Facebook Users In Decline

Figures from Nielsen Online in the United Kingdom show a 5% drop in the number of Facebook users between December and January, with a similar fall for social networking websites MySpace and Bebo.

It's the first time in 17 months that Facebook has recorded a drop, and figures in Australia show a similar pattern.

Users fell 5% to 8.5 million in January from 8.9 million in December, according to data from Nielsen Online.

This was the first drop in user numbers since July 2006 when Nielsen began compiling data on the site.

Nic Howell, deputy editor of industry magazine New Media Age, said the site was no longer as popular among its core audience of young people.

". . . when major corporations start profiles on Facebook, its brand is devalued, driving its core user base into the arms of newer and more credible alternatives," he said.

"Facebook was never going to be able to carry on growing the way it has, and a lot of people - especially those who've been using it heavily - are now starting to get Facebook fatigue," said Nielsen Online analyst Alex Burmaster.


Full Story:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7257073.stm

Responses:
http://current.com/items/88848879

Britney's Father Snatches Her Notorious Pink Wig.

Britney Spears' father has confiscated her notorious pink wig in an apparent bid to straighten up her act.

Jamie Spears was seen confiscating the singer's hairpiece, which is synonymous with the singer's wild image and partying, at the weekend in LA.

This seems to be an attempt to get Britney to straighten up her act.

The bobbed wig has come to signal the onset of a depressive episode, with her ousted manager Sam Lutfi revealing last month: "When the pink wig comes on, it's getting bad."

Despite her family's best efforts, it seems her time in hospital has done little to change her chaotic lifestyle - or her dress sense.

For More Pictures and Full Story:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/showbiz/

6 Worst Travel Agents Of 2007

According to the Department of Transportation's Air Travel Consumer Report the top 6 most complained about travel agents for 2007 are:

5. (tie) Priceline.com & Cheapoair.com
4. CheapTickets.com
3. Expedia.com
2. Travelocity.com
1. Orbitz.com

Most of Orbitz's complaints dealt with problems ticketing and boarding... and of course, refunds.

The complaints listed here represent only those formally lodged with the Dept. of Transportation.

For more fun information:
http://airconsumer.ost.dot.gov/reports/index.htm

What Housing Crisis? Realtors' Ads Defy Reality

Despite a Nationwide Meltdown, Industry Says Now Is the Time to Buy

SAN FRANCISCO (AdAge.com) -- The housing bubble has burst. Almost three-quarters of a million Americans are in foreclosure. The median price of a single-family home recently fell for the first time in at least 40 years, and many are predicting it'll drop further in 2008.

But none of that stopped the National Association of Realtors promulgating a $40 million ad campaign urging Americans to think of buying a house as a get-rich opportunity.

"We believe there's a psychological block" to buying a home due to negative media coverage of the subprime crisis, said Frank Sibley, senior VP-communications and conventions for the National Association of Realtors.

Ads include claims that, on average, the value of a home nearly doubles every 10 years, and 60% of the average homeowner's wealth comes from home equity.

Mory Brenner, a veteran consumer-debtor attorney who now writes
on debt issues from a consumer point of view, put it this way: "Were the ads trying to lead you down a road with blinders on? I thought so. I found it objectionable and a little offensive," he said. While without patently false statements or data, Mr. Brenner said the ads "are misleading and not especially forthright and, in a way, the way we got into this situation [the subprime-mortgage crisis] in the first place." He chided the association for not producing a campaign more befitting its station. "They're not some [real-estate agent] on the corner," he said.

Others were concerned about the premise the Realtors put forth in the ads that housing values are going up. Patrick Newport, an economist with Global Insight, an economic-forecasting firm, said: "In a lot of markets, housing prices are dropping, and in some markets -- such as Florida and California -- they are dropping a lot. If you buy a home, you take on a big risk," especially if national housing prices drop 10%, as some predict, or if you lose your job and are unable to make mortgage payments, he said. He added that in many cases, "renting may be a much better deal than buying a house."

Full Story and sample ads:
http://adage.com/article?article_id=123374

Madonna Pictured With Bruised Face

Eye eye, what's going on here then? The Queen of Pop was sporting a real shiner as she left her Central London home for the gym.

Madonna's painful black eye and bruising to her cheek has set tongues wagging - no matter how hard she tried to hide it behind huge shades.

Last December rumours were rife that the Material Girl had succumbed to a nip and tuck after she left a medical centre in New York with mysterious marks on her cheeks.

She hits 50 this year — and is hating it. So are these pictures of mysterious bruises proof a desperate Madonna is trying to turn back the clock?

For Full Story and more Pictures:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/showbiz/showbiznews.html?

The Dangers of Shopping at McDonald’s in Florida

Grandmother Arrested At McDonald's Drive-Thru For Not Pulling Car Forward

CLEARWATER, Fla. -- A 75-year-old woman was arrested at a Clearwater McDonald's drive-thru, because police say she wouldn't pull her car forward.

Authorities said Jean Merola, a grandmother of eight, was arrested for disorderly conduct after she refused an officer's orders to move her car while she waited for the coffee and fries she ordered at the drive-through window.

For Full Story and Video:
http://www.local6.com/news/15098343/detail.html

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UPDATE:
Drive through arrest may spawn lawsuit

CLEARWATER - The 75-year-old grandmother who was arrested at a McDonald's drive through for disorderly conduct has an attorney.

"There is always civil liability when someone is arrested without cause. Mrs. Merola has never been in a lawsuit is not litigious by nature," attorney Steven Andrews said.

For Full Story
http://www.myfoxtampabay.com/myfox/pages/News/Detail?
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
French Fry Grandma Says Police Report Not Accurate
Wednesday, January 23, 2008 11:01:30 AM

The 75-year-old woman charged with disorderly conduct after a spat with a Clearwater police officer has read the police report of the incident and says little in it is true.

For Full Story
http://www.cfnews13.com/News/Local/2008/1/23/

Thanks to Visible0

Sex sells - coffins!

An Italian firm of undertakers has unveiled its 2008 calendar - featuring glamor models draped over its range of coffins.

The calendar shows women in sexy underwear posing with coffins which can be ordered from the Cofanifunebri undertakers in Rome.

Owber Maurizio Matteucci defended the calendar - on sale at his firm's outlets for just £7 - which has caused outrage in the Catholic country.

He said: "It is good marketing but it is also but also a way to play down such a serious subject and to smile.

"Coffins are consumer goods like any other things, so I sell in the same way as any other consumer goods are sold. The calendar is very popular."

To See All 12 Months:
http://www.cofanifunebri.com/2008-calendar.htm

Don’t Just Eat Them, Listen To Your Vegetables!

Now fresh vegetables can be entertaining. The Vienna Vegetable Orchestra performs on instruments made of fresh vegetables.

The Vegetable Orchestra was founded in 1998. It consists of 11 musicians, a sound engineer and a video artist. Based in Vienna, the Vegetable Orchestra plays concerts in Europe and Asia.

From time to time workshops are given - on how to manufacture an instrument or on musical topics.

For More Information:
http://www.gemueseorchester.org/index.php?option=com_frontpage&Itemid=1

Vegetable Orchestra Video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hpfYt7vRHuY

Thanks to visibleO

Britain Is The Fast Food King

A survey of 13 countries showed that the British consume the most fast food, just ahead of Americans. The French are the least likely to eat fast foods.

The survey of 13 countries also confirmed growing concern over obesity worldwide, but noted different priorities and strategies in different parts of the world for tackling it.

"People are inherently contradictory and nowhere is it more obvious than on such a sensitive and important issue as their weight," said Steve Garton of polling body Synovate, who produced the survey jointly with the BBC.

45 percent of British citizens taking the survey agreed with the statement "I like the taste of fast food too much to give it up". Americans came in at 44 percent, and Canadians at 37 percent.

However, only 19 percent of French citizens agreed with the statement. Other low scorers included Singaporeans (25 percent) and people from Hong Kong and Romania (both at 27 percent).

Around a third of all respondents (31%) agree with the statement 'I tend to eat junk food when I am feeling down'. The most emotional eaters can be found in France (57%), the United States (48%) and the United Kingdom (44%).

For More Info:
http://www.synovate.com/knowledge/infact/issues/200801/article3.shtml?

Yuki-taro Autonomous Snowplow/Ice Pooper Robot

The Japanese are well known for crafting useful robots to do the dirty work for humans who'd rather park it at home, and the Yuki-taro autonomous snowplow is just another example of machines taking care of the business people can't (or won't).

Enter Yuki-Taro, an autonomous snowplow that gathers up sidewalk snow and converts it into small, manageable ice blocks that it deposits behind itself as it goes.

That's right boys and girls -- it eats snow and poops ice.

Created by a consortium of private companies, municipal governments and university researchers, Yuki-taro is equipped with two video cameras in his "eyes" as well as a GPS tracking system to be completely self-guided.

More Info:

http://www.pinktentacle.com/2007/02/yuki-taro-autonomous-snowplow-robot/

http://highlyrecommended.blogspot.com/2007/02/yuki-taro.html

Thanks to visibleO

Christian Family Gets Wrong Gift From Santa

A Sacramento family got a shocking surprise from Santa this Christmas when they discovered that a Disney Channel CD they got for their three children contained music from The Diplomats rap group album.

According to CBS 13, Jeremy Danielson played the Disney Channel Hits CD for his daughters on Xmas morning (December 25) expecting music from Hannah Montana but was treated to explicit songs containing the "F" word and the "N" word. .

“It was graphic lyrics, real explicit, just stuff you don’t want your kids to hear. We are a Christian family and we don't bring media like that into our house.” said Danielson.

Danielson says he bought the CD from Toys R Us.

Toys R Us claims that it was “the first time they have had this issue and they are only the distributor”. Disney did not return phone calls when contacted.

Full Story and video
http://cbs13.com/local/christmas.local.father.2.618344.html

Thanks to visibleO

Priests brawl at Bethlehem birthplace of Jesus

Seven people were injured on Thursday when Greek Orthodox and Armenian priests came to blows in a dispute over how to clean the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem.

Following the Christmas celebrations, Greek Orthodox priests set up ladders to clean the walls and ceilings of their part of the church, which is built over the site where Jesus Christ is believed to have been born.

But the ladders encroached on space controlled by Armenian priests, according to photographers who said angry words ensued and blows quickly followed.

For a quarter of an hour bearded and robed priests laid into each other with fists, brooms and iron rods while the photographers who had come to take pictures of the annual cleaning ceremony recorded the whole event.

A dozen unarmed Palestinian policemen were sent to try to separate the priests, but two of them were also injured in the unholy melee.

Full Story:
http://www.breitbart.com/article.php

Thanks to VisableO

MISC Reports Santa Edition

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Santa 'sacked for saying ho, ho, ho'

A Father Christmas has hung up his Santa suit after he claiming he's been
sacked for saying "ho, ho, ho!"

John Oakes, 70, says he was fired from a department store in Cairns,
Australia, for using Santa's famous greeting and singing carols.

He claims agency employer Westaff ordered their Santas to say "ha, ha, ha"
instead of "ho, ho, ho" because "ho" is a derogatory US slang word for a
woman.

Mr Oakes told the Cairns Post: "After my shift on Monday, I got a call from
my manager telling me my services were no longer required.

"I hadn't done anything wrong so I asked her why, and she said, "You said
ho, ho, ho and that's not appropriate".

"She also said I wasn't supposed to sing, but I was only singing Jingle
Bells to get the kids to laugh for their photo. It's just ridiculous and
everything's changed because of the new rules.'"

US-based Westaff denied the words were a factor in Mr Oakes' case.

Company spokesman Bert Jansz said: "The candidate was not sacked nor was his
use of the term 'ho, ho, ho' a factor in our decision.

"The candidate's attitude was not in line with the requirements of our
client and of their customers."


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Santa needs a license

Angry parents in Hungary have formed an association to license local
Santas after complaining they weren't up to scratch.

The Hungarian Santa Foundation has teamed up with Santa Claus workers'
unions to create an exam with strict requirements for people who want to
work as Santas.

And they plan to take legal action against any fake Father Christmases
who try and operate without a Santa licence.

Apart from having to sit the exams - from now on every Hungarian Santa
has to be at least 5ft 7ins tall and in good physical shape.

His voice has to be low, and he has to possess good communication skills,
and he has to convince examiners he likes kids.

Foundation head Gyoergy Balint said: "If a jolly old man with a sack of
presents is found handing out presents amongst kids on the street
without a proper Santa diploma - then he will have to answer in
a court of law.

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Letter To Santa

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X6TGYtdGXsM


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Is Santa Borat's neighbor?

Santa Claus manages to stay hidden all year because he really lives in
Kazakhstan and not the North Pole, according to claims by a team
of Swedish experts.

A special team working for the Swedish logistics and consulting firm
SWECO said it had calculated that Santa's home would have to be
located in a mountain range that lay across the border between
Kazakhstan - Borat's homeland - and Kyrgyzstan to be best
located to make all his deliveries.

They said that based on the Earth's rotation and demographic data - the
Kazakhstan/Kyrgyzstan border mountain range would be the best place for
Father Christmas to set off from on Xmas Eve to deliver all his presents.

The team worked out what the best and quickest route would be - and
found that all roads led not to Rome - or the North Pole - but the remote
mountain region on the Kazakhstan border.

Anders Larsson, consultant at SWECO, said: "It might explain why he's not
seen that often the rest of the year."


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Santa Claus should go to the gym, kids say

SPANISH children think Santa Claus is "too fat" and should go on a diet,
and that he should ditch his sleigh for a four-wheel-drive or a motorcycle.

The opinions are based on an internet poll of 4000 children aged four to
12 by children's television channel Jetix.

It said 53 per cent of them thought Father Christmas was "too fat", and 59
per cent believed he should eat better to lose weight, or go to the gym
(19 per cent.)

Many also thought his means of transport was outdated, as a sleigh was
too slow for delivering presents.

A total of 35 per cent thought he should change it for a 4WD and
31 per cent for a motorcycle.

But they were ready to keep at least one Christmas tradition - his big red
coat.

Only 21 per cent of them would like him to come down the chimney
in a shirt and jeans.

Unverified News From The Stump

Unverified News From The Stump
By Larry V raving reporter

Under pressure to explain his religious faith to the
American people, Democratic presidential candidate
Barack Obama delivered a forty-five minute speech
today discussing his belief in Oprah Winfrey.

“My religion is a personal matter to me,” Sen. Obama
told his followers. “Having said that, let me make
this clear: I have accepted Oprah as my host.”

-------------------------------------------------

Later in the day, Ms. Winfrey toured the state with
Mr. Obama and, in a stunning demonstration of her
influence, briefly caused a solar eclipse.

“Sun and moon, do my bidding!” she roared, raising her
hands above her head and delighting the crowd with the
celestial display.

-------------------------------------------------

Davis Logsdon, who studies the interrelation between
politicians, religion and talk-show hosts at the
University of Minnesota, said that Sen. Obama’s
worship of Oprah Winfrey puts him in the mainstream of
American theological belief.

“Over thirty percent of Americans currently define
themselves as Oprahists,” Mr. Logsdon said. “And that
number is higher during sweeps.”

-------------------------------------------------

Elsewhere, the CIA created more controversy today by
acknowledging that it accidentally returned several
interrogation tapes to Blockbuster.

A Jello Practical Joke

Here is an odd email making the rounds. It is a call for an Christmas-time office party practical joke with phony Jell-O.

Here's a delightful treat someone once made for an office Christmas party: A gelatin mold should be made with Knox Unflavored Gelatin and red food coloring.

One would think that a flavorless food would not be at all difficult to swallow.

But believe me, from the looks of people who inserted cold masses of gelatinous glop into a mouth that was expecting sweets, the experience is unexplainably horrifying!

Some claimed to be nauseated by the feel of it; others politely swallowed.

Try this a you own risk.

Sympathy greeting cards for your friends and relatives doing hard time.

Terrye Cheathem, a criminal defense lawyer and adviser to the Los
Angeles Sheriff's Department, has developed a line of greeting cards
for a Hallmark-ignored demographic: the recently incarcerated.

Amongher selections are cards reading "Sorry to hear about your arrest,"
and "Honestly, I never knew anyone who was arrested before," and,
simply, "Not You!" A remorseful correspondent could choose: "I know
that I have not visited you. But I still care about you ... When are
you getting out, anyway?"

Card sales are slow, according to an October Los Angeles Times story,
and Cheathem acknowledges that people might prefer to ignore their
connections to criminals.

The Cards:
http://www.threesquaresgreetings.com/

More Information:
http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/

Thanks to Larry V

Big Brother Has Become George Orwell’s Neighbor

The Big Brother nightmare of George Orwell's 1984 has become a reality - in the shadow of the author's former London home.

It was believed thought that a 1984 situation couldn't happen in real life because it would simply cost too much. Now computer technology is cheap and techniques for using computers to control and more importantly process CCTV images are readily available to anyone who controls the system.

It may have taken a little longer than he predicted, but Orwell's vision of a society where cameras and computers spy on every person's movements is now here.

In America, this practice is becoming widespread. Perhaps they could become known as FreedeomCams.

For More About This Story Go To:
OrwellCams

Contributed by Vonross
http://www.clubofpioneers.com/blog/blog-from-ross-von-burg/16/

Numerical List of Chat & Text Messaging Shorthand

SMS language (also known as chatspeak, txt, txtspk, texting language or txt talk) is the English language slang used in mobile phone SMS.


Here is a list of just the number based codes.


.02 your (or my) two cents worth

1174 nude club

121 one to one

143 I love you

14AA41 One for All and All for One

182 I hate you

1ce once

20 location

2BCTND to be continued

2BZ4UQT Too Busy For You Cutey

2D4 to die for

2G2B4G Too Good To Be Forgotten

2G2BT Too Good To Be True

2g4u too good for you

2Ht2Hndl too hot to handle

2moro Tomorrow

2nite Tonight

2U2 To You Too

3sum threesome

404 I haven't a clue

411 info

420 marijuana

459 I love you

4COL For Crying Out Loud

4EAE For Ever And Ever

4NR Foreigner

4Q is a friendly way to say: F*** You

4yeo for your eyes only

5FS 5 Finger Salute

8 oral sex

86 out of, over, to get rid of, or kicked out

911 emergency - call me

9 parent is watching

99 parent is no longer watching


If you are just plain lazy and don’t want to learn these shorthand codes you can have transl8it convert your text into lingo or vice versa.

http://www.transl8it.com/cgi-win/index.pl?convertPL

Watermelon Carvings

The Asian art of watermelon carving.

These pictures has been part of an email that has traversed the globe many times.

Originally these carvings were thought to be Chinese, but now it seems they may be Japanese.

To see more go to:
http://www.americade.info/melons.htm

Man Saved From Chimney

EVANSVILLE, Ind. (AP) -- Firefighters had to tear though a wall to rescue a man who became stuck while trying to climb through a chimney into a home.

Alejandro Valencio said he was drunk when he climbed down the chimney about 3:30 a.m. Tuesday to see a woman who lived in the home.

''Everyone do stupid things sometimes when they're drunk,'' he said.

The woman, Connie Deweese, said she had known Valencio for about seven or eight months but told him to stay away. She said she locked the door to her home, but ''somehow he got to the roof.''

''I've dated a lot of psychos in my life, but nobody like that,''Deweese said.

Firefighters requested assistance from police officers after they
arrived because they said Deweese was blocking the fireplace. She
received misdemeanor citations for charges of disorderly conduct and
interfering with a firefighter.

''I told them to leave him in the chimney and let him die,'' she said.

Valencio was taken to a hospital after he was removed. He later returned to the home, where a crew from television station WEHT captured Deweese hitting him with a garbage can and pelting him with bottles.

''Get off my porch, and don't you ever come back here,'' she yelled.

Valencio said he would help pay for the damages incurred from his rescue.

For More About Chimneys
blogs.salon.com/ 0004217/2005/09/14.html