Today is Ash Wednesday, marking for Western Christians the beginning of Lent, one of the oldest observances in the Christian calendar. Evoking Jesus' 40 days of temptation in the desert, the period that leads into Easter has traditionally been observed by fasting, prayer, and abstaining from certain habits in order to make room for God. While more traditional fasts include giving up meat and alcohol, nontraditional fasting trends have cropped up in the media this week.

The Wall Street Journal last Friday had an interesting story on parents giving up Facebook for Lent, including a 39-year-old dad in Philadelphia who described the social-networking site as "my candy," and a mom who confessed that her Facebook addiction kept her from playing with her children. (She joined an online quitting-Facebook support group to help - of course.) Responding to the WSJ article, Lindsey Turrentine at CNET News posted 5 tips on how to "quit Facebook cold turkey," Steve Johnson at the Chicago Tribune posted ...

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