Tom S

Yahoo is "sunsetting" or closing some of its businesses and products. Yahoo Avatars is one of them.

Is your avatar important for you? Are you going to be less inclined to use Yahoo Answers if no avatars appear?

Do you have the impression that many consumer electronics are becoming different forms of the same thing? Examples.

- Computers (desktops, laptops) are being replaced by tablets.

- Televisions are becoming "smart TVs" - another name for very large tablets

- Phones - just a small tablet

- GPS units - are just phones with GPS chips

- Still photo cameras and video cameras - just phones

- MP3 players/CD players. and radios - use your phone

The only consumer electronics that haven't changed are stereo amplifiers and big speakers - mind you, even those are being replaced by small cute mp3 speakers and ultra-expensive docking stations (that don't sound nearly as good as a decent amp and speakers).

Do you have the impression that many consumer electronics are becoming different forms of the same thing? Examples.

Computers (desktops, laptops) are being replaced by tablets.

Televisions are becoming "smart TVs" - another name for very large tablets

Phones - just a small tablet

GPS units - are just phones

Still photo cameras and video cameras - just phones

MP3 players and radios - just your phone

The only consumer electronics that haven't changed are stereo amplifiers and big speakers - mind you, even those are being replaced by small cute mp3 speakers.

Do you store your files, photos, etc "in the cloud" on someone else's servers? Are you concerned about the corporation losing your information, or it getting sold, stolen etc? Many corporations lose or "accidently release" information such as credit card numbers, medical records, customer databases etc. Others sell this information to 3rd party advertisers (i.e. spammers).

This is one big reason why I am uncomfortable about storing sensitive personal information (taxes, documents, emails, photos etc) in the cloud?

Stevie Wonder not happy with Lil Wayne's lyrics about Emmett Till

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/2013/02/15/st...

Radio and TV spots are full of "Income at Home", Lipozine fat reduction pills, ED pills, magic 1-800 numbers (but no websites), tax-elimination services, night creams, and other deceptive or fraudulant advertising. Often reputable stations and hosts advertise this junk. Should these stations or networks be held responsible if people are harmed (physically or financially) by the products they advertise?

Is it because her voice isn't that great without computer-post processing? Is it the wonder of computers and software that makes a lot of singers sound much better in the studio than they actually sound in real life?

I never understood, why for instance, a cashier can't have a stool to sit on. Would it really chase the customers away if employees weren't forced to stand all day or if, heaven forbid, a chair was spotted behind a counter?

The Democrats and media claim that the Republican's are the racist and sexist ones? Yet based on the latest round of appointments, it appears that Obama's cabinet does look like an old white boy's club.

Or are you happy to see it go?

Is the "End of the World" happening?

I heard a theory, that in a warped way, Adam Lanza may have killed his mother and all the people at the school to "save them" from the end of the world that is supposed to come Dec 21 2012. His mother was prepared for doomsday scenarios will her stockpile of guns and food.

Is this theory just nonsense?

I know violence sells. And I have the impression that Americans love to see gore, graphic killings, aggression, murders, guns, explosions, gangs, thugs, and love violent video games (very realistic and graphic), violent music that degrades women, aggressive rude professional athletes, and very graphic movies that show various forms of gruesome murders (such as the Final Destination series).

Can we blame the media, at least partially, for these killing sprees that seem to be occuring ever more frequently. And they are committed by ordinary people that can go out and legally buy concealable weapons.

Would you consider getting a reindeer kit for your car? Do you find them cute or silly?

Was it something special to commemerate this once-in-a-lifetime event, or something just plain and ordinary?

In my case I was at the post office mailing a Christmas package.

For me these are awful gifts:

- Lottery tickets. If the recipient doesn't win, the ticket is worthless. If he strikes it big, you'll shoot yourself.

- Gift cards - perfectly good cash gets "crippled". It can be only used in one business and besides they find out how much you spent on them. Gift cards are not original either.

- The car with the big bow on it. Comes with 60 months of car payments.

Is it wrong for places like Wal-Mart and Target to pull "associates" away from their families just so that they can start selling their "doorbuster" stuff earlier?

Now stores are planning to open on Thanksgiving evening and forcing employees to give up family time. They are destroying "family time" for their employees.

Have the retailers and media ruined every holiday, Christmas, Thanksgiving, Valentines etc) by bombarding us with "buy, buy, buy" and "gift, gift, gift" messages relentlessly. All other meanings associated with the holidays are being destroyed, pushed aside. Retailers won't dare wish you a "Merry Christmas" or "Happy Thanksgiving", and they hide their decorations in the back of their stores (if at all). Meanwhile they pound you non-stop with their "spend, spend, spend" messages.

Meanwhile on TV they show you "perfect holidays" with extravagant gifts and decorations, that the average family can't afford to have. On TV, every house on every street is lavishly decorated and lit up whether for Halloween, Christmas, or Thanksgiving, or 4th of July. And the gifts exchanged on television sitcoms, are way beyond the means of ordinary middle-class families.

besides food prizes? I have never heard of, or seen anything ever published about anyone ever winning anything besides a free smoothie or an order of medium fries. Is it even possible win, say the $50 prize with McDonald's Monopoly? Do you have a better chance of walking the streets and finding $5000 than of winning $50 from McDonald's?