FORT Koffee Klatch

[Gutmutter]

Another advantage of Facebook is that almost everybody has digital cameras now. I can't think of anyone but my mom who still makes photo prints on a regular basis. My family shares photos electronically - my siblings through e-mail, my kids through facebook. My computer background is often photos of my family... just a right click away.

[queenb]

I have Facebook, but I'm not crazy about it. I suppose if any of my 'friends' actually carried on conversations or anything, it would be ok. But we don't. So I rarely go there. I check to see if anyone has posted any 'big news", and leave.
There is one thing I really dislike--it seems to me that boards like this one, where most of us have something in common even though we don't know each other, are being used less and less. And I by far prefer them to FB.

[pikachu]

I have Facebook, but I'm not crazy about it. I suppose if any of my 'friends' actually carried on conversations or anything, it would be ok. But we don't. So I rarely go there. I check to see if anyone has posted any 'big news", and leave.
There is one thing I really dislike--it seems to me that boards like this one, where most of us have something in common even though we don't know each other, are being used less and less. And I by far prefer them to FB.

I feel the same way, queenb! I like to play games on Facebook but I don't enjoy chatting on it. Conversations drift down eventually, making it hard to find them on someone's wall and I just don't like the format in general. It's much easier for me to have a static forum, where you can find threads started weeks or months earlier and have separate forums for main topics of conversation. Most of my friends have abandoned forums and chat mostly on Facebook which I hate!

Some of my friends started a group for the forum we had been on but I had to remove myself from the group because they were discussing Big Brother spoilers, which I didn't want to see, and they were posting on my wall. I really love that this forum keeps the live feed threads separate from the show threads so I can avoid spoilers and live feed talk more easily.

[pikachu]

Facebook (which I really don't understand the point of if I have to be honest) is just another tool for the "people collector". Before technology caught up to their needs, they were those who got the phone number of everyone who crossed their path because of some fetish to show off their jam-packed phone book so that, apparently, everyone would know how popular they are. Personally I would rather have one really good friend over a thousand acquaintances and I certainly don't care what anyone thinks about my degree of popularity, but whatever gets them through the night, I guess.

I don't have a lot of Facebook friends because I'm a "people collector", as you call it. I play some games that require help from neighbors so the more you have, the faster you can get challenges done. I don't know all of my Facebook friends on a personal level but that's fine with me. I do know many of them from the game forum at Restaurant City. I don't get on Facebook to chat. When I want to talk, I come to one of the online forums I frequent.

Try to cut people some slack about using Facebook. It's not always for the reason you describe, to pad their address book and appear to be "liked" by as many people as possible.

[buglover]

Quick question for anyone who may know. If my son starts collecting disability because of his condition, can I still claim his as a dependent on my taxes? Also, since he is 19, is there any way I can insist some of the money goes to paying the bills or will that just be between me and him. One more thing.. ... can he stay on my insurance since it is really good or will he have to apply for medicaid?

Thanks!

[Columbia, MD]

Bug - I PMed you about this. However, let me add that if you are providing more than half of his support, he is your dependent. I would consult a tax person for a definitive answer. CMD

[norealityhere]

Quick question for anyone who may know. If my son starts collecting disability because of his condition, can I still claim his as a dependent on my taxes? Also, since he is 19, is there any way I can insist some of the money goes to paying the bills or will that just be between me and him. One more thing.. ... can he stay on my insurance since it is really good or will he have to apply for medicaid?

Thanks!

In most instances a child can continue to be covered on your insurance IF he is still a dependent - up to age 26.
I'm not certain that you can still claim him on your taxes - I'd check with State of Ca directly. I think it depends on what percentage you're contributing.
I'm about 99% positive that you CAN'T insist on where the money goes - they'd have no way to administer that.

Hope this helps.

[Rattus]

I don't have a lot of Facebook friends because I'm a "people collector", as you call it. I play some games that require help from neighbors so the more you have, the faster you can get challenges done. I don't know all of my Facebook friends on a personal level but that's fine with me. I do know many of them from the game forum at Restaurant City. I don't get on Facebook to chat. When I want to talk, I come to one of the online forums I frequent.

Try to cut people some slack about using Facebook. It's not always for the reason you describe, to pad their address book and appear to be "liked" by as many people as possible.

At no point did I claim that everyone who uses Facebook is a people collector - I said that Facebook is a tool for people collectors. Sort of like all birds have wings, but not everything that has wings is a bird.

[prhoshay]

OK, another stupid question of my day: My next door neighbor moved and left his daycare-running daughter in the house (yes, daycare next door!). It is his daughter, his daughter's 9 year old son, and his daughter's mother. The people are nice enough, and it is not noisy, and there are not a ton of kids. A couple of weeks ago, I went out to put my garbage in the outdoor cans, and my cans were all filled up with garbage from the daycare. I called her and asked what I was to do with my garbage; she quickly apologized, blamed the 9 year old, and said that it wouldn't happen again. My cans quickly returned right after the call, empty. Since that time, every week, I go out to a can missing....and I think we all know where it is. It is aggravating, but it's not impossible to deal with. I think I resent the assumption that they are just welcome to come over, and make off with my garbage can. It is always promptly returned after collection morning. I think it's just the principle of the matter, but it grates on me. The least they could do is ask. I think I am going to ask my former neighbor to buy them a garbage can for Christmas. Am I being unreasonable? Maybe there's something that I'm just not seeing here.

[Ellen]

No, you're not being unreasonable at all. That's terribly rude of them. And the wrong way to run a business.
Charge them rent!