Facebook

Change isn't always good - just ask current Facebook users. Many users are in an uproar over the recent changes the social network has made to its service. Users of Facebook apps on a phone, iPod touch or iTablet have experienced only minimal changes. However, for users of the website, the changes were more than some could bear. I've heard of folks planning to switch to Google+, and have seen petitions to have the changes on Facebook reversed and so on. This had me wondering: Are the changes really that intense?

One way The Winchester Sun is trying to increase readership and get more attention is by having a significant presence on the Web. It wasn't long ago that the only thing we did online was shovel stories, and sometimes photos, to our Web site after the pages were done for the print edition. But more recently, we've been updating our Web site several times a day, and we've added features such as videos, a Web newscast, photo slide shows, polls and blogs, and an advertising search function.

For those of you who missed the memo, let me just set the record straight right now - Facebook has, in fact, taken over our lives. Never again can we go back to the days of, "I wonder whatever happened to (insert the name of random kindergarten classmate or Little League teammate)," and forget about keeping anything a secret. We're a world of stalkers, voyeurs and busybodies, a culture obsessed with useless information. And, yes, dear readers, before you ask, I have to lump myself in with all the other junkies out there.

I used to think that Web sites like Facebook and MySpace were a waste of time. That was until January's Ice Storm locked me in the Journal office for four nights while I was without electricity. During that time, I spoke to some good friends of mine in North Carolina who I've known for nearly 20 years. They were, and are, Facebook-atics, and after much prodding, I finally agreed to sign up and see what this thing was all about. Some four months later, I've made several reconnects with friends from my different stages of life; high school, Air Force and college.

The sounds of roaring chainsaws in the month of October usually mean someone's getting a hefty dose of Halloween spooks at a haunted house or trail. But the roar of a chainsaw at Clint Hayden Park on Monday morning was the sound of hard work by a Good Samaritan. Jessamine County native Marvin “Messy” Davis changed his plans to visit family Monday morning after seeing a large downed tree on the basketball courts of the park near the intersection of Chestnut and Jefferson streets.

Although Lauren Mink's run as a contestant on “American Idol” is over, it doesn't mean the end of her career. “This is just the beginning! Stay tuned,” Mink wrote on her Facebook page after Thursday's episode. After making it to Hollywood by singing “Country Strong” for judges in Savannah, Ga., Mink failed to advance with her performance of “Alone” by Heart. Contestants sang a cappella for judges and did not receive feedback on their performances, but Jennifer Lopez did notice a key change during Mink's song.

The soulful roots of New Orleans culture permeate the sounds of Soul Rebels Brass Band, a new participant in the Great American Brass Band Festival. Soul Rebels Brass Band blends the sounds of Mardi Gras funk, soft rock and reggae, with an element of hip-hop thrown in and the addition of decades of New Orleans jazz tradition. The eight-strong ensemble includes Erion Williams, sax; Paul Robertson, trombone; Julian Gosin, trumpet; Corey Peyton, trombone; Lumar LeBlanc, snare drum and president; Derrick “Oops” Moss, vice-president, bass drum and percussion; Edward Lee, tuba; and Marcus “Red” Hubbard, trumpet.

Like many individuals and organizations throughout Kentucky, the Clark County Sheriff's Office has been helping fill needs in tornado-ravaged Morgan and Menifee counties. In the last two weeks, there have been at least four trips to the region with donated goods, and a deputy to help with law enforcement. And it all started with a post on Facebook. Clark County Sheriff Berl Perdue Jr. said the effort started March 3, the day after the tornadoes tore through Kentucky. “I got in touch with two of the sheriffs in the counties involved,” Perdue said.

Last week, my wife and I figured that we both needed to get ourselves out there a little bit more (professionally, of course) and promote ourselves. As a food writer, my wife does cooking videos for the Post-Gazette's Web page, and she wanted more people to see them. And in case no one has noticed - and an amazingly diverse and large number of people haven't - I write this weekly column. As part of this whole effort, a friend recommended that we join Facebook. Facebook has been around for a number of years, but it's been largely limited to college and high school kids.

Here it comes!  June 25-28 we will be taking about 100 local youth to Boyle County 4-H Summer Camp at the J.M. Feltner 4-H Camp near London, Ky. “Fantastic Summer Knights” is the theme this year and activities, costume and decoration contests will highlight all things fantastical, from wizards and genies to fairies and knights. Full registration for camp is $175 and includes transportation, meals, activities and the full cost of most classes. There are a few classes which require an additional fee, but these are optional.

Described by others as the “man in the middle of everything,” Lancaster's Gregory Scott Cash definitely stays busy. About two years ago, Cash was experiencing health issues and was told he would likely have to have a liver transplant at some point in his life. It was at that point he made a decision about the impact he would have on others. “I'm not a religious person, as far as going to church. But I told the good Lord right then, 'each day you let me wake up, I'm going to make a difference,'” he said.

Time is almost up! Facebook's Timeline profile became mandatory for all users as of Aug. 8. Luckily, a grace period of seven days is given prior to the profile becoming visible to others so that Facebook users can tweak their profiles and privacy settings. Use that grace period as an opportunity to limit overexposure of your personal life to the world. Learn more about Facebook Timeline at www.facebook.com/about/timeline .   Microsoft security updates Microsoft has released nine security bulletins to fix flaws in its software for their August security updates.

A recently paroled sex offender is back in custody after allegedly using Facebook to solicit teenage girls for sex, police said. David Anthony Farmer, 27, is incarcerated in the Boyle County Detention Center for alleged failure to register as a sex offender and being a “registrant prohibited from using social networking website or instant messaging or chatroom program accessible by minors.” More charges may be pending, said Boyle County Sheriff...

I texted the words, “Happy Father's Day” to him. No exclamation mark or “hope it's a good one!” or any other such nonsense. Our family history precludes any other such nonsense, but he is the father of my children, and we text now. Ignoring the occasion would have proved harder than the simple sentence. He thanked me. Said he hadn't heard those words in a while. This is true. He may have received similar texts from his kids today, I don't know. I don't pry in that area or try to lead them toward or away from him. They are big now and the damage has been done already and he buys them nice things and sends them cash from thousands of miles away.

Protecting personal information against the risk of online identity theft is becoming a bigger issue than ever, especially with the growing popularity of social media sites. Consumers have to look over their shoulders more when it comes to protecting their personal information. In 2011, there were almost 2,000 identity theft complaints made in Kentucky, and more than 8 million Americans were victims of identity theft in 2010, according to LifeLock, a company that specializes in identity theft protection.

It's always a pleasure to start off an article by thanking someone, and today I have the double pleasure of thanking two people. First of all, I want to thank Winchester resident and Appalachian Trail through-hiker Wayne Hall, who spoke to the  library's Book Lunch program last week. Wayne kept the largest Book Lunch crowd ever howling with laughter and cringing with anxiety as he told absolutely amazing stories about his 2,200 mile trek from Georgia to Maine. Wayne may have created a whole new genre of comedy - hiker stand-up.

Like many individuals and organizations throughout Kentucky, the Clark County Sheriff's Office has been helping fill needs in tornado-ravaged Morgan and Menifee counties. In the last two weeks, there have been at least four trips to the region with donated goods, and a deputy to help with law enforcement. And it all started with a post on Facebook. Clark County Sheriff Berl Perdue Jr. said the effort started March 3, the day after the tornadoes tore through Kentucky. “I got in touch with two of the sheriffs in the counties involved,” Perdue said.

Here it comes!  June 25-28 we will be taking about 100 local youth to Boyle County 4-H Summer Camp at the J.M. Feltner 4-H Camp near London, Ky. “Fantastic Summer Knights” is the theme this year and activities, costume and decoration contests will highlight all things fantastical, from wizards and genies to fairies and knights. Full registration for camp is $175 and includes transportation, meals, activities and the full cost of most classes. There are a few classes which require an additional fee, but these are optional.

What began as a Facebook conversation has led to interest in starting a community garden. “My boss had posted this 'You Tube' video that I watched ...,” said Jo Marie Lammy of Danville, part of a group that met recently at the Boyle County Public Library to discuss the idea. The video was about how a potato, even a so-called “organic” potato bought in the grocery store, won't sprout because it stopped being a potato somewhere along the mass-food production line. She said it was a rude awakening.

Although Lauren Mink's run as a contestant on “American Idol” is over, it doesn't mean the end of her career. “This is just the beginning! Stay tuned,” Mink wrote on her Facebook page after Thursday's episode. After making it to Hollywood by singing “Country Strong” for judges in Savannah, Ga., Mink failed to advance with her performance of “Alone” by Heart. Contestants sang a cappella for judges and did not receive feedback on their performances, but Jennifer Lopez did notice a key change during Mink's song.