The Descent of Google

I pay more attention to technology then I should. It sits in front of me most all the day and I look at the edges of my screen. I notice and "huh" about various things that I see.

When I was in Middle School, I was one of the first kids to start using Google. Because on old computers, around the time of the 56k modem, Google loaded fast. There was no crap all over their home screen, so it was a lot easier to use.

Now, most search engines do this. Google has since moved on to web services. They provide an impressive array of completely free features. Making all their money by selling ads. Well, now they make their money selling phones and operating systems too, but they are still known for ads.

About four years ago, I made the switch to Gmail from Yahoo. Because Yahoo was glitchy and Google could do anything. Yahoo wouldn't let me export my mail. Google had no problem going in and copying it all over for me anyway. I switched to Chrome because I liked how simple it was set up. I like the "omnibox".

But now, Google is getting cumbersome. They can't make mail filters for contact groups, but they do make useless extra groups no one wants to use. You can't make calls with your Google phone number (...except inside Gmail... and only if you don't upgrade; or with someone else's software). Blogger sucks compared to Tumbler, unless you like writing for an audience of none. And Chrome, their favourite little project is slipping compared to Firefox.

At least on my computer.

There's just so many glitches in Google. They have two redundant header-bars. Chrome is slower and slower, especially with Google services like Plus and Blogger. In the 'new compose' in Gmail, I cannot add hyperlinks. Well, I can in Firefox. Firefox rarely fails me. There are a lot of pages that finish loading completely blank in Chrome. Firefox has no trouble. And Firefox is faster, too. Is is possible that my Flash Block and Ad Block are slowing it down that much?

All my bookmarks and crap are over there, though... I might be switching back to what's been the stand-by for over ten years. Good Ol' Reliable Firefox.

The Graduate (1967) and Silver Linings Playbook (2012)

Those who like dry humor, to the point of stale humor, should watch The Graduate. It is somewhat uncomfortable, subtle, strange. A lot of this movie happens in between the lines. My favorite joke were the songs they chose to play and when. They certainly give a sense of foreshadowing. When it was over, I was left saying, "...huh. Well that was weird."

It has a great ending. Which summarizes the entire feel of the movie.

Silver Linings Playbook is a lot more accessible and modern. The production is more easy to watch. I did not laugh out loud nearly as much, but it has a more dramatic feel to it.

The Graduate involves some pretty complex and common themes. Graduating from college and then discovering you have absolutely no idea what to do with yourself being a prime one. It deals with poor decisions in a fun and frank way such as: if you make bad decisions you might not come out on top of them in the end. A bad decision, if it is a doozy, can have some pretty lasting effects on your outlook. Don't fuck around on your family friends.

These are not themes in Silver Linings. It is fun, but it is not particularly complex. It does not really deal with the drama it covers. It mentions them and then glides on by. Its plot is exactly (spoiler!) what a modern Hollywood flick requires, it proceeds just how you would expect and winds up all hunky dory in the end. It is not a vapid movie, however. Here the characters and the family dynamics are what make the movie. Their life exceeds that of the satirical personas of The Graduate.

One of these films is about crazy people. Consequently lively characters. One of these films is about upper-middle to lower-upper wealth people who are far more crazy than the crazy people. Suggesting, to me, that graduating from college does not necessarily mean that you are a good and upstanding person. It reminds me of a study I was told of long ago.

The study (which I was not able to find specifically, but there are some along the same lines) suggested that the standards and the practices in some venerated universities created a criminal mentality in their students. By only passing a certain percentage and failing the rest, no matter how bright, students had to aggressively compete against each other. Willfully putting aside their compassion for their fellow students to make sure that they were the one who passed.

And then, by extension, you have a society that isn't so worried about the pain and frustration of their fellow man, or of their future man, as long as things seem to be going their own way now.

The ending of The Graduate makes the film for me. I love a good ending, one that's a little ambiguous, doesn't imply an ending (because real life never ends), but does close the story appropriately. I was supplied.

#The Graduate #Silver Linings Playbook #movie #movies #film #comparison #1967 #2012 #Dustin Hoffman #William Daniels #Chris Tucker #Bradly Cooper #Jennifer Lawrence

Long Live Pope Francis!

In a world where most of all I do is complain, I would like to take a short moment to say,

Pope Francis, you are a true pope. I appreciate you like I have appreciated no other pope during my cognitive lifetime. Thank you.

I call him a true pope because if the story in Rio. He welcomed people. Talks with them. rather than hide in an armored car. What would Jesus do? Certainly not exalt himself over anyone else. He was supposed to set the example. Which was implied as possible for anyone because he was human. That is the way the story is told to me. He did not live in fear, he did not guard himself. He did not exalt himself. He went and talked to lepers.

The Washington Post advises that we all take a moment to wonder if he really will change anything. Hesitancy is not always a sin, but worrying doesn't accomplish anything. And negativity breeds contept. I am positive there are things about Pope Francis I am not going to like. No one is perfect; there's stuff I don't like about me. Lots of stuff. But I am also a fan of giving people a little benefit until they lose it. And even then, it is good to remember that we are all only human. Francis has so far given a good example. I appreciate it. (By the way, Jon, the catholic church was much more concerned with Galileo's assertion that we revolved around the sun rather than the sun revolving around us. A lot of people understood that the earth was not flat.)

However, I am very sad to learn that Francis is not more supportive of contraception. I would not have expected him to be in favor of abortion, but not endorsing contraception is the same thing in my mind. If people can't protect against a pregnancy, then they will end their pregnancies. Which would you rather have?

Or would we all rather just go to war....?

To be sure, I am not really involved with catholicism. I like religion and study it a bit (read The Religions of Man by Huston Smith. It is a wonderful book) but it's not my house. Still, I was happy to hear he doesn't judge homosexuality (even if he still sees it as a sin), and he wants to allow more opportunities for women in the church (even if its not clergy).

I would agree with Jon O'Brien that this isn't the change I would really like to see. But nothing happens overnight. At least we still have Mrs Melinda Gates giving out catholic birth control. Too bad she can't be pope.

#Pope Francis #Catholicism #catholics #earth #religion #faith #reform #change