Despite that this site has existed for two years, a startup known as Pinterest has recently exploded into the spotlight of social media with what I like to call an "improved" or "different" way of looking at aggregated links.

I managed to get an invite to look at the site a week ago and initially had mixed reviews, but I do see great opportunities and uses for many out there. Originally I wanted to give this site a month before blogging, but too many are asking me what this site is all about and thus I offer this look.

It's been a few days now since the announcement by Netflix CEO Reed Hastings that Netflix will be splitting up into two companies. Media streaming will still be known as Netflix, but the DVD rent-by-mail service will now be called Qwikster. Almost immediately there was a fury of angst from users all over the country, similar to when Hastings announced a hike in the monthly fees.

It's been all over the news today. Celebrity socialite Kim Kardashian suddenly has an issue with an ad campaign that clothing retailer Old Navy has been running since February.

The campaign is called "Super C-U-T-E" and it features what looks like a model singing and dancing around in a makeshift music video to advertise Old Navy jeans. Doesn't seem like much, but the real controversy is how much this model looks like a spitting image of Kardashian.

Despite that the campaign has been running since February, Kardashian has now filed a lawsuit claiming that Old Navy is literally trying to use her likeness and the "celebrity" she's built to sell jeans without paying her. Does she have a case?

Last year, I was flipping around on the TV when I saw this rather creative ad from Kia Motors.  They were advertising their new Soul compact car.  With Blacksheep's The Choice Is Yours playing, the ad showed hamsters lip syncing to the music, and cruising around town like they were human.  Almost instantly I was caught and immediately posted links to the commercial on Facebook.  Even when I looked for the commercial on YouTube, I saw several homemade parodies of the ad using other hip-hop anthems and even one of just the loop of the hamsters bobbing their heads to What Is Love? by Haddoway.

So there I was, inadvertently advertising the Kia Soul.  The creative minds who made the copycat "remix" videos were advertising Kia as well.  Every time one sees hamsters and rap music, they'll think "Kia Soul".  That's viral advertising, and it's probably one of the bigger goals many aim for now when a commercial hits the airwaves and/or a video hits the internet.  The joy of hoping millions will pass around and talk about your ad, then even better going and buying said product or service.  While many try, few ever attain viral greatness.  So what separates the viral winners from the losers?

Hulu CEO Jason Kilar made headlines last week with what some call a controversial blog entry on the Hulu web site.  I read through the whole thing and while I can fathom why some speculate that the entry would lead Hulu owners (NBC, Fox, ABC, and Providence Equity Partners) to call for KIlar's demise, but we haven't seen it yet.  Nor do I think it's a good idea.

I normally don't like to be one of those types who simply writes an entry as a "rebuttal" to another blog out there, but this one in my book serves a bigger purpose and dives deeper into a topic that's been debated back and forth on the internet and even stands to determine the future of magazines, newspapers, and other publications.

TechCrunch columnist Erick Schonfeld published an interesting piece yesterday on what he felt were the opportunities that ePublshers are missing in their tablet-ready magazines and newspapers, as well as suggestions to improve.  I think some of his ideas do have merit, but others also seemingly take away from the idea of ePublications.