Anatomy Of A Gift Bag, Twestival's Ratings...

Today's Anatomy of a Gift Bag comes from last night's Twestival event.  Besides the NYTimes inspired chocolate bar and a cool subway map, the most valuable thing in the bag was a copy of the latest issue of Wired. I came home, and got caught up in the "Dear Mr. Know-It-All" section where I realized I was smarter than Wired's go to Know-it-all.  Don't believe me?  Let me take you through the first two questions asked, with first Mr. Know-it-all's answer followed by what the answer should have been...

"Dear Mr. Know-It-All"

My only friend without an HDTV has invited me to his Super Bowl party.  Hi-def sets have gotten pretty cheap.  Is it rude to ask him to upgrade?

Mr. KIA's Answer: Ask away, but remember that in these financially brutal times, even the gain-fully employed are living lean.  You might soften your approach and start by inviting your pal over to witness hi-def sports in all their glory.

My Answer: Ummm...seriously? get a life.  Go to the party, start drinking a couple beers and stfu.

When her mother recently friended me on Facebook, my girl-friend freaked and demanded that I defriend Mom at once.  Should I comply or hold firm and risk hurting our relationship?

Mr. KIA's Answer: Your darling's dismay seems excessive, but you need to gather some intelligence before taking a stand.  There could be a painful backstory here-an instance, perhaps, in which maternal interference ruined a promising romance.  Ask your girlfriend if her reaction is due to past meddling.  If she has a tragic tale to relate, reassure her that you won't stand for such shenanigans.  Make it clear that you'll instanly defriend Mom if she starts getting up to her old nosy tricks.  A Facebook message with the subject line "Wedding Plans?" Buh-bye.  But the request might have less to do with Mom's misdeeds than a feeling that parental prescence sucks the fun out of Facebook.

"Using Facebook is a little like going to a party, and who wants to go to a party where their mom is standing in the corner?" says E. A. Vander Veer, author of Facebook: The Missing Manual.  By accepting Mrs. Girlfriend into your inner circle, you tacitly agreed to keep things on your profile rated G-or at least PG-13. Your gal simply may not relish the prospect of censoring her Wall posts to you.  If that's the essence of the gripe, gently resist her demand. Explain that preserving your right to Facebook raunchiness isn't worth hurting her mother's feelings.  And point ou that, hey, it's only Facebook-it's not like you let Mom install a webcam in your bedroom.

My Answer: There's a little thing called privacy filters.  Make a "LIMITED PROFILE" and add her to it.  WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU WIRED!  I'm not even a techie and I can answer this better.