relationships

I used to live in a haunted house. The lady who wandered around it in a white nightdress seemed benign enough. She never deliberately startled me or said "boo" and never made a mess. I think she was simply looking for something or someone she'd left behind. It wasn't me, as she had died, I believe, somewhere around 1672.

Facebook now has a similar issue to deal with. Around its vastly populated house, there are people who waft away to the next firmament without leaving a note or even saying goodbye. But they're still there. … Read more

There is no point bemoaning what the world is coming to, because it's patently obvious that the world has no idea.

So we look for signs that might indicate tendencies, patterns or merely sicknesses.

How, therefore, could one not be mesmerized by a study by Oxygen Media and Lightspeed Research that offers so many edible nuggets about how Facebook has altered people's lives?

This fine piece of investigation asks simple questions and gets simple, if happily disturbing, answers. It shows how we use media such as Facebook to express our inner beings. It also shows just how maddeningly … Read more

As I understand it, Facebook was largely created so that boys who perhaps hadn't enjoyed the greatest success with girls could somehow make themselves look somehow desirable online.

As I also understand it, many people these days still join Facebook in the hope of extending their ability to find The One, or even A One, through friends, extended friends, or merely people they have talked and stalked into being their pretend friends.

Now a dating site for sad singles called Pirate Date claims to be "a dating trust-network for friends."

I am not sure whether, in a … Read more

Cell phone companies exist to bring people together, but sometimes things go awry.

Such was the alleged case of Gabrielle Nagy and cell phone provider Rogers of Canada. The Toronto Star tells of a difficult and troubling situation that had led to Nagy falling out with Rogers to such a degree that she is suing the company.

Three years ago, Nagy reportedly maintained a Rogers cell phone account which carried her maiden name. Her husband enjoyed a cable TV account with Rogers and called to add a landline and internet service.

Rogers, it is alleged, decided that here was a … Read more

So we've discussed how it's possible to spark love with some help from Facebook, as well as the ins and outs of maintaining the love by not thrusting it into the spotlight. It's high time to come full circle on this whole Facebooking-for-love business. As previously noted, the sad fact in today's world is that nothing's permanent.

However, dealing with breakup turmoil on Facebook should be easy as pie if you've followed the tips from the first two segments in this series. Namely: there should be no breakup turmoil on Facebook. But I suppose it might be inevitable for some, which is where this last bit of advice comes into play.

Part III: Saving face

So much of this advice seems completely obvious to me--and likely to most of you as well--but it clearly bears repeating for some. For example, DON'T get into flame wars with your ex or soon-to-be ex on Facebook. It's quite childish, wouldn't you agree? Plus, once you start airing all that dirty laundry for every one of your "friends" to see, you open yourself up to criticism, which can be quite the dose of salt on the wounds of the recently separated.

And since we're on the subject of maturity (or the lack of it), please DON'T hack into another user's Facebook account and spew on his or her page. After all, the goal here is to save face, not make yourself look bad. The best way to protect your own feelings and come off looking like a reasonable person is to actually act like one. Reasonable people also aren't blatantly spiteful, so DO consider your ex's feelings. Obviously, taking care of yourself is top priority, but there's no need to post purposefully mean and hurtful things about another person. Even if he or she has chosen this route, take the high road and DON'T sink to their level.

While we're at it, DON'T attempt to make a former partner jealous via Facebook. A status update stating "just spent two hours at the gym and flirted with the hot new yoga instructor" is a bit obvious, don't you think?… Read more

Disclaimer: Some of the links in this column lead to content with adult language.

With the large amount of time people spend online these days, it's no surprise that many of us have found aspects of our love lives playing out there as well. And social sites such as Facebook can make maintaining romantic relationships even more complicated than it already is. Last week, I offered some guidelines on looking for love on the site. Well, now it's time for some tips on dealing with the repercussions of actually finding it.

Part II: Maintaining the love

This may … Read more

Odor is a much-underrated facet in relationships. The smells that people give off say so much about them: the places they've been, the food they have eaten, the attention they've paid to fragrance ads, the last time they showered, and the self-control they have mustered.

It is, indeed, a well-accepted scientific fact that odors have affected relationships for centuries adversely or otherwise. It is also a scientific fact that deleterious nighttime gases have destroyed many a family--and, no, not merely during wartime.

So your pajamas may become a little more cozy when I tell you about a wonderful … Read more

Disclaimer: Some of the links in this column lead to content with adult language.

Thanks to the digital age, nothing is sacred anymore. If you need some proof for this statement, just consider Facebook. The social networking site is a veritable cesspool of vulgar content, unintelligible pseudo English, and TMI. That's not to say the site doesn't have value, because it most certainly does. It's great for reconnecting with old friends, planning gatherings, and sharing amusing media bits from around the Web, among other things.

But as a tool in matters of the heart, Facebook decidedly falls into the gray area between super useful and downright shady. With that in mind, I've put together some tips to navigate the choppy waters of romantic relationships via social networking.

Part I: Finding love First things first: DO look for love on Facebook. Why not, really? For one thing, it works. I have two close friends who met significant others through the site, and one is now engaged as a result. For many people, it's easier than asking someone out in person, whether for reasons of shyness or propriety. Further, it's not much different than meeting through a dedicated dating site such as Match.com or OKCupid--in fact, some might be even more comfortable admitting to meeting through Facebook since it's not a dedicated dating site. … Read more