although urban craft uprising was indeed the bestest fun happy times i’ve had in a long time, i woke up today feeling sad. someone snagged this little bunny man from my table on saturday and i feel like he’s out there somewhere.

i know theft is some times the cost of doing business, but my finger puppets are…alive…to me. i have a hard time even selling them because they really make me so happy. i understand why he’s desirable, but he’s part of my family and i want him back, no questions asked.

help me out, ok?

not a lover of most social networking systems, facebook has always been the one to make me itch the most. i don’t like the feeling i get while using it…maybe it’s because i’ve always been something of a huac fetishist: i don’t want anybody creating databases linking me up to every friend, coworker, fellow alumni, etc., complete with dates and organization names and all. not to mention a system where i can’t delete my account…EVER. sure, i can “disable” it but it’s still there, mocking me. so, for me, that’s bad enough.

and then you get this:

from gigaom: “…this is a privacy disaster waiting to happen. The javascript on the Fandango site pops up a little screen which asks if you want to publish the information on Facebook. If you say no, your friends won’t see the information, but apparently Facebook still receives it. This means that if you are a Facebook member, Facebook will know what you are doing on each of their partner sites. And there is no way for you to opt out of that…” (clicky.)

from cory doctorow (on informationweek.com): “…If there was any doubt about Facebook’s lack of qualification to displace the Internet with a benevolent dictatorship/walled garden, it was removed when Facebook unveiled its new advertising campaign. Now, Facebook will allow its advertisers to use the profile pictures of Facebook users to advertise their products, without permission or compensation. Even if you’re the kind of person who likes the sound of a benevolent dictatorship this clearly isn’t one…” (clicky.)

from brainsturbator: “…it’s not an exaggeration to say that there are very real ties between Facebook and CIA—and there’s a whole covert landscape of semi-legal databases, companies selling private information, and the new horizon of computer-driven “Data Mining”. ” (clicky.)

so i know that “privacy” and “freedom” and “democracy” are concepts that have all but choked on their last breaths of life, but i’m dumping facebook. so there.

this is a 1988 dodge colt and i am the original owner. this car is named “marv” and is currently half covered in peeling, fraying, disintegrating duct tape.

last summer i convinced paul, the primary driver and my husband, that it’d be a really cool idea to cover this car in duct tape. and it was cool. last summer, it was an awesome duct tape art car. today, it is just sad. and so is paul. but paul is not as sad as the car. look at it.

no really, here:

see? doesn’t it make you feel sad? doesn’t it!?

you: “oh my, yes. i have looked at this car and felt the sadness.”

me: “i know, i know. it’s going to be ok because, you can help.”

you: “me? but, i’m just one person! i can’t make a difference!”

me: “come on now, muffin. don’t be like that. let me show you how….”

if every person in seattle (and bellevue) who walks by this car takes 15 seconds to peel off a piece of failed duct tape, we could have him naked in a matter of days. once he’s naked, he’s a canvas again and we have plans. fancy plans, with pants to match.

so, look into your heart. can’t you spare 15 seconds to peel this car? for the price of . . . nothing, you can give new life to a very, very, very, very crappy car. how can you look into those headlights and refuse to help? you can’t. you just can’t. i know you. you’re a good person. now, prove it: peel this car.

please?