By Mike Saucier (@MikeTheSauce)
It was likely an unexpected leap into the world of the viral this week for Jennifer Foster of Florence, who was visiting Times Square with her husband Nov. 14 when they saw a shoeless man asking for change. She took a photograph which showed NYPD Officer Larry DePrimo, 25, giving shoes and socks to the barefoot man. The photo has been viewed 1.9 million times to date. The officer said he was “concerned about the man’s well-being in frigid weather and paid $75 out of his own pocket for the insulated shoes and thermal socks,” according to Newsday.
Foster made Officer DePrimo an overnight Internet hero. She is a civilian communications director for the Pinal County Sheriff’s Office, according to the New York Times. She told the Times that the scene hit home for her because “she remembered as a young girl seeing her father, a 32-year veteran of the Phoenix police force, buy food for a homeless man.”
“He squatted down, just like this officer,” she told the paper.
New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg (@MikeBloomberg) tweeted a link to the Times article about Foster’s photo, adding: The kindness of #NYPD Officer Lawrence DePrimo is an important reminder to give back this holiday season.”
Speaking of viral, Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg knows a few things about the power of images and sharing. And who knew that the Internet entrepreneur was staying at one of the coolest hotels around, the La Posada in Winslow? Well, PR guru Jason Rose and his wife, president and founder of the Rose Law Group Jordan Rose, knew. In fact, the Rose family bumped into one of the world’s most influential and wealthiest people in the world. He was more than gracious, the Roses told TwitterZona.
Jason Rose (@jasonrosepr) tweeted about the exchange: “Why #travel is so random and amazing: we met facebook founder mark zuckerberg at la posada hotel in winslow, #arizona. Great guy.”
The remaining question is: Did Zuckerberg and his wife Priscilla Chan stroll down the street and do the requisite “standing on the corner of Winslow, Arizona” photo op?
Gov. Jan Brewer became the latest state leader to turn back a state-based insurance exchange under President Obama’s healthcare law, declaring that Arizona will leave the task to the federal government and citing cost as a factor.
This of course generated reaction on Twitter, some supporting the governor, some not.
Nick Dranius (@NickDranias), aConstitutional scholar and litigator who Led Goldwater Institute’s successful challenge to the Arizona Citizens Clean Elections Act before SCOTUS, tweeted: “Everyone give Gov. Brewer props. She rejected health exchanges. She resisted immense influence to do the right thing. She is my governor.”
House Minority Leader Chad Campbell (@repcampbell): “Gov. Brewer hands over control of Health Insurance Exchange to the Feds. So much for local control…”
Campbell sparred on Twitter with conservative Breitbart activist and political scientist/consultant Shane Wikfors (@ShaneWikfors) on the Brewer decision. Wikfors summed up his take on the matter with this tweet: “Gov Brewer basically told Pres Obama, ‘its your health care program. You own it. You pay for it!’”
On the immigration front, Sen. Jon Kyl and Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison of Texas, unveiled the Achieve Act, an alternative to the DREAM Act. It would allow illegal immigrants brought to the U.S. as children to receive special visas to stay and they would be able to attend college or serve in the military and receive a green card.
Robert Robb (@RJRobb) of the Republic’s editorial pages, observed rightly with this tweet: “Those condemning Kyl’s dreamer proposal are forgetting that legislation still has to pass the House.”
And the Republic’s downtown Phoenix reporter Eugene Scott (@Eugene_Scott) tweeted: “@MayorStanton said all residents are worthy of respect regardless of immigration status #westphoenixtownhall”
RANDOM
“…Not sent or guided in a particular direction; made, done, occurring, etc., without method or conscious choice.”
That’s random. That’s these tweets. The best part about Twitter is the randomness.
Writer, social media strategist, TV personality and former AZ Weekly contributor Kinsey Schofield (@kinseyschofield), to her 170,000+ followers: “Sometimes I wish I were Zac Efron‘s toothbrush.”
Cronkite student Jordan Hamm (@JordyHamm): “To the guy in Taylor Mall: You aint Harry Potter and this temperature doesn’t constitute ‘sweater weather.’”
Stephanie Lough (@StephLough) of Arcadia: “I really need to start reading the washing labels on clothes before I buy them. ‘Hand wash’might as well be ‘Wear once.’”
Twitter can have the tendency to make one very self-Twitter-conscious, as these next couple tweets suggest:
Doug Mings (@douglasmings) of the Sierra Club in Arizona: “6 people unfollowed me on Twitter, thanks @useqwitter for letting me know. Did I say something wrong?”
Mike McCollum (@desertMike):“I got nothing intelligent to tweet, so I’m just a RT fiend for about 20 minutes.”
Lobbyist and owner @govgroupaz, Genevra Richardson (@GeeBomb) of Phoenix: “Honey u haven’t been tweeting much lately #saysmyhusband who only follows @KirkHerbstreit. Honey this one’s 4u #wheresdinner #twitterstalker”
Kendall Marshall (@KButter5) of the Suns: “I hate when someone calls me a word I have to look up on google for the meaning, it delays my anger.”
And Marshall again with: “If I could be anybody for one day, definitely would be James Bond.”
Reg Saddler (@zaibatsu), who is “just a guy who loves Social Media, Tech, Photos and Humor” tweeted: “I’ve been doing a lot of abstract painting lately, extremely abstract. No brush, no paint, no canvas, I just think about it.”
Christmas is breaking out all over, not just on KESZ-FM 99.9. There are no springs of holly embedded in Christmas-y tweets, but Twitter can be a festive place to gear up for the holidays.
Nicole Crites (@nicolecrites), a CBS 5 Morning News Anchor/ Reporter, tweeted: “My husband is singing & whistling ‘Rockin’ in a winter wonderland’ #loveit”
And Chandler Mayor Jay Tibshraeny (@jaytibshraeny) tweeted: “Did you know it takes 1,500 to 2,000 tumbleweeds to make Chandler’s great holiday tree? 2012 marks the 56th anniversary of the tree.
Cindy McCain (@CindyhM1):“I made @AnnDRomney meatloaf tonight. My family LOVED it!!! First time for me producing a meatloaf that they like! Thank you Ann!!”
SHOUT OUTS AND SHAMELESS PLUGS
Twitter brings out people’s tastes and people like to see what other people like to eat, read, drink or see. Why, who knows? But it’s true. Here’s what some said they liked this week.
Kathy Sacks (@kathysacks), an “entrepreneur, intrepid marketer, VP Comm @infusionsoft, environmental crusader, wannabe vegan, @howardsternfan, SolidGold dancer” loves her some Nutella, so much so that she shared a link about its tour truck stopping here. “Nutella Breakfast Tour Truck (Whaaat!?) Coming to the Valley Starting Tomorrow ow.ly/fBgth”
The only reason this one made it is because it’s one of @MikeTheSauce’s favorite books. Thomas Galvin Jr. (@ThomasGalvin), policy advisor to Brenda Burns at Arizona Corporation Commission, responding to a Washington Post survey asking which is the best presidential biogrpahy, tweeted: “The Rise of @TheodoreRoosevelt by @Edmund_Morris RT @washingtonpost The best of the best presidential biographies http://wapo.st/QsH3n2”
This hasn’t even happened yet and it’s getting a plug. If the rumblings are true, it’s great news. Scottsdale-based PR machine Melissa Rein (@melissarein) tweeted: “Rumblings that yet another killer chef/concept moving in to 36th/Indian School digs alongside Becketts& Crudo. #eatingoodintheneighborhood”
Aforementioned House Minority Leader Chad Campbell (@repcampbell) gave a hearty endorsement to a couple N. Central Avenue eateries: “Nothing better than dinner at The Windsor and then dessert at Churn on a Friday night!”
TWEET OF THE WEEK
Twitter is often the playground for those who like snark for the sake of snark, occasional viciousness or just silliness. But it’s also home to a million kindnesses and expressions of compassion toward fellow man. With that, and since it’s the holidays, this tweet by Star Padilla (@starpadilla) was apt.
Padilla, a social media and content director for @EminentSEO, tweeted: “I challenge you to say one kind thing to everyone you meet today.”
(TwitterZona is a column about Arizona tweets from movers and shakers in government, the sports world, newsrooms, public relations, the commentariat, business and enterprise, entertainment, the restaurant and nightlife scene, and arenas in between. Tweet selection is based on whether it is funny, clever, timely, insightful, provocative, sweet, moving, uplifting, or if it was an apt way of commenting on the issue of the moment.
It was conceived by and written by Phoenix resident Mike Saucier, @MikeTheSauce, a former newspaper reporter and editor in Massachusetts and New York City and a former spokesman for the New York City Department of Environmental Protection and the New York City Department of Correction.)
