clipped from www.nytimes.com

THE growing popularity of social networking sites like Facebook, MySpace and Second Life has thrust many of us into a new world where we make “friends” with people we barely know, scrawl messages on each other’s walls and project our identities using totem-like visual symbols.

Academic researchers are starting to examine that question by taking an unusual tack: exploring the parallels between online social networks and tribal societies. In the collective patter of profile-surfing, messaging and “friending,” they see the resurgence of ancient patterns of oral communication.

“Orality is the base of all human experience,” says Lance Strate, a communications professor at Fordham University and devoted MySpace user. He says he is convinced that the popularity of social networks stems from their appeal to deep-seated, prehistoric patterns of human communication. “We evolved with speech,” he says. “We didn’t evolve with writing.”

clipped from www.cnn.com

When some of the world's leading religious scholars gather in San Diego this weekend, pasta will be on the intellectual menu. They'll be talking about a satirical pseudo-deity called the Flying Spaghetti Monster, whose growing pop culture fame gets laughs but also raises serious questions about the essence of religion.

The appearance of the Flying Spaghetti Monster on the agenda of the American Academy of Religion's annual meeting gives a kind of scholarly imprimatur to a phenomenon that first emerged in 2005, during the debate in Kansas over whether intelligent design should be taught in public school sciences classes.

The title: "Evolutionary Controversy and a Side of Pasta: The Flying Spaghetti Monster and the Subversive Function of Religious Parody."

clipped from www.denverpost.com

Boulder High students walk out during Pledge, recite own version

BOULDER, Colo.—About 50 Boulder High School students walked out of class Thursday to protest the daily reading of the Pledge of Allegiance and recited their own version, omitting "one nation, under God."

The students say the phrase violates the constitutional separation of church and state.

"Boulder High has a highly diverse population, not all of whom believe in God, or one God," said Emma Martens, a senior and president of the club, which has about a dozen members.

clipped from www.signonsandiego.com

President Bush called a Fallon military widow on Thursday and apologized for her not being invited to a private meeting earlier this week in Reno, when he met briefly with the families of fallen Nevada soldiers.

The president's phone call to Roberta Stewart came a day after White House and military officials said her exclusion from Tuesday's meeting was an oversight and not an intentional snub because of her Wiccan faith.

“I was very pleased with the way the conversation went, very pleased that he did call and put this right,” she said.

With regards to her faith, Bush told her he “would not discriminate against someone because of their religion,” Stewart said.

clipped from www.lvrj.com

CARSON CITY -- When President Bush took time Tuesday to meet family members of some of the fallen soldiers from Northern Nevada, a woman whose husband made the ultimate sacrifice was notably absent.

Roberta Stewart of Fernley, who lost her husband, Sgt. Patrick Stewart, when the helicopter he was in was shot down in Afghanistan in September 2005, said she was not invited to the meeting that followed Bush's speech to the American Legion's national convention in Reno.

Roberta Stewart said she believes she knows why no invitation was extended to her by the White House.

Roberta Stewart, like her late husband, is a practitioner of the Wiccan faith, and she fought with the Department of Veterans Affairs for more than a year to win the right to display the pentacle, the emblem of their faith, on his memorial marker in the Northern Nevada Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Fernley.

clipped from www.msnbc.msn.com

Tuesday morning, Aug. 28 brings us the second total lunar eclipse of 2007.  Those living in the Western Hemisphere and eastern Asia will be able to partake in at least some of this sky show.

The very best viewing region for viewing this eclipse will fall across the Pacific Rim, including the West Coast of the United States and Canada, as well as Alaska, Hawaii, New Zealand and eastern Australia.  All these places will be able to see the complete eclipse from start to finish. 

Europeans will miss out on the entire show, as the moon will be below the horizon during their mid and late morning hours.

The most obvious part of the eclipse will be when the moon is passing through the dark umbral shadow of the Earth.  On this occasion, the full moon will track just to the south of the center of the Earth's umbra; deep path almost through the center of the umbra which will result in a total phase lasting an unusually long 1 hour 30 minutes (the maximum possible is 1 hour 47 minutes).

clipped from burningtaper.blogspot.com

What if there was a town called Bugsport, Maine? And what if most of the inhabitants were little grey aliens that the government had moved there after their flying saucer crashed in 1947 in Roswell, New Mexico? And what if the aliens were Freemasons?

And what if... Bugsport was a comic strip drawn by Bro. Ted Bastien?

clipped from www.thesun.co.uk

Pagans have a cow over Homer

PAGANS have pledged to perform “rain magic” to wash away cartoon character Homer Simpson who was painted next to their famous fertility symbol - the Cerne Abbas giant.

The 17th century chalk outline of the naked, sexually aroused, club-wielding giant is believed by many to be a symbol of ancient spirituality.

Many couples also believe the 180ft giant, which is carved in the hillside above Cerne Abbas, Dorset, is an aid to fertility.

A giant 180ft Homer Simpson brandishing a doughnut was painted next to the well-endowed figure today in a publicity stunt to promote The Simpsons Movie released later this month.

It has been painted with water-based biodegradable paint which will wash away as soon as it rains.

“We were hoping for some dry weather but I think I have changed my mind. We’ll be doing some rain magic to bring the rain and wash it away.”

clipped from www.nytimes.com

Stage One: Infatuation

I just got e-mail! I can’t believe it! It’s so great! Here’s my handle. Write me! Who said letter writing was dead? Were they ever wrong!

Stage Two: Clarification

It’s revolutionary. It’s life-altering. It’s shorthand. Cut to the chase. Get to the point.

Stage Three: Confusion

I have done nothing to deserve any of this:

Viagra!!!!!

Astrid would like to be added as one of your friends. XXXXXXXVideos. Add three inches to the length of your penis.

The Democratic National Committee needs you.

FW: This is funny. FW: This is hilarious. FW: Grapes and raisins toxic for dogs.

Stage Four: Disenchantment

Help! I’m drowning. I have 112 unanswered e-mail messages. I’m a writer — imagine how many unanswered messages I would have if I had a real job. I

Stage Five: Accommodation

Yes. No. No :). No :(. Can’t. No way. Maybe. Doubtful. Sorry.

Stage Six: Death

Call me.