facebook: pet peeves and new rules.

• Parents wishing their kids happy birthday on fb: Nothing more ridiculous than wishing your 3-year-old a happy birthday on fb. Your kid is never going to read your post about your conflicting feeling on seeing him or her grow an year older. New Rule: You can wish your children on fb ONLY if they have their own account AND they are your friend on fb.

• Photos of your vacations: I don't give a shit where you went and what you saw. Please do not clutter my feed with run-of-the-mill snaps of mountains, bridges and your kids by the lake. New rule: Vacation photos will only be allowed if you have something to show that's NEVER been seen before....like a Yeti or the Loch Ness Monster.

• Check-ins via FourSquare: Ok, so you are at Chipotle in Mt. View. Good for you. Now stop cluttering my feed with creepy location information. New rule: you check-in at Chipotle, you buy me a burrito.

• Shut off Spotify notifications: I do not want to know what you have been listening to....infact its a little embarrassing to know just how much you are into Lady Gaga. New rule: If you post a Spotify playlist then you have to post a video of yourself trying to sing one of the songs.

• Re-posting videos/images/jokes: Please do not re-post something that you found on fb. Its already on fb and its going to spread like the plague even without your help. I do not need for you to be nth person in my news feed re-posting the same article about Steve Jobs. New Rule: If you notice others posting the same crap as you then please go ahead and delete your original post. Its the least you can do.

• Commenting on a status update with garbage: Please stop adding to the spam on fb by replying to a post with a "lol", "hahahaha", or a "nice one". Facebook traffic would reduce by huge percentage if you did not add to an useless update with your inane junk. New Rule: This rule is actually an old one...if you have nothing useful to say, then don't say anything at all.

Ode to Rush

I first heard Rush in 1987 when my cousin, who was visiting from America, had a few songs on a mix tape he had brought along. The band's intricate music and bombastic drumming caught my ear and it was the beginning of what would be a journey that has lasted 20 years and still goes on.

Something must be said for a band that has lasted over 35 years with the same three members, never been tabloid fodder, and have kept their feet on the ground in spite of mass adulation. Having been in a band myself, I know how little time it takes for the initial euphoria to disappear only to be replaced by infighting and insidious politics.

Rush is throwback to a time long gone where musicians played their own instruments and wrote their own songs. The band has survived through three decades of change. They have survived disco and pop, grunge and hip-hop. That they have done so with equanimity and grace is a testament to the kind of people they are.

When Neil Peart, the drummer, took time off to deal with a family tragedy and it seemed like he might not come back, finding a replacement was never an option.

We live in times where relationships are fleeting; between people, between employer and employee and between adoring fans and the celebrities they worship. I cringe every time I hear a CEO talk about how his employees are his most important asset just weeks before a major layoff.

Using the life and times of a rock band as a life manual might seem a tad much but you could do a lot worse than using Rush's unique story as a source of inspiration.

For those new to the band, I recommend this well-made documentary released in 2010.
Rush: Beyond the lighted stage