You know you're getting old when...

[Bill Glasheen]

You could probably say it in this venue, Mr. Glasheen.

Congratulations on your new grandson.

- Bill

[chef]

Thank you! He is beautiful and precious!

If you see something on Facebook, it is probably fine to mention it here, BTW.

Regards,
V.

[Bill Glasheen]

If you see something on Facebook...

While I realize some folks think Facebook is communication central, I really don't spend that much time on it. Too much of a time waster. I spend far more time reading periodicals or books.

It reminds me of Graduate Happy Hour (every Friday evening) at UVa. Too many people. Too much about mating rituals over pulsating electronic music.

When it was outdoors, I'd just sit up on a hill with my dog, and watch the crowd from afar. My friends would come up and sit with me one-by-one, and have a much more interesting and intimate conversation.

- Bill

[gmattson]

Congratulations. . . However, you look far too young to be a grandma!

BTW, I've sent you a couple e-mail. Have you received them? If not, please e-mail me - I may have an old e-mail address. Sue and I have both lost our database due to computer malfunctions. My backup may not be current.

[chef]

Hey, George,

No, I haven't received any emails from you as of yet. Could you resend them to my personal email address?

Thanks so much,
Vicki

[gmattson]

But I guess the email address I have is an old one that is no longer working.
I'll PM you with the message.

Best,

[chef]

Hey, George,

If I can figure a way to post a picture, I will try to have one.

I was really looking forward to Winterfest again this year but will not be able to attend, due to helping with my daughter's new baby. I am also missing karate for an extended period because of this.

On missing karate for a while

On spending time with baby Zach.

Have a blast at Winterfest. My heart is with you all attending.

Regards,
Vicki

[Bill Glasheen]

Baby Zach is beautiful. But then again... The apple doesn't fall far from the tree.

- Bill

[chef]

I am prejudice, but you are right. His mother is gorgeous, his father is handsome, and they both are incredibly bright. May he inherit all of the above.

Thank you for noticing that, Bill.

Regards,
Vicki

[PreyingMantis]

Consider the classic songs and movies as good memories and lessons learned. Someday today will be an old adventure to the future young. Time is precious and new beginnings are forever historical. Just a little food for thought Bill. You are not as old as you think you are Todays rap music will create legend...somehow...evolution is in your scientific mind. It exisits everywhere and in everything. Never limit to what can be known or remembered from afar. That is the beauty of life. Although life is short and most take it for granted, taking the time to enjoy people, places or things are the very reason we exist.

[PreyingMantis]

If you see something on Facebook...

When it was outdoors, I'd just sit up on a hill with my dog, and watch the crowd from afar. My friends would come up and sit with me one-by-one, and have a much more interesting and intimate conversation.

- Bill

I agree Facebook has really gotten out of hand. People never call each other anymore. They have to text or play on websites like Facebook. I mean is that really a true way to show a friend how much you care about them? Why has the world let technology consume them and mold them to be so 3rd party dependent. Would it not mean more to hear a best friends voice calling you asking how your day was? Is it too much to ask if you want to share a game of cards or something to that nature that you do so in person? What the heck have we become? I am an old soul and for generations humans respond better to their 5 senses when all have the ability to be combined or partially combined. This could be why divorce rates are so high. We have forgotten what communication means. Humans, need to be touched, talked to, acknowledged etc.

[Valkenar]

I agree Facebook has really gotten out of hand. People never call each other anymore. They have to text or play on websites like Facebook. I mean is that really a true way to show a friend how much you care about them?

What can you say about texting/Facebook that doesn't apply analogously to the telephone vs personal visits? Certainly, something is lost the more distant the means of communication, but doesn't the ability to communicate any time makes up for much of that? There are times when you can call that you can't visit and there are times when you can text but you can't call.

I'm not a huge fan of Facebook, I mostly just play silly little games on it, but I'm more in touch with my cousin's wife, and thereby him and his family, than I would be if she didn't post updates to Facebook. Sure, it's not a phone call, but it's certainly more than the entire lack of communication I would have otherwise.

In the end, the telephone didn't destroy human interaction and neither will this.

[PreyingMantis]

To each is his own I always say in the end. We all have different perspectives, desires, wants or needs. I myself do not have time to play games in Facebook or anywhere else. I am a full time parent, worker and in school. When you do all of this on your own to provide for a child, the telephone comes in real handy. Facebook is a great program depending on what you want out of it. My time is limited and very valuable ~was my point. Email also works. Simplicity is a virtue.

[Glenn]

Sure Facebook can become a major time waster if you're not careful, but then again so can this forum and many other activities. As a parent of three with three part-time jobs while working on a PhD, I certainly do not have time for the games on Facebook, and have not even ventured into that part of it, but you don't have to play the games to be on Facebook.

Facebook has no real difference from this online forum. They both are forms of community and communication that otherwise would not exist.

As someone who lost touch with most of my high school and college friends over the years, I gotta say Facebook has definite value for enabling the reconnecting of friendships. I got a card in the mail this past summer that my high school was having a 25 year reunion, and the card included an invite to a Facebook page for graduates of the school. I hadn't really given Facebook much thought before that, but from the card decided to join. Within a week I had reconnected with a large number of former classmates I hadn't communicated with in over 20 years, including seeing current pictures of them and their families and later pictures of the reunion which I was not able to attend. And since then I have reconnected with other former friends from college etc. We likely would have stayed out of touch forever without Facebook.

Don't get me wrong, phone and e-mail are useful too, particularly if you have that connection with people already. But as people switch to only having cell phones, good luck finding working phone numbers (or e-mail addresses) for them if you lose contact for any period of time.

Now I have been charged by the student organization of my department to set up a Facebook account that will serve as a community for graduates of the program, many of whom the department has lost touch with.

The bottom line is to use it appropriately, and don't put anything on it you don't want made public.

[Valkenar]

I agree that it all depends on your priorities. I'd also point out that personally I don't spend very much time on facebook playing games. I do things like playing tetris while while watching a movie or something.