<![CDATA[Gawker: simplifications]]> http://tags.gawker.com/assets/base/img/thumbs140x140/gawker.com.png <![CDATA[Gawker: simplifications]]> http://gawker.com/tag/simplifications http://gawker.com/tag/simplifications <![CDATA[Obama Locks Up The Idiotic Facebook Vote]]> Perhaps the only thing sadder than seeing a friend with a Facebook broken heart in their mini-feed is spotting a friend who has Barack Obama as their Facebook picture. It's one thing to be a "fan" of Barack Obama, or even Michelle Obama, who is admittedly quite fierce. But when a friend changes their profile picture to Barack Obama and joins the supplemental Facebook group, one has to wonder what they're thinking.

You've literally given up your cyber-identity to a politician. If Stalin were alive in the time of Facebook, even he wouldn't demand that young Russians change their Facebook pictures to images of him. You're saying to the Facebook community that at first glance, they should think of you as a Barack Obama supporter, not as someone who enjoys social drinking or who has recently visited the Grand Canyon.

What is the intention of a Facebook picture of Barack Obama? Do these Obamanics think that before I saw their Facebook picture, I thought Hillary Clinton was a viable candidate who is treated harshly by the press but could ultimately be a good leader, and after seeing their Facebook profile picture endorsement, I will catch the fever?

The diehards are just reinforcing the stereotype that Obama's appeal is purely a cult of personality. That may work for Ron Paul, whose supporters are genuine zealots, but this election is more complicated than a Facebook picture.

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<![CDATA[Anna Nicole Smith Disgusts Maria Shriver, Saves NBC Major Money]]> After Arnold Schwarzenegger was elected governor of California, Maria Shriver was in an awkward spot. Not only was she married to Arnold Schwarzenegger, but being the first lady of California was sort of a conflict of interest with her Dateline gig. So she left the show, with an option to return. Because of that option, NBC has only paid her a "fraction" of her salary during the past few years, instead of the full amount they'd have owed her had they fired her. And after Anna Nicole Smith died, Shriver decided that she wouldn't go back to broadcast journalism because, well, it's a little gauche. The gruesome coverage of Anna Nicole Smith ended up saving NBC millions of dollars. Is there anything this woman can't posthumously do?

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