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A couple of Thursdays ago, while driving back from getting a haircut, I was, as usual, listening to NPR (National Public Radio). NPR has been running several stories in their Digital Culture reports about Social Networking sites such as MySpace and Facebook and how adults are now using them. And Thursday on Talk of the Nation, they had a broadcast called Online Social Networks no longer just for Teens. Here is a preview:

” Andy Carvin, NPR’s senior strategist for online communities, describes how online social networking sites are taking off among adults. No longer the domain of high-school and college students, today parents — and even grandparents — are logging on and finding friends.”

They also have links to other stories they have run, such as Social Networking Sites for Boomers Blossom and Social Networking on the Web Grows Up.

And as always, you can listen to the full audio podcast of any of their stories.

It was very interesting and well worth a listen.

~Susan Mellott

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This week is the 40th anniversary of the 12th Street Detroit Riots. It started early Sunday morning, July 23, 1967 during a raid at a blind pig (after hours bar) and continued for 5 days. At the end, there were forty-three dead, 467 injured, over 7,200 arrests and more than 2,000 buildings burned down (according to Rutgers University who have a very thorough write-up of the events) .

This was when Detroit was the Motor City and the hotbed of Motown. It was the Summer of Love and the summer of riots. The Vietnam “War” (as far as I know, it was never officially declared a war) was taking our youth right and left (no pun intended).

Do you remember? It was a long time ago. But it was a vital part of our recent history and I recommend everyone, while you are thinking of it, go refresh your memory or learn about this event. Here is a wikipedia link to the riots. The above-mentioned article by Rutger’s is also a must-read.

Thank you to NPR Talk of the Nation (from whom I learn something new every time I listen) for making me aware of this. They had an excellent program on the riots, including interviews with people who had been there and on Detroit Past and Present. Here is a link to their blog entry and where you can also listen to the audiocast of their show on this. This is one blog worth marking and remembering.

~Susan Mellott

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