Welcome to the world of Socialonomics! (Part 1)

Gartner, in its September 2009 Hype Cycle for e-commerce mentions that blogging has reached the plateau of productivity. Social networking is just a fad for the young, and frivolous in nature. Porn is the only thing that really sells on the web.

Did you say you agreed to any or all of those statements? Think again! Check the factoids that you might want to hear:

Social Networking is critical for Retail

• Social media has overtaken porn as #1 activity on the web. And porn as an industry (on the web) did not do that well in 2009.
• 1 of 8 couples married in the US last year, met via social media
• More people follow Ashton Kutcher and Ellen Degeneres than the combined population of Ireland, Norway and Panama
• Over 200mn blogs, 54% bloggers post or tweet daily. 78% people prefer peer recommendations, than search engine results. Only 14% trust advertisements (including commercials on the telly). Most trust word of mouth!
• 96% of Gen Y (who have internet access) use social media of some sort or the other.
  
  Facebook reached 100mn users in 9 months. If it were a country, it would be the 4th largest, though China’s Q-zone is larger.
• Ipod app downloads hit 1bn in 9 months.
• 80% of twitter usage is on mobile devices. Youtube is the 2nd largest search engine in the world.
• 34% post opinions about products and brands35% book sales in the US are already on Kindle.
• News is now pushed, to you. Same is about to happen to products, and brands. >1.5Mn pieces of content are shared of Facebook, daily!

Slide 4 —Social media has overtaken porn as #1 activity on the web —1 of 8 couples married in the US last year, met via social media —More people follow Ashton Kutcher and Ellen Degeneres than the combined population of Ireland, Norway and Panama —Over 200mn blogs, 54% bloggers post or tweet daily. 78% people prefer peer recommendations, than search engine results. Only 14% trust advertisements —70% of 18-34 year olds have watched TV on the web. 25% Americans said they watched a short video in the past month, on phone.

[Via http://retailmagicindia.wordpress.com]

How to not be a facebook addict

Most people these days are completly addicted to facebook. They spend more time on faecbook than in their cars. Instead of getting your work done, you end up on facebook talking to your friends. That’s not suppose to happen. Here are some ways you can hopefully cut down on your facebook addiction:

1. Does facebook send you emails? Turn all those emails off. Most of them are just notification’s which you can see on facebook. But once you go to check your email you get carried off into facebook. That’s exactly what facebook wants. You can turn all your email notification’s off here – Click here Be sure to un-ckeck all the boxes under the “email” column.
2. Don’t add people you don’t know… Adding people you don’t know is just a mess. You start talking to them and it’s a waste of time. After a while they will get sick of you and start calling you words like “creeper”. It’s just not worth the waste of time.
3. Avoid games, and 3rd party apps. The only reason those apps are there is because facebook wants you to stay on facebook as long as you can. Using apps will suck up your time before you know it.
4. Don’t share everything on facebook! There is no point of sharing every funny video you find on facebook with your friends. After you share it, your friends may start commenting on it and that will just get you back on facebook.
5. GET OFFLINE CHAT! Most people use people to talk to their friends. We all know how facebook IM conversation’s go right? It’s like: “Hey sup?” “Nm u?” “Just  chillin” “yup…” ….. Don’t waste your time like this.
6. Have some self control! Time your self. Experts say you shouldn’t spend more then 1 hour a day on facebook. So time your self. If you use Firefox there is an add-on called LeechBlock which kicks you off facebook after a chosen time.
7. If all else fails, quit facebook.

[Via http://sarcasticblogger.wordpress.com]

Poignancy.

I really wanted to be thoughtful tonight. Tomorrow is the last day of my last March Break of high school and I am not just not really handling things too well.

I am constantly reminded of high school experiences that I have missed, people I never got to know, friends I never made. It feels silly to regret that which was never meant to occur, but at the same time, I often wonder if I could have made an effort to be more of a teenager. Less responsible, more alive. I’ve had a lot of amazing experiences throughout high school, but at times, I also feel like I missed something. Something about that quintessential high school experience which makes it high school and not just another place to be for four years.

I won’t deny it. These past for years have been crazy. I don’t know if that’s a good or bad thing yet, but I do think I’ll look back upon them fondly. Did I miss out on not partying as much as I could have? Maybe. Probably. Did I miss out by staying at home and being rather hermit-like? Perhaps. Potentially. Does it matter? I hope not. I’m so ready to graduate, it’s unfortunate. As Kira would say, second semester senior. SSS. We’re so ready to get out of here, a pride of lions standing in my way at the door on Commencement day wouldn’t be able to stop me.

Lady Gaga is playing and strangely enough, I don’t actually mind. I’m wearing contacts for the first time in ages and haven’t even changed out of the clothes I wore to the gym this morning. Gross, I know. I’m still ish-covered in flour, extremely thought-filled and kind of wistful. Actually, a lot of wistful.

I feel like for once in my life, I should just fall asleep on the couch and not bother with the consequences of waking up there the next morning. Or perhaps go out right now and just lie in the street for a little while, taking in the night air. Perhaps part of the reason I feel like I haven’t had the high school experience is because I haven’t really lived. I’ve been that kid who moans about work and just sits at her desk, well… distracted and only semi working. I’m the girl who stays up really late and accomplishes less than everything else. I’d rather put my time into perfecting blending skills on photoshop than finished off a chem lab. Or on facebook because finding out about how that cuba trip went is just so important? not.

It’s pretty though, isn’t it?

I don’t know. Maybe I feel like I’ve wasted away my high school years on silly things like academics, even though I don’t spend nearly as much time on that as I should. I look at some of the people I know and I wonder how they manage. I feel like right now would be the best time ever to lie in that field behind that park and just fall asleep there. No. I’m not handling this well at all. I get the strangest feelings of deja vu, because I know there will be many nights like this in the future. Early sunday mornings where I feel lost because I suddenly no longer have a purpose. I’m resigned to the fact that I’m studying for at least the next four years, if not another three years after that. But I don’t have a plan anymore. I have no expectations of myself, no idea where I want to end up with all of this.

I used to. I used to be so self assured and confident about what I wanted to do, even if the dreams I had were well beyond what was possible. I don’t have dreams right now. I have bitter reality at my fingertips. The realization that all the easy stuff has passed and now, there is actually life beyond school is a frightening reality. Furthermore, I don’t know how I’m going to do this alone… and it feels as though I’m going to be walking a very lonely road. Perhaps because I am an innately private person, or perhaps just because I am particularly good at isolating myself; yet I know that however it turns out, I will be quite alone in my journey toward where I am going.

I have often told myself solitude is probably for the best. And as for my habits, I am rather good at working alone. I like being alone. And I know myself well enough to say that people are a distraction. Not that I don’t enjoy distractions, but I do know that distractions are bad. Unless of course they are taking your mind off of dilemmas, in which case, a distraction is lovely. I could probably use a nice cute distraction just about now anyways, since I don’t particularly feel the need to continue the thought about how I am going to be alone for a nice long time.

I swear to merlin, I’m not usually this lacking in self-esteem, or that’s what it feels like right now. It just feels like I have very little to look forward to in the next couple years, or in life as a general rule. I need a dream, something that makes sense — something that gives me hope. I’m surrounded by brilliance on all four sides. My friends are people who will be successful, no matter the kinds of challenges that face them. And perhaps I will be too. Success, I know, isn’t beyond me. The question is far more interesting than the answer, however. What will I find success in? I cannot see myself being happy in a career. Careers are boring. Day-to-day jobs are boring, going out for coffee on a regular basis is boring; life is boring. Routine is useless and I find myself in one of those spinning doors with no exit. Boring. I no longer find the spin of the door fascinating; I have been observing it for too long. The people that come and go are the same all the time. The same conversations. The same motions. The same encouragements, words of advice and awkwardly phrased well-wishes. I’m so tired of people asking where I’m going for university. Everyone does it. It’s a conversation pretty much ever senior has to deal with, and it has to be the most boring conversation on the planet of the earth.

So yes, I’m bored. I’m also not ready to leave behind the people who have given me those same encouragements, and words of advice because those are the people who have lent me a shoulder to lean on when I needed it most. (Because you know, I just cry around people so often. [/sarcasm]) Holden Caulfield had a pretty interesting view on phoniness.

So it’s poignant tonight. I want my life back. I’m calling 1-800-lifebackplease and filing a complaint. I want a refund — I haven’t gotten enough out of this. When they were handing out passes for the weekend, someone skipped over my name. Not that I would trade what I have for the world, but I also would to see what would have happened. Chocolate on a motherfucking strawberry. What is it about tonight that makes me just want to run? It’s the end of a good day. I’m just confused, not appreciative enough of the people around me and obviously just being a teenage emo child. Barefoot in the shards of glass in the streets; snow barely melted and hot asphalt burning the cuts of blood.

Someone tell me, did I miss something? Through all the late nights, early mornings, caffeine runs and chocolate, kisses and hugs, vodka shots and late night tear drops, did I miss something?

[Via http://blackinkpen.wordpress.com]

Facebook And Wall Street Still Just Dating For Now

Facebook has been a staple in social networking since it’s debut in September 2006, and because of its reign, it generates upwards of $300 million in revenue per year. Due to its ever-increasing popularity and value, its move to Wall Street appears to just be a stones-throw away.

Surprisingly, Mark Zuckerberg, the Founder and CEO of Facebook, doesn’t see a marriage anytime soon.

“We’re going to go public eventually, because that’s the contract that we have with our investors and our employees,” said Zuckerberg. “We are definitely in no rush.”

Surely any chemically balanced entrepreneur in possession of a brand worth billions would cash in their chips by publicizing shares of stock. However, friends and co-workers of the Facebook founder know that Zuckerberg not only enjoys creative and financial control, but control in general.

Unlike other technology powerhouses like Microsoft, Apple, and Google, Zuckerberg’s Facebook is much more centralized and internalized—the goal: simply making Facebook the best possible social networking website possible. There are no warehouses, gadgets, or even competition (no, not even Twitter). Of course he’s in it for the money, but in his mind, he’s dealing with a very personal product.

Zuckerberg has built Facebook into what it has become, and he is rightfully fearful of the hypothetical direction Facebook may take once it falls into the hands of millions of public investors. Will those investors care more about the quick money in their pockets, or boasting more than ten billion tweets?

[Via http://benberkon.wordpress.com]

Why does a bully 'friend' you?

Why does a bully ‘friend’ you? Why would mine ‘friend’ me?

Maybe it is Karma?  In high school, I ended up being an aggressive person. I ended up picking on some people too. I hate that I did it. There are a few people I know I picked on.  Should I seek them out and try to talk to them?  It is likely I would get a similar response to how I feel right now. Guarded, unsure, a little displeased. 

 I think some of the people I picked on, picked on me back.  Others, I am not sure. A lot of the people I picked were people  who tormented me. Others, I am not sure.  I regret that I ever did pick on anyone.  Looking back, I know it was an attempt to deflect some of the abuse I was getting. 

I know it is no excuse.  I have thought about contacting a few people, but I do not know if they would appreciate it.  I do not know if I do. Especially because I do not know what this person wants.

I have about five people in my graduating class on my Facebook page. A few of them I am not sure I remember.  Two of them were not nice to me.  I accepted their friend requests, with reservation.  One, I may have been not nice to but I don’t think so.  The other two, I am pretty sure I had no real contact with, but  I could be wrong. 

When I started this blog, I did place an apology in my status to anyone I may have bullied just because I wasn’t sure.  Maybe I should seek out the others. It is likely they would feel the same way I do right now.  How great would that be?  At least I would place a message with the ‘friend’ request stating my purpose.

I do believe that high school was a horrible time for many people, and I think that memories and perspective change.

I never have asked for an apology, nor do I need one.  We were kids after all. I just wish that I didn’t have to go through nearly as much of that as I did. And I don’t want my children to go through it at all. I don’t think it is a requisite part of growing up.   And I don’t think that all victims feel the same.  

 What do you think? Should I seek out people I may have bullied or picked on?    I would love to know. If you don’t want to leave a comment here you can always email kindergartenbully@att.net .

[Via http://acceptanceinschools.wordpress.com]

Facebook and the Shepherd's Dilemma

So here’s the clunker dilemma of my week: When student leaders post foul language or snarky comments on Facebook, how does the responsible pastor, shepherd, or mentor respond? I don’t see it as productive to be a morals cop busting students when they run afoul. But, I don’t think I’m doing students–especially those marked for leadership–any favors by letting run off like they were unnoticed. Any best practices?

Mark 7:15 has been a good re-director in some cases…

Nothing outside a man can make him ‘unclean’ by going into him. Rather, it is what comes out of a man that makes him ‘unclean’.

I just don’t know where and when are the proper places to step in. I don’t want students to be afraid to be my FB friends because I’m constantly commenting on behavior. But I’m being a pretty poor mentor if I don’t address some cases. What have other people found that works best?

[Via http://couchradical.wordpress.com]

-Kepribadian Manusia Menurut Status FACEBOOK-

kalian tergolong yang mana? atau nggak tergolong tipe mana pun?

1. MANUSIA SUPER UPDATE

Kapan pun dan di mana pun selalu update status. Statusnya tidak terlalu panjang tapi bikin risih, karena hal-hal yang tidak terlalu penting juga dipublikasikan. Contoh : “Lagi makan di restoran A…”, “Dalam perjalanan menuju neraka…”, “Saatnya baca koran…”, de es be.

2. MANUSIA MELANKOLIS

Biasanya selalu curhat di status. Entah karena ingin banyak diberi komentar dari teman-temannya atau hanya sekedar menuangkan unek-uneknya ke facebook. Biasanya orang tipe ini menceritakan kisahnya dan terkadang menanyakan solusi yang terbaik kepada yang lain. Contoh : “Kamu sakitin aku…lebih baik aku cari yang lain…”, “Cuma kamu yang terbaik buat aku…terima kasih kamu sudah sayang ama aku selama ini…”, atau “Aku kangen kangen kangen kangeeeeeeeeeeeeenn banget sama kamu, chyayank. Kamu kok nggak telefon aku sih malam ini?”….GUBRAK!!!

3. MANUSIA TUKANG NGELUH

Pagi, siang, malem semuanya selalu ada aja yang dikeluhkan. Contoh : “Jakarta maceeeeet!!! Panas pula…”, “Aaaaaarggg hujan, padahal baru nyuci mobil….hhuuh!!!” atau “Males ngapa-ngapain…cape hati gara-gara dia…” de es be.

4. MANUSIA SOMBONG

Mungkin beberapa dari mereka gak berniat menyombongkan diri. Tapi terkadang orang yang melihatnya, yang tidak bisa seberuntung dia, merasa kalau statusnya itu kelewat sombong, dan malah bikin sebel. Contoh : “OTW ke PARIS….!!”, “BMW ku sayang, saatnya kamu mandi…Aku mandiin ya sayang…” atau “Duh, murah-murah banget belanja di Singapore, bow.”

5. MANUSIA PUITIS

Dari judulnya udah jelas. Statusnya selalu diisi dengan kata-kata mutiara, tapi gak jelas apa maksudnya. Bikin kita terharu? Bikin kita sadar atas pesan tersembunyinya? Atau cuma sekadar memancing komentar? Sampai saat ini, tipe orang seperti ini masih dipertanyakan. Contoh : “Kita masing-masing adalah malaikat bersayap satu. Dan hanya bisa terbang bila saling berpelukan”, “Mencintai dan dicintai adalah seperti merasakan sinar matahari dari kedua sisi”, “Jika kau hidup sampai seratus tahun, aku ingin hidup seratus tahun kurang sehari, agar aku tidak pernah hidup tanpamu.” Capek deeeeeeehh!!

6. MANUSIA IN ENGLISH

Tipe manusianya bisa seperti apa saja, apakah melankolis, puitis, sombong, de es be. Tapi dia berusaha lebih keren dengan mengatakannya dalam bahasa inggwis gicyu low! Contoh : “Tie and chair…”, “I can tooth, you pink sun…” etc, etc.

7. MANUSIA LEBAY

Updatenya selalu bertema “GAUL” dengan menggunakan bahasa dewa… Ejaan Yang DiLEBAYkan… . Contoh : “Met moulnin all…pagiieh yg cewrah… XIXIIXI” Oh oh ohohohohoho…!!!

8. MANUSIA TEROBSESI

Mengharap tapi gak kesampaian, pengin jadi artis gak dapat-dapat. Contoh : “Duwh…sesi pemotretan lagi! Capek…”

9. MANUSIA SOK TAU

Sotoy tenarnya. Padahal dia sendiri tidak tahu apa yang ditulisnya. Contoh : “Pemerintah selalu memanjakan rakyatnya…bla….bla….bla.”

10. BIOSKOP MANIA

Update film yang abis ditonton dan kasih comment.. Contoh : “ICE AGE 3…RECOMENNENDED!!”, “TRANSFORMERS 2 mantab euy…”

11. MANUSIA PEDAGANG

Contoh : “Jual sepatu bla bla bla.”

12. MANUSIA PENYULUH MASYARAKAT

Contoh : “Jangan lupa datang ke TPS, 5 menit untuk 5 tahun!!” Santai, Jack.

13. MANUSIA ALAY

Ada berbagai macam versi, dari tulisannya yang aneh, atau tulisannya biasa aja, hanya saja kosa katanya gak laziim seperti bahasa alien. Contoh :

Alay 1 : “DUCH GW4 5AYAN9 BGT S4MA LO…7ANGAN TING9AL!N AKYU YA B3!BH…!!”

Alay 2 : “KAMUGH KOG GAG PERNACH NGABWARIN AQ LAGEE SEECH? KMUW MASEEH SAIANGS SAMA AQ GAG SEECH SEBENERNYWA?”

Alay 3 : “OUH MY 9OD..!! KYKNY4W C GW K3RENZ 48EESH D3CH…!!! (khusus buat tipe ini, gak usah dibaca juga gak apa-apa. Aku juga mikir dulu buat nulis ini, walaupun jadinya kurang mirip sama yang aslinya).

14. TIPE HIDDEN MESSAGE

Tipe ini biasanya tidak to the point, tapi tentunya punya niat biar orang yang dituju membacanya. (Bagus kalo baca…kalo nggak? Kelamaan nunggu) Padahal kan bisa langsung aja sms ya. Contoh :

“FOR YOU MY M***, I CAN’T LIVE WITHOUT YOU…YOU ARE MY BLA BLA BLA…”, “HEH, CEWEK KURANG AJAR…NGAPAIN LOE DEKET-DEKETIN COWOK GUE?! KAYAK GAK LAKU AJA LOE.” (Padahal cewek tersebut tidak ada dalam jaringannya. Mana bisa baca??)

15. TIPE MISTERIUS

Tipe yang biasanya bikin banyak orang bertanya-tanya atas apa maksud dari status orang tersebut. Biasanya dalam suatu kalimat membutuhkan subjek + predikat + objek + keterangan. Tapi orang tipe ini mungkin hanya mengambil beberapa atau malah hanya 1 saja…dan pastinya mengundang kontroversi. Contoh : “SUDAHLAH…”, “TELAH BERAKHIR…” (apanya???), “TERMENUNG…” (so what gitu looh!!)

source:teen magazine 179’s bonus

[Via http://numzwizzle.wordpress.com]

Social Media: Your Next Personal Superpower

New Post, Social Media: Your Next Personal Superpower (on Pro Photo blog)

In my earlier post about using social media, I discussed starting a blog and populating it with content that appeals to your customers. A blog is a great starting point. But don’t stop there, because you can use social media resources to reach tens of thousands of people in a way that builds your business and your understanding of your customers. –more–

[Via http://davidsaffir.wordpress.com]

Facebook

Facebook has become, and I’m sure everyone would agree, the new social network for communication. A place where songs, photot’s, pictures & conversations pass freely, where friands can meet and be met, where realtionships can be found & mentalities uncovered.

But you what fascinates me about this new social network, this meeting ground for a new world? It’s the fact that no matter where you are, wether it’s virtual or real, you still get your village idiots. The people who don’t think before they act.

The darwins, as most people call them, are those few gifted individuals who will go beyond the boundriesof stupidity. Who will set new limitations for idiotic actions, behaviour. Why, I ask? I see this as a Dodo species. They lacked the self-preservation instinct, survival in tother words.

Do not fret though, I give it another couple years and there goes another Dodo species to the extinction line. guess it’s not that much of a loss.

[Via http://mystorys02.wordpress.com]

Carcinoid Cancer Foundation Thanks Silja Chouquet

During a recent meeting in Berlin of the international Steering Committee for Worldwide NET Awareness Day (WNAD) on November 10, 2010, Grace Goldstein of the Carcinoid Cancer Foundation had the opportunity to hear a fascinating presentation by Silja Chouquet, owner and CEO of whydot GmbH, an agency that specializes in social media consulting, coaching and training. Her fields of expertise are the creation of patient-focused social media communications and marketing campaigns. Ms. Chouquet’s passion for helping patients was evident when she talked about how neuroendocrine cancer patients could use social media, such as Facebook, Twitter, blogs, e-newsletters, and online forums, to connect with each other and to bring about greater awareness of their rare cancers.

Silja Chouquet, social media expert, patient advocate, and CEO of whydot GmbH

In her blog, whydotpharma http://www.whydotpharma.com/, she writes:  “The Internet holds the power to profoundly change the way healthcare is delivered. Millions of patients, caregivers and physicians turn to the Internet every day to look up the latest information on important health topics and find support from like-minded people.”  Pharmaceutical companies, she says, have a unique opportunity to show patients how much they care by being open and transparent.  Ms. Chouquet believes that “a pharma company wishing to use social media to improve patient outcomes can only do so successfully if it manages to build trust, credibility and collaboration with the online community first.”

On behalf of the Carcinoid Cancer Foundation, Ms. Goldstein would like to thank Ms. Chouquet for “her extremely generous offer to help the carcinoid/NET community with social media for Worldwide NET Awareness Day.”  Ms. Goldstein notes that Ms. Chouquet has “a very large following within the European and international social media and healthcare communities and her outreach to the rare disease community will have a huge impact in helping obtain greater exposure for Worldwide NET Awareness Day.” 

Ms. Choquet is cofounder, with Andrew Spong, of the Healthcare Social Media Europe community http://www.hcsmeucamp.com/, an organization of more than 140 healthcare bloggers, Twitterers, and social media users in Europe and the United States.  These dedicated individuals share “a conviction that social media has the potential to augment the targeting of medical research, improve the quality and delivery of care, and advance patient education and empowerment.”  They are holding the first hcsmeu conference on March 31st in Berlin. The event is free and, says Ms. Chouquet, “We would be thrilled to have as many interested people, in particular patients, attend the event.”  See their website for details.

Visit Ms. Chouquet’s blog, find her on Twitter at @whydotpharma or on Facebook and LinkedIn at Silja Chouquet. Follow her musical choices at http://blip.fm/Silja.

You can also follow the Carcinoid Cancer Foundation on Twitter  @CarcinoidNETs and  at http://blip.fm/CarcinoidCancerFoundation.

[Via http://carcinoid.wordpress.com]

3 Day Waiting?

So theres this guy I’m kinda really into lately, and he seems to be into me as well.

He was DJing at a club this weekend, and he told me like 3 times that he really wanted to see me and wanted me to come, so even though none of my friends were willing to go with me, I went alone. He finished his set and when he was done we hung out at the bar, and I thought things were going pretty well! We talked about all sorts of stuff, had some drinks, he even said he was really happy that I had come. He had his arm around me the whole time, and held my hand and stuff, and we made plans to go out the next weekend.

Now here’s the problem. This happened 2 days ago, today I am sitting on the 3rd day. I havent heard a peep from him since that night! Part of me wonders if the night really went the way I thought it did, or am I just remembering it wrong because of the alcohol? What if i said or did something, I don’t remember… Then another part of me thinks, wait, what if he’s doing that stupid guy rule of “wait 3 days.”

What do you think I should do? I’m just sitting here going totally crazy wondering what happened. I even invited him to my birthday event on Facebook ages ago, he hadnt responded to it, and then after that night, he put “Not Attending.” Gah! I wonder…

[Via http://pookieag.wordpress.com]

Second American female convert to Islam arrested in plot to kill Motoonist

Jihad Watch Yet another that we know about.  Read the Koran/Quran darlings, you don’t get to visit Allah because you are a ‘woman’.  My only question, when will the FBI release similar evidence they must be gathering on Pelosi, Boxer, Feinstein, and Waters to name several?  They have been waging Jihad against the United States of America long enough. Random thoughts while observing the passing parade, J.C.

Yet another convert to Islam misunderstands the Religion of Peace and gets involved in this jihadist murder plot. “For the Love of Islam: A Second American Woman Is Arrested in Cartoonist Case,” by Vanessa O’Connell, Stephanie Simon and Evan Perez in the Wall Street Journal, March 13 (thanks to Pat): Last Easter, Jamie Paulin-Ramirez, a 31-year-old mom with a $30,000-a-year job as a medical assistant, announced to her family that she had converted to Islam. A few months later, she began posting to Facebook forums whose headings included “STOP caLLing MUSLIMS TERRORISTS!”

On Sept. 11, she suddenly left Leadville, Colo., a small town in the Rocky Mountains, for Denver, then for New York, to meet and marry a Muslim man she connected with online, her family says. Ms. Paulin-Ramirez, who is 5-foot-11 and blonde, phoned her mother and stepfather in Leadville, providing them with an address in Waterford, Ireland, they say.

Jamie Paulin-Ramirez, a 31-year-old mom, is in the custody of the Irish police, along with six other individuals, arrested as part of an investigation into a conspiracy to commit murder.

The face of jihad

Now, she is in the custody of the Irish police, along with six other individuals, arrested as part of an investigation into a conspiracy to commit murder, according to officials familiar with the case. The nature of the authorities’ suspicions about Ms. Paulin-Ramirez couldn’t be determined on Friday.

Ms. Paulin-Ramirez’s interest in Islam “came out of left field,” said her mother, Christine Holcomb, in an interview at her home Friday, wearing a blue sweatsuit with a silver cross around her neck.

Ms. Paulin-Ramirez is the second American woman to be linked to an alleged plot to kill a Swedish cartoonist who made fun of the Prophet Mohammed. An indictment was unsealed this week against Colleen R. LaRose, 46, a suburban Philadelphia woman who authorities said used the Web alias “JihadJane.”

Next?

Ms. LaRose was accused of plotting to kill the cartoonist and attempting to recruit jihadis via the Internet. She was arrested in October and charged with providing material support to terrorists. The Justice Department kept its case under wraps until this week while investigators in the U.S. and Europe pursued their investigation against other potential suspects in the U.S. and abroad.

The main contact for Ms. LaRose is believed to be one of the men in Irish custody, an Algerian, who has a relationship with Ms. Paulin-Ramirez, according to a person close to matter. A person close to the Irish police couldn’t confirm whether Ms. Paulin-Ramirez and the Algerian are married. Ms. LaRose spent roughly two weeks in Ireland last fall, a person familiar with the matter said.

The Irish police are holding four men and three women, including three Algerians, a Croatian, a Palestinian, a Libyan and a U.S. national, according to a person close to the police. They are being questioned and haven’t been charged. A U.S. official familiar with the matter confirmed that Ms. Paulin-Ramirez is the U.S. national. The Justice Department declined to comment.

In the months before Ms. Paulin-Ramirez left Leadville, taking her 6-year-old son but little clothing or other belongings, she began “wearing the black garb so you can only see her eyes,” her aunt said. “We knew that she was dabbling in the Muslim religion. But for her to disappear like this was from left field–we weren’t expecting it at all,” said Ms. Jones, who until last fall would speak to her niece on the phone almost every day. Ms. Paulin-Ramirez had begun spending more time on the computer, her mother complained to the aunt. “All of a sudden, she stopped talking to me and she disappeared,” Ms. Jones said.

In 2008 or 2009, Mr. Mott said, Ms. Paulin-Ramirez enrolled in an online course about Islam.

By Easter 2009, she had informed her mother that she was a Muslim. At her father’s May 2009 funeral in Kansas, her aunts had to plead with her not to cover her head and hair with a hijab. Over the summer, her family says, she was spending increasing time on the computer and had begun to dress in the traditional garb, covering not only her hair and face but also her hands. Her current Facebook page lists her as Jamie Paulin, with a photo in which all that is visible are her eyes peering from slits in her full-face veil.

A few months before she disappeared, her stepfather says he confronted her: “What are you going to do, strap a bomb on and blow up something?” he asked her. He recalled that she responded: “If necessary, yes.”

[Via http://dancingczars.wordpress.com]

Sorry for side-tracking .............

I realized that I had trumpled off to another irrelevant topic on my posting titled “GoodBye USA” . And, I just received a couple private comments regarding the post, therefore I have chosen to remove some parts of it . But don’t worry – for those of you who liked the Gladys Ave. picture.. it’s still going to stay right there. And I have decided to un-link my wordpress from LinkedIn and Facebook, in which my professional work shall remain separate from my personal one.

Cheers,

Gladys

[Via http://gladystong.wordpress.com]

Weird messages from strangers

Nothing worth writing has happened to me this week.  However, today I received a weird message from some guy on Facebook.  This made me think of how many messages like this I’ve received since I’ve lived over here.  Receiving messages like this has become pretty routine but it still amazes me that these people waste their time writing!  Even, I’m not bored enough to even think of replying.

Anyway, today’s message was:

“Hi friend, good morning , how Are you? really you so nice friend , i hope we will become best friend ,just i want to ask you, where you from?take care , you have nice day”  It is amazing to me that this guy thinks I’m a “nice friend” and wants to be my “best friend” when he knows nothing about me and has never even met me! 

As I really didn’t have anything more exciting to do, I decided to find a few older examples to include here too. I’ll start with the weirdest of the bunch:

“Hi Amanda,

I was looking on facebook about any one have read this book “The Sad Truth” to tell me what their opinion about it. I just not a very good since of picking up the right book and my problem is if I start to read a book I have to finish it even if it was boring!!

My favorite books are:

- A thousands splendid suns

- Angels Ashes

- eat, pray, love

Sorry to send you this message without any interdiction.

Mohamed Salah”

Less than 24 hours later, he wrote again:

“Amanda,

I know there must be a hundreds of men hitting on you here on the facebook obviously because you are look pretty, but I really wanted to hear your opinion about that book.

Ignoring me is really not nice and makes me feel bad, you don’t wanna makes me feel bad, do you?

Mohamed”

So, I blocked him after the second message.  How in the world did he expect me to respond in a timely manner if he thought I had hundreds of other messages to respond to?

Here are a few more examples:

“u look so cute… my name is shakil…living at abu dhabi…can u make me ur frnd pls…thnx.”  [Interestingly, the name on the profile was Nasir.]

“hi how are you…. u r sooooo adorable i’m so interested to be friend of u “

“I am from India and working in UAE from last 10 months..i am with construction co.  where r u working? coming week i will shift to Abudhabi. Friends?”  [Well, at least he told me something about himself.  By the way, people here often say “shifting” instead of “moving.”]

“hello amanda. how are you? :) byyy”

[Via http://amandainabudhabi.wordpress.com]

Odd Misconceptions Part II

OK so, yesterday I went through some odd/funny misconceptions from back when i was a kid, now I’m gonna go through some that I have just found out about recently.

I used to:

- Think Napoleon was short. (He was actually taller than the average Frenchman)

- Think the water spins in a different direction according to where you are on Earth when you flush the toilet. (This only happens in extreme weather, an example being a hurricane/cyclone)

- Think bats were blind. (I was blown away when i found out they weren’t)

- Think chameleons change colour to blend in with their surroundings.

- Meteorites are hot when they hit the Earth’s surface.

- Think putting metal in your microwave was a sure chance of stuffing it up.

- Think Humpty Dumpty was an egg! (He’s actually a canon!)

- Think you could see large man made objects from outer space, an example being The Great Wall of China. (You actually can’t see any man made objects from out of space).

- Think black hole’s suck everything in.

- Think goldfish have a memory of 3 seconds, they can remember things that are months old!

- Think humans evolved from chimpanzees.

- Think air was mostly oxygen, it’s actually mostly Nitrogen.

Anyways, that’s all i could think of. I Hope some of these facts blew you away, like they blew me away!

[Via http://magoshjosh.wordpress.com]

Cult Toyota Fights For Company's Honor

Most view social media as a two-way dialogue between companies and customers.  This means of communication is great for gaining valuable customer feedback.  In the case of Toyota, it also serves as a great way to hurl insults and complaints at a company.

According to The Big Money, Toyota’s “fan base has actually grown by nearly 10,000 since the recall was announced.” 

 Instead of reflecting a Toyota pounding-session, where the conversation is dominated by the outraged and the disheartened, the Facebook page of the shamed company seems to reflect a mixture of anger and sympathy, with some loyalists vilifying the media for “over-hyping the recall.” 

Across the world in Toyota’s birthplace of Japan, many locals echo this sentiment. 

According to Advertising Age’s article entitled “U.S. ‘Overreaction Stirs Empathy for Toyota at Home”, these citizens are shocked by the amount of media coverage the recall is receiving.

Some feel that there is an ulterior motive for the U.S. media’s fascination with the recall.

Citing the U.S. car market’s demise, many Japanese automakers feel that the domestic U.S. auto market is seeking to profit from the woes of Toyota by exacerbating the crisis. 

An article entitled “Toyota’s U.S. market share breaks down” supports this theory, stating, “The troubled Japanese automaker will probably see its market share drop to its lowest level in almost five years, giving the runner-up spot in the U.S. back to Ford Motor Co.” 

Watching the auto-giant fall on its face as its reputation is dragged through the mud does not sit well with the Japanese, who fear the loss of confidence in Toyota will translate into a loss of confidence in Japan.

Given the lingering tainted perception of Chinese production after the toy and paint recalls, this concern is justified.

The drop in production quality is linked to the company’s rapid growth. 

Abandoning its traditional, lengthier model of production, which included preparing the human resources division first and foremost, for a speedier one in which employees were often not properly trained, is the source of the problems. 

As the company seeks to return to its basics of manufacturing excellence and its pursuit of perception, the values that gave the company its advantage, U.S. loyalists stand with their beloved company, battling those who dare denigrate the brand in the social media arena.

[Via http://lcooks1.wordpress.com]

Getting Ribbons in FarmVille

Do you want an entertaining and exciting way to chart your progress in Farmville besides just counting coins or XP and levels? Of course, seeing your coins and XP/level development is one technique to indicate your achievements, but the ribbons in Farmville can be an enjoyable way to earn recognition for certain objectives in the game. Ribbons are accessible in a host of different groups. Everything from the “Flower Power” ribbon, where you make money from growing flowers, to the “Lord of the Plow” ribbon where you acquire recognition for employing a tractor to plow your fields. The ribbons range from the serious to the downright unusual, but they are just about all fun. And ribbons provide benefits beyond mere recognition. As you earn them, you are going to get extra experience points, coins and also exceptional items.

Currently, there are more than 25 various ribbon categories and each type enables you to gain four various colors of ribbons: yellow, white, red and blue. The colors get gradually tougher to acquire within each category. For instance, the Cream of the Crop Yellow ribbon, which you acquire for harvesting crops, is won right after farming just 30 crops in the game. But the white ribbon requires you to farm 1,000 crops. And the blue ribbon for Cream of the Crop demands a whopping 50,000 harvested crops to get.

Although some of the ribbons are really just intended to give you additional goals in the game to pursue, you can utilize some of them very strategically in the game to quickly earn significant XP and coins. Early on, ribbons can help you progress through your FarmVille levels very quickly.

You can choose from a lot of different ribbon earning strategies in the game. Two of the best ribbons to aim for early on in Farmville are the Local Celebrity and Good Samaritan ribbons. These ribbons give you rewards for adding neighbors and helping them out. You can earn quite a few coins and XP early on by adding friends and neighbors in Farmville. For example, if you add eight neighbors and help on their farms three times each, you’ll earn both the white Local Celebrity ribbon and the yellow Good Samaritan ribbon. The rewards from the combined ribbons are 55 XP and 3,500 coins. That’s a very large number of coins so early in the game. And don’t forget that the act of adding lots of neighbors helps out with more than just ribbons. It’s an important part of the entire game.

Once you’ve earned some levels and accumulated coins in the game, you might want to go for the Architect Ribbons. These ribbons recognize your accomplishments in putting various buildings on your farm. For example, you’ll get the yellow ribbon after you place just two buildings on your farm. But the blue ribbon requires 30 buildings. The problem is that most buildings are very expensive in Farmville, so the Blue Architect ribbon seems out of reach at first. Aha, but there’s an often overlooked little structure known as the Rest Tent. This building only costs 1,000 coins. So even if you don’t have any buildings on your farm yet, you can get all of the Architect Ribbons with just 30,000 coins. To do this, buy thirty rest tents at the market and place them all on your farm at once. Here’s the nice part: even though you’ll need to spend 30,000 coins, you’ll get back 19,500 as rewards for the ribbons. You’ll also earn 2,150 XP! This is one of the most cost-efficient ways to convert coins into XP in the game. Unfortunately, you can only do it once!

There are a lot of other ribbons to pursue, and half the fun is trying to accumulate as many as you can. Ribbons can be a great way to add more fun to your Farmville game and help you earn levels and coins even faster.

Get some more Farmville Cheats.

[Via http://farmvilleribboncheats.wordpress.com]

Four places to go

1. This is the last week for the MRR Photo Show at Pens & Needles Gallery in San Francisco!  If you live in the area and haven’t been yet, you should really go check out the awesome photography on display!  (more info here)

2. I looove lomography (all I shoot besides my dslr).  I’ve had a home on lomography.com for a couple of years now, but just started uploading photos in the last couple of months.  I don’t know if you become “friends” on there or not- but my address is http://www.lomography.com/homes/kandi.  Modified holga!

3. Speaking of modified holga, I now own the url http://www.modifiedholga.com.  Why?  Because I couldn’t believe nobody else did.

4. For anyone out there on facebook- there’s now a page for The photography of Kandi Cook (that’s me).   If you “become a fan” you’ll get little updates with what’s going on with that… nothing more than what I post on here, just shows up on your facebook feed.

[Via http://superkantastic.com]

Reading @Social Media Today: Why I no longer do Free in my business

Image by mcmortygreen via Flickr

Found at  Social Media Today | Why I no longer do Free in my business.

I was in a conversation the other day with Miles Austin and he said the following quote: “Inform for free, how to for a fee.” Chris Brogan recently wrote a post on price points, and essentially pointed out that if you wanted his time you had to pay him what it was worth. Good point. The more you give away your services, the more you undervalue them, and the more people will take advantage of you. That’s what I’ve learned from the past year. And when people balk at paying my prices, it means they aren’t my clients, and if I try and take them on, I’ll be wasting my time chasing them.

To be continued at http://socialmediatoday.com/SMC/179749?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Social+Media+Today+(all+posts)

Related articles by Zemanta

• Chris Brogan – Anchoring and Social Proof – Influencing Your Audience (i2i-align.com)
• Business and honesty. | Gil Yehuda’s Enterprise 2.0 Blog (gilyehuda.com)
• 5 Ways ExactTarget will Change Social Media with CoTweet Acquisition (kylelacy.com)
• How I’m Becoming a Trust Agent on the Web (icemanbaldy.com)
• Social Media 101 (chrisbrogan.com)
• 5 Lessons for Bloggers From Chris Brogan’s Presentation to Dallas Social Media Club (fredzimny.wordpress.com)
• The Social Media Shamless Blogpost For March 2010 (newmediachatter.com)

[Via http://fredzimny.wordpress.com]

The Pied Piper of Exotic Southern Cameroons upon Ambas. Translation by Ntemfac Ofege

Southern Cameroons upon Ambas,

Below the soaring Fako Mountain;

The Atlantic Ocean, deep and wide,

Washes its wall on the southern side;

A pleasanter spot you never spied;

But, when begins my ditty,

Forty years and nine  this day,

To see the people suffer so

From vermin, was a pity.

Frogs!

They swarmed the land by daylight,

And sneaked in by moonlight,

Conned Old Man Foncha with sweet talks of unification,

And took over the government,

And spread their nature of infamy, fraud and corruption,

Split up the land into provinces, divisions and districts,

And became the occupier,

Named vile tyrants or pro-consults in charge.

Brought in gendarmes by the truckloads,

To spread terror and mayhem,

Murdered the trusting citizens at Santa and Ebubu,

Slaughtered the country’s strong democratic culture and institutions,

Fired Augustine Ngom Jua who protested,

And named two-face Solomon Tandeng Muna in his stead

Corrupted the entire civil service with paper money,

And savaged the territory’s once buoyant economy,

They took over CDC and killed POWERCAM.

Buried the thriving Victoria Seaport underwater,

And tossed the Tiko Wharf into the Muck,

Erased the Bali, Tiko, Besonabang airports.

And turned our towns into ghost towns, when not war zones,

They stole the oil by the tanker-loads,

And lapped up minerals from the mines at lowly Bafaka,

And ate of the proceeds until they dripped with fats,

They placed a bomb within agreeable Lake Nyos

Causing horrendous deaths in the thousands.

Wasted a nation’s education organization,

And roared in mirth as the children to foreign lands escaped.

Gave the themselves choice spots in the administration,

Turned the good natives into beggars,

And called then fools or enemies in the fold when they protested,

And even spoiled the people’s open chats,

By drowning their speaking

With Merde! and croaking

In fifty different sharps and flats.

At last the people in a body

To the Mount Mary Maternity came flocking:

Led thereto by Munzu, Elad and Anyangwe,

“‘Tis clear,” cried they, “our leaders are noddies;

Yawning when not snoring!

And as for the stooge of a Prime Minister —shocking

To think we make regular complaints,

To dolts that can’t or won’t determine

What’s best to rid us of frogs!

You hope, because you’re old and rheumatic,

To find in your cricket coats ease?

Rouse up, Sirs! Give your brains a racking

To find the remedy we’re lacking,

Or, sure as fate, we’ll send you packing!”

At this the leaders of the people,

Pa Foncha and Solomon Tandeng Muna twain,

Quaked with a mighty consternation.

At having been found out.

Three days they sat in council,

At length, Pa Foncha broke silence:

“For the old British Southern Cameroons crown I’d my robe of office sell;

Grand Chancellor availeth me naught.

These people do have short memories,

They forget so soon,

That I was from my lofty positions as Vice President dumped,

Er yes, and as perpetual Vice Chairman of the Party too,

These people are like elephants,

They do not see my mighty efforts.

I wish I were a mile hence!

It’s easy to bid one rack one’s brain— 

I’m sure my poor old head aches again

I’ve scratched it so, and all in vain.

Oh for some guns, some guns, some guns!”

Just as he said this, what should hap

At the chamber door but a gentle tap?

“Bless us,” cried Pa Foncha and Muna in unism, “what’s that?”

(With the Council as he sat,

Looking old and as skinny as a lath;

Nor brighter was his eye, nor moister

Than a too-long-opened oyster,

Save when at noon his appetite grew mutinous

For a plate of achu and goat-meat)

“Only a scraping of shoes on the mat?

Anything like the sound of a frog gendarme

Makes my heart go pit-a-pat!”

“Come in!”—Old Foncha cried, looking bigger:

Ay yes, and taller too!

And in did come the strangest figure!

His queer long coat from heel to head

Was half of Human and half of Peoples Rights;

And he himself was tall and thin,

With sharp blue eyes, each like a pin,

And light loose hair, yet swarthy skin,

No tuft on cheek nor beard on chin,

But lips where smiles went out and in— 

There was no guessing his kith and kin!

But like a dispenser of justice he looked!

And nobody could enough admire

The tall man and his quaint attire:

Quoth one: “It’s as Old Abendong!

Starting up at the Ntamulung grave

Had walked this way from his painted tombstone!”

To wreak justice upon they that murdered him.

 

To be Continued…

A translation can stir all of the senses, and the subject matter of a translation can range from being funny to being sad. We hope that you liked this translation and the sentiments in the words of The Pied Piper Of  Exotic Southern Cameroons Upon Ambas by Ntemfac Ofege you will find other works by the translator on google.

[Via http://ntemfacofege.wordpress.com]

For How Long Are We Hour Children?

… This was written specifically to be published in print for the Nimbin Good Times, it was submitted a few days late like the previous month, February’s edition, however it wasn’t published…

*** ***

For How Long Are We Hour Children?

I write to the many parts of me with a question. Prior to this Marching into your awareness I thanked our elder generation for serving our life … and new opportunity. I was pleasantly surprised by the resounding sense of appreciation these words were written. A mutual feeling of strength and resolve to bring what we have to the table, for our family, who?

One lovely reflection I was approached with a friend request through Facebook (personal holodeck platform) by a local to Nimbin (universal town)  called George whom I know his kind children.

George shared with me his own vibrant account on being at Woodstock near New York, USA in 1969 and how this event conveyed the superior power of love among diversity and the beautiful world of synchronicity. By George, what links, ask anyone who really was there …

I feel to reflect where our consciousness is trending with aged care. What is the law of karma? How do we transcend the negative effects of our past deeds? Is our DNA destined to degenerate or transmutate? How do we change the program?

Do we get higher marks by asking better questions? At school in a class room, teacher, what is a drug war?

Who is controlling your mind?

Is this good for U s?

Is this choice really my heart’s call?

How present are we with this question?

Ask David did Goliath go down with just one stone, who was the first to throw?

Oooooooh! Do we real eyes our true act you all sighs?

Ommmmmm

What was the hit between the eyes? Consciousness. C=Correct (tick)

Muse sick, what is sick about the muse, aaah music, sick as (sic).

Is an alien a shortened Australian, as antipodean as Atlantian or Lemurian or from a star system sounding Siriusly mammalian?

Am I the I am noun by the language spoken, translated by English from Pleiadean?

Do you know

The quest I on…

LOVE

SPIRIT

LIFE

For more lovely thoughts and feelings, look within.

[Via http://dpol.wordpress.com]

whyyyyyyy?

Seriously, why???? I swear if I knew her, I’d bitchslap her Ari Gold-style and then forcibly delete her account. Some people just don’t have the minimum mental capability to be unleashed on social networks. This is by no means the worst I’ve seen, but I’m always forgetting to screen cap the atrocities. Actually, it is the worst. WTF?? Why can’t people just be normal online!!!!

[Via http://letsnotnsaywedid.wordpress.com]

JOB FINDER PRESIDENTIAL FORUM ON LABOR INDUSTRY (UNTV Exclusive Telecast)

JOBFINDER PRESIDENTIAL FORUM on Labor Industry

JOB FINDER PRESIDENTIAL FORUM ON LABOR INDUSTRY (UNTV Exclusive Telecast)

TONIGHT! 7pm— After ITO ANG BALITA.

Only at UNTV, Your Public Service Channel

PARTICIPATE: Send your comments and questions at

POLLWATCH TEXTLINE: 09063196484

POLLWATCH Twitter Account: www.twitter.com/pollwatch

POLLWATCH Facebook Account: www.facebook.com/pollwatch

POLLWATCH  CAN ALSO BE WATCH WORLDWIDE for FREE!!!! via live webcast at www.untvweb.com

[Via http://pollwatch.wordpress.com]

Top 5 Technologies I Should Be Using

Last week, I listed the top 5 technologies that you should be using if you are an ESL teacher in 2010.  Today, I present the list of the next 5 technologies I need to explore and possibly add to my bag of tricks.  If you have experience with them, leave your opinions, suggestions, and tips in the comments.  Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the (near) future:

1. Google Wave – Occasionally billed as the Future Of Email, Wave combines email, IM, and the collaborative parts of Google Docs.  Watch the full Google demo video or the lower resolution abridged version to get the idea.  This is one of those really cool technologies that leaves you asking, “So what do I do with it?”  I hope to have answers to that question soon.

2. Zorap - Like Wave, Zorap combines several disparate elements into one collaborative space.  From what I’ve seen, a space can be set up for many users quickly and easily.  That space can then be used for audio, video, and text conversations and files and documents can be shared to the group.  See the demo for more.  For a free application, it integrates a surprising number of interesting options for remote learning.

3. Ning - A social network akin to Facebook, but it’s not Facebook.  There are many existing nings for topic areas such as The English Companion Ning (“Where English teachers go to help each other”) and Classroom 2.0 (“the social network for those interested in Web 2.0 and Social Media in education”).  Plus, you can create a Ning for a topic that you like or a specific group of people, like the students in your class.  Because it’s a closed system, Ning may be more useful to anyone who can’t (or doesn’t want to) use Facebook or other social networks with their students.

4. Screenr - A free, web-based screen recorder.  Just drag a frame over the part of your screen you want to capture and Screenr will record a video of what happens inside that frame until you tell it to stop.  Great for creating demonstration videos or capturing a presentation.

5. Prezi - When I first saw Prezi, I thought it was just another slide sharing application.  Since then, I’ve seen some slick, remotely controlled presentations that use Prezi to great effect.  One of the best features is the ability to smoothly zoom in and out on portions of the presentation.  One large document can contain everything from headings to footnotes with each part zooming and snapping into place on the screen as it is selected.  This works equally well if the presenter is guiding the presentation or if an individual wants to explore it on his own.  For example, take a look at this Grammar Review Prezi.  You can use the arrows to go forward and back within the presentation, but you can also take control by zooming in and out, dragging the page around, and clicking on the text to zoom to a specific point.  Once you get used to this style of navigation (or, rather, every style of navigation simultaneously) many interesting ways to structure and organize information become possible.

Bonus: Sikuli - I’ve used applications with macros before, but Sikuli’s approach is unique because it can create a macro for any application using your computers GUI.  Think that sounds geeky?  Then the demonstration video might also be a little intimidating.  The gist of it is, you can automate almost any multi-step task on your computer, just by writing a simple script for Sikuli to follow.  While I can’t think of any tasks that are repetitive enough that I’d actually save time by learning how to use Sikuli (and, frankly, I’d rather play Bejeweled myself, thank you very much), the potential of this application is intriguing.

[Via http://esltech.wordpress.com]

A Mother has to share sometimes

My son put THIS pic on his facebook page; he had just defeated the #1wrestler in the country, 184 lb previously undefeated, that is no surprise – BUT, with the many pics available, he chose THIS one! The surprise- there’s me – Mom, in the Red sweater with my dear friends above me & his H.S. wrestling buddy in the stands.  Kids do the darnest things! He’s why I’ve been on he road a lot; he qualified for the NCAA’s, where he’ll be competing against the 16 best college wrestlers in the country of his weight class. I’m off to Omaha, NE in a couple weeks …. PIC below:

My son put THIS pic on his facebook page; he had just defeated the #1 in the country, 184 lb previously undefeated college wrestler in the country, so that is no surprise – BUT, with the many pic available – and the articles written w/pics available, he chose THIS one! The surprise- there’s me – Mom, in the Red sweater with my dear friends above me & his H.S. wrestling buddy in the stands.  Kids do the darnest things. He’s why I’ve been on he road a lot; he qualified for the NCAA’s, where he’ll be competing against the 16 best college wrestlers in the country of his weight class. I’m off to Omaha, NE in a couple weeks …. PIC below:

[Via http://2cob.wordpress.com]