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Reports circulated today about a virulent piece of malware making its way around Facebook, a major hub of the social Web with 120 million users. Because of its walled-off internal e-mail system, Facebook has long been a tough target for spammers and other fraudsters, but the "Koobface" virus is a sign that the relative viral calm on the site -- which just today announced an ambitious program to extend its services - infodiva via Bookmarklet

I must give credit to Ike Pigott (@ikepigott) for the idea of a "Top 10 People to Unfollow" list. Although I can easily think of several individuals I’d like to place on this list, I figured it would be too mean to actually call them out by name (and possibly result in a libel suit). So the list below contains ten archetypes that I’ve noticed on Twitter. I’m sure there are many others, so feel free to add your own in the comments section. - infodiva via Bookmarklet

"Gay activists and blacks showed their ugly side during two Prop 8-related events last week in Los Angeles. Blacks were reportedly cursed and taunted with the "N" word on the fringe of one of several massive protest marches held recently in Los Angeles against the passage of Proposition 8. That's the initiative that encodes in the California Constitution wording that defines marriage as exclusively between a man and a woman. A few days after that, several blacks took the microphone at a town hall on black and gay relations and lambasted gay activists for comparing the gay rights struggle to the black civil rights struggle. One of the speakers emphasized the point by spewing out the words "sissy," the "F" and the "P" words to refer to gays. Some in the audience gasped, but other blacks didn't flinch at the epithets." - infodiva via Bookmarklet

Given the economic downturn, even the most romantic might balk at the $86,609 price tag for the items in the carol, “The Twelve Days of Christmas.” That’s this year’s cost, according to the annual “Christmas Price Index” compiled by PNC Wealth Management, which tallies the single partridge in a pear tree to the 12 drummers drumming, purchased repeatedly as the song suggests. The price is up $8,508 or 10.9 percent, from $78,100 last year. - infodiva via Bookmarklet

"Rock & Roll Daily, Your non-stop music news source." - infodiva via Bookmarklet

As mainstream media outlets struggled to contend with the enormity of the terrorist attacks in Mumbai, citizen journalists were already on the scene filing a constant stream of reports and images from the ground. Every moment of the attacks has been documented in harrowing detail on Twitter, with new messages published from mobile phones every second as people described the scenes around them. Instead of switching on the television, many followed the action live on Twitter by searching the site for Mumbai, Bombay and #Mumbai. Twitter reports reportedly appeared hours before the first TV stories. - infodiva via Bookmarklet

Twitter helped to create this new conservative community. Twitter is also a great way to get news as it happens. There are other great news services that send out “tweets” during the day. Fox News and Sky News are two that come to mind that send out news updates day and night. If you follow them, they will send the news directly to your computer or cell phone. I’ll have more news services listed below that you should follow. There are also conservatives using Twitter to post news and blog posts. If you follow a right-minded Twitter user, every “tweet” they send out will be seen by your account. That means every article they choose to share, you get to see. I have learned of some interesting news this way, news I may of otherwise missed. - infodiva via Bookmarklet

Most Thanksgiving turkeys make us yawn—and not just because of the tryptophan. Bland or boring, the behemoth-like birds are often dried out, flavorless, and swollen with soggy stuffing. Unable to endure the thought of yet another desiccated drumstick this year, we set out to find five wacky, wild and totally nontraditional forms of festive fowl. The results, which range from the Buffalo-sauced to the militant vegan, all have one thing in common: they're even crazier than your Aunt Carol. - infodiva via Bookmarklet

"Select" - infodiva via Bookmarklet

Twitter Inc., the 18-month-old San Francisco micro-blogging company, has sensational buzz, a dramatic increase in users, increasing competition from copycats — but no clear strategy for making money. Barack Obama famously has an account, although he hasn’t posted anything since Nov. 5. Al Gore recently signed on, and so did Lance Armstrong. Twitter’s service for posting messages with 140 characters or less and delivering them via the Internet or SMS systems has taken off — some estimate 1 million messages are sent a day — and people are using it in surprising ways. - infodiva via Bookmarklet

• He collects Spider-Man and Conan the Barbarian comics • He was known as "O'Bomber" at high school for his skill at basketball • His name means "one who is blessed" in Swahili • His favourite meal is wife Michelle's shrimp linguini • He won a Grammy in 2006 for the audio version of his memoir, Dreams From My Father • He is left-handed – the sixth post-war president to be left-handed • He has read every Harry Potter book • He owns a set of red boxing gloves autographed by Muhammad Ali • He worked in a Baskin-Robbins ice cream shop as a teenager and now can't stand ice cream • His favourite snacks are chocolate-peanut protein bars • He ate dog meat, snake meat, and roasted grasshopper while living in Indonesia • He can speak Spanish • While on the campaign trail he refused to watch CNN and had sports channels on instead • His favourite drink is black forest berry iced tea • He promised Michelle he would quit smoking before running for president – he didn't • He kept a pet ape called Tata while - infodiva via Bookmarklet

Public details have been scant about the social search product from The Mechanical Zoo, a company chock full of former Googlers that just announced it raised $6 million from August Capital and Baseline Ventures. But for the last three months, I’ve actually been a beta tester for the company’s first product, Aardvark.im. It’s one of the best web applications I’ve seen during my year with VentureBeat. The simplest explanation is Yahoo Answers meets Twitter — real-time, rapid fire responses, by actual human beings, to intelligent (and not-so-intelligent) questions. It helps you find answers that are too complicated, even for Google’s search algorithms. This is very different than the brouhaha of expectations crafted for search engines Cuil and Powerset. Why? Cuil wants to index more pages with better and more relevant results, and Powerset (which was purchased by Microsoft for more than $100 million) attempted to improve results with its natural language processing. Aardvark, on the other hand, takes the cak - infodiva via Bookmarklet

printable version - fixed-width version California | Animal Liberation Another Sarah Palin Effigy: Now Hanging Around a Republican's House by Jennifer Bingham Saturday Nov 1st, 2008 8:52 PM A Sarah Palin effigy was removed from a home in West Hollywood, California on October 30, 2008. But now, it hangs in the Woodland Hills front yard of Greater Valley Glen Councilmember and registered Republican Dr. Charlotte Laws. Laws makes the bold political statement that McCain has lost Republican and Independent votes by choosing an animal-killer as a running mate. 640_palin_5.jpg original image ( 1704x2272) 640_palin_5.jpg original image ( 1704x2272) The torch (or noose) has been passed. When a Sarah Palin effigy was removed from a home in West Hollywood, California, Dr. Charlotte Laws immediately erected one outside her home in Woodland Hills, California in a bold, political statement. Next to the effigy is a poster of smiling Sarah by her bloody kill. Laws asks the question, “Which is more offensive? Palin’ - infodiva via Bookmarklet

Pubblicata da MixUnit76 alle 12:42 in News. 0 commenti. Il mio intento era quello di preparare un articolo dove illustrare quali tra i cantanti hiphop americani si schierassero con Obama e quali altri con McCain. Il problema è che a parte DMX, il quale non si capisce se abbia agito di ignoranza o furbizia, ma propenderei per la prima, NESSUN CANTANTE HIPHOP si è schierato con McCain. Riprendendo la questione DMX, il cantante americano, durante una intervista per il giornale XXL, interpellato riguardo il suo interesse verso il candidato Barack Obama, se n'è uscito con una risposta che, tradotta in italiano suona più o meno così: "No, per niente.Mai sentito. Davvero c'è un politico americano che si chiama Barack?". Ragguagliato sul fatto che il padre di Obama è originario del Kenia, ha aggiunto: "Barack?! E che cazzo è un Barack? Da dove hai detto che viene, dall'Africa? Ma che cazzo, Barack non sarà mica un nome serio. Non è mica un nome per neri. Ma figuriamoci. Barack Obama. Ma vaff...". Ora, a parte - infodiva via Bookmarklet

Candidacy Fits Into Ideology Part of the problem is that Obama is playing into the neo-Nazi and white supremacist narrative, said Brian Levin, who studies hate and extremism at California State University, San Bernardino. What the groups were saying — "Jews and blacks coming out of the urban areas are going to take over this white nation of ours" — has occurred, he said. You only have to look to the Internet to see how white supremacist leaders such as David Duke are using Obama to rally their troops. Duke has called Obama a "visual aid for hate groups." He says an Obama presidency would provide indisputable proof that whites have lost control of America. "This is a cultural and racial battlefront," said Levin. "Barack Obama is symbol No. 1 of the worst the future has to offer." While Obama may be an easy focus of discussion for haters, he hasn't unified them. In fact, in many ways, he has managed to divide the movement. - infodiva via Bookmarklet

"In the midst of what was arguably the worst stock market crash since 1987, Americans showed surprising resilience when asked about the stock market and the economy. A poll conducted by Gfk Roper for Bankrate on Oct. 10, 11 and 12 reveals that more than one-third (35 percent) of Americans said they are not at all worried about investing in the stock market because it will go up over the long term." - infodiva via Bookmarklet

Ah, election season. There's nothing like a good battle between the Democrats and the Republicans (and Ralph Nader and Ron Paul) to whet the appetite of a political junkie. But if you're looking for something less temporal—the kind of work that will let you feed your addiction year-round—you don't have to become a legislator. Consider one of these (mostly) nonpolitical jobs where you may find a way to keep the spirit of the election alive every day. A collection of presidential campaign buttons. Librarian: Not just any librarian—a special librarian. Special librarians work for companies, government agencies, nonprofits, universities, or museums, rather than for the general public. There are plenty of opportunities for people to focus on specialties. Janice Lachance, chief executive of the Special Libraries Association, says "it's absolutely a perfect fit" for people who are politically inclined, as leaders at nongovernmental organizations, think tanks, or government agencies rely on well-sourced, "top level - infodiva via Bookmarklet

Until recently, the Puerto Rican dancehall music reggaeton was better known for its sexualized dance moves than political messaging. That changed when musician Daddy Yankee, complete with signature sunglasses, stood proudly on stage with John McCain, talked about immigration policy, and endorsed the Arizona senator for president. Now, reggaetoneros like Daddy Yankee have taken center stage in the 2008 election, Marisol LeBrón writes for NACLA. Barack Obama’s campaign quickly garnered endorsements from other prominent reggaeton artists including Don Omar, Julio Voltio and Puerto Rican-American rapper Fat Joe. The International Herald Tribune reports that Daddy Yankee turned to more local politics, moderating a televised gubernatorial debate on the island that was designed to attract young voters. Unhappy that reggaetoneros “are being used in an effort to attract youth to a political system that systematically ignores their concerns,” NACLA reports that protesters showed up at Daddy Yankee’s moderated debat - infodiva via Bookmarklet

"One of the hottest technologies in Silicon Valley is also one of the simplest. The online service from Web start-up Twitter Inc. prompts users to do one thing: answer the question, "What are you doing?" in 140 characters or less. People type these brief updates, known as "tweets," into Twitter's site or send them to Twitter as text messages. Friends and colleagues can then check the site to monitor each other's updates." - infodiva via Bookmarklet

"The bureau slashed its criminal investigative work force to expand its national security role after the Sept. 11 attacks, shifting more than 1,800 agents, or nearly one-third of all agents in criminal programs, to terrorism and intelligence duties. Current and former officials say the cutbacks have left the bureau seriously exposed in investigating areas like white-collar crime, which has" - infodiva via Bookmarklet

Sarah Palin was a big hit on "Saturday Night Live." NBC scored its highest ratings for the late-night show in 14 years, in an estimate based on the nation's biggest media markets. Nothing has done better since skater Nancy Kerrigan visited after her Olympics drama with Tonya Harding in 1994. Palin played along as Tina Fey gave another impersonation of the Alaska governor. Nielsen Media Research won't have a complete count of Saturday's audience until later in the week. It will likely be around 14 million people — and 17 million for the first half hour, when the opening skit happened." - infodiva via Bookmarklet

"Republican presidential candidate John McCain compared Barack Obama to socialist leaders in Europe on Saturday, saying his rival wants to raise taxes on the wealthy to give money to the poor. McCain, an Arizona senator, tried to erode the advantage Obama has built on the issue of the economy as he spent the day campaigning in traditionally Republican states that are now up for grabs -- North Carolina and Virginia. Obama drew two huge crowds in Missouri, a battleground state that backed Republican President George W. Bush twice. About 100,000 gathered at the Gateway Arch in St. Louis, according to Obama's campaign, which cited a local police official. It was his biggest U.S. event, the campaign said." - infodiva via Bookmarklet

""Joe the Plumber" is lashing out at the media for analyzing his personal life since he suddenly became a focal point of the presidential race last week. Joe Wurzelbacher, a plumber from Holland, Ohio, told Mike Huckabee on his Fox News talk show Saturday that he is upset by the attention and has been unable to work with reporters crowded on his front lawn. "The media's worried about whether I've paid my taxes, they're worried about any number of silly things that have nothing to do with America," Wurzelbacher told the former Republican presidential hopeful on his show, "Huckabee." Wurzelbacher said he felt terrible after reading some of the criticism of himself posted online. "I felt about that small," he said. "I mean I really did."" - infodiva via Bookmarklet

John McCain got a call from Defense Secretary Robert Gates. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice was on the phone to Barack Obama, and to his Democratic running mate, Joe Biden. Nobody called Sarah Palin. The calls this week were part of the Bush administration's campaign to line up political support for a compromise deal with Iraq that cedes some authority over U.S. forces, and a courtesy to the presidential hopefuls on whose watch the deal would take effect. Palin, the only politician among the presidential and vice presidential contenders who is not in Congress, didn't get the call. "We are keeping them informed about activities and remember, certainly, they have committee assignments and things like that as senators as well," White House press secretary Dana Perino said Friday. "One of them is going to win the election, and they will be taking over and having to deal with these issues ... So it's only prudent for us to make sure that we get them the information that we think they need." - infodiva via Bookmarklet

A Republican women's club in San Bernardino County sent out a recent newsletter with a photo of Barack Obama surrounded by fried chicken, watermelon and ribs, sparking widespread outrage and rebuke from GOP leaders and Democrats. The illustration shows the Democratic presidential candidate's head atop a donkey's body on a bogus $10 bill referred to as "Obama Bucks." Inscribed on the money are the words "United States Food Stamps" surrounded by stereotypical African American food. - infodiva via Bookmarklet

"Paddy Power PLC says it is so sure Barack Obama will win the U.S. presidential election next month that it paid off Thursday on all bets it had taken backing the Democratic candidate. It said it shelled out more than euro1 million, about $1.35 million." - infodiva via Bookmarklet

As Alex stated in this week's feature post, With the U.S. presidential race in its final few weeks, and momentum towards a possible Obama/ Democratic landslide building, it's worth beginning to ask, "What next? What happens here in America after the election?" To help generate dialogue as the deadline approaches, we're collecting essays of 100 words or less from Worldchanging allies all over the world in response to the question: In 100 words or less, what should the next president do in his first 100 days to" - infodiva via Bookmarklet

"Each time McCain or Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama says one of the following words or phrases, shout it loudly and, if you must, take a drink of your favorite non-alcoholic beverage. (Cue scene of the Sleuth channeling Sarah Palin and winking.) To keep score, circle ahead of time the buzzwords and phrases you think the candidates will employ tonight, worth five points each time they are uttered by either candidate -- or moderator. And have fun! Here is the list: ACORN Bill Ayers Tony Rezko Tony Romo (double shot) Bailout Bubble Derivatives Brooksley Born (double shot) My Friend(s) North Korea Lincoln-Douglas Great Depression Alan Greenspan Paul Krugman (double shot) Lehman Brothers" - infodiva via Bookmarklet

"It has been called one of the most historic presidential elections in our nation's history -- Barack Obama versus John McCain. It is a race that pits the iconoclast against the newcomer, the heroic prisoner of war against the first African American nominated by a major party. FRONTLINE's critically acclaimed series The Choice returns this election season to examine the rich personal and political biographies of these two men in The Choice 2008. (more) »" - infodiva via Bookmarklet

In a lenghty account of a Sarah Palin rally in Scranton, Pa. today, the local paper, the Times-Tribune, relates that at 1:25 p.m. just before she arrived, a candidate for Congress stepped on stage: "Chris Hackett addressed the increasingly feisty crowd as they await the arrival of Gov. Palin. "Each time the Republican candidate for the seat in the 10th Congressional District mentioned Barack Obama the crowd booed loudly. "One man screamed "kill him - infodiva via Bookmarklet

FriendorFollowIf you're an obsessive Twitter user, you probably notice when someone stops following you. How do you figure out who it is, though? It can be tough, especially if you have a lot of followers. Well, now there's FriendOrFollow, a site that tells you who's not following you back, and who you're not following. FriendOrFollow is handy for discovering new folks to follow, adding people you might have forgotten, and dropping people (if you're the type to ditch those who don't reciprocate.) FriendOrFollow is a lot like another service that's been around for a whie, Twitter Karma, but it's faster and more reliable. Since there's been more than one attempt to implement this functionality, there must be some kind of demand for it. Perhaps one day you'll see it built into Twitter. - infodiva via Bookmarklet