Sunday, May 23, 2010

Diaspora vs Facebook

While listening to a local radio station's "Tech Guy" show, the host, Leo LaPorte was discussing the current hub-bub about Facebook and was urging Facebook users to quit Facebook. He mentioned a new social network I think is worth following. The video of the three "nerds" explaining the whole thing is a little tedious -they are all barely 20 years old after all- but I'm betting this is going to be major competition for Facebook, of which I can PROUDLY say I have never joined and no intention of joining. OK, I'll admit here, I recently created an account so that I could officially quit (which I did last Thursday) but it takes two weeks for your account to be completely deleted. Seems the gods at Facebook want you to take two weeks to think it over. But I digress.

Apparently, Facebook's CEO Mark Zuckerberg made a statement that most people have gotten comfortable with the lack of privacy on the Web and that basically, like it or not, this is the new social norm, so we should all pretty much get used to it. This has so outraged some Facebookers that May 31st has been officially declared "Quit Facebook" day. (I emailed my family members with this challenge and got, as expected, fairly hostile responses). Personally, I thik this is exciting, kinda like a Civil War on the Internet!

Anyway, besides the new Diaspora social network, there are other social networks out there, about 9 I can count, that care about your privacy. Just remember, you heard it here first.

Monday, May 17, 2010

What the Cluck - the Response

"Thank you for your email to Susan G. Komen for the Cure(r). We do appreciate you taking the time to tell us how you feel about our partnership with KFC. You should know that our partnership with KFC is designed at the core to educate millions of people we might not otherwise reach with breast health information - outreach that we consider critical to our mission to save lives and end breast cancer. We are reaching people with life-saving messages through KFC's 5,300 restaurants (about 900 of them in communities not yet served by a Komen Affiliate), with information in the store, on the buckets and in advertising directing consumers to KFC's bucketsforthecure.com website, with links to www.komen.org.

Second, this partnership is helping generate millions in funding - a goal of $8.5 million to be raised in six weeks - to further the nearly $1.5 billion in research and community programs that Komen has already spent over the past 30 years - programs that are literally saving people's lives through better treatments, early detection and advocacy at the federal and state levels. Because of partners like this, our $500 million in research funding has paid enormous dividends - 98 percent five-year survival rates for cancers that haven't spread from the breast and better and more effective treatments for late-stage breast cancer patients, Further, these partnerships have enabled us to invest $900 million in our communities, providing financial and medical support for women, particularly low-income women, who desperately need help gaining access to the medical care system.

Some ask what we are doing in terms of prevention. About 10 percent - or $50
million - of our research budget over the years has gone to prevention research. We'll invest another $20 million of our $55-$60 million research grant program to prevention, and continue funding programs that educate women about their risks.

We recognize that this partnership brings up a conversation about obesity and health related to cancer. Our partnership highlights the healthy options at KFC - grilled chicken and vegetables, for example. Ultimately, the decision to maintain a well-balanced diet lies in the hands of the consumer. KFC provides tools to make those choices, by providing a healthier choice menu at its restaurants and advice on its website on how consumers can limit fat and calorie consumption in its products.

We hope that you will take a moment to visit the bucketsforthecure.com website to learn more about the partnership and see the stories of hope, education and empowerment being shared there. We appreciate your concern and thank you for sharing it with us.

Very truly yours,

Margo K. Lucero
Director, Global Corporate Relations
5005 LBJ Freeway, Suite 250 | Dallas, TX 72544
1-877 GO KOMEN | www.komen.org"

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All I can say is SHAME ON YOU Ms. LUCERO, what a buncha double-speak CRAP!!!

What the Cluck?

I KNEW we lived in a bizzaro world but this takes the cake. "Buckets for the Cure" they call it, brought to you by the greedy bastards who gave us the new Double Down sandwich, and a whopping 50 cents will be donated to the Susan G. Komen Foundation for every pink bucket of fried chicken sold. Fried chicken? To cure breast cancer?

Seems to me the Susan G. Komen people forgot that their primary value is women’s health and have now failed to understand that this value does not fit with KFC. The Colonel going pink? That’s absurd. Who's next the Marlboro Man?

Go here and stop the Pinkwashing!!!

Sunday, May 16, 2010

Cancelled Wedding

Mr. itsme was to officiate next Saturday at the wedding of the son of an old high school friend of mine. We've known Jason since before he was born. He and Joanna were coming to our house this afternoon to go over last minute details about the ceremony when Jason called to say Joanna had "cold feet" and they were cancelling the wedding.

It takes a lot of courage to call off a wedding, especially one week before you're supposed to get married. I sure don't envy them telling both sets of parents and any other family members coming from out of town or far away. Then there's the gifts to return, vendors to call: reception hall, caterer, photographer, DJ, bakery, etc., gives me the willies just thinking about it.

Still, I'm glad they both listened to their gut feeling that something was wrong and understood that calling it off was an option. I think it took real honesty and incredible maturity to be really true to what they knew deep down.

I wish them well and hope they find happiness in the future.