Facebook and other social networking sites make it easy, breezy to reconnect with old friends. What happens, however, when you accept an old flame, thus cementing your ties for virtual eternity? Is it rude to boot them after, in a moment of conviviality, accepting their technological friendship? Once the deed’s done, can one turn back without looking petty? Or should one simply get over it and move on knowing that an ex will forever be a part of his or her online life?

Is there no end to Project Runway designer Christian Siriano’s far-reaching celebrity? The fashionable homo has signed on to design prom dresses for a “virtual community.” [Gaia]

From The Editor: Some of you may be experiencing problems accessing the site today. If you’re reading this, you probably aren’t one of them. Luckily, I’m in Santa Fe, which seems to be impervious to the problems afflicting both coasts, so updates will continue, which means you’ll have loads to read this afternoon! Lucky you!

While much of mainstream culture continues to marginalize the gays, homos are taking things into their own hands. Or, rather, fingers.

A Harris Interactive survey indicates that we queers read more blogs than the heterosexuals. When asked, just over half (51 percent) of the gay and lesbian respondents reported reading some type of blog, compared to 36 percent of heterosexual adults. A similar question on blog readership also was asked in November 2006, and at that time 32 percent of gay and lesbian adults then reported reading blogs.
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Regarding the varied interests of blogs, the survey found 28 percent of gay and lesbian adults reported reading news and current issue blogs, compared to 19 … Continued…

“…If you believe the latest research from the LOGO Channel, 48-percent of gay men claim they’re looking for “love” on line…” That really depresses us… [GW]

The U.S. Special Operations Command recently received a study on the power of blogs, which suggests they ingrain the military’s ideology in cyberspace: “Information strategists can consider clandestinely recruiting or hiring prominent bloggers or other persons of prominence… to pass the U.S. message. In this way, the U.S. can overleap the entrenched inequalities and make use of preexisting intellectual and social capital.” That’s why we love our military - it’s so thrifty! [Wired via Gawker]

No doubt the internet has changed gay life in the 21st century, but should it be blamed for the spread of HIV? A journalist at Britain’s Channel 4 seems to think so… [The Inquirer]

HRC’s email alert went a bit haywire earlier this week. Rex Wockner exposed the “embarrassing” glitch, which linked people’s email addresses with other people’s names, potentially leaking names to other parties. Hoping to restore the world’s faith in technology, HRC spokesman Trevor Thomas sent out a robotic statement: HRC is one of many organizations that choose to include personalized contact information in email action alerts because it expedites the process of participation in an advocacy campaign. This software is designed to make it easier for activists to take action by placing the activist’s information on the email form.

When they help spread the word by clicking the ‘Tell a Friend’ option, an … Continued…

Gay dating site Fitlads.net has asked its members to install a program which allows the The FightAIDS@Home project to add their PC to a supercomputer. By allocating unused space to this initiative, participants can help fuel HIV/AIDS research without really doing anything. It’s great for lazy wankers. [Pink News]

Human Rights Campaign’s website needs some human eyes. Homo-journo Rex Wockner discovered a bit of a glitch in the non-profit’s system projects a bit of an identity crisis. Wockner explains: (1) HRC’s automated system sends an action alert to Rex Wockner at his address. (2) Rex forwards it to his friend Sally Smith. (3) Sally clicks and is greeted with a variation on “Hello, Rex Wockner.” (4) Since Sally is not Rex, she fills in her correct information and completes the process of taking action. (5) HRC’s system then associates Rex’s e-mail address with Sally’s full name and her personal information, and starts sending Rex action alerts that begin with “Dear Sally.” Wockner … Continued…

The future is now - and endangered. Increasingly autonomous, gun-totting robots developed for warfare could easily fall into the hands of terrorists and may one day unleash a robot arms race, a top expert on artificial intelligence told AFP.

“They pose a threat to humanity,” said University of Sheffield professor Noel Sharkey ahead of a keynote address Wednesday before Britain’s Royal United Services Institute.

Intelligent machines deployed on battlefields around the world — from mobile grenade launchers to rocket-firing drones — can already identify and lock onto targets without human help. We really should have invented time travel first, huh?

Pakistan’s Telecommunications Authority attempted to block the country’s route to YouTube Sunday, but ended up cutting off the entire world’s access: “The country ordered ISPs to block the video-sharing website because of content deemed offensive to Islam…The details of the “hijack” were leaked out into the wider internet from PCCW and as a result YouTube was mistakenly blocked by internet service providers around the world. The block on the servers was lifted once PCCW had been told of the issue by engineers at YouTube.” [BBC]

• A 16-year old Australian got into big trouble after throwing a rager at his parents’ home. Despite the fact that his parents hate his guts and he owes coppers $20,000, the kids has absolutely no contrition. When asked if he has advice for other kids who want to follow suit, he replies: “Have me do it.” Why? “Because it was the best party”. Sweet!

• We want the Macbook Air.

• Orlando Jones to play gay. Yay!

• DJ Jared Abbott loves living in Madrid, being in style.

• Morocco upholds conviction for six “gay” men.
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Filmmaker David Lynch does not endorse the cell phone. Don’t believe us? Check out this video. Money quote: …If you’re playing the movie on a telephone, you will never in a trillion years experience the film. You’ll think you have experienced it, but you’ll be cheated. It’s such a sadness that you think you’ve seen a film on your fucking telephone. Get real. Word…

• Motorola helps break gay boy’s heart.

• Former B2K member Raz B admits he lied about manager Chris Stokes molestation allegations. Raz B’s brother, Ricky Romance, says otherwise. He also suggests Raz B may have been forced into the “admission”.

• Queers help Obama campaign.

• Madonna’s directorial debut - the contradictorily entitled Faith and Wisdom Filth & Wisdom - set to debut at Berlin Film Festival. Those Germans have the strongest stomachs.
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