Now that practically everyone is on Facebook, the question of friending your boss on the social networking site will eventually come up. According to this article I read, 56 percent of Americans say it’s not right to Facebook friend their boss, while 62 percent think it’s wrong to friend an employee. Interesting numbers. I interpret the numbers to mean that people don’t mind friending their boss if it’s their move, but wouldn’t want to be put on the spot by having their boss try to friend them.

I’m kinda torn on this question because I’m the boss where I work. Because of the nature of the job, I usually become pretty good friends with some employees, and naturally want to Facebook friend them. But at the same time, I feel weird about doing it because of the work relationship. That, and the fact that I’m usually 10+ years older than my employees and am posting status updates asking for a good treatment for wrinkles while they’re posting pics from all night drinking binges still!

Anyway, I haven’t been friending any employees recently and will probably stop the practice altogether. It does make things kind of uncomfortable when I have to take disciplinary measures at work…

I just read that taking a nap in the afternoon helps clear your mind and may boost your ability to learn. Well, I could have told you that! I’ve been an afternoon napper for about 5 years now, and I just don’t feel right if I don’t get my post-lunch snooze in. I wake up completely refreshed and ready to tackle the second half of my day. I’m lucky to work from home though. I don’t know what I would do if I had to be in an office from 9-5!

Have you looked at Google Buzz yet? This is Google’s Facebook-like attempt to make social networking easier via Gmail. You can post status updates and share things like pictures, videos, and web links. Oh, and BTW, if you have Gmail the DEFAULT setting is for Buzz to be on, which means it automatically combs through your contacts list for people to add — and makes those contacts visible to each other like a Facebook friends list would be.

There’s no way Google Buzz will come anywhere near Facebook’s popularity. Sure, it might attract some users who are sick of Facebook and the usual Google fanboyz, but that’s about it. The beauty of Facebook is that it’s a central site where people go to find others and be found. With Google Buzz, you have to be a Gmail user, so the chances of finding your old high school buddy from 20 years ago are severely limited by that fact.

I already turned Google Buzz off and hope never to hear anything about it again!

I thought this was cute!

There used to be a time when being a high school graduate was enough to secure good employment for your entire working life, but those days are long gone. There’s just too much instability in today’s world to allow for lifetime employment, and when the economy takes a downturn, absolutely no one is safe from cutbacks and outsourcing. Still, you can significantly improve your chances of finding and keeping a high-paying job by getting a college degree.

Schools like Western Governors University make it more convenient and affordable than ever to earn an online degree in a variety of fields. WGU is fully accredited, which means your degree will actually be worth something in the job market, and is a nonprofit institution, which means they don’t see students as so many dollar signs. Plus, when you enroll in an online program, you’ll be able to go at your own pace. This ensures that school doesn’t interfere with existing work or family commitments and increases the likelihood of actually completing your coursework.

Think what you could do with an online business degree from Western Governors University. This kind of credential could help take your career — and salary — to new heights, so take a look at the WGU website for further details!

I just read a news blurb about a Rhode Island man named Alan MacQuattie who was recently charged with animal cruelty and unauthorized practice of veterinary medicine for operating on his own dog. Apparently the dog, a 14-year-old Lab mix, had a cyst on its leg, and MacQuattie couldn’t afford to have a vet remove the thing because MacQuattie is on a fixed income. So the 63-year-old gave the dog a local anesthetic and did the surgery himself.

The article didn’t say how MacQuattie got busted, but it was probably because the surgery site ended up getting infected, which likely prompted an emergency visit to the vet or something. In any case, the man has been charged with these misdemeanors and now has to pay some fines.

I don’t know how I feel about this. On the one hand, in this particular case it seems like MacQuattie maybe did have his dog’s best interests in mind — despite the vet’s claims that the dog wasn’t suffering from the benign cyst. On the other hand, there do have to be limits otherwise the crazies out there might attempt similar stunts and claim they were just doing it in their pet’s best interests. Hmm… tough call here.

(AP Photo/WPRI-TV)

I am not an American Idol fan at all, but I think some of Simon Cowell’s remarks are hilarious! I try combing YouTube for clips of his put-downs and have found a few good videos in the past, but not nearly enough. Here’s a decent one that shows him getting exasperated with a number of would-be contestants.