Happy Blog Day everyone!

It's your day, so accept my best wishes! Happy Blog Day everyone!
I am happy to have the chance to mention my current the best 5, so here they are:)

1. Chris Brogan - social media guru, whose tips and advice are crucial for my work and my blogging.
2. Blog Till You Drop - Lolly is not only a friendly person, but also a very professional blogger - her insights are always valuable!
3. Cementum - It's amazing to see Rich not only working very hard on his book, but also blogging about the process - it must be so hard to be able to look at yourself and be so disciplined! I am impressed!
4. The Girl - I am very impressed by her work as a blogger and writer too. This one is a must!
5. PR Blogger - good study of current situation in PR, very helpful!

Now, this list reflect my UK, English speakign life. My Polish list was published here.
No Hungarian this time - I am not reading Hungarian blogs (apart from few friends, like Planet Damage) after discouragement of a few Nazi sites, brrr...

I wonder how those lists change in one year time:)
Happy BD again!

Gustav Information Center - site now live

Some of you have probably seen my tweet 'Please retweet: Gustav Ning Site up and running: http://gustav08.ning.com/' and I hope you did so.
Here is the site itself - Andy Carvin's iniciative, so check it out and see how social media can help! Spread the word!

OPACO short movie

I watched a film tonight - short one:)
Check it out yourself! I don't know what is happening to me nowadays - strange things...first of all I find all the stuff I have missed on-line during last few years and it makes me feel...strangely enough...but it makes me feel OLD. (for those who do not know me personally - I do not really are about my biological age, I am just concerned about time left to enjoy the art)...I also feel slow, I loose my breath when nervous (I hope no one noticed so far).. I even brake glasses and plates incidentally!
Whatever is happening, I feel uneasy about my current state of body and soul...this being completely irrational too.
But...OPACO is a short move made with Nikon D50 camera. Amazing story, really well thought trough idea and brilliant technique. I love it!

British Army Fitness

...is something I need - a strict hand to keep me going. I am really giving up! I do not think I can make 5, but I will try - I think with this in mind I am even braver (=stupid). Interesting to see that British Army cares about citizens health. Good, good, I will join them as soon as I move to the City;)
In the meantime I am just running around the Church Square and neighbouring streets in Wantage. It's amazing how quiet this place is in the evenings! I am not even bothered to listen to the music, if I can enjoy the sound of the small town's dusk.

Group Hug.us

I was given the link to Group Hug today and I simply cannot believe this project kicked of in 2003! Gabriel Jeffrey, brilliant photographer, founder of the site writes in the ABOUT section: 'Since launch, millions of people have visited, and hundreds of thousands have confessed. The press has been kind, The Vatican is officially not a fan, and numerous individuals have found inspiration in these pages, which have inspired countless clones and spinoffs, a play, a few art installations, and a book.'

Me, I am reading it and reading and apart from a few troubling post I actually find it a good idea - a place where one can stay completely honest and anonymous - each of us needs something like that time to time. I'll keep the link for worst times;)
Thanks for the tip, Seb!

New rules of marketing again

Currently I am forced to commute to work by bus which gives me more time to read the books waiting on my shelf. Just as I have finished 'The New Rules of Marketing & PR' written by David Meerman Scott, and was wondering which work-related book should be next I got a Google alert containing link to this podcast. It's an interview given by another social media marketing specialist - Andy Sernovitz - whose book on WOM marketing I happen to have on my waiting list. (I am just about to start it now...). Andy's podcast explains very basics of WOM marketing and to me seems to be quite obvious, but I am happy to see that new type of marketing activities is promoted so wisely!
As for 'The New Rules of Marketing & PR' I am once again glad I decided to order a few books related to my current work - they give me insight into both business, as well as the social media. I think it's crucial to understand how the web and the markets are developing - not only for work, but for my own experience too. I find David's book fascinating and very inspiring - so inspiring that I decided to try out podcasting myself and got a proper microphone today. Silly idea, but I will read children books to my fellow Polish bloggers, since most of them have at least one child. And honestly - I do it every evening for my son anyway, so it's an easy way to start something potentiallt more serious:)
So read it - you can never tell how a book can change you!:)

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the best social media marketing practices

Mitch Joel is asking a question about the best social media marketing practices and I must admit it took me a while to decide what is most important in my view...Consistency mentioned on Mitch Joel's blog is crucial, just as much as ethics of any engagement but I think we need to go back to the basics and ensure we know exactly what we are doing. An agency or any of the team members working on a project related to social media marketing must be well trained and experienced in social media themselves, they should study the audience they aim to traget and respect the rules of venues they plan to engage in their activities. Internet has its own rules and most of them can be understood only by people who actually ARE a part of the blogosphere. My personal experience is very small, but being my own blogging experience (together with presence in other places, like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, etc) prooved to be crucial in my work. My commitment to respect people I work with and great amount of research into the theory of socal media marketing helped me so much! We must never forget that social media IS real people with power to speak up and expect - there is no space for traditional marketing!
(Here you go - I tried to be brief:/)
I also agree with what Chris Brogan wrote: 'Learn how to listen. Simple, I know. But it’s a best practice. ' and I hope to see more bloggers responding to this challenge!

I would like to tag Lolly, Girl , Tom and Colin hoping to see what they think.

BTW - If you haven't read the original post I believe you will be happy to know that you can share your opinion too, as long as you tag the post 'social media marketing best practices', link to original post and tag few other blogs. So, go on!!!

Facebook again! Not happy:(

OK, I am running out of time - end of lunch - so just a quick one: I have experienced another strange thing on Facebook - notifications like this:Why do I get them? Is is a new way of promoting Facebook apps/business/ads? I do not like anything I am not really interested in and getting it in my personal notifications does feel like violating of my privacy...

Ms Wu and Ms Wang - did China change after Olympics?

OK, I have been reading news about all the achievements during the Olympics but I am still not convinced if the country will change at all...Yes, I am damn sceptical! Krease Chan is making a very valid point on Amnesty Blogs about reality of ordinary people vs. political statements. Would you like to be sentenced for a year of re-education through labor for disturbing public order? (I am sorry, I cannot help but think back to the times when as a student of ELTE university I would hold small parties in my rented flat in Budapest and have police knocking on my door - just simply asking me to turn the volume lower - since it's regular to have neighbours calling police istead of coming over themselves, hehe). This is not funny though. Both ladies are about 80 years old!!!
Amnesty Blogs has more interesting posts, so go and check it out!

The F- word on social media?

When I started working in the UK I was a bit sceptic about the usage of the F-word, I somehow still am, to be honest. I need to be careful - my son picked it up once and it took me a while to convince him he is really saying FORK - he is too smart for it now, so I stopped. I do think seome of us misuse the bad language still - have you seen YouTubeSunshine project?
In this presentation by Marta Kagan however it does look perfect - I really enjoyed it! Hope you will like it too...

What The F**K is Social Media?

View SlideShare presentation or Upload your own. (tags: socialmediamarketing marketing)

Hunger in Texas - on-line support

Let me quote the site:

'Did you know

• Nearly one in five adults and one in four children in Texas are hungry.
• 41,000 children under the age of 18 in Travis County are confronted with food insecurity every day.
• 82% of Food Bank Partner Agency recipients are food insecure. 49% of recipients experience outright hunger. (Source: Hunger in America 2006: Central Texas Report, in association with America's Second Harvest)
• 61% of Austin Independent School District (AISD) students are eligible for free or reduced lunch.'

I did not. So I posted a comment. I hope it's not a scam - but only because I read about scams a lot nowadays;)

They seems to plan activities on Twitter too.

TUTEC - a new way of life? :)

Just finishing going through my pictures from Hungary I remembered to check the website of my friend's son, Gergo, who decided to introduce a new way of life - life in a silk hammock! TUTEC is a hammock made of parachute silk in a range of lovely colors (end of the ad, hehe) and I simply love it!!!:) I just ordered another one to have here and enjoy it with my son! I think ideas like this one simply cannot not work! The website itself shines with happiness and rather free, relaxing lifestyle:)

(I'll add the pix tomorrow, my web connection is SHIIIIT!)

Update: pix added:P

State of panic...

..is what I am in! I am not able to run 5 km without stopping! Why is it so difficult?! I spent my summer training as much as I can, but I do not think it's enough. OK, I did nothing for 3 years, still, I am not 60! I do not smoke! I hardly ever drink! I changed my diet and I eat properly! And, oh Lord! - I GAVE UP CHOCOLATE!
I am so annoyed with my own body!


Additionally, I have received my number and the actual route of the run. I feel shitty about myself but I hope I will be able to try it out at least the day before:/ (to see the point where I will stop and start walking?! ahhh!). I must admit that this whole idea of collecting money for charity really works - I might not do much, but my own daily sacrifice and the frustration I have to put up - if only I could measure it in £'s! - is enormous! My dear friends, like Javi, donate to keep me going because they know my personal experience of slight domestic violence and they understand my reasons.
They keep telling me it's not about running the run. Still, no matter how funny the idea of becoming the last person to arrive is - I will burn in shame if I do not deliver. Burn, like the Amnesty candle on my t-shirt:P

If you still want to support Amnesty, do donate though! I am going through all this humiliation just to help few people out! You can as well...

Facebook virus?! what is this shit?

Oh, just opened my Facebook index and found this:


My ass might not be too bad...still...considering Arnaud is my friend's husband (we do not correspond) and I did not take any videos of my ass AT ALL, I think it's a shitty virus. Did anyone receive something similar? It's not the first time I struggle with this social network and I see traffic decreasing there. Maybe we should all move on? If so, where to? To Twitter and Friendfeed+it's developments? To mobile blogging? To Flickr and YouTube?

I might do...Facebook begins to annoy me with unnecessary issues.

UPDATE: Yep, all of his friends got it! Be aware!

Elizabeth: The Golden Age

Source: Buzzsugar

'Elizabeth: The Golden Age' is first film I decided to buy to my DVD collection since ages. I have heard quite good opinions about this one, so for a few moneyz it really was a good move:) I do not know why but the older I get the more sensitive I become and I really need to take it easy with intense images! This one is really well done, and I think I would like it less if living in Hungary still. There must be a hidden feeling of charm of the local history behind the fact that I spent 2 hours last night staring into my laptop putting my evening coffee away...
Kate Blanchett always seems to be a symbol if innocent beauty - please do not ask me why - but it's not the only striking thing about this one - she basically showed the ful process of development of that key figure of British history, in few uncertain gestures, glimpses, in simplicity and clear mind...I like seing strong personalities - even if in fictive creations.

I shifted from buying music, so I WILL bore you with a few more classics, hehe...

Image via Wikipedia

It's really good to see how developped the world of news is and that reporters are brave to be in hot spots of the world. I might be shocked by the events in South Ossetia, but I am happy to be able to see the events day-by-day and understand the conflict better. Check BBC site for great report here. Ah, wonders of the web!:)

Flock 2 in beta

Those of you who follow me on Twitter might know that few days ago I gave up waiting on feedback to my e-mail to Flock guys and decided to use Firefox 3. Actually, I still think it's a great browser, BUT! The very same Flock person picked up my mentioned tweet and responded immediately - which something bloggers like:) and deserves appraisal. I was given a chance to try out the beta 2 version of Flock and must admit that it works better on my Vista now. I am still trying it out (I really like the blog posting options on Flock - mainly when my xx wifi provider is shit and the connection dies every few seconds and I need to post quickly on few servers), but I noticed two reasons against using it on an on-going basis.
1. Flock does not allow me to upload a pic to the posting window directly - for me it's pain in the neck, since I am a photographer and I like posting my own s....hizzle:)
2. I have just discovered Zemanta Firefox add-on which is simply very, very cool and I am still enojying using it for tagging!

I am impressed by the outreach of Flock guys, so I will keep using both for a while (Flock from home probably, due to my shitty connection) and keep an eye on Flock's improvements. It has potential, so let's see.

Two important readings

I have not mentioned two important books I have read lately, I believe. Both were written by novelists born in Afghanistan, both books became quite famous. I usually tend to be quite careful about 'the bests', this time nonetheless I was forced to buy something on a  way to Budapest, so here is what I think.


'Samir and Samira' is a novel written by Siba Shakib, a woman and I would love to know opinions of male readers about the story and values. For me personally it was pretty straitforward for see decision process happening int he head of a girl who was raised as a boy and came to the point when she had to choose. Did she really choos? Did she choose right? For me this is not the part that really matters - it's the reasons behind each step of her life; the moments of discoveries (you know very well when the personality slaps you and it's not really measurable in tears or silences, but in the heaviness of the discovery!); the unbearable reality of the book and brittiant language of a woman who knows what she is writing about. Just as mistique as women's world, and as cruel and tense as men's world can be...

'The Kite Runner' - if you haven't read it yet - is a book written by a man who also is fully aware of Afghan reality and his approach is quite realistic. Instead of mystique explanations he is using emotional set ups and triggers to make you cry! Seriously, I cried like a baby! (the Hungarian lady on the train must think that foreigners are bizarre..)  And I do read the news, I see the pictures, I KNOW what is happening in Afghanistan. I did not understand though, and this book opened my eyes slightly thanks to brilliant structure, symbolism and craft of Khaled Hosseini's writing. It's more than worth reading, it's worth keeping on the shelf - just in case if my poetic soul carries me away from every day life. This book will bring me back on the surface of earth with a huge bang!

So, if you want to more about a place where you probably will not travel to for a while, try those out!

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what the f@@@ is going on!?!

(Source article here)
I've been following the events in Georgia for a while, took part in discussions on InterNations (opinions of expatriates seem very broad and in depth to me, very valuable) and still, I cannot f@@@ing believe it is happening! Check the source article for more...I'd rather not start, it makes me sick even to think about it...

Amnesty news

Dear Amnesty Supporter

This month we have an exciting event coming up at the Human Rights Action Centre with readings from the play 'Life on the Borderline'. We also urge you to take action in the case of Shamameh Ghorbani who has been sentenced to 100 lashes by the Iranian authorities

Activism Team
Amnesty International UK

Event

Life on the Borderline. Writer Hoshiar has spent 8 years as an asylum seeker. Set at a border crossing, this play incorporates both his own experiences, and some of the many stories told to him by other asylum seekers. Book this event

The event takes place at the Human Rights Action Centre on Tuesday 9 September. For more information please click on the flyer:

Actions

Iran: Fear of flogging Shamameh Ghorbani has been sentenced to 100 lashes, after being found guilty of adultery at a retrial. Her sentence could be carried out at any time. Take action

News

Suspension of stoning executions a welcome step if carried out. Amnesty International has welcomed the recent announcement by the spokesperson for Iran's Judiciary that execution by stoning has been suspended Read the report

You can always find out more on these and other issues on the Women's Action Network pages of our website.

Blondies more successful?

Photographs: AFP/ AP

Just checked my new Twitter followers and discovered Hong Kong Wong blog post about the opening on Beijing Olympics, this one here..
Let me quote the source as well: 'The little girl who starred at the Olympic opening ceremony was miming and only put on stage because the real singer was not considered attractive enough, the show's musical director said."
Now, remember my post about me staying consciously blond? And you think I was joking?
Check what Hong Kong Wong mentions and the Guardian write about the looks related to the successfulness of women in China and the UK and think about it? Personally I have experienced more positive responses to my enquiries both at work as well as in private life - that in the UK and Hungary. I wonder how it works in other parts of the world.

I will not go into the details of how ethical the opening situation of Olympics was, it's quite obvious:/

Twitter again!

Just decided to sit back in front of my pc - tried not to, just to enjoy last hours of my holidays but checking my mail I realised that while I was away in Budapest I have received an invite to Twitterfone - a Twitter tool based on voice recognition allowing you to update the Twitter account via voice call. Cool, easy to use and really working;) -in Budapest I actually enjoyed keeping in touch with my friends and readers via Twitter last week - NOT browsing, blogging, checking my mail:) which is why I am getting so exited about a tool that for some of you might be boring already, hehe.

Happy Second Anniversary to Lolly btw!:)

#080808

I like the date, I like the day - last day of work before my holiday trip to Budapest:)
China is celebrating, Chinese Twitter users are celebrating too. Check this article, and their blog for more info.

I joined, so follow me on Twitter:)

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Amnesty (again) and Google...and blogging ethics!

There is an interesting article on Amnesty's activities (mainly in Australia) before Beijing here. It also links to something that we all think about nowadays and touches upon privacy issues - Google Street Mapping. (see Stilgherrian's post). I would be very interested to hear what you think. On Twitter opinions are skeptical, still I personally have nothing against it - we do live in CCTV age and if I need to loose a bit of my own privacy but gain on my security - I would agree - I think I agreed long time ago, actually. The thought of having on-line view of my flat windows available doesn't scare me - mine faces one of the main squares of our little town, other one of the main paths. (I would be interested to know what EU and UK law states about privacy in Google's case though. Any lawyers around?)Browsing around all those Amnesty sites I have found an interesting guide to blogging (fresh, March 2008, great graphics btw) including few notes on ethics written by Dan Gillmor (interested in privacy issues, as far as I can see) , who finds basis for blogging ethics in journalism: 'There are pillars of good journalism: thoroughness, accuracy, fairness, transparency and independence.'I thing it's a valid point - according to Fromm, there are two types of ethics - modern ethics (due to the commercialism and tolerance based development of societies this set of rules is based on our subjective judgments, i.e. code of ethics must be agreed on by majority of us) or traditional ethics (set of rules given by superior 'powers' - however we define those - always objective). If we want to follow modern approach, we still need traditional (journalistic) point of view at least to start developing our own codes of blogging ethics.

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Beijing and Social Media

OK, I have moaned about it and how skeptical I am but the more I read about the Olympics web coverage the friendlier the idea becomes. Today Lolly drooped me a link to Buzz Attitude article describing Lenovo team of bloggers and their WOM activities covering Olympics. Check out the Voices of the Olympic Games site - it really looks impressive, and I am surely going to keep my eyes open for more info there, mainly on their interactive guide. At the same time Read Write Web posted great article about other sponsors and their involvement here. McDonald's The Lost Ring made me stop for a sec - that's how far I get involved in gaming:) - since it doesn't look bad. More on-line, just do a good Google search:)


I can't wait to see the result of Chinese web surveys in few moths time, but I was told already today by someone experienced in Asian marketing that Chinese audience will escape the challenging really and start using web more (this might be a simple personal opinion though, wouldn't make a bet). Let's see...

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Beijing will get YouTube coverage

The Guardian is just informing that Olympics will get a YouTube channel coverage. This makes me slightly confused - maybe I am just grumpy today and didn't have enough coffee, but...can we please give Chinese audience full access to YouTube service instead?

Update: here we go, US reacts differently this time? hm...

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Amnesty news today

Check out what is happening in Texas today:/ :

José Medellín, a Mexican national, is scheduled to be executed on August 5th in Texas, despite not having been informed of his right to seek assistance from Mexican consular officials. Mexican nationals have often been sentenced to death in the US despite being denied this right, yet the US is obligated by Article 36 of the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations (VCCR) to inform foreign nationals of their right to seek consular assistance. The US Supreme Court, the State of Texas and the US Government all agree that there is a binding legal obligation to comply with the decision of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ordering “review and reconsideration” of the consular treaty violation in José Medellín’s case, and the US Congress is currently reviewing legislation that would implement the ICJ decision. Urge Texas officials to honor US treaty commitments by granting clemency for José Medellín.'

source and more here

No comments...

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London - the way I like it

Is there:


I am glad I've discovered it all by myself. And I will continue visiting it - there...:)

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King Lear, Globe

Once again I trembled out of...happiness, sorrow, joy, compassion and finally mourning the death of the author himself. If you watch 'King Lear' in the Globe in London you cannot not think about Shakespeare and his times. And as in those times there was stupid people in the audience (only that this time they forgot to switch their mobile off) and like in his times they deserved obvious shush from more cultured members of the crowd. Like in his times there was blood on stage, rain and sunshine...Like in his days there was a dove flying down to walk on the stage just when the old King was about to wake up to see Cornelia again.

Only for few seconds did I remember my times - when a plane flew over the roofs of the theater.

But most of the time - time which I cannot stop thinking off - my soul was stolen and drifted over to well crafted fable about an unhappy King and his three daughters.

'Men must endure
Their going hence, even as their coming hither;
Ripeness is all.'

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Being blond pays off...

..even if men think you are stupid, hehe...I got to take an earlier bus, than the booked one. I got to have my bag carried in London (hellou? I never thought this would happen!) and I got served properly and quickly in a fast food...all this with a silly blond smile!
Worked!

I decided to keep the hair color and use this tactics more often from now on! Hell yes, why not!

(BTW - why? can someone tell me why??? maybe an educated feminist, please?;))

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My photos from Spain! Finally

Here:

Montilla

and here:

Tuna music

and here:

Spanish wedding

and here:

Cordoba

Uff...done. Budapest next!

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