If the best way to get the attention of the opposite sex is to be unavailable, then FakeGirlfriend.co is clearly onto something. The new texting service offers single guys a 'fake' girlfriend who will not only text you at random and call you with a pre-recorded message.
With the catchphrase, "Because you don't want to look lame", the service appeals to male pride at its basest.
All you need to do to score a virtual babe is save Fake Girlfriend's (FG) number into your phone under her equally fake name. Then, when you're out with friends or -- aha! -- another woman you want to make jealous, simply text FG's number and shortly after you'll get a return text and pre-recorded call.
The best part, guys? "Right now the service is free," said founder Ricky Robinett. "I'm looking into expanding some options that monetize the service, but nothing is in place for that yet."
FG doesn't go beyond the realms of your cell phone. But fear not. If you want to take your hijinx further, a subscription to Cloud Girlfriend allows you to design a Facebook girlfriend to your specification, who'll then write on your wall to get your friends (not to mention exes) talking.
Sad? Maybe, but according to a study published in the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, a woman's attraction to a man pretty much doubles when she finds out he's taken, with human nature proscribing that we want what we can't have, etc.
Of course, all the above masquerading promises to gives your wallet a battering. And then there's the drama of staging the inevitable breakup. Then again, by then guys won't care if they've snared a bona fide, flesh-and-blood girlfriend.
What do you think of these services? Pathetic or perfectly acceptable?
Another child has died after being attacked by pit bulls. A 20-month-old Connecticut girl was ravaged by three pit bulls while visiting her aunt's apartment.
According to the police report, the three pit bulls were put into another room while Nevaeh Bryant was visiting. But the dogs somehow got out and attacked the child. She was found lying on a blanket in a pool of blood.
Though it isn't yet clear if the Nevaeh was alone in the room or how many of the dogs attacked her, it doesn't really matter, does it?
When police and paramedics arrived on the scene, Nevaeh was bleeding and unconscious. She was rushed to the hospital where she was pronounced dead.
The dogs have since been euthanized.
According to Reuters.com a necropsy will be done to determine post-mortem which dogs were involved in the mauling of the child.
Despite what neighbours have said, the girl's aunt denied claims that her dogs were ever aggressive.
It begs the question why a woman would have three dogs in an apartment in the first place.
Although pit bulls are banned here in Ontario, they are not the only aggressive breed.
Should the aunt be charged with manslaughter? Should pet owners face more stringent laws?
If no press is bad press, then Facebook (FB) is doing well for itself.
Amid continual criticism and continual lawsuits, the social media giant faces new controversy over a page called “You know she's playing hard to get when your chasing her down an alleyway” which is a pretty self-explanatory.
Anyone can set up a page on FB. But that sort of freedom becomes problematic when it violates human rights and promotes hate. Some consider the line between freedom of expression (as in the Americans' beloved First Amendment) and hate crimes blurry, but it really isn't.
Despite the fact that FB's terms of reference prohibit content that is “hateful, threatening, or pornographic; incites violence; or contains nudity or graphic or gratuitous violence,” the site claims rape fan pages are acceptable.
A spokesperson for FB claims that while direct statements of hate against particular communities violate their mandate, groups expressing an opinion – "even if that opinion is outrageous or offensive to some – do not by themselves violate our policies."
When pressed to remove the page, FB outrageously likened the rape page to "telling a rude joke". And yet they can quite happily pull “obscene” photos of women breastfeeding and fully clothed gay couples kissing.
Speech may be free but it's not harmless, and where it is condoned and even encouraged, it often spurs people into action. Almost 200,000 people currently 'like' the “You know she's playing hard to get when your chasing her down an alleyway” page.
Join me in telling Facebook where to stick their hateful page.
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