Social Order.

Oh, yes, I've most definitely been neglecting the blog for Facebook. The instant gratification is titillating and I can't seem to carve out enough time to put two thoughts together. Facebook satisfies the single serving thought just fine, thank you very much.

Watching the social networking evolution has been amazing and it's fun to see how people use it or don't use it. I have an interesting mix of professional, personal and past all mixed up in my "friends" list and the ongoing experiment of how my seemingly separate lives overlap has been illuminating. There is certainly an element of exhibitionism in play but it's much more than that. The camaraderie during the presidential debates, the comments on election night, and just the everyday details of even, or maybe especially, people you don't get the chance to connect with in real life just simply makes me happy.

Tonight I cooked a meal on Facebook. As I went through the process of putting together lasagna Bolognese I tried to update my status at various intervals and then had a great time peeking back over the 6 hours I worked to see who was "watching" me and read the comments. Had I been able, I would've fed friends in Minneapolis, Denver, Duluth, and Maine.

I started by dicing a $10 slice of imported prosciutto di Parma to flavor my Bolognese, went on to wilt spinach for the pasta, roll out the dough, and finally the wait while the whole thing baked. I ended with a final glass of good red wine and a full belly. Even these simple details along the way engaged people and some poured themselves a glass of something to drink while they waited for "our" dinner.

I think playing with Facebook particularly appeals to readers and writers. Just crafting one interesting, clever, funny, sad, or vague-but-perhaps-telling sentence a few times each day satisfies a deep need some of us have. And of course who can resist reading and commenting on what others come up with! I've followed people with their children on a Saturday, traveling for business and pleasure, dining, sitting in traffic, and dealing with the death of a loved one.

We catalog movies, music and books we love and share all of these things nearly daily. People post their photos, videos and artwork. Friends create invitations to parties, art openings, and events of every stripe and then not only invite, but encourage invitations be shared.

To me eating with friends is the ultimate social activity so sharing tonight and almost every restaurant experience on Facebook is weirdly satisfying. When I have a great experience I have always loved sharing my enthusiasm and writing a quick line about whatever I happen to be eating, drinking and or cooking is a blast.