Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack is telling the public that pork is safe to eat. But, Sen. Chuck Grassley is taking it a step further.

In a conference call with Iowa reporters today, Grassley said he’s eaten more than one pork chop this week, and even said he’s alerted his Twitter followers to the safety of pork. Watch the clip below.

For those of you who missed the tweet from @ChuckGrassley, here it is:

“U can’t get swine flu fr eating pork. Eatup. Regardless of epidemic.”

For more information on the H1N1 flu virus including symptoms, treatment and the latest news, check out our special coverage section.
KWWL.com EXTRA: H1N1 Flu

-jj

Posted under Health

We’re all doing it. Cutting out a coffee break, buying used instead of new, skipping the manicure.

The last two weeks have involved a serious overhaul of my finances. Instead of keeping a ballpark bank account balance in my head, it’s become necessary to account for every cent.

A few months ago I signed up for mint.com after a recommendation from a friend. It made me a little nervous to put all my financial information in one place, but receipts and bank statements weren’t giving me a clear picture of the problem.

I did some research on Mint before signing up. I’m always a little skeptical of anything that asks for my financial info. The reviews on some of my fav tech blogs put my mind at ease. But it was a review on blippr that sold me. One user wrote, “Mint reveals a disturbing trend: I buy as much fast food as groceries. ugh.” That’s the kind of analysis I need.

Based on your income and bills, Mint creates a budget for you. Every week it gives you an update on how you actually spent your money. It also alerts you when a bill is overdue or when you go over budget in a certain area.

I tried some other budgeting sites, but they required me to update my information every month. With Mint, I entered my information once and it does the rest. The easier something is, the more likely I am to use it.

There’s also a debt reduction feature. Mint looks at the interest rates on your credit cards and loans and helps you pay off the most expensive ones first.

According to a post on Mashable today, Mint is also beta testing a new feature called Financial Fitness. Basically it shows you what you’re doing right, what you should have done, and what you can do right now to improve your finances.

The one thing Mint can’t help you with is self control. I’m very talented at talking myself into a night out on the town. And Mint will not stop me. But it will send me a text message saying I exceeded my dining budget.

Have any other online money resources? I’m always open to suggestions! Leave a comment!

-jj

Posted under Economy, Web/Tech

It’s no surprise - the hottest online categories for 2009 are social media and video.

This week Nielsen released new data showing just how far our relationship with social sites and viral videos have come.

I’m kind of burned out on talking about social media this week, so let’s focus on the success of online video.

According to the Nielson data, video has seen an increase in audience and in engagement, meaning more people are watching online videos and they are watching them for longer periods of time. Unique visitors to video sites have grown 339 percent and the average time spent on the sites has increased almost 2,000 percent since 2003.

Think about it. In 2003, there were a handful of sites I visited to view 2-3 minute viral video clips. Now, I do about a quarter of my weekly “television” watching online, using a countless number of sites. And I’m not alone. Earlier this week, NBC announced it’s served one billion video streams since launching it’s full episode player 18 months ago. After the fear of lost viewers began to set in, the networks finally sat down and revamped their video players - a move that radically changed the user experience. But, let’s be honest, what’s driving much of online viewing these days is the aggregate sites like Hulu. Any way you look at, we’re watching more and we’re watching longer.

Gone are the days when we set our clocks to catch that special episode. My parents are visiting from Africa, and catching up on their American TV. I gave my dad full control of the remote last night and he started to panic when he accidently interrupted a recording on my DVR. To which I replied, “I’ll watch it online tomorrow.”

It always interests me to think about where we’ve been and where we’re going. From YouTube to Hulu to ?

You can read the full Nielson report here.

Your thoughts? Leave a comment.

-jj

Posted under Web/Tech

Ron Steele has become my Twitter project. I have a lot of respect for him, but I also find him extremely entertaining. And what better place to share his insights than Twitter. Twitter has become something that Ron and I can bond over, and today he was quick to ask if I was following Ashton yet. To which I responded with a roll of the eye and an, “Absolutely not.”

To those of you who haven’t read the latest Twitter news, here’s the short version. CNN had been the Twitter leader for months with more followers than anyone else in the world. Recently, Ashton Kutcher issued a challenge to the news giant and its owner. If Ashton could beat CNN to one million followers, he would prank Ted Turner. On a charitable note CNN and Ashton also agreed the winner would donate 10,000 mosquito nets and the loser would donate 1,000 to charity. Well, in case you missed it - Ashton won - by about 30 minutes.

While I am a big fan of following someone (on Twitter), I am not a fan of being a follower (as in doing something because everyone else is.)

My parents have dedicated their entire lives to charitable work and I grew up doing the same. So, I’m glad that both Ashton and CNN took the opportunity to benefit a good cause. But, I’m a firm believer that if you are willing to donate $1,000 to Darfur if 100,000 people join a Facebook group, you should be willing to donate the money even if they don’t.

While I don’t consider myself a rebellious person, I’ve always taken issue with doing something merely because I’m being told to. I can remember when my mother finally realized that if she could explain the necessity for a rule, I would gladly follow it, but if she gave me the answer, “Because I said so,” the outcome was a bit more uncertain.

According to comScore, Twitter more than doubled its users in March, reaching 9.3 million. And this growth is the reason that this weekend alone about 20 of my friends joined Twitter. But, the majority of this new batch of Twitter friends included all the Oprah fans in my life. Sigh.

When she tweeted for the first time on Friday, there were panicked predictions Oprah and her fleet of female followers would crash Twitter. While I have a great deal of respect for Oprah as a philanthropist, I’m skeptical of the women who base their reading list and social media choices on a TV host.

But, despite my opinion, the journalist in me requires that I give voice to the opposition. There are many who claim that celebrities and certain brands are making Twitter more accessible and opening it up to a non-traditional audience. While the tech kids have dominated Twitter up to this point, it is the Oprah and Ashton’s that are creating a more diverse Twitter-verse.

However, since this is my blog, I get to end on my opinion. Just in case you are curious, I do follow CNN, but I have been following them since before the big race. And because I do not find Ashton or Oprah particularly interesting, I will not be following them even if it is the cool thing to do. I use Twitter because I think it is a useful, engaging way to connect with other people and participate in a global discussion.

Feel free to agree or disagree. Leave a comment.

-jj

Posted under Web/Tech

On Easter Sunday I saw the tweet “I wonder how many more people would pay attention if they tweeted the sermon?” It was worth a chuckle at the time, but I didn’t think much about it until a producer sent me this article today.

News 14: Church promotes social media during sermon

A pastor in North Carolina encouraged church-goers to bring their smart phones and tweet their thoughts about the sermon. He views it as an outreach tool - a way to share with those outside the church walls. And the participants interviewed for the story seemed in favor of the addition.

I know churches that have Twitter accounts, but I never imagined a pastor would actually bring Twitter into the sanctuary. It’s an interesting idea. One that I could see being both beneficial and distracting.

I guess it’s similar to the debate about computers in a classroom. Sure, they give students the chance to check Facebook instead of taking notes, but do the educational advantages outweigh the distractions?

My dad is a minister, and as someone who grew up in the church, I can say that technology has continued to change how many church services are conducted. It’s moved from hymnals to projectors and now to sophisticated Power Point presentations. I know churches that have multi-camera productions that are translated into podcasts or even streamed live on the church Web site.

While I highly doubt this will catch on in many other churches, it’s an interesting approach to merging technology and religion.

-jj

Posted under Uncategorized, Web/Tech

Don’t draw any conclusions from the title. I am not getting married any time soon, but that doesn’t mean I’m not absorbed in wedding planning.

I will be involved in at least two weddings this summer, and I’m sure, will end up attending countless others. While weddings are a fabulous, meaningful occasion, the planning that goes into them gives me a migraine.

Even without being the bride, and only being part of the wedding party, there are still fittings and plenty of pre-ceremony activities to plan for. And even if you’re just attending the wedding, there are still gifts, RSVP’s and travel plans to keep track of. With weddings - planning is everything.

Yesterday I received a panicked SOS from one of the brides I am helping out. She doesn’t have anyone with experience nearby to help and not being overly familiar with weddings herself, is terribly afraid she will forget some type of special flower arrangement or have some type of terrible faux pas during her ceremony.

Thankfully, weddings are becoming more unique and it’s culturally acceptable to part from tradition - so I assured her that if something was unusually done at the wedding, most people would probably think it was on purpose.

While the ultimate wedding planner has been the staple for years, the paperback version is going high tech in the age of smart phones, Facebook and Twitter (hence the reason I’m writing about weddings). Instead of toting around a bulky planner with notes scribbled in the margin, you can get reminder e-mails and use handy budget calculators.

Here’s a few wedding related sites that friends have recommended:

TheKnot.com
The Knot offers all of the planner elements (To-do list, budget calculator, guest list and registry) with a social networking twist. There’s a community and Facebook page to connect with other bride-to-be’s. You can also create your own wedding page to show to friends and family that includes your story, photos and wedding details. Plus, there are quizzes and thousands of photo ideas to use for inspiration. Requires free registration to access most of the content.

WedPlan.com
While not as comprehensive as The Knot, WedPlan.com is a good compliment and takes things a step farther. You can search by zip code and the site will show you vendors and bridal shows in your area (Note: The site focuses mostly on Wisconsin and Illinois but does branch out into Minnesota and Iowa). There are also planning worksheets that include garments and measurements for attendants and a wedding day checklist.

OneStopWeddingPlanner.com
If you have a general idea what you want and simply want an efficient way to organize and plan, I like the One Stop Wedding Planner. There are spreadsheets and sections for everything including the guest list, registries, floor plans, music, gifts/favors, transportation, food, the wedding party… There’s also a handy wedding glossary. For example - if your florist starts talking about an oasis for the flower arrangement - it’s in the glossary.

KWWL.com
I couldn’t help it! I can’t talk about online resources without showcasing my own Web site! Seriously though, we do have a great wedding page. Every week there is a feature wedding. You can see photos and read about a real wedding to get some inspiration. You can also ask questions of Carley, the resident wedding expert, and get some money saving tips. It’s not the ultimate planning guide, but another good resource.

If you know of other online wedding essentials - leave a comment!

-jj

Posted under Web/Tech

It’s time to start planning. I’m ready for float trips, camping, hiking. Really, I’m just ready to finally get outdoors after the long Iowa winter.

Recently I ran across a great Web site to help plan your summer travels. What really impressed me was its focus on the Midwest. Videotripper.com is like a Facebook for travelers and recreation lovers, allowing them to interact with each other and post events and comments. But the social networking aspect is really just a sidebar to the main event.

I think Michael Cole with Videotripper.com explains it best:
“VideoTripper.com is a visual search engine where you will find everything in one website also allowing you to actually see the destinations in a video tour directly from the map they reside in. Double click to zoom in and you have instant directions, click on an video icon and “see” what’s nearby and click the link to their profile page in our social network or their website for more information if you wish.”

The site already includes video tours for museums, water parks, golf courses, trails and wineries. And there are several big projects on the agenda now that the weather has improved, including shooting video in all of the Iowa and Minnesota state parks.

I actually ran into this problem last year while planning a KWWL camping trip. I wasn’t familiar with many of the parks in the area and was a bit hesitant to settle on a campsite without being able to see it. As much as I love a little adventure and mystery, I also wanted to make sure I was picking a picturesque location.

Michael and the gang are looking for lots of feedback (and of course lots of people to sign up as members). If you’re in vacation-planning mode, I think it’s worth checking out.

-jj

Posted under Travel, Web/Tech

Apparently, yesterday was the 40th birthday of the Internet - and I missed it! But it’s nothing a belated birthday card can’t fix.

More specifically, yesterday was the birthday of RFC’s, which some claim is the start of the structured Internet we know today. Actually, there are several separate followings when it comes to the birthplace of the Internet…1961, 1969, 1982. It all boils down to what you consider the starting point. Is the start when four computers were first networked together and exchanged information between research centers on the west coast, or is it when the technology became available to the public?

While many sites yesterday claimed it was the birthday of the Internet, one of the key players involved in its beginnings instead describes it as the 40th anniversary of when the Internet received rules.

Most of us don’t think of the Internet as having rules. On the contrary, we think of it as a blank canvas where anything is possible. But, if we didn’t have a common language to turn numbers, letters and symbols into pictures on a page, we wouldn’t get very far.

Stephen Crocker wrote a great Op-Ed piecefor the New York Times yesterday. He was a student at UCLA included in the original research project and he wrote the first RFC, or Request for Comments. Basically, it was a document to create common rules for the Internet. Crocker wrote that he was afraid of acting like an expert and making someone angry and that’s why he titled it a request for comments.

The odd thing is that the original RFC’s were sent back and forth via snail mail and photocopied. Each RFC receives a unique number and today there are more than 5,000.

I couldn’t help but get caught up in Crocker’s description of hiding in a bathroom and writing the first document. I can’t imagine what it would be like to know sit there, knowing you were involved in something that could change history, and then, 40 years later, seeing how it’s an integral part of our daily lives.

Maybe it’s my job, or just my curious imagination, but I’m continually fascinated by the power of the Internet and its affect on our lives. I’ve thought about unplugging for a few days and experiencing life offline. Of course, the fact that I run KWWL.com makes that impossible. And I think I would feel lonely and disconnected.

I am part of the last generation that will remember life without the Internet. I clearly remember the first time I sat down and had the ability to browse the world wide web. I was terrified I would do something wrong, embarrassed that all my friends already seemed to know what they were doing, but insanely curious about the possibilities. And I only remember that first day in the computer lab, when I was in 7th grade. After that, all I remember is e-mail and chat rooms and Google.

Now I have friends that have to lock their computers because their four year old will climb up in the chair and get online.

Whether you’re an April 7 or January 1 follower, I think it’s worth taking a moment to think about how the Internet has changed our lives.

-jj

Posted under Web/Tech