Lincoln: the Movie

I just saw the new movie about Abraham Lincoln in the last few months of his life. As a history buff and movie lover, I found the movie fascinating and interesting. I highly recommend it. The authenticity is remarkable, and it also humanizes and brings Lincoln to life in a way that the animatrons at DisneyLand cannot.

I am sure that Daniel Day-Lewis will be nominated for an Oscar, and so might Sally Field. James Spader was magnificent as a scoundrel who helps Lincoln pass the 13th amendment. I read that even the sounds in the movie are authentic: the ticking of Lincoln's watch came from Lincoln's real watch that was found in a museum. The squeaking of chairs and floorboards, as well as the creaking of old doors, came from actual sounds recorded at the White House from furniture, floors and doors that Lincoln really used. A former high school classmate of mine, Gary Rydstrom, has won many Academy Awards for sound and I saw his name in the credits for Lincoln, too, so he may add another statue to his collection. We will see what the Academy does with nominating Steven Spielberg - he so deserves to win more statues.

If you like history, if you like to see the sausage-making process that goes into making a bill become law, or if you simply just like a film with great dialogue, I highly recommend the investment of your time to see Lincoln.

Is Twitter the new AP wire?

Why do people like, and some even love, social media? The Internet has been around for a long time now, and the rise of social media has eclipsed some of the more meteoric technology advancements of the recent past. In my opinion, what is important is the engagement and sense of belonging that people get from this medium. As a former journalist, I find the rapid fire reporting on Twitter to be similar to the old days of the AP / UPI wires. The difference, however, is that in the "old days" of the AP wire, the facts were checked and the information was considered reliable. Today, you have to be your own fact checker. I really like Twitter for the information it carries (knowing I need to check the facts), and for the engagement it can inspire. But beware that most items are opinions and some can be really off the rails. That is also the fun of it.

Twitter, like Facebook, Pinterest, and other social avenues, requires interaction to really get the most out of it. For all these media (dare I call them that?) you will get out of them what you put into them. Responsiveness is expected, maybe not immediately but soon; and you should be authentic in how you present yourself and your ideas. This is another difference between social mediums such as Twitter, and the " old days" of journalism. In the past, if you were a writer you were not expected to have an opinion. Now, it is "opinion-palooza" all the time! People who engage with you want to hear and read your personality and followers you have want to learn from you and hear your opinions.

If you are just starting out and learning about social media, dive in. That is the only way to learn about it. You will make mistakes, but that is OK. Have fun and engage. I will be interested in hearing about your experiences!