In what has become commonplace, Research in Motion CEO Mike Lazaridis, delivered a direct-to-camera apology to BlackBerry users in what has become Public Relations 101. It started with JetBlue CEO David Neeleman YouTube apology for JetBlue delays and cancellations of flights.

Public Relations professionals need to come up with a better way to express sorry and quell consumer discord. This direct-to-camera mia culpa is becoming old fast.

Does anyone really think that Lazaridis is concerned that BlackBerry can’t receive message? Maybe. But what keeps him up at night is the 60 percent drop in stock price because BlackBerrys are becoming obsolete and they can’t figure out what to do. This is just the icing on the cake and some PR flack is making Lazaridis be the public face.

Here are some other apologizes, aside from the Netflix guys hanging out by the pool, the all look pretty similar:

In this video, Toyota went old school and did a fake interview with their President. In this video Jim Lentz looks like he’s conducting an interview with a reporter, he’s not. What he’s doing instead is reading talking points off of a teleprompter and news stations around the world cut that package and put it into their news story as if he’s being interviewed by a reporter. No one is asking Luntz and questions. Many news organizations stopped taking these fake interviews or will use a disclaimer that this is Toyota’s company video:

Notice that Lentz is looking to the side and not directly at the camera. The direct-to-camera apology for YouTube was first used by JetBlue

Domino’s has pulled down their apology video 

Spirit of thermometer

Originally uploaded by Jason Rosenberg

A cool picture I took of the World’s tallest thermometer in Baker, CA.

Towards the end of this video, there’s a segment about how lasers will allow for video phone calls and using home phones to dial for stock quotes.

It’s worth watching if not for the 1960s futuristic sound track.

Click this link to watch the video about Lasers!

But here are the AT&T “You Will” ads that I loved as a kid.

The very next day, as I’m walking to work…I pass by the other statue of Andrew Jackson:

This weekend, someone at The Washington Post hit the publish button too early and an article was published with place holder text in place where the headline should go. Headlines are being written for search engines meaning the headline may not represent what the article is about, but the most titillating aspect of the story for the sake of searching and clicking.

Below is a picture of how The Washington Post gets clicks:

Add something cool here -->

Not to be outdone, The LA Times uses another form type of trick the get people to click on links. It’s called the oldest trick in the book: pictures of hot women (note my own use of SEO language)

Lake Show!

Originally uploaded by Jason Rosenberg

I was lucky enough to make it to the White House to see this ceremony. It was more than amazing.

Remarks as given by President Barack Obama:

For Immediate Release
January 25, 2010

REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT

IN WELCOMING NBA CHAMPION LOS ANGELES LAKERS

East Room

2:19 P.M. EST

THE PRESIDENT: Hello, hello! How are you? Thank you, everybody.
Thank you very much. (Applause.) Thank you so much, everybody. Please
have a seat. Welcome to the White House. And congratulations, a little
belatedly, to the Los Angeles Lakers for winning your 15th — 15th –
NBA title, and fourth in the past 10 years.

Before I say a few things about the Lakers, I just want to acknowledge
some wonderful members of Congress and big Lakers fans who are here:
Congresswoman Jane Harman, Congresswoman Laura Richardson, Congressman
Adam Schiff, Congressman Brad Sherman, and Lucille Roybal-Allard.
Please, everybody, give them a big round of applause. (Applause.)

Now, as folks here will tell you, the only thing that is better than
playing basketball — the only thing that’s better than watching
basketball is playing basketball — but I’m 48, and soon to be 49, and
it’s a little harder these days to move around on the court, especially
when you’re playing against kids who are half your age. But I still get
enormous, enormous pleasure from watching great athletes on the court.
And nobody exemplifies excellence in basketball better than the Los
Angeles Lakers last year. (Applause.)

I want to congratulate everybody who helped make this team what it is –
from the assistants to the front office staff, to the trainers and the
ticket-takers, all the fans back in L.A. who bleed purple and gold. You
all should be very proud. That’s you. (Laughter.)

I want to congratulate Jeanie Buss and the rest of the Buss family for
guiding this team so well for the last 30 years. (Applause.)

I’m especially excited to meet Coach Phil Jackson, the Zen Master.
(Laughter.) I’ve been a fan of Coach Jackson’s ever since his days
running the triangle offense in Chicago. I want to congratulate him on
his tenth NBA championship — the most in history. I do want to point
out that six of them came with the Bulls. (Laughter.) I just want to
point that out.

THE PRESIDENT: You remember that, Magic?

MAGIC JOHNSON: Yes, sir. (Laughter.)

THE PRESIDENT: — ’90-’91? Remember when — (applause.) You know,
they won the first game and they were feeling cocky. (Laughter.) And
Paxson was hitting all those shots. Anyway, we’re not — that’s not why
we’re here. (Laughter.)

I was hoping that, Coach, you were going to bring some books for
Republicans and Democrats in Congress maybe to get them to start playing
like a team together. (Laughter.) Coach is famous for passing out
books and helping people get the job done.

We are obviously honored to have one of the all-time greats in NBA
history, Magic Johnson. (Applause.) Magic did pretty well during his
time with the Lakers. He wasn’t bad. (Laughter.) And now a new
generation is continuing his legacy. But obviously part of what makes
Magic special wasn’t just how he played on the court, but also just the
infectious enthusiasm about life and what he’s now doing with businesses
and minority communities. He’s just been an outstanding leader in our
country for a long time.

Of course, I’ve got to recognize Kobe Bryant — one of the most
competitive players I’ve ever seen — (applause) — for being named
Finals MVP last year, obviously already MVPs under his belt, the
youngest player ever to reach 25,000 points in his career. And he’s
playing with a broken finger. Now, if I was — if I had a broken finger
I would have trouble getting out of bed. (Laughter.) And he’s still
leading the team day in and day out.

This is a team that never lost its focus last season — from the first
tip-off to the final buzzer. I know that the Lakers have a tradition of
ending each team gathering — whether it’s a practice, or a game, or a
team meeting — by with the chant, “1,2,3, Rings.” As Lamar Odom said,
“We kind of always saw that light.” Everyone was willing to do what it
took to get a little stronger, to play a little harder, and to bring
home that title.

But I think it’s important to note that this team also knows that being
a champ is about more than trophies and rings. It’s about being a
winner off the court as well as on it — and giving back to those who
are less fortunate. The Lakers and the NBA have always been about
serving others — at home and around the world. And that tradition
continued last week, when the NBA and the Players Association, led by
Derek Fisher, pledged to donate $1 million to support relief efforts in
Haiti. (Applause.) Jordan Farmar and Pau Gasol are also donating their
money to the Clinton-Bush Haiti Fund. Pau pledged $1,000 for every
point he scored against the Knicks — and I’m glad he dropped 20 –
(laughter) — helping the Lakers to beat New York and changing the lives
of Haitians thousands of miles away.

And earlier today, the team joined with our United We Serve initiative
to hold a fitness clinic for kids from Stanton Elementary School right
here in Washington, D.C. — teaching them about a few moves, but also
how to live healthy and active lives.

So I just want to again thank the entire Lakers organization for your
service, for the great joy that you have given the city of Los Angeles,
but also the incredible competition you’re your organization has graced
the basketball court with for decades now. If this season is anything
like the last one — I know that you guys have your sights on the NBA
finals — so we might see you here before long. But we are very
grateful for your presence here today.

Give them a big round of applause. (Applause.)

Now, one last thing. I was also told that Mr. Brown here intends to win
the dunk contest — (laughter) — so we’ll see how that goes.

END 2:25 P.M. EST

At the end of the Chicago Committee’s presentation, President Obama received a diploma from IOC President Jaques Rogue to congratulated Chicago in becoming an olympic candidate finalist city.

Tokyo’s presentation is up next at 8:25 GMT. Update: It was an amazing presentation and I now REALLY want to go to Japan. But the IOC members seemed to have some serious reservations with Tokyo’s bid. One question was about public support. The Tokyo Committee responded that public support was in the high 80 percent range.

Here are some notes I tweeted about on the twitter.

Brazil is up at 10:05 GMT

Madrid follows later.

You can watch it live by clicking here.

The announcement comes around 11:30am central time and Chicagoans are gathering in Daley Plaza around 9:00am (broadcast info here).

No comes news that Col. Ramon’s son Lt. Assaf Ramon, a pilot in the Israeli Airforce died when his F-16 crashed.

From the LA Times:

The young pilot’s single-seat aircraft had left a military base on a training exercise and dropped from radio contact when residents of a Jewish settlement reported a window-rattling explosion and a huge ball of fire rising behind a hill, followed by clouds of black smoke. Later the military announced that Ramon’s remains had been identified amid the plane’s scattered wreckage in a remote region of the West Bank south of the city of Hebron.

The cause of the crash and the pilot’s failure to eject from his plane were under investigation, the military said.

While I never met Lt. Ramon, I am very sorry to hear about his death and I mourn along side with the people of Israel who have experienced loss of a hero and his heir.