In Defense of Facebook (at least against self-righteous drivel)

This "you need to get off facebook" video, which has been getting a large number of views, actually annoyed me enough to inspire filming a parody/response. Sure, he had a few funny lines, nice sentiments about living in the real world, and good music--but my god, the smug! the easy targets! also the smug!

Enjoy:

GMTA

Speaking of crafts, here's my friend Evan on why he is watching "Portlandia" and why you should too.

Basically, Portlandia intends to do to its namesake city’s hipsters, yuppies, and yupsters exactly what Prairie Home Companion has been doing to rural Minnesota Lutherans for over 20 years: make blistering fun of them, albeit warm-heartedly, in a “sometimes this place is pretty damned absurd but hell, we still live here” kind of way....There’s a lot to unpack in the sketches....Two home-improvement show hosts spruce up a bland gift store in Northeast Portland by adding a silhouette of a bird to all the items, which magically makes them Interesting and Creative (I have seen no better send-up of both the “New Domesticity” crafting/DIY culture and the tendency of “indie” types to view their actions as “unique” when they’re really just following broad social trends).

And my friend Natalie weighs in on bridging divides and being right.

I think one of the pitfalls of the idea that "each man is his own moral authority," a moral principle by which many of us live in the US, is that we are less and less willing to go through the painful process of being told we are wrong by other people. Moreover, because of the multiplicity of ethical choices out there, many of us are beset with uncertainty as to our moral convictions. Finally, we live in a very unforgiving cultural climate in which moral failings are increasingly vilified and not forgiven, while the importance of "good" reputation for one's career is still sky-high. Having a "good" reputation, however, very often translates into "being right about everything, all the time." We are afraid that admitting to being wrong will cost us everything — our autonomy, our moral compass, and our career and social lives. We will be seen as morally "tarnished."