2007 was The Year of the Social Network. It might as well be a new marker somewhere on an astrological calendar.

Every year Google & other search engines publish a report of the most searched-for terms over the previous 365 days. These terms constitute the “buzz”–what’s really hot on cyberspace and therefore in the real world. Often the buzz is intertwined with what’s big in entertainment, what’s being hotly marketed in stores, and major stories that make the news. The buzz is what matters to us—lots of us.

Of the top 10 fastest rising (global) searches in 2007, Google reports all terms involve social networking or sites with social interaction—except #1, which is the Apple iPhone.

Badoo, Facebook, and Hi5 (consistently among the top searches on Yahoo every day) are the three terms that represent sites designed solely for social networking. eBuddy, another term on Google’s top 10, is a web-based instant messenger allowing users to utilize accounts on MSN messenger, Yahoo messenger, AOL AIM, and other popular options—even if the user’s access is otherwise blocked (such as instant messaging disabled at work or school). Again, a search term steeped in a social theme.

Online games with community features, for adults and children, also ranked highly this year. The wildly popular Second Life remains at the top of search engine charts, while up-and-comers WebKinz and Club Penguin [our review here] (both social sites for kids that involve virtual pets, like the once-juggernaut Neopets) underscore the fact that children today are very ‘net savvy. They’re a new powerhouse market on the www—WebKinz necessitates purchasing stuffed animals that can be played with online, so every child enjoying the WebKinz site is adding a little more cash to Ganz’s (the creators) pockets.

Video sites such as YouTube and Dailymotion also achieved global search stardom in 2007. YouTube is a phenomenon that’s now part of our everyday lexicon, as sure as if Merriam-Webster put it front and center on their dictionary. Sites like Break.com, Funny or Die (who will ever forget Pearl, the abusive 2 year old landlord in Will Ferrell’s short masterpiece this year?), and MySpace Videos also remain popular, but YouTube reigns supreme. Dailymotion was created to focus on animated videos, but a visit to the site reveals it is a cornucopia of live action as well. Both sites allow for user interaction, again bringing social networking into the scheme. Users can create channels, rate videos, leave comments, interact in groups, and more. (Tip for 2008: Keep an eye out for a growing niche video site with the same features, but focused solely on cute pooches: World Wide Fido.)

Google’s top 10 terms for the U.S. contains many of the same searches, with the addition of TMZ (notorious celebrity video and gossip site, which also encourages user interaction through comments), social networking site MySpace (the founders of which also made Barbara Walters’s list of the ten most fascinating people of 2007), tragic Anna Nicole Smith, breakout TV show Heroes, and the Transformers movie.

What we can take away from 2007’s buzz is that the Internet is once again the place for socializing. In its earliest days the ‘net was about interaction, too—before the “Information Superhighway” it was all bulletin boards and chat rooms, remnants of which can still be found in newsgroups such as Usenet. The emphasis now has come full circle. Sites like Facebook and MySpace invite people of all ages to keep up with existing friends and make new ones. The fact that so many sites are also geared towards children just goes to show this trend will not abate. A whole new generation of social networking is on the rise.

I think it will be a safe bet that such sites remain popular in 2008. Safe bets for regular searches will also include celebrities, movies, music, games, TV, and sports. In fact, Yahoo’s Buzz Index tracks all these categories daily, so they are sure to remain themes. But dotted here and there across the board will be sites that allow users to form relationships, network, promote themselves, share their creations, play games together, and otherwise engage in activities where it takes two (or millions) to tango.

Dina Ely is a freelance writer, poet, and author of short fiction. Readers can contact her at dely723@yahoo.com

We have two new groups on Facebook, which we want you to join. It’s truly amazing how powerful Facebook can be as a promotional and networking tool, so take advantage of it.

“This Just In - Lovers of Entertaining News” is for promotion of all news-related articles on Yovia, and for discussion of anything newsworthy. If it’s news and it’s entertaining, post it! Celeb news, weird news, world news…you name it. Join the “This Just In” group here.

“Get Paid to go to concerts” is the group accompanying our exciting new project, which is exactly what the title says. Get paid to attend concerts and tell us about your experience. Join the group here and find out more information about the project here.

Please consider Facebook if you don’t have an account. You don’t have to join to catch up with old friends or make a detailed profile with bells & whistles. You can participate just by signing up and joining our Yovia groups. Free, simple, beneficial, fun. Why not?

It’s Christmas, and the airwaves are a-buzz with holiday movies. We can watch countless classics like White Christmas or quirky forgettables like Mixed Nuts. Somewhere in between is the international, cross-media riff-raff I anticipate every year…the many, many, many retellings of Charles Dickens’s tale A Christmas Carol.

Photograph by Rob. Some rights reserved.

I love Dickensonian London. I adore the atmosphere, history, and culture. I just hate Dickens. He can put me to sleep in an opening paragraph—worse than Ernest Hemingway, and anyone who’s read The Old Man and the Sea understands the potency of that statement. But the exception to my Dickens rule is A Christmas Carol. It’s fun to read and even more fun to see acted out in varied and occasionally very creative ways.

It’s serious deja vu for Dickens fans, and I’m sure many strongly object to concepts like Susan Lucci playing a female version of Scrooge, or D-List Diva Kathy Griffin laying down the law as the Ghost of Christmas Past. But I love it! Every twist in the tale, every unique angle, and every bit of traditional story tossed into the mix entertains me from start to finish.

I go out of my way to watch A Christmas Carol remakes regardless of the time of year. As a result I have a lengthy list of versions I enjoy. But in the interest of your eyesight, dear reader, I’ll pare it down to the short list of remakes well worth seeing. This list is chock-full of spoilers, so read with caution.

• Mickey’s Christmas Carol, an animated Disney picture released in 1983. I was four when it dropped and approximately six when it crossed my radar, but there was easily an entire year when I obsessed over this cartoon. Scrooge McDuck (think an older, crankier Donald), Mickey as Bob Cratchit, Goofy as Marley’s Ghost, Jiminy Cricket as the Ghost of Christmas Past…the list goes on and on. All of my cherished Disney characters brought the story to life. It was my first A Christmas Carol experience and will always be my favorite. Major flashback: I cried and cried during the Ghost of Christmas Future sequence when they revealed the fate of Tiny Tim, and a heartbroken Mickey weeps over his son’s grave…
• Ebbie, a made-for-tv flick from 1995, starring Susan Lucci as Elizabeth “Ebbie” Scrooge. She’s the same Scrooge, only anatomically altered; with one or two tweaks in her tale she is the character to a T. Susan Lucci takes it all a bit too seriously–as only she can–but her performance still sparkles. It’s a heartwarming take on the story and the first time I saw a female Scrooge. I liked the feminine twist; somehow when she comes to her senses on Christmas morning she seems to shift from a masculine to maternal persona, and the transformation fascinates me. Massive plus: the divine Molly Parker (Deadwood, Pure, Six Feet Under) plays two roles: Ebbie’s sister and niece, respectively. Double the delight! And for a nice performance, watch for Wendy Crewson (24, To Gillian on Her 37^th Birthday) as “Roberta” Cratchit.
• Blackadder’s Christmas Carol, a UK holiday offering from Rowan Atkinson and the Blackadder gang, released in 1988. (Suddenly I feel very old!) It’s A Christmas Carol as only Blackadder could approach it: Atkinson reprises his famous character as “Ebenezer Blackadder”, and the entire cast of guffaw-worthy characters like Baldrick (otherwise known as “Sod-off Baldrick”, Tony Robinson), Queen Elizabeth I (Miranda Richardson), Prince George (Hugh Laurie), and Lord Melchett (Stephen Fry) round out the oddball black comedy. Clever addition to the tale: Blackadder’s plagued with visions of his ancestors and descendants–which turn him from a good-natured, gentle man into the conniving, misanthropic Blackadder we all know and love.
• A Diva’s Christmas Carol, made-for-tv & aired in 2000. Diva extraordinaire Williams is “Ebony” Scrooge, one member of a successful R&B trio, whom she wantonly casts aside for a solo career. (Even at seven years old it’s a cautionary tale for Beyoncé Knowles!) It’s a completely harmless film that’s fun for its kitsch. And Kathy Griffin positively shines as the Ghost of Christmas Past. This one still gets a fair bit of Lifetime TV airplay so check your TV guides! Word of warning: Although she plays her character perfectly, when Vanessa sings in a concert sequence at the end of the film it is absolutely painful. I’m not sure what happened to her—once upon a time she had a decent voice. As of 2000 that claim is well and truly dead.
• Scrooged, last to be mentioned here but certainly not least. This is also from 1988, a great year for witty Dickens remakes! Bill Murray could not be funnier in the role of Frank Cross, who is essentially Scrooge. The application of the story to the cutthroat television industry is genius–I imagine that if Dickens was alive and writing his tale today, he’d set it in showbiz. There are so many standout performances that make this film a total treat–Bobcat Goldthwait as a disgruntled ex-employee gone postal, Carole Kane as the horribly abusive Ghost of Christmas Past, Alfre Woodard (Desperate Housewives, Radio, Miss Evers’ Boys) as the Cratchit-esque Grace Cooley, and Jamie Farr as a disgusting but hilarious Jacob Marley. Unforgettable moments: the executive lunch when Murray suffers a long string of gruesome hallucinations. His comical shouts, gesticulations, and slapstick act floor me every time. Moment #2 comes after one ghostly visit, when Murray finds homeless Herman frozen–another tearjerker!

Photograph by Kevin Dooley. Some rights reserved.

A Christmas Carol simply is Christmas to me. It certainly doesn’t feel like the holidays until one or more remakes grace my television screen. I doubt anyone could watch the aforementioned titles and come away untouched—be it a laugh, a cry, or a lift in Christmas spirit. So next time you’re looking for an entertaining Christmas story with a dose of emotion and a holiday high, look no further than the many treatments of Dickens’s only tolerable masterpiece!

Dina Ely is a freelance writer, poet, and author of short fiction. Readers can contact her at dely723@yahoo.com  

by Shelley Ontis

My family like to call me “Scrooge” and “Grinch” because I dread Christmas each year. They say I hate Christmas, but that’s really not true. I enjoy it from about 9pm on Christmas Eve until bedtime on Christmas Day. I say that’s long enough. Just because the moment Halloween is over there seems to be this timer tick-tick-ticking down the days and hours we have remaining to get it all done doesn’t mean I have to like it.

By the time my daughter goes to bed on Christmas Eve–with everything finally bought, baked, checked off a list, and mailed–I feel like Scrooge and Grinch have nothing on me! I could out-bah-humbug the best of them. I want it over yesterday. I want to sleep a while and not have to hear a “Merry Christmas” or a sleigh bell for the rest of my life.

Then I watch my favorite holiday movie, A Christmas Story, while I wrap “Santa” presents for the next morning. And I feel a little less like grabbing the bell from a volunteer outside a store and chucking it across the parking lot as far as I can.

A Christmas Story is set a few years before my time, but despite the obvious difference in dress, cars, and kitchen décor, the atmosphere in that movie matched that of my childhood. I had the stay-at-home mom who worried about what the neighbors thought and annually cooked the big turkey dinner. I had the old man who tackled every home improvement project much like Darren McGavin tackled the persnickety furnace, with great zeal and creative adult language that I, like Ralphie, was not supposed to ever have heard. We had the hillbilly bumpkin neighbors with many dogs—no, wait, we were the bumpkins with the dogs, but I digress.

Who hasn’t had to suck on a bar of soap for some spoken infringement? Well, okay, maybe not everyone, though it was popular when I was a kid. But who hasn’t had her old man glare at her, after being mostly patient for a little while, and demand her to shut up? Who hasn’t been afraid of a playground bully, and didn’t they all have yellow eyes?

Ralphie’s childhood could have been mine, twenty years later, and his desperate longing for that BB gun could have been mine, if you changed the BB gun into a 3-speed bicycle or my very own 8-track cassette player (state of the art at the time).

Photograph by Paddy Patterson. Some rights reserved.

A Christmas Story is, at its heart, about avarice. But it’s a child’s avarice, the innocent and even encouraged greed that we all felt at Christmas. (I dare say, some still feel it.) And instead of beating us over the head with some syrupy moral at the end like so much predictable Christmas fare, it turns out to be okay that he wanted that BB gun so badly he could think of nothing else all December. When a BB ricochets and we hear the crunch of his glasses underfoot, we giggle and shrug and think, “well at least he didn’t shoot his eye out”. The movie understands we’ve all been there: we’ve skinned our knees after begging for those metal wheels that clip onto our shoes, and we’ve danced on the bed when we’re not supposed to and heard the sickening crack of the new 8-track player hitting the floor. And then frantically tried to figure out a way to make ourselves look blameless!

We did that stuff, like Ralphie, because we were kids. And though messy, loud, and destructive at times, it’s okay to be a kid. And it’s okay to be an imperfect parent, too, doing the best you can with what you have.

The old man in A Christmas Story goes to work in the morning, comes home at night, and clearly has left the brunt of the child-raising to his wife, who seems to cook the same dinner perpetually and still can’t get the smallest one to eat in any kind of socially acceptable manner. Sound familiar? But they love each other. The old man and his wife have a tender moment at the end, drinking wine and watching the snow fall. Mother and son bond in a new way with the secret about the fight (and more cursing), as do son and father. If you missed Darren McGavin’s slight smile of amusement after Ralphie drops the F-bomb, you need to watch it again.

In a time when it seems that Christmas is about nothing more than going and doing and getting, this movie inspires in me a kind of humorous nostalgia, a feel-good feeling without the saccharine greeting card sentiment. I can’t seem to find that anywhere else. So I watch A Christmas Story while I wrap my daughter’s presents on Christmas Eve, a tradition that officially heralds in my Christmas Spirit.

For a couple of hours I’m taken back to my own childhood and the Christmases I loved, and all the Christmases with my daughter. I think of her running from her room each year like Ralphie and Randy did, and like I did, hoping for that one special thing that Santa just had to bring–because Christmas is magical and Santa knows everything. I watch it and reminisce, and I love Christmas again.

Until December 26^th.

by Adrienne Amos

Being a sentimental romantic all year long means Christmas brings it all to one glorious head, and I love it! From the Grinches and Scrooges to the festive music playing everywhere you go, it’s all part of tradition I really can’t do without. When evening comes and it’s time to wind down, Christmas movies are just what the doctor ordered. From touchingly funny to tearjerkers, they all have a special place in my heart and holiday routine.

We can relate to the antics of Chevy Chase and his holiday lights fiasco (National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation) or Arnie trying desperately to get that special toy (Jingle All the Way). It wouldn’t be Christmas without some telling of the classic A Christmas Carol, though some versions are more fun than others. A few years back Sam Elliot played a single father trying to cope with economic difficulties while raising a daughter devoted to Christmas (Prancer)–that took a whole box of Kleenex to watch. Short cartoon classics permeate the small screen from Thanksgiving onward, and for some it just isn’t Christmas without Rudolph and the Peanuts gang. This year Shrek joined in the holiday cartoon marathon. It was a delightful film that reminded us the best-laid plans are always what the season is all about. Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas with a miracle or two, so Miracle on 34^th Street is a must.

Miracle on 34^th Street via S. Herman. Some rights reserved.

For sheer family joy there are the three Santa Clause movies with Tim Allen. “Hot chocolate and marshmallows coming right up!” is truly The Polar Express, heartwarming and worth watching season after season. Angela Lansbury did a musical Mrs. Santa Claus for Hallmark Entertainment a few years ago, which showed us how important she is to Santa and Christmas. Speaking of Hallmark, they even have commercials like mini Christmas stories that can make me cry and go “awwwwwwww”!

Come Christmas Eve there’s a movie originally done for television with Loretta Young (I know most of you are too young to remember her!) that will have you reaching for tissues often as well. Its premise of a charitable wealthy woman who’s estranged from her grandchildren because of her son touches the heartstrings of anyone who has been far from family at this time of year.

Okay, by now you’ve figure out that I’m addicted to Christmas and Christmas movies! Each serves a purpose and evokes a multitude of emotions. Yet I still haven’t told you which film is my all-time favorite, so bear with me…

Before I reveal my true favorite I must tell you about one more movie. For sheer fun rent Holiday Inn. It’s old and in black and white, but it debuts the Christmas song that later became the title for my favorite Christmas movie, which is White Christmas. Yes, I know it’s ancient and schmaltzy, but then so am I!

Why is it my favorite? The story is pretty simple and basic for this time of year. You know the one—boy meets girl, they fall in love, they separate, and they reunite. But it’s also a story about caring and sharing, and that is the basis for the season.

White Christmas is funny, with this wonderful cast of crazy characters that are like so many people we have known or know. Much of the script has become tag lines for my son and me over the years, so watching it brings him home, if only in my heart. It focuses on mostly ordinary people (even if they all seem to be in better financial shape than many of us). It’s not preachy, nor is anyone trying to convince us they are perfect. Every one of the principle characters makes mistakes along the way. Their concerns are real—a place to live, making a living, and finding their own happiness.

The title song alone can make me cry because of its simplistic beauty, so when it is part of a movie that features other great music I must watch! “Count Your Blessings” is also a wonderful song from this movie. It’s a quiet reminder that we should all be thankful for what we have and not stress over what we don’t.

The dancing isn’t quite the dancing of today, but Vera Ellen as the younger sister is fantastic to watch. Even on my best days when I was in great shape I couldn’t do in flats what she does in high heels. For the older generation there are the legends: Bing Crosby, Rosemary Clooney (George’s aunt, for you youngsters), and the remarkable Danny Kaye. For the young folk who are unaware, in his heyday Danny was one of the most all-around talented guys in the business. He sang, he danced, he did comedy, and he acted. After the holidays, those of you with children should rent Hans Christian Andersen, which truly showcased his talents.

The show’s finale would make the perfect Christmas card. Doors open behind one of the most exquisitely-decorated Christmas trees ever to reveal it all: the snow is falling, a sleigh comes into view, and the four stars get everyone to join in song. Of course, the guys are dressed as Santa (Bing always looked goofy in a hat), and the leading ladies are in beautiful fur-trimmed red dresses. I think those dresses are breathtaking, especially Vera Ellen’s. Since the first time I saw White Christmas one of my dreams has been to someday have a dress like that to wear–and a place to wear it, if only for one night.

It’s memories of Christmases past and the promise of even better ones to come, all rolled into 120 minutes. I think Christmas traditions are to be treasured and preserved, and to remind us us that some things are best left unchanged. Watching White Christmas on Christmas Day is the perfect reminder for me. It’s A Wonderful Life with bells signaling angels getting their wings as presents are opened, while our bellies are bulging from good food and we’re relaxing with a hot cup of coffee or cocoa. In my house that includes watching White Christmas with those I hold dearest. And that is A Christmas Story.

Photograph by Mary Howell, winner of our Best Christmas Tree contest.

This unusual upside-down tree is unusual, but historically accurate! Before we adopted the tradition of decorating upright trees, upside-down trees hung from ceilings were the standard Christmas tree style. You can learn more about it at this piece on Step in the Ring.

From all of us at the Yovia network: we wish you & yours happy and healthy holidays!

For Immediate Release
December 3, 2007
Jacksonville Beach, FL

Yovia and Gemini Sun Records Unite to Launch Opera Star Vitas using Social Media

Yovia, the pioneer of social-focused advertising has partnered with Gemini Sun Records to launch the U.S. career of Russian opera star Vitas. The unique singer and world-renowned performer’s fresh style and wide vocal range have already earned him millions of fans globally, including over 4 million fans on the popular video-sharing site YouTube.

Gemini Sun Records and Yovia are using an innovative new social media optimization (SMO) approach to introduce Vitas to the U.S. market. Yovia will utilize social media marketing techniques to harness Vitas’s expansive online presence, and ultimately market and sell a new exclusive Collector’s Edition audio-visual CD/DVD set designed to showcase the best of Vitas’ stunning live performances to North American fans.  As part of this extensive campaign Vitas will be introduced on Facebook, MySpace, YouTube and Google, as well as through a broad blog network.

“This is the future of advertising,” said Jalali Hartman, CEO of Yovia.“Consumers naturally spread the word about things that are interesting or valuable, and with over 4 million YouTube fans and 20 million fans in Asia and Europe, Vitas definitely has that broad appeal. He showed up on our radar over a year ago, and we’re excited to represent him online.”

“We’re taking advantage of this social media approach to spread the word about this amazing new artist,” said Nicholas Gunn of Gemini Sun Records. “Frankly, record companies need to really embrace this new media. Yovia is pioneering this distribution technique, so we’re excited to partner with them to bring Vitas to the U.S. Market.”

The companies entered into a joint venture this week to introduce a new English-language Vitas fan club, which will serve as the central property for an internet-wide campaign to launch Vitas in the United States.

Fans can visit the new fan club and participate in what is being called the Vitas!Vitas! Movement at http://www.vitasvitas.com

About Yovia:

Yovia, the first social media agency, is pioneering this new way to advertise. Employing their network of over 150 bloggers and contributors around the world, as well as 167 of the world’s top social networks and search engines, Yovia uses a patent-pending methodology to ‘spread the word’ about various topics. By creating and engaging in natural conversations with millions of people, Yovia is able to create large amounts of internet traffic for advertiser partners, including publishers, movie studios, musicians and online communities. Founded by executives and researchers from MTV Networks, DoubleClick and MEC LABS, Yovia has offices in Florida and New York.

For more information, visit Yovia on the web at http://www.yovia.com

About Gemini Sun Records:

Gemini Sun Records represents an eclectic roster of musicians including Terry Oldfield, 2002, three-time Grammy nominee David Arkenstone, and recent acquisition Vitas. President/CEO Nicholas Gunn, himself a multi-platinum musician, ensures fans of Gemini Sun’s artists benefit from cutting edge internet trends in delivery of multimedia, internet radio, and downloads. Gemini Sun Records is based in California.

For more information, visit Gemini Sun Records on the web at http://www.geminisunrecords.com