Originally written by David Kallans on April 6, 2009 4:36 PM intra-family discord is central to the human condition.

I knew you would bring that up, David, that's why I focused on being fed up with people saying "I am killing you because you are Palestinian, Tutsi, Armenian, Black, etc." instead of admitting:  "I am killing you because I am an animal who has not evolved and I enjoy the smell and sight of blood." Why that constant hypocritical ethnic fig leaf? It's completely unnecessary considering that the emperor of the jungle is as naked today as he was when he first appeared in Africa 200,000 years ago.

Originally written by David Kallans on April 6, 2009 3:52 PM The poll is unclear and poorly designed.  ...so what is one to do?

Discuss?

I don't remember what I answered when that reservation was brought up for the first time, but I generally tend to think that the black-and-white format is the best when you want to elicit posts rather than simple clicks with no comments...

Could someone translate this for me, please?

Big Pharma Has Added You As a Friend on Facebook

Marketers from some of the world’s biggest pharmaceutical companies have begun hyping their drugs on social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook. Pfizer, the company behind Viagra, already has 1,239 fans on Facebook, and AstraZeneca, makers of Prilosec, has 822 followers on Twitter. Kerry Grens of the Scientist dropped in on a conference designed to help big-pharma marketers understand the benefits and pitfalls of social media. 

What I don't understand is why I should care if someone has added me somewhere where I have never been and hopefully never will? I would start worrying if I ever decided to go myself and add myself where I don't want to be in the first place. Add me wherever you want. It is up to me to decide where I want to be. It's certainly not going to be any of the Big Pharma places.

Gotcha!

Excerpts from http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/02/health/02face.html?_r=1&em:

That more and more people in Ms. Rice’s generation are joining networks like Eons, Facebook and MySpace is hardly news. ...

“One of the greatest challenges or losses that we face as older adults, frankly, is not about our health, but it’s actually about our social network deteriorating on us, because our friends get sick, our spouse passes away, friends pass away, or we move,” ...

“The new future of old age is about staying in society, staying in the workplace and staying very connected.... “And technology is going to be a very big part of that, because the new reality is, increasingly, a virtual reality. It provides a way to make new connections, new friends and new senses of purpose.”

About one-third of people 75 and older live alone, according to a 2009 study from AARP. ...

Some research suggests that loneliness can hasten dementia, and Dr. Nicholas A. Christakis, an internist and social scientist at Harvard, says he is considering research on whether online social connections can help delay dementia, as traditional ones have been found to do in some studies.

Well done, fans! Keep up the good work!

Facebook expects $500M this year

Facebook will generate $500 million in revenue this year, said Netscape founder Mark Andreessen, who serves on the social-networking site's board. With its growing user base of 225 million users, Facebook has publicly suggested that its primary focus will be on expanding its community as opposed to figuring out the most ideal models for revenue generation. Andreessen also believes that Facebook has the potential to generate "billions" in revenue in coming years.

Originally written by Jacek K. on April 16, 2009 9:40 AM Does Facebook Make You Dumb?

...don't know if Facebook makes you dumb, but some dumb people are definitely on Facebook:

http://www.reuters.com/article/internetNews/idUSTRE56403820090705

http://www.smh.com.au/digital-life/digital-life-news/british-spy-chief-outed-on-wifes-facebook-page-20090705-d961.html

http://www.euronews.net/2009/07/05/british-spy-chief-tagged-on-facebook/

how dumb can one be??!! dumb as a spy chief's wife!

Originally written by dominique f. on July 7, 2009 1:25 PM dumb as a spy chief's wife!

In this case, democratization of information is one of the beauties of the Web...

P.S. For the avoidance of doubt, I did not mean to say above that having a dumb wife may suggest that the man is dumb too.

* * *

http://www.utne.com/Science-Technology/What-Would-Jesus-Blog.aspx?utm_source=iPost&utm_medium=email

The Pope wants his flock to get online and start blogging. In a recent announcement, Pope Benedict XVI extolled the virtues of the world wide web saying, “Young people in particular, I appeal to you: bear witness to your faith through the digital world!” A recent article in the Smart Set points out that religion’s embrace of emerging technologies extends back further than the current, blog-loving pontiff. The Gutenberg bible was cutting-edge media for its time, and the clothespin, the wheel-driven washing machine, and the circular saw were all invented by the industrious Shaker Christians. (Though their sex-adverse beliefs, rather than their ingenious inventions, were likely what doomed the sect.) Golberg also shows how the story of Noah’s ark could be considered a parable for the benefits of embracing technology, before it’s too late.

Originally written by Jacek K. on July 7, 2009 6:47 PM P.S. For the avoidance of doubt, I did not mean to say above that having a dumb wife may suggest that the man is dumb too.

well, maybe but... though I wouldn't want to generalize or bad-mouth anyone I don't know, I'm thinking that somehow it also reflects in some way on the man who picked that kind of wife...

Originally written by Jacek K. on July 7, 2009 1:32 PM   dumb as a spy chief's wife! In this case, democratization of information is one of the beauties of the Web...

or maybe.... the democratization of idiocy and air-headedness?!!

df