‘Tis a gift to be simple

Published 8:42 pm Thursday, March 1, 2012

I always liked the beards: As of Thursday, Google has streamlined what it calls its “privacy” policy, which now allows it to track much of your online life, including email, search, YouTube videos and more, so it can tailor which ads are displayed on your computer screen.

You can, of course, opt out of Google’s snooping, but it requires joining an Amish community.

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Great horsepower: With gas prices shooting up recently, hitting near $4 a gallon, auto dealers have noticed sales have increased for compact cars, including the Ford Focus and the Honda Civic and may count for as much as a quarter of U.S. sales in February.

Also enjoying increased sales because of gas prices: Honest John Yoder’s Amish Horse and Buggyland, where you can get a carriage in any color you like, as long as it’s black.

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Palin comparison: Her mother’s latest attempt to snag a reality show failed to find a home, but Bristol Palin, daughter of former vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin, R-RV for Rent, is getting a 10-episode series on the Lifetime channel, “Bistol Palin: Life’s a Tripp,” exploring her life in Alaska raising her toddler son.

Yet another reason why the Amish have it better than you: They don’t get Lifetime.

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