I just DON'T like it ...

http://fullcomment.nationalpost.com/2010/10/06/robyn-urback-facebooks-i-like-it-campaign-pointlessly-sexualizing-tragedy/

Robyn Urback: Facebook’s “I like it” campaign pointlessly sexualizing tragedy

I think quoting a comment by a reader of this article would best describe my feelings on this matter:

All I'm seeing is: "Curiosity raises questions, which leads to conversations and that's where action starts!". Good, that's fine, but does no one realise that this is an IDIOTIC way to raise curiosity? Where is the link between sexually suggestive ways to tell where you leave your purse and breast cancer? THERE IS NONE. I could do the same thing; observe:

Me: Just got a rim job!
Friend: Wow, disturbing.
Me: I'm talking about getting new rims on my car haha! But also, it's colon cancer awareness month!
Friend: Oh, uh, neat. Didn't know.

Except in this example, the sexually suggestive rim job actually has closer relevance to colon cancer than a freaking purse to breast cancer.

(source: National Post)

PS: And according to The Huffington Post, this whole meme originated with a male social network user, as probably did last year's breast cancer FB meme. At least the latter was, while equally suggestive, remotely relevant.

Stupid Terrorists

http://verydemotivational.com/2010/01/21/demotivational-posters-stupid-terrorists/
Amazing how calm the others seem.

Marketing WTF: Häagen-Dazs

Via Times of India:

My friend Ramit (name changed on request) called me late Friday night. He sounded quite agitated. “You know, Haagen Dazs has opened its Delhi outlet”. I reacted with a joke. “Good, now you can spend a lot more on an ice cream than you normally would. But why are you agitated?”

“Because I am not allowed to enter”, he said. Now, Ramit is not like one of the politician’s son or into drugs, the sort who are often in news in India’s capital for all the wrong reasons, nor is he the kind who will shoot someone down because she refused to serve him a cone of ice cream.

He did not waste much time and said he has taken a picture and is mailing me the reason. I switched on my mail, and clicked on the attachment. I couldn’t believe what I saw. Was I in India, 62 years after gaining independence, and years after South Africa officially ended apartheid? The banners outside the outlet said: Exclusive Preview for International Travellers. And under that, in an even finer print, the real bombshell: Access restricted only to holders of international passports.

This raises a couple of questions. The lesser being how they would expect foreign nationals (of Indian origin or otherwise) to be carrying around their passports while strolling around a mall, in case they are asked to prove their nationality (unless they intend to judge nationality by appearance). The greater being why on earth a Häagen-Dazs franchise would make their first entry into the Indian market by specifically excluding Indian nationals.

Marry or lose job, says Iran firm

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/7447227.stm
One of the more stupid/oppressive ideas to come out of a theo-fascist state. Unjust (it's a state-owned company) AND unrealistic (how to find a partner for life under pressure): what a combination