The Wondrous, Santa Barbaran Fourth of July Fireworks Show (via modeofaide)

I miss watching the Fourth of July Fireworks Show in Santa Barbara. I watched the fireworks show during two stints of summer school at UCSB in 2000 and 2001. The first time, I watched it with roommates from my apartment at the hillside where SBCC is located. The following year, my friends and I parked at the outdoor mall, Paseo Nuevo (where the parking was free, a welcome treat for us broke college students at the time), walked State St. all the way to Stearns Wharf and waited for seven hours before the fireworks show took place directly above us.

We were running late.  Shifting around scores of people as we rushed along the downtown section of State Street, we began to both hear and feel the explosions in the sky.  It didn’t matter.  Our patriotic endeavor was successful.  The only thing more pleasant than the fireworks themselves were the looks on people’s faces as they gazed upon the blinding colors.  Independence is beautiful. Neon explosions. The intermezzo. The denouement. For those … Read More

via modeofaide

The Latest News: From the Internet or a Trusted Friend?

I have a personal Facebook account, I have thousands of friends, but they are not my source of information about the world.  As they are my friends, I try not to make myself susceptible to the phenomenon prevalent in urban legends known as “Friend of a Friend” (FOAF).  It is not my friends’ fault by any means when information they pass on through their notes or Status Update cannot be substantiated or independently confirmed.  Rather, the information they pass could be, at best, incomplete or, at worst, inaccurate.  When an event takes place that may interest the world (e.g., the death of Michael Jackson), for my peace of mind, I go to Associated Press, Reuters, and UPI in order acquire a “best average” of the news coverage.  On the other hand, when information I receive fits the structure of an urban legend, I immediately go to Snopes to confirm or debunk the information.  I’d rather turn to news sources to find out for myself what to know, and turn to my friends to discuss what they think.

Do you immediately take information from your friends at face value or do you verify what you hear?

Francis M. Unson

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