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December 03, 2008 Manila, Philippines
About two months ago, I tried Facebook, the extremely popular social-networking site. At first, I was thrilled: many of my friends were there, and you can dress up your page/account with lots of cool stuff and engage your friends in virtual mischief.
But less than a week after I signed on, I canceled my Facebook account.
I had several reasons. One is that it got too overwhelming; I was spending more time on it than I should.
But the most important reason is this: I found Facebook to be a little creepy. It collects too much information. And then, later on, it got out that there are privacy issues against it, mainly because of its rather underhanded attempt to peddle advertising. (Click here for more stories on Facebook privacy concerns.)
Then, today, I came across this article in The Guardian UK that pretty much validated my decision to junk Facebook. I’m not a big fan of conspiracy theories but I got to admit the author’s assertion — that something more sinister could be behind Facebook — freaked me out.
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Labor Group Bares ‘Abduction Attempt’ on Leader’s Kin
‘Backyard’ View
Large-Scale Mining Threatens Communal Forests in Mountain Province
The Election, Economy, War, and Peace
‘Imprisonment Could Worsen Medical Conditions of 6 Political Prisoners’
Duterte-Nograles tiff over park prelude to 2010?
Urban poor group hits Arroyo on housing mega-sale
Military operations in ComVal is linked to mining – environmental alliance
San Isidro town govt to penalize cacao felling
Boston villagers recount tales of military abuses
Philippine Airlines Cancels Bangkok Flights Due to Political Tension Selling People Overseas to Save the Economy At Home Arroyo Survives as House Allies Junk New Impeachment Case ‘No Election’ Plot Revived; Arroyo Vows to Veto It In Major Rebuke, UN Faults Philippines for Killings Worsening Storm for Philippine Economy? Smart to Junk Thousands of E-Load Dealers? With Guns Blazing, de Venecia Testifies, Links Arroyo to ZTE Bribery Scandal As US Economy Tanks, Philippines Gets Set for Downturn Philippine Airlines Reports P5.7-Billion Loss in 6 Months Davao Villagers Battle World’s Largest Mining Company 
PRESS FREEDOM By Carlos H. Conde | A Right of Reply law will undermine the Bill of Rights. It will intimidate journalists and prevent them from performing their watchdog functions because the potential cost of doing their job is rather high – fine, imprisonment or closure.
Save the Refugees in the Eastern Congo
HUMAN RIGHTS By Fr. Shay Cullen | A stronger, better-armed UN force is urgently needed to protect the hundreds of thousands of innocent women and children and youth in the Eastern Congo. Five millions have died over the past several years and the world hardly noticed.
Politics, Philippine StylePOLITICS By Benjie Oliveros | What do the Senate coup, the fertilizer and Euro generals scams, and the continuing extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, and filing of trumped up charges against activists have in common? These show the rottenness of politics in the Philippines.
Aspartame: Sweet, Sweet PoisonHEALTH | BUSINESS By Carlos H. Conde | What convinced me that aspartame is not safe are not just the studies that have found its link to cancer but also the efforts of Donald Rumsfield and the biotech giant Monsanto in ramming this product down our throats.
Caterwauling About Hillary Clinton
POLITICS By Ninotchka Rosca | Semantical analysis will show it’s all driven by fear of a strong intelligent woman. Will she take orders? Whose foreign policy will it be – hers or Obama? Will she be working for him or for her own political interests? Blah, blah, blah.
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Junk food Downs more than 100 Mankayan Pupils</a></span><br>
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![‘Backyard’ View](http://bulatlat.com/main/2008/11/30/bonifacio-day-marked-with-anti-cha-cha-protest/’>
Bonifacio Day Marked with Anti-Cha-cha Protest</a></span><br>
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Dancing the Cha-Cha over Money</a></span><br>
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![The Election, Economy, War, and Peace](http://bulatlat.com/main/2008/11/29/fisher-folk-battle-huge-mining-proposal-and-its-defenders/’>
Fisher Folk Battle Huge Mining Proposal and Its Defenders</a></span><br>
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On the November Elections and the Next Steps in Building the Anti-Imperialist Movement in the U.S.</a></span><br>
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![Duterte-Nograles tiff over park prelude to 2010?](http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/davaotoday/~3/458178054/’>
Davao firms to issue warning on closures, retrenchments</a></span><br>
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![Urban poor group hits Arroyo on housing mega-sale](http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/davaotoday/~3/458169369/’>
Senator Jamby Madrigal, NDFP call for peace talks resumption,</a></span><br>
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![Military operations in ComVal is linked to mining – environmental alliance](http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/davaotoday/~3/458169374/’>
NPA still investigating POW Cammayo, assures family of his safety</a></span><br>
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![San Isidro town govt to penalize cacao felling](http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/davaotoday/~3/458169379/’>
Military’s biodata requirement an intrusion on privacy and press freedom</a></span><br>
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![Boston villagers recount tales of military abuses](http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/davaotoday/~3/458165222/’>
BAYAN warns of more military intervention during CBA negotiation with Dole Philippines</a></span><br>
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![40 die as Philippine ferry capsizes](http://carlosconde.com/2008/11/22/manila-gets-set-for-the-downturn/’>
Manila Gets Set for the Downturn</a></span><br>
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![Asia, too, feels the pain](http://carlosconde.com/2008/10/15/the-melamine-stain-one-sign-of-a-worldwide-problem/’>
The melamine stain: One sign of a worldwide problem</a></span><br>
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![As the MOA Unravels, What Now?](http://carlosconde.com/2008/08/31/islamist-militant-held-in-the-philippines/’>
Islamist militant held in the Philippines</a></span><br>
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![Peace process fraught with peril for Arroyo](http://carlosconde.com/2008/08/27/fighting-worsens-in-philippines-displacing-300000-on-mindanao/’>
Fighting worsens in Philippines, displacing 300,000 on Mindanao</a></span><br>
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Mindanao’s Wrecked Peace Deal</a></span><br>
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