With the increasingly bloody battle for Iran’s future raging on in Tehran, social networking Sites, like Facebook and Twitter, remain the primary source of news out of the country, whose government has effectively banned all established press from reporting.

Wisely, Twitter has done whatever it can to help maintain its service for the Iranian people, ensuring Twitter’s relevance in this new era of information sharing, if not in the history books. Facebook, on the other hand, has taken a different approach.

Meet Saeed Valadbaygi, author of the Website, Revolutionary Road and one of the primary ‘citizen journalists’ for the revolution currently going on in Iran. His extensive reports have been referenced and quoted repeatedly in the mainstream media, from Andrew Sullivan’s The Daily Dish to MSNBC.

In addition to posting on his Site, Saeed uses both Twitter and Facebook to report everything from first hand experiences to videos from the frontlines in Iran, online, for the world to see.

But within the last few days, Facebook has twice threatened to cancel Saeed’s account, citing as the reason vague violations of their Terms of Service. After receiving the warnings, Saeed posted them to his Facebook page, without comment. Facebook then deleted the posts from his Site.

In response, a Facebook group, “in defence of Saeed’s activities on Facbook” [sic] is attempting to keep Facebook from canceling Saeed’s account. The group currently has more than 1,350 followers and is growing by the day. (more…)

Following the Swine flu epidemic on TV is pretty intense. Way better than Bird Flu, and a contender with the economic recession. Today, I saw a couple people on the New York City streets sporting surgical masks. If this trend continues soon New York is going to look like Mexico. I didn’t want to be left out.

It took me an hour and seven pharmacies to locate a surgical mask. Every single store was sold out. The only reason I obtained one was because a pharmacist gracious gave one of hers. It wasn’t really until then I realized the severity of the Swine Flu. Or, at least, the portrayed severity, seeing as how this outbreak is quite similar to a regular flu season.  But still, I rushed home to try on my new contraption, which looks much like a 1930s maxipad. (more…)

Remember a while back, when that lady sued McDonald’s for millions of dollars because her coffee was too hot? Well, it turns out that many of the details of that case were left out of the reporting. Things like the fact that her coffee really was too hot; so hot, it was capable of “instantaneous destruction of the skin.” And did you know that the woman was 79-years-old at the time, and suffered third-degree over 6-percent of her body? It just gets worse from there.

Check out the whole under-told story, here!

I’ll be honest: I’m a bitch. I have no problem telling it like it is, talking about someone behind his/her back or telling secrets about people I hate. This is why people fight to stay on my good side.

Which is why people are so surprised when they find out about my passion for animals. I cry when those commercials for animal shelters come on the TV, I have to look away from movies or TV shows when an animal gets injured and I wanted to personally kill Michael Vick when it was discovered he was running that evil dog fighting ring.

It is weird, I know, but I can’t help but feel for creatures who don’t have a voice to defend themselves. Yes, even if they have the teeth or claws to do so.

Like sharks. (Yes, I am being completely serious!) Sharks are most often thought of as predators, but lately off the coast of Florida they have become victims. In the past year more and more sharks have been found murdered in the water. There is no excuse for harming another life – especially an innocent one – and it is up to us to protect every creature on this planet.

Please take a moment to sign the attached petition and protect the sharks and our planet’s wildlife.

I ooze class when I’m wasted. And Saturday, class was just coming out of my pores. I went up to a friend’s house in Connecticut for her graduation party. The party started at two and of course there was the requisite family time. With only a few glasses of wine under my belt and a lot of delicious finger foods, family time was no problem. The problem began at around 5 when the high school friends arrived. When I couldn’t find a bottle of water, I figured beer was the next best thing. After a game of drunk bat (don’t ask) we proceeded to the after party. Thus began my demise.

When I was an undergrad, I guess getting incredibly shit-housed what somewhat acceptable. We all did it. It happened to everyone at some point (or at lots of points) during those four years. Unfortunately for me, I had to do it just one more time before I realized that getting frat party drunk should have been left behind when I left college. (more…)

Are you ever out somewhere, like….walking around, or at the store or the zoo or some really lame party, and think, “I could really use a beer bong right now.â€?You’re in luck! Meet the Jellyfish, an inflatable beer bong with three tubes that you can fold up and keep in your pocket!! And guess what it looks like…..yup yup…..a jellyfish! See?

Okay, if you’re at the store or the zoo, you probably don’t wanna whip out the Jellyfish and start downing beer, (illegal) but a lame party would be perfect. You’d turn the night around in a second – what college student doesn’t LOVE the Beer Bong?

Guys love them because they can challenge their buddies and look tough and girls love them because they get you drunk quickly and by doing them, you impress the guys! And pulling one out of your pocket would be so cool.

The Jellyfish is only $12.99, but I mean….come on, it’s a piece of plastic that looks like a weird sea creature that you pour cheap beer into, so that price seems pretty reasonable. Or, if you’re feeling especially crafty, make one yourself.

Check out this sick video of a 100 person beer bong at University of Wisconsin.

They sure know how to party….

Summer — a time for barbeques, trips to the beach, and some serious drinking. So where the hell does waking up at the crack of dawn fit in?

Not long ago, 1 p.m. was an acceptable hour for me to drag myself out of bed. My roommate would often upstage my extreme sleeping habits by dozing into the late afternoon. We would shudder collectively at the thought of waking up at the extreme early morning hour of 10 a.m.

However, as soon as the summer began and I moved back to a land free of all nighters in the study lounge, loud parties across the hall, and most importantly, the incessant overbearing stress of school, I began to wake up at 7 a.m. on a daily basis for my internship and job.

I’m not going to pretend it was easy. The first few days the morning sun burned my eyes and I had to physically throw myself out of bed. I cursed myself for having responsibilities and stumbled around my house like a wounded animal. It wasn’t a pretty sight.

Despite this rocky start, it wasn’t long before I began to recognize the many benefits of rising at a decent hour:

Breakfast: Let’s get real. Breakfast food is some of the best stuff out there. Bagels, pancakes, cereal, fruit- it doesn’t get much better than that. Having time to actually eat it is a precious opportunity. Not only is breakfast food delicious, it’s part of a nutritionally balanced diet. (more…)

The world isn’t getting any easier. Judging by the recent headlines, there’s more to be shook up about than ever. Add a little end of semester jitters and it’s quite possible that a third installment of Spring Semester Freak-Out Remedies might be in order.

This time, I thought I’d give away a few evening rituals that I’ve learned over the years. I’m a hopeless case when it comes to sleep. If I’ve got a lot on my mind, you can kiss a restful night goodbye. I’m a champion Clock Gazer, watching the little red numbers tick by, getting more and more anxious the closer morning gets, practically ready to run a marathon by 4 AM.

I’ve always envied those people who pass out the minute their heads hit the pillow. I don’t understand what they do with their minds, but someday I hope to learn. Until then, this is what I do to calm down. (more…)

Although the thought of trying to gain weight makes me more than a little nervous, I can accept that there are lucky ladies out there who naturally resemble sticks.

So I’m going to put aside my jealousy and tell you the secret to packing on the pounds. I found this how-do guide in my Time Out New York this past week. If you’re looking to lose ten pounds, do the opposite. It’s as simple as that.

Case Study:
One very thin New Yorker (5′8, 105 lbs) was tired of looking like a model and vowed to bulk up. When her buddy told her that he lost 10 pounds after giving up his two-beer-a-day habit, she started drinking two beers a day. (more…)

APR or NPR? Average daily balance or daily periodic rate? Use this handy glossary the next time the fine print (or bold outstanding offer*) leaves you more cross-eyed than credit-wielding.

Average daily balance: The method by which most credit cards calculate your payment due. It's determined by adding each day’s balance and then dividing that total by the number of days in a billing cycle. The average daily balance is then multiplied by a card’s monthly periodic rate, which is calculated by dividing the annual percentage rate by 12. A card with an annual rate of 18 percent would have a monthly periodic rate of 1.5 percent. So, for example, if that card had a $500 average daily balance it would yield a monthly finance charge of $7.50.

APR, or Annual Percentage Rate: The amount of interest you pay each year on all unpaid credit card bills ' e.g., 12 percent interest would be the total amount you paid on your balance over the course of the year, or 1 percent (12/12) each month (see 'periodic rate').

Annual user's fees: Money paid each year for the privilege of owning a credit card.

Bank card: (Also called a debit card.) A card issued by banks which allows you to withdraw money from you bank accounts and make purchases at stores with ATMs.

Balance transfer: The process of moving an unpaid credit card debt from one issuer to another. In other words, a cardholder would transfer the balance on one credit card account to another one with better rates.

Budget: A specific, written plan where you allot a percentage of your income to each category of bills and expenses.

Card holder agreement: The written statement that gives the terms and conditions of a credit card account. The cardholder agreement is required by Federal Reserve regulations, and must include the APR, the monthly minimum payment formula, annual fee if applicable, and the cardholder’s rights in billing disputes.

Cash-advance fee: A charge by the bank for using credit cards to obtain cash. This fee can be stated in terms of a flat per-transaction fee or a percentage of the amount of the cash advance.

Charge card: Like a credit card, but only valid in certain stores; must be paid in full each month.

Compound Interest: Interest which is calculated daily (based upon the APR). It is interest upon the interest. Interest is taken on the total current balance rather than the original purchase amount, so any interest charged on an outstanding balance will be taken from the total amount owed.

Credit card: A plastic card issued by a bank or credit cad company, which gives you instant access to a set amount of money.

Credit limit: The total amount of money you're allowed to charge on your card.

Debit card: (see Bank Card)

Finance charge: The charge for using a credit card, comprised of interest costs and other fees.

Grace period: The amount of time allowed between a credit card purchase and payment being due before the balance starts gaining interest (usually 20 or 30 days). If there is a balance on the account from previous months, there is no grace period before payment is due on further transactions. If there is no grace period, the amount owed begins gaining interest immediately after a purchase.

Interest: Money you pay for the privilege of borrowing money.

Line of credit: (See Credit limit)

Minimum monthly payment: The least amount you can pay on a credit card bill without the balance becoming overdue and the cardholder is charged late fees. Minimum payments are usually 2 percent of the total balance owed, unless the credit card company is unsure of the cardholder's ability to pay.

Over-the-limit fee: A fee charged for exceeding the credit limit on the card.

Periodic rate: The interest rate described in relation to a specific amount of time, like the cost of credit for a month (monthly periodic rate) or each day (daily periodic rate).

Pre-approved: A credit card offer with “pre-approved” only means that a potential customer has passed a preliminary credit-information screening.

Secured card: A credit card that a cardholder secures with a savings deposit to ensure payment of the outstanding balance if the cardholder defaults on payments.

Statement of charges: The papers your credit card issuing company sends you every month, telling the total amount you owe them, the due date, etc.

Teaser rate: Often called the introductory rate, it is the below-market interest rate offered to entice customers to switch credit cards or lenders.

Variable interest rate: Percentage that a borrower pays for the use of money, and which moves up or down periodically based on changes in other interest rates.

Sources: 'Getting Your First Credit Card,' by Larry Burkett; Bankrate.com's 'Read the Fine Print'