Facebook Piles on the Guilt Before You Deactivate Your Account

One of the biggest challenges social networking sites face is retaining users. While Facebook seems to be doing just fine with its roughly 250 million current members, the site has a pretty sly trick up its sleeve for those considering deactivating their account. If you head to the deactivation page, you'll be shown five photos of your friends with a message saying they'll miss you. The page also notes how many friends you have and how they'll no longer be able to keep in touch with you, as well as providing a direct link to send a message to your displayed friends.

While I have no plans of deactivating my own account, I hit up the page to see which of my friends appeared in the photos. Surprisingly, every photo was of me with a friend. It's likely the algorithm first chooses photos that have both you and your friends in them to deepen the emotional connection. Sneaky. I have to admit, tugging at the good ole heart strings to keep me on the site is clever, and damned if I didn't feel a pang of guilt when their sad eyes stared accusingly at me for trying to leave.

Alice in Wonderland Trailer Is Released

From the looks of the new trailer for Tim Burton's Alice In Wonderland, Alice – and movie-goers – will be in for a wild ride when the film hits theaters next year.

The fanciful Walt Disney Pictures adaptation stars Johnny Depp, Anne Hathaway, Alan Rickman, Helena Bonham Carter and Australian actress Mia Wasikowska as Alice.

Check out what happens when she falls through the rabbit hole.

Alice In Wonderland is due out March 5, 2010, which the trailer calls "a very important date," indeed.

"¡Yo quiero Taco Bell!" No More. Taco Bell Chihuahua Dies

She charmed millions without ever saying a word, and managed to make fast food tacos adorable. Gidget, the Chihuahua best known for her Taco Bell ad campaign, died from a stroke on Tuesday night at age 15. 

"She made so many people happy," says Gidget's trainer, Sue Chipperton. Her last gig was at a Hollywood animals photo shoot in February, where it was reported that the pup was a consummate pro and delighted the crew with her playful nature. 

The mostly retired actor lived out her days laying in the sun – "I like to joke that it's like looking after a plant," says Chipperton – and entertaining at shoots when her trainer brought her along. "Gidget," says Chipperton, "always knew where the camera was." 

Ringling Bros. Beats Animals - PETA

A new video provided by an animals rights group shows handlers at the Ringling Bros. circus repeatedly hitting elephants before they enter the ring to perform.

The footage of "The Greatest Show on Earth," which also shows trainers whipping tigers during rehearsal, was taken by a member of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, who posed as a stagehand with the circus for six months.  Throughout the video, backstage handlers are seen striking elephants with bull hooks across the body, legs and head. In one instance, a handler digs the pointed end of the bull hook into the flesh near an elephant's ear and yanks. In another, a man uses profanity, yelling at the animal before beating him.

Visit RinglingBeatsAnimals.com