Ways Facebook can be used for good #58: Gift Certificates

My first class at UR is all about exploring how our minds are evolving with the ever-changing technological landscape.  We no longer need to store massive files of information in our brains because we can look up anything on the internet at any time.  We no longer need to read every page of books; rather we can skim some pages and infer what we missed by deeply reading other sections.

The majority of our final grade is based on a 10 page research paper - the topic is very vague so we are able to get creative and narrow down the subject:  "Knowledge and Information in the 21st Century."  Wow - that's pretty broad.  I am writing about how consumers can circumvent any privacy practices in effect for their financial data or personal information on social networking sites and breach their own data or identity.  How beneficial is it to so heavily regulate banks around what information can be shared, with whom and when, if the customer can breach their own data by simply 'checking in' at home, revealing their address to anyone on the internet, unless they are one of the few who pays attention to their privacy options and customizes them?

I've been reading all about the dangers of Facebook and how we're all going to Hell in a handbasket for even having an account -really, only those of us who ignore common sense and don't lock down our pictures or personal data to friends - so I am so glad to see Facebook doing some good as well...in the form of fabulous gifts and prizes awarded to yours truly. :)

A few weeks ago Ray's Italian Ice, a sleepy little dessert place on Lauderdale, posted a riddle with a prize of a $25 gift certificate to the winner.

I love a challenge, so I got to work.  When I should have been actually doing work.  At work.  But anyways...

Once I wrapped my brain around the jumble of letters (each word of the sentence is written backwards) it was easy to figure out Google the answer...

The riddle is:  what can go up a chimney down, but can not go down a chimney up?  Answer:  an umbrella!

Yay I won!

Dave and I stopped by there on the way home from work to redeem my prize, and immediately cashed in a few dollars of it for a dessert-before-dinner treat.

I got peanut butter and Dave got a combination of mango and banana - yum!

Stay tuned for an upcoming post:  "Ways Facebook can be used for good #59: More Gift Certificates"...I won another prize on Facebook around the same time, but I'll share that after we redeem it next week!  Fall road trip style!