ME and Ophelia

- - -

INTERNET DATING SERVICE
Sued for poor relations

Recently, in Baltimore, USA, a federal jury awarded as much as $434,000 to a Ukrainian woman who sued the Internet matchmaking service that set her up with the man who allegedly abused her after they wed.

The woman accused Encounters International of fraud and negligence, saying it should have screened its male clients and told her about a law that helps foreign nationals escape abusive relationships without fear of automatic deportation. Instead, she testified, the agency owner told her to endure the alleged abuse or return to Ukraine. The agency had said it had no obligation to tell the woman about the so-called battered-spouse waiver because it never recruited her as a client.

The lawsuit against Encounters International -- whose Web site boasts 257 married couples, 103 babies and 19 current engagements -- was described as the nation's first to hold an Internet dating service responsible in a relationship that went sour. [Full Story]
- - -

Note, the Internet could be mighty useful to those who are up to no good. Modern day slave (and animal) traders spring to mind here. Imagine potential brides from Russia, Thailand, Singapore and women from other countries who want to meet a decent partner, make a new life. Imagine the type of men that might go in for these type of matchmaking and dating services.

People looking to be matched with partners ought to be screened by a matchmaking agency beforehand, so prospective partners know if they are meeting up with someone has a history of trouble with the law or medical problems. Why not? But how? Global ID cards ...
- - -

GLOBAL ID CARDS
From cradle to grave

Last year, I posted on how the introduction of global ID cards could help screen people on the Internet. One day people, as soon as they are born, may be treated issued ID cards that act as log books for the duration of their lives. Even sellers and buyers listed on eBay, get star ratings. Perhaps we will start to rate people in other spheres of life.

It's bound to be divisive though. What do the ones with strikes against them do? Birds of a feather flock together. We could end up grouping ourselves (electronically) into tribes. Eventually, each tribe could develop a leader. With no boundaries, there'd be need for countries. Tribe members would plug in and connect to with each other via cyberspace. Tribes Without Borders. Geeky tribe. Altruistic tribe. Idealogical tribe. Realist tribe. Religious tribe. Environmental tribe. Animal loving tribe. Food tribe. Knitting tribe. Music tribe. Cat tribe :)
- - -

Commons motion to impeach Blair gets go-ahead

Al-Guardeen and fans and Saddam Hussein sympathisers will love this. As far as I am aware, none of the names mentioned in the report have lifted a finger to help stop the genocide in Darfur. What these people are made of, and how they get time to do their jobs - or what they think the troops in Iraq will think about them - is beyond me.
- - -

WORLD'S OLDEST MAN DIES IN N.Y.
12 days shy of his 114th birthday

Born Dec. 1, 1890, in New Sharon, Maine, when there were only 43 stars on the American flag, Fred Hale Sr, died in his sleep Friday, while trying to recover from a bout of pneumonia.

He was 12 days shy of his 114th birthday. Hale retired 50 years ago as a railroad postal worker and beekeeper. He enjoyed gardening, canning fruits and vegetables and making homemade applesauce. He had a routine and he rarely broke it because anyone else was around. He didn't need a lot to be happy.

On March 5, 2004, the Guinness World Records acknowledged him as the oldest living man when Joan Riudavets Moll, of Spain, passed away at age 114.

Hale was a Guinness record-holder for the oldest driver. At age 108, he still found slow drivers annoying.

The world's oldest living man is now Hermann Dornemann, of Germany, age 111. There are 26 living woman older than him, according to Gerontology Research Group.
- - -

VIRGIN MARY SANDWICH BACK ON EBAY
Top bid reaches over $16,000 in second round of bidding

The grilled cheese sandwich is back on eBay up for sale again.

I've posted this news snippet because it demonstrates how eBay is up for anything.
- - -

eBAY HAS BECOME A BAROMETER OF PUBLIC TASTE
The virtual market knows before a media pundit what's cool - or not

Here is a copy of something I posted last year. Sorry I can't find another old post that linked to a picture of an item on sale on eBay - it was the massive drilling machine that was used to dig the Channel Tunnel (buyer had to collect):

For sociologists, eBay has also become a barometer of public taste, Marc Smith, employed by Microsoft to analyse such trends, says the virtual market knows before any media pundit when a pop idol ceases to be fashionable or a once-neglected brand such as Hush Puppy shoes becomes cool again.

"This community is at the cutting edge of contemporary pop culture," says Smith. "With nearly 70m registered bidders around the world, more people watch eBay than any one TV programme. And often it's a lot more entertaining, too."