I Had to Google This

I've received other Google error pages before, but never a 404 page. 

I kept trying again to reach my Gmail account and kept getting the following until about the fourth time when I got an explanation page that there was "something wrong with your cookies."  I figured it couldn't be MY fault since they're the ones that like to put them on my computer and track me all across the World Wide Web.

Deleted cache and cookies and everything was copacetic.  I am loathe to delete my browser cache until necessary, esp. since I now have to pay for my data usage.

Click graphic for larger view.  Gotta love the Google 'bot, huh?

"That's all we know."  They probably know more about me than did my mom.

Name Change

was once called

Google Error

Not a 404 page, but the link was bad. Not sure why that was, the explanation didn't make much sense; it was at the top of the results on their own search engine, so....

The broken robot reminded me of the one in MSN Groups.  I used to have all of those animations such as the conveyor belt while the file was uploading (and there were some clever animations made from that one) and the shuttered groups graphic.  I lost them all in a hard drive failure of one of my first computers.

Spring Has Sprung!

It's the first day of Spring, or Spring equinox.

Be sure and check out the cute Google Doodle today.

Goodbye, iGoogle

As of today, iGoogle is no more.  It's no HUGE loss, but I did enjoy my custom Google search page with local weather, news and sports widgets, along with other custom pages.  That's OK, I found igHome, a similar replacement.

I just hope they don't do away with Blogger; I doubt they will, but I didn't think they'd do away with Google Reader, either. (which was a bigger hassle to replace)

So, goodbye, iGoogle.  Nice knowin' ya.

(as you can see, I have replaced it with the regular Google link)

Halloween Search Engine War!

Bing vs Google! Not sure if it's a "war" but I suspect it's a "one-upsman" type contest.  I've almost always enjoyed Google's "doodles" they do for holidays (except when they ignore Veterans Day) and wish they'd do more things like this.

The Bing page has an amusing, interactive tribute to Halloween; move your cursor around the page and click on objects around the room. I won't give too much away, but there are tributes to the movies Poltergeist, Halloween, The Amityville Horror, Friday the 13th, The Shining and Psycho. (Clickable arrows in circles will appear after revealing the things and take you to search results for those classic horror flicks.)

I've begun visiting Bing every day I can;  not only do you get points for visits, but also for using the search engine and for clicking around their fantastic interactive page.  (if I happen to miss a day, there's the option of cycling back through the previous week's offerings.) I've got quite a few points in my bank, but haven't used any of them yet; most of the redeemable items are entries into contests, usually for some Microsoft product.

Google's tribute isn't movie-related, but has some nifty interactive "games"; the ingredients you put into the witch's bubbling cauldron determines which one you'll go to, with a cool little flashlight-like application that will "scare you", another with a coffin-type "cups" game, a "whack-a-mole", only with hands erupting from a graveyard and others. (but I've already forgotten the rest)

Bing / Google

Bing Things

I've recently started using Bing more often, not especially for search (because Google pretty much does it the best) but because I enjoy their daily interactive and informative page, and also because they give points for visiting and for clicking on links. Granted, it looks like it would take a LOT of points to get anything worthwhile, but I imagine that after a year of using it the points would add up to some substantial total.

My problem is this: often, when I visit the page, I see I'm not signed in. The good thing is all I have to do is click on the "Microsoft account" and I'm signed in. (I certainly don't want to connect my Facebook account to anything!)

What I don't understand is how I'm not signed in, but it knows my points total. Strange. What's really odd is this next message after signing in:

You HAVE to click "Continue" to continue because if you don't, you're sent to a blank white page.  Yeah, that's great;  if I wanted a blank white page, I could just go to Google and put in "blank white page". -snicker-  I know enough HTML to where I could make my own!

Another reason I started using Bing is that Google is doing away with the iGoogle home page I've used for years.  I really liked it; I had various modules on it for news and local weather and sports headlines along with a Gmail preview.  I don't understand what's up with Google lately;  they did away with file storage a couple of years ago which was annoying but understandable, but their explanation for ending Google Reader didn't make much sense. 

The 'net is great, but it's also frustrating as hell.  It could also be described as fleeting, because as soon as you get used to something, get it the way you like it, it changes or disappears. 

Let Me Google That For You

From the site:

For all those people who find it more convenient to bother you with their question rather than Google it for themselves.

Ever get annoyed by someone asking a question and you KNOW they are smart enough to do a search for it on their own?  You know they're only doing it to:  a. make you waste your time, b. pick apart the information at the link or c. impeach the source.

Instead, make THEM do the work and have a laugh at them at the same time.  Make THEM waste their time and then you can pick apart the information or impeach the source...or better yet, ignore them after leaving the link.

Just input the search terms, then you'll be given a link to leave for the troll (or lazy butt) so he/she can do their own research.

(one of the best replies I ever saw on a msg. board was someone asking where another poster got their information.  "Look it up yourself." he said. "I'm not your link whore.")

Try it out!

© LMGTFY (let me google that for you)

Google Loves Me

Zamboni Google Doodle

Zamboni Google Doodle

(say that three times really fast)

Maybe Google is celebrating the return of ice hockey, but it's also the birthday of Frank Zamboni, the inventor of his namesake, the iconic ice resurfacer.


The game is easy to play; Press the arrow "start" button and a little skater will come out, skate around and leave a trail on the ice.

Then, using the arrow keys, drive the Zamboni around to resurface the ice.

Not an exciting game, but like most doodles done with a pencil and paper, it's simply a way to pass time.

As if there's not enough ways to do that on the Internet.

Here's another time waster, but at least it will increase your trivia knowledge:

8 Things You Don’t Know About the Zamboni Machine

Should I?

"Should I" autocomplete screen shot:

Startpage

Are you concerned about your privacy using Google? If so, use the Startpage^TM search engine, the new private way to search Google.

From the website:

Startpage offers you Web search results from Google in complete privacy!

When you search with Startpage, we remove all identifying information from your query and submit it anonymously to Google ourselves. We get the results and return them to you in total privacy.

Your IP address is never recorded, your visit is not logged, and no tracking cookies are placed on your browser. When it comes to protecting your privacy, Startpage runs the tightest ship on the Internet. Our outstanding privacy policy and thoughtful engineering give you great search results in total anonymity. Here are some of our key features:

•     No IP address recorded.
•     No record is made of your searches.
•     No identifying or tracking cookies used.
•     Powerful SSL encryption available.
•     Free proxy surfing available.
•     Praised by privacy experts worldwide.
•     Twelve-year company track record.
•     Third-party certified.
  
  

Startpage^TM

Google Alerts

A few years ago, I discovered a very useful feature of Google, the Google Alerts. With it, I can keep up with the topics that interest me, such as specific news items, articles about Hank Skinner or anytime this blog is mentioned or linked to. (very rare).

Some webmasters also use the service to check for plagiarism or backlinks to articles they've written.  Companies can use it to see what others are saying about their products, especially useful when someone is unjustly smearing their reputation.

You can configure the results to show up in your reader feed or delivered to your email inbox.

From the site:

Monitor the Web for interesting new content

Google Alerts are email updates of the latest relevant Google results (web, news, etc.) based on your queries.

Enter a search query you wish to monitor. You will see a preview of the type of results you'll receive. Some handy uses of Google Alerts include:

    *monitoring a developing news story
    *keeping current on a competitor or industry
    *getting the latest on a celebrity or event
    *keeping tabs on your favorite sports teams



Google Alerts

Reusing

I got an email from Amazon earlier; once you look at something and are signed up for their email alerts, they practically bombard you with suggestions of that item. I've received at least one mailing a week since I looked at cell phones.

A few weeks ago I was checking into the price of peanut oil, having heard of its high smoke point and health benefits. As I often do on Amazon, I then went on to look at other related items, mostly outdoor deep fryers.

After looking at a few of the suggestions on Amazon, I started wondering if peanut oil can be reused. Before we were married, my ex managed a seafood restaurant that had daily specials on many menu items with both fried catfish and shrimp being the most popular. After a few days of use, they "rejuvenated" their oil with a nifty filter machine; you drained the oil into the machine, then it was filtered and pumped back into the deep fryer.

As I was typing in "reusing cooking oil" into Google, the auto-complete gave me suggestions. I've seen quite a few humorous screen shots of those in various websites, some laugh-out-loud funny and others making me shake my head. This time was a little bit of both.

I know about reusing things - mostly because I try to make it a habit, both from an ecological standpoint but also from an economic one. I've read about some of the suggestions Google was giving me; from my homesteading and survival Facebook groups, I've seen quite a few ways to reuse old wood pallets, from making furniture to filling them full of potting soil and making small herb gardens. One of the best uses I've seen for them was sinking them in a pond for what I call "minnow motels" - minnows lay their eggs on the underside of wood and the relatively small openings in the pallet keeps the larger predator fish out.

I've also seen a bunch of different ways to reuse plastic bottles;  just the other day I saw a photo of a raft someone had built out of 2L bottles.  Not sure if I would want to cross the ocean on one, but....  I have been known to reuse a tea bag, but it's certainly a weaker "cuppa" the second time.  I've read that earthworms love old tea bags and they also degrade well in compost heaps.  I've also read that they're good to mulch into the soil under acid-loving plants such as blueberry bushes.

I also belong to a canning group on Facebook and the general consensus there and elsewhere is that one should NOT reuse canning lids.  The rings, yes, but new lids should be used.

It was the third entry in the auto-complete form that really threw me for a loop.  I'm sure that, if refrigerated, it would last for a day or two, but how the heck can you reuse it?

Castrating My Dad

No, this isn't a post about that; it's about a post in this blog coming up near the top in a Yahoo search.

The post mentioned my dad and I castrating hogs and when the Yahoo search engine trawled this site, it picked up on those words "castrating" and "dad". I was "worried" that Google might have ToTG up near the top, but it's not on the first several pages for castrating dads OR hogs.

Thank Goodness.

The only time in my life I had even a scintilla of a thought about that was when my dad was taking female hormones as a treatment for his prostate cancer. Dad told me the Dr. said the medication would also have a detrimental effect on his sex drive. Since Pop was nearly 70 at the time... we both had a little laugh at that. (although I hope I'M more worried about getting sex than cancer if I reach that age) One of the side-effects was that he started growing hair on his head again after his hairline had been receding for years.

I'm growing bald now, but I wouldn't take the trade, y'know?

Just got me to wondering, though, about something that's highly subjective:

Which is more perverse, people looking for information/stories about castrating their dad, or someone wanting information on "sister's feet" ???

ToTG Sets Record!

No, not a late April Fool's joke, but this blog actually set a record for visits today. (well, a record for this blog) The increased traffic resulted from the post Google Changes Name and came from the hoax post at the official Google blog.

Here are screenshots from our Flag Counter widget:

Weekly visitors



The dark blue denotes new visitors (1,303) and the light blue is the total counter views. (1,687). I'm sure most of the total above and beyond the first-time views is from me popping back in here so many times watching the numbers climb on the Feedjit widget. I couldn't keep up with the count, but at one time I estimate there were over a hundred hits in less than a minute.

Here is the graph for monthly visitors:



The previous record for visitors was something on the order of 200+ when a post about the marquee tag was linked to from a Mozilla forum with another post about the Cast Away crossroads following close behind. (and that one wasn't about the movie, but was from an alternative energy thread in a forum and meant to illustrate how flat and suitable this area is for wind generators)

What did I learn from this? Well, if I want to increase hits, all I have to do is link to the Google blog. First, though, I'll need to load this blog up with ads.

Nah, THAT would be a joke, thinking I could make money off of this blog.

---

UPDATE: As I predicted, yesterday had our second largest number of visitors, with 399 first-time visitors and 515 total.

There also was an increase in hits on the "Cast Away" posts; it must have been showing on TV.

Google Changes Name

To:


Read more: A different kind of company name

Y'know, if they're going to pull an April Fool's joke, they should use a little more creativity like they have in the past. YouTube's offering is also pretty lame.

Here's some not-so-lame pranks: 10 Greatest April Fools Hoaxes

Plus these: Caricature of the Day or Sunken Yacht Prank and this one: How to Make April Fool's Food

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UPDATE:

Now the GMail blog chimes in: Today’s vowel outage

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And this one from Big Journalism, totally unbelievable:

Sarah Palin Switches Parties, Becomes Democrat; Media Rejoices

Six Feet Under

No, not a grave, but the Google ranking for a post on this blog with the search terms for:

"I take pictures of my sister's feet"

No matter the search terms, I bet people are really disappointed when they arrive on My Sister's Feet

I'm not for sure if my sister is disappointed.

Google Spin

Check it out: Google Spin

Free Holiday Postcard

Compliments of Google

From the site:

Sure, email is great, but there's something uniquely heartwarming about the kind of card that comes in the actual mail — especially for folks who don't hear from us as often as they should, simply because they aren't online.

So we've made it as easy to send snail-mail holiday cards as it is to send email. Simply fill out the form below and we'll send one free holiday postcard on your behalf. Yes, through the mail and everything.

Only one card can be sent, but if you like their cards, you can print your own.