Cher is not dead. The latest Twitter death hoax played out in rapid real time on Thursday night, only to be quickly proven false. The 65-year-old singer is alive and well and at home in Malibu, hanging with comedian Kathy Griffin and watching reruns of son Chaz on Dancing with the Stars. (Okay, so we made up that last part!)
It was a mixed week for women in politics, especially from those in states and countries beginning with the letter ‘A’.
Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ-8) resigned her seat via a YouTube video. Giffords was severely wounded last year when she was shot in the head during a Tuscon shooting rampage. Her recovery thus far has been incredible, yet partial, and her moving video announcement was only eclipsed by her appearance on the House floor during President Obama’s State of the Union address (more popularly known now as #SOTU). Obama and Giffords exchanged a long and swaying embrace – only the staunchest Tea Party members were able to keep their eyes dry.
A day later, President Obama flew to Arizona, only to be greeted by a finger-pointing Republican governor Jan Brewer. The photo posted ’round the online channels is drawing some unfortunate comparisons.
Meanwhile, in Australia, Prime Minister Julia Gillard required an avalanche of security to remove her from a glass restaurant where an angry mob of Aboriginal activists pounded on the windows. In the ensuing pandemonium, the PM lost a shoe. A Tumblr blog called Julia Gillard’s Shoe is covering the saga.
Not be outdone by these lovely ladies, the GOP men running for president continued to make headlines. Newt Gingrich, in an effort to out-space alien opponent Ron Paul, promised that the US would not only colonize on the moon if he became president, we’d make it a state! Senator John Kerry (D-MA) showed up at #SOTU with two black eyes – reportedly from a couple of hockey pucks gone astray.
Beyond the political realm, people were talking about Pinterest – the new social media tool that has entered the Social Media Top 10, thus warranting you to check it out. Might be a good thing, since it was reported that Facebook can make you depressed. Silicon Valley got the sh*t people say treatment, with a video that quickly went viral and if you think Kim Dotcom is not a real person, think again.
Kathy Drasky regularly writes about online culture. Her marketing and communications work with the ANZA Technology Network, Advance Global Australians and with various Australians and Australian enterprises has led to at least a dozen trips Down Under.
An accomplished digital photographer, her photos have appeared in 7×7 Magazine, the San Francisco Chronicle and Google Schmap.
