Electronic providence

I read about how our current Internet, created for information exchange and not to carry the entire of world commerce and something-something (you read), is about to implode with insecurity and how Stanford folks are on the case to create some other kind, more secure, the kind, of course, that renders anonymity less easy, making current Internet the sleazy step-grandcousin.

The only way I know that a lady I went to school with (lady being a term I employ from my younger status of when we met, when she and I were 14/15 to 17/18) is home from the hospital today after having her entire reproductive system removed after cancer was found in the ovary tumor where things began / were first detected and will be undergoing chemotherapy, the same as another dear friend's father, 64, I believe, is doing for a pancreatic et. al. cancer this year, too, is because of Facebook. Cancer is 2009's small confluence in my conscience.

But Facebook's powers are unprecedented. There have been phone trees and pony rides with lanterns and shouting, but I don't know anything like being able to see updates from someone's friend about health and situation and how we can be actually supportive, with physical things like food and time and mail and love, has come by lately.