Are You Obsessed with Being 'Liked' on Facebook? - VIDEO

Know someone who posts shirtless photos captioned "work in progress" to get the online validation they so deeply crave? Maybe it's you.

In any case, Ryan Steele and Amy Goodmurphy nail the phenomenon in their mock movie trailer,
AFTER THE JUMP...

(via homorazzi)

London's Top Court Rules for Christian Punished by Employer for Anti-Gay Remarks on Facebook: VIDEO

London's High Court has ruled for Adrian Smith, a worker at Trafford Housing Trust in Manchester, who was punished for anti-gay comments he wrote on Facebook.

AFP reports:

Smith lost his managerial status, had his salary cut by 40 percent and was handed a final written warning after posting on Facebook that gay weddings in churches were "an equality too far" and following up with other comments.

Although the remarks were not visible to the public and were posted outside work time, Trafford Housing Trust said Smith had broken its code of conduct by voicing religious or political views that could upset his colleagues. Judge Michael Briggs ruled that the trust had no right to demote Smith and had breached its contract with him, while the Facebook posts did not constitute misconduct.

Smith was awarded less than £100 in damages but the judge said he could have won far more if he had launched proceedings for unfair dismissal at the employment tribunal.

Smith's follow-up comments on Facebook were: "I don't understand why people who have no faith and don't believe in Christ would want to get hitched in church. The Bible is quite specific that marriage is for men and women. If the state wants to offer civil marriage to the same sex then that is up to the state; but the state shouldn't impose its rules on places of faith and conscience."

Watch the BBC's report and a press conference with Smith, AFTER THE JUMP...

Mitt Romney Seen Losing 847 Facebook 'Likes' Per Hour

A website, Disappearing Romney, tracks Romney's Facebook "likes" in real time.

Writes Mashable:

Soon after Romney conceded the election, though, his social media followers began dropping quickly. Since 11:30 on Tuesday, more than 55,025 users have unliked the Massachusetts Governor, at a rate of about 847 an hour.

Romney’s actually gained 17,601 Twitter followers since he lost the election. That’s odd, and might be more evidence of bot activity more than human interest, considering he hasn’t tweeted since 5:55 on Election Day—a final relic of a message reads “With your help, we will turn our country around and get America back on the path to prosperity. Please vote today.”

By comparison, Obama has increased his already-impressive social media numbers. He’s got 33,118,444 Facebook likes, which is 804,479 more than he had on election night and, most notably, 20,982,472 more than Romney had at his peak.

Viki Knox, NJ Teacher Who Called Homosexuality a 'Perverted Sin' on Facebook, Resigns

Remember Viki Knox, the New Jersey teacher who came under fire last September for calling homosexuality a "perverted sin" that "breeds like cancer" and attacking a school display recognizing Lesbian Gay Bisexual and Transgender History Month?

She has resigned amidst a tenure charge case brought by the Board of Education, the Star-Ledger reports:

Knox, 51, a tenured special education teacher, submitted her resignation over the summer, the attorney, James Plosia, said. He would not comment further, saying only that "settlement talks are under way."

The board met with Plosia in closed session last night to discuss the matter but no action was taken.

A 21-year teaching veteran who has worked in Union since 2000, Knox previously said in court filings that she plans to seek a disability pension due to a back injury and on "psychological grounds." She filed papers for her pension on June 7.

Towleroad Guide to the Tube #1224

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For recent Guides to the Tube, click HERE.

Facebook's Earnings Report Fails To Dazzle Wall Street

Facebook's much-touted stock took a hit today after the social media company offered a mixed earnings report.

BusinessWeek offers the details:

To Wall Street, at least, Facebook (FB) just belly-flopped its first earnings report as a public company. The social network reported second-quarter revenues of $1.18 billion, up 32 percent from the same quarter last year, narrowly beating analyst estimates.

But marketing and sales expenses quadrupled to $392 million, share-based compensation swelled, and margins fell from 53 percent a year earlier to 43 percent. Wall Street hated a lot of that, pummeling an already bruised stock. At one point during after-hours trading, the stock hit $23.75, an all-time low.

Facebook's initial public offering price was $38/share back in May, when it first hit the markets. It closed today down $2.50 at $26.84.