surprised his on-course expectorating had sparked widespread criticism on Twitter.
However, once he saw for himself via the telecast how much he spat during his pre-shot routine, the PGA Championship winner issued a public apology on his Twitter account.
“To be honest with you, I really had no idea I was doing it,” Bradley told reporters at Dove Mountain Tuesday while preparing for this week’s WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship.
“And I feel bad.
“It’s something that I’m going to work on and I just ask everybody to just kind of bear with me as I go through this, because it’s something I’ve done without even knowing it. I’m going to truly work on it.
“It might take some time but I will do my best to stop. It’s something that I’m glad that’s come up, because I’m able to kind of nip it now. It’s just a thing where I’m watching myself.”
Bradley, who clinched his first major title by beating compatriot Jason Dufner in a playoff for last year’s PGA Championship in Atlanta, conceded his lengthy pre-shot routine was also a concern.
“It’s about visualization,” the 25-year-old said. “It’s kind of my way of staying not stagnant. It’s something that you don’t even really realize you’re doing when you’re in the heat of it.
“I will take a look at it and see if there are any improvements that I can make. But it’s something that I’ve been doing and it’s been working. Coming down the stretch, it (the time) does come up a little bit.
“But it doesn’t seem to affect my ability, which is the most important,” added Bradley, who earlier was presented with his trophy for winning the 2011 PGA Tour Rookie of the Year award.
Bradley has been drawn to play against Australian Geoff Ogilvy, tournament champion in 2006 and 2009, in Wednesday’s opening round at Dove Mountain.
(Reporting by Mark Lamport-Stokes; Editing by Ian Ransom)
Article source: http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/02/22/us-golf-pga-matchplay-bradley-idUSTRE81L04Q20120222
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Chicago’s CM Punk takes Twitter war with Chris Brown to video
February 22, 2012 by admin
Filed under Twitter News
Leave it up to CM Punk to once again say what many of us have been thinking for a long time.
The vocal WWE Champion and Bucktown resident – who blurred the line between scripted and unscripted when he famously criticized WWE’s decision makers on live TV — lashed out Monday at Chris Brown – who Punk clearly hasn’t forgiven for his 2009 assault of Rihanna.
“I would like @chrisbrown fight somebody that can defend themselves,” Punk tweeted Monday. “Me curb stomping that turd would be a #wrestlemania moment.”
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Not one to shy away from a Twitter feud, Brown implied that Punk’s tweet was a publicity stunt. Brown also reminded us where we’re at in society when he resorted to criticizing Punk’s number of Twitter followers.
“@CMpunk needs more followers,” Brown tweeted Monday. “He’s such a leader! Not to mention the roids hes on has made it utterly impossible for him pleasure a women. … @CMpunk contact my assistant and I’ll have em send u an autographed pic for my biggest FAN!!!”
Clearly, Brown wasn’t very familiar with Punk — which Brown himself later admitted. If Brown were, he would have known that, when it comes to physiques, Punk is more Vinny than Ronnie. And he would be aware that Punk is a proud member of the Straight Edge lifestyle, which means he doesn’t use alcohol, drugs, pain killers or steroids. Punk even has “STRAIGHT EDGE” tattooed on his stomach and “DRUG” and “FREE” inked on his knuckles.
Punk would point out his Straight Edge lifestyle Tuesday in his video response to Brown, but there would be no yelling into the camera or Mene Gene Okerlund holding a microphone in this 1 minute and 52 seconds-long clip. It’s just Punk and his thoughts. Well, his thoughts, Miranda Lambert’s thoughts, Anderson Cooper’s thoughts and possibly Jay-Z’s thoughts but probably not Rosie O’Donnell’s thoughts or the Grammys thoughts.
“I don’t think Chris has paid for what he has done,” said Punk, who is no stranger to controversy or Twitter feuds himself. “Picking up trash on the side of a highway does not make amends for repeatedly striking a woman to her face and sending her to a hospital.”
“I just know that some day, somewhere, somehow, somebody will put Chris Brown exactly where he belongs. And it honestly doesn’t have to be me, I would just really like it to be.”
As you would expect, Brown responded to Punk’s video.
“@CMPunk the video u just posted was cute! It’s so funny how defensive u are,” tweeted the pot to the kettle. “…I really hope this 15 minutes of fame is paying you for the long run becuz music last forever! Wrestlers come and go according to ratings!”
Brown also tweeted #Notnopunks to his 8.1 million Twitter followers and managed to get the term trending nationally. He added “We got them #Notnopunks tshirts on deck!”
That’s when ESPN personality and CM Punk fan Michelle Beadle decided to join the party and address Brown.
“I’ll take a smedium in #entitleddelusionallipsyncingabuser Thanks,” Beadle tweeted.
Twitter @aboutluisgomez
Article source: http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/celebrity/aboutlastnight/chi-cm-punk-twitter-war-chris-brown-video-20120221,0,2792540.column
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Twitter is Predicting a ‘Midnight in Paris’ Upset at the Oscars
February 22, 2012 by admin
Filed under Twitter News
Could Woody Allen’s film win Best Picture?
The common wisdom around Hollywood is that The Artist is going to be the film to beat at this year’s Oscars. The silent, black-and-white movie may not have a lot of stars but it is critically beloved (earning a 97 out of 100 on Rotten Tomatoes), has earned a whopping ten nominations and already has a boatload of awards. Plus it’s the kind of feel-good but just-arty-enough movie that Oscar voters love.
Woody Allen’s Midnight in Paris is barely on the radar of any Oscar prognosticators. Entertainment Weekly ranks it fifth in the Best Picture race and bookies have the film at 100 to 1 to win. (Odds on The Artist are 1 to 16). But according to the group wisdom on Twitter, Midnight in Paris has a chance to win the big prize on Sunday night.
The smarties at the USC Annenberg Innovation Lab (which combines arts and engineering) have been analyzing Twitter for the past year to see if the social networking site can do a better job than box office analysts of predicting opening weekend box office. Professor Jonathan Taplin, who is the director there, says that so far, his analysis has been pretty good at finding upsets.
Take the Universal film Cowboys Aliens for example. The big-budget Hollywood film was expected to earn $43 million at the box office. Instead it opened to $36 million. Taplin says that by watching Twitter, he saw it coming.
“We knew that film was going to be a bomb two weeks before it opened,” says Taplin. “It’s amazingly accurate.”
Now his analysis is predicted the possibility of another upset. The “Senti-meter” measures Twitter sentiment about different films and actors. You can look at it here. On the chart you can see if people are saying good or bad things about each film and actor and how often people are tweeting about Meryl Streep or The Artist for example.
The latest results on the chart are from February 17th. It shows Midnight in Paris getting far and away the best buzz on Twitter. While people are tweeting more about the final Harry Potter film and Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, they aren’t saying quite as glowing things as they are about Midnight.
Talpin says that sentiment is more important than tweet frequency in his study. In order to teach his computer program if a tweet is saying positive or negative things about film (or actor) he and his team had to teach it about sarcasm. He said that he often has students rate 5,000 tweets for sentiment just to test how well his program is doing and that the results have been good.
Of the nominated actors The Artist’s Jean Dujardin is getting the best buzz on Twitter. Viola Davis is tops in actresses which could bode well for her chances on Sunday.
Of course the vox populi and the voting members of the Academy don’t necessarily overlap. Just look at the nominated films this year. Under new rules the Academy could have nominated ten movies for Best Picture which gave the option of working more popular films into the category. Instead voters chose nine films. With $206 million in box office earnings, The Help is the highest-grossing of the bunch. A recent study by the L.A. Times shows that Oscar voters are by and large old, white and male. Twitter users tend to be about evenly split between men and women and most are younger than 35.
It will be interesting to see if Taplin’s study accurately predicts an Oscar but I’m not sure I’m convinced enough to bet any money on it.
Article source: http://www.forbes.com/sites/dorothypomerantz/2012/02/21/twitter-is-predicting-a-midnight-in-paris-upset-at-the-oscars/
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