Google Trends -- Hot Trends for August 4, 2007 at 7:10 PM

Here are a couple of the Hot Trends from Google Trends that I feel like writing about today.

Diane Downs: The majority of stories that come up are about Diane Downs, a mother convicted of shooting her children, killing one and paralyzing another. Then, there is a story and a blog post from the Wall Street Journal. The chick in the WSJ stories is a career coach that works in some big law office. What an unfortunate name coincidence. There is overwhelmingly more stuff on the killer chick than the career coach chick. Everybody searching the web for law-abiding Diane get sucked into stories about evil-mom Diane. I know that because another Hot Trend search is "small sacrifices." Small Sacrifices is a book by Anne Rule that covers this tragic story. Anne Rule, by the way, is an author of true-crime books and is a New York Times best-selling author.

Michael Biserta: OK. Here's the deal on this one . . . this dude, Michael Biserta, is a firefigher in Brooklyn, New York. He is featured on the cover of the FDNY calendar -- hot dudes in steamy poses. The calendar was a yearly fundraiser to help purchase equipment and pay for training for FDNY firefighters. I say was because due to an embarrassing DVD, the calendar is no more. This dude ended up on some DVD that is the equivalent of Girls Gone Wild but featuring men. He is totally naked showing his stuff. So, thanks to this stunt, they decided to stop doing the calendar -- don't want salacious materials associated with the FDNY, I guess.

He is a dork -- anybody that dances around naked on video will most likely be placed on YouTube or in major distribution via a sleazy video porn company. But, everybody does make mistakes. He is young, and I feel a little sorry for him that he is having to learn such a public lesson. I think, though, I feel bad for the FDNY. Now they are going to lose all this money they will lose ($150,000 was raised from calendar sales last year) because one guy didn't use good judgment. Help out FDNY and order one of these calendars. It's their last year doing this, so let's help them make it a big send off!

OK. That's all I've got to say for today. Have a great Saturday night!

Google Trends -- Hot Trends for August 3, 2007 at 5:43 PM

My commentary on a few of today's Google Trends -- Hot Trends as of 5:43 PM:

Ving Rhames: a worker at Ving Rhames' home was mauled to death today by Rhames' dogs. That is so scary. I could not imagine the fear this poor guy felt. These dogs were huge -- mastiffs around 200ish lbs. That is totally whack!

PeekYou: this is a new search engine to find people online. They issued a big press release on July 17 to announce the service's beta launch. I did a search on my name, and there was a link to a Friendster profile I set up a zillion years ago. Curiously enough, it didn't have my MySpace profile or Blogger profile. I use these two services routinely. I haven't been in Friendster again since the day I set it up. The service is intended to "round up" all the various internet identities for a single person and offer a central search engine for finding all the information you can about an individual. It's a bit spooky in ways. This could be a pedophile or a stalker's dream. Watch out what you are posting about yourself, friends, family, and coworkers. Chances are that info could end up in PeekYou at some point.

Pipl: This is another service like PeekYou. Blah blah. Same old crap, different search term. I searched on this service, and I didn't find much about me on there. That's good. I don't have anything that I have posted that I am embarrassed about -- except maybe grammar errors -- but I don't like the idea of just an weirdo looking crap up about me either.

What is Google Hot Trends? Hot Trends reflects what people are searching for on Google today. Rather than showing the most popular searches overall, which would always be generic terms like "weather," Hot Trends highlights searches that have sudden surges in popularity. Our algorithm analyzes millions of web searches performed on Google and displays those searches that deviate the most from their historic traffic pattern. The algorithm also filters out spam and removes inappropriate material.

For each search, Hot Trends shows related searches, a search-volume graph, and the top cities. We also display news, blog, and web results to help give context about why a search may be appearing on the Hot Trends list today. Hot Trends is updated hourly. You can also choose a date in the past to see what the top Hot Trends for that date were. (from the Google Trends FAQ page, used without permission)

Than and Then

It drives me so insane when people misuse these words because it seems so stupid. I screw up stuff, too. I know I'm guilty of grammar errors, but this is my blog for my rants. So, deal with it!

THEN is an adverb and is commonly used to specify time or sequence of events:

• “First add the eggs, then mix in the sour cream.”
  
• “Finish your homework then you can watch television.”
  
• “When did you call Suzie? I did it just then.”

THEN can also be used to imply “also, in addition, in that case, therefore.” Some examples of this usage are:

• “I give money to the American Cancer Society, then I also do fundraising on top of that.” (“also/in addition to” example)
• “If you study hard, then you have nothing to worry about on next week’s exam.” (“in that case/therefore” example)
  

You can also use THEN for emphasize an inference being drawn or to end a conversation:

• “So, you mean that you do actually like The Backstreet Boys, then.” (“emphasizing an inference” example – emphasizing my inferring that somebody actually does like The Backstreet Boys)
• “I will see you later, then.” (“ending a conversation” example)
  

THAN is a bit more tricky, but we can rule out that it is not interchangeable with THEN. With that said, let’s move on to a discussion of THAN. Funny point – don’t read this if you will get easily confused – then and than did USE to be the same word in Old English. Now, no current users lived when Old English was spoken, so you can’t use that as a defense!

THAN is a word used to compare items:

• “Her dog is bigger than my dog.”
• “I am taller than my sister.”

THAN can be used to introduce an exception or contrast:

• “I have nothing to eat at my house other than last night’s left overs.” (example of exception)
• “She would rather starve than cook a meal.” (example of contrast)

THAN can be used to express immediacy in sequence of events (not a synonymous use with “then”):

• “No sooner had I paid the final bill, than the car fell apart.”

THAN can be a conjunction or a preposition. That makes “than” a tricky word to use with personal pronouns. It’s your call on how you decide the appropriate usage for the scenarios explained below. Usually scenario one is considered the more formal usage.

As a Conjunction:
Some grammarians insist that the appropriate personal pronoun to follow “than” would be the subjective case (I, he, she): you are no better than I, he scored higher than she, I am shorter than he. In these cases, some would say you are using “than” as a conjunction and therefore, should follow it with subjective pronouns (According to the American Oxford Dictionary, the use of “than” and the personal pronoun “stand in” for a full clause: “she is better than I am” is implied by “she is better than I”; “Joe is more handsome than he is” is implied by “Joe is more handsome than he.”).

As a Preposition:
Other folks argue that the use of “than” in the context of comparisons is just like using a preposition such as “between.” If you deem that your use of “than” is a preposition, then it’s perfectly fine for perfectly fine to use the objective pronouns like “me,” “her,” “him,” and “them.” The examples above would change to “she is better than me,” and “Joe is more handsome than him.”

I hope this helps with your use of THAN and THEN.

Escape Goat!

When I hear someone say “escape goat,” I imagine an impoverished cowboy: “Jump on the escape goat boys! Time to get the fudge out of dodge!” What the heck is an escape goat, anyway? Do you jump on the escape goat to get out of town when the poop hits the fan?

The correct term is scapegoat, not escape goat. A scapegoat is a person/thing that is blamed for the mistakes or faults of others. The term comes from the Old Testament to describe a goat that the Jewish chief priest symbolically laid the sins of the people upon. The goat was then driven into the wilderness. In a sense the word does imply “escape” – a goat that escapes into the wilderness, but the common, accepted usage in the English language today is scapegoat, not escape goat.

Google Trends -- Hot Trends for August 2, 2007 at 6:00 PM

Here are the Hot Trends from Google Trends on August 2, 2007, at 6:00 PM-

Chauncey Bailey: This poor guy was the editor of the Oakland Post, and he was gunned down today in broad daylight. According to the San Jose Mercury News, the act appeared to be deliberate and there were not suspects at the time the story was posted (8:53 AM PDT). From some of the other articles I skimmed, it looks like nobody knows of any reasons why anyone would target this guy. He appears to have been pretty well respected.

What a sad thing . . . you are going along in life, minding your business only to be gunned down. I can't tell if the world is really becoming more violent or if we simply hear about things more easily than we ever have before. You can get news 24/7 nowadays. Maybe it's not that the world is so much worse but that we all hear about it more. You have to spin stories 24 different ways to get enough news to fill up 24 hours/day.

Lane Garrison: Oh the irony! This character is an actor who has appeared on Prison Break (FOX). Maybe he can put some of those plot lines into action as he hits the big house for the next 90 days while a judge considers sentencing for Lane's felony drunk driving/vehicular manslaughter charge to which Lane Garrison plead guilty. On December 2, 2006, he killed a 17 year old and injured two 15 year olds when his SUV jumped the curb. It's very sad that he made a decision that has not only impacted his life but ended a young person's life and no doubt devastated that person's family and friends.

Webkinz Charms: Here's a new trend sure to drive small children and eccentric adults wild. These Webkinz plush animals from Ganz are apparently the next big thing. Frankly, they look like Beanie Babies to me. But, they are "high tech" whereas the Babies are not. You apparently get a special code with each Webkinz purchase. You go online and enter that code to adopt a virtual pet or some such crap as that. Now that's marketing! Get the kids begging for the toy, then draw them into the website with the ploy of "adopting a pet," and sell the crap out of them when they get there. Man, if I were a parent, I would be insane over this.

Oakland Post: this is obviously related to the first keyword set listed above. Nuff said.

Bridge Collapse Video: this is a search for people wishing to see the interstate bridge collapse. I don't like to be exploitative on these subjects, so I don't have anything to say about it, and I didn't watch it. It's up to you whether or not you watch it. Apparently it was not supposed to be released, but it was leaked by someone.

Google Trends for August 1, 2008, at 10:09 PM

Today's top five Hot Trends for Google Trends are listed below. The time I queried these Hot Trends is 10:09 PM on Wednesday, August 8, 2007:

Minneapolis News: The big story here is about an entire span of an interstate bride that collapsed sending cars into the water. Some sites state three people were confirmed dead, other sites list one person. I am sure they are still in the recovery process seeing as this happened during rush hour this evening in Minneapolis. This is such a scary and sad story. If you pray, please remember these folks in your prayers. The number two Hot Trend search phrase is related to this same story (bridge collapse).

Fisher Price Recall: Apparently somebody fell asleep at the wheel at and let over 83 types of toys go out with excessive amounts of lead paint. What the heck? We all know, I assume you know or else you may have been munching on lead paint chips, that lead is dangerous, especially to children. According to the EPA website, lead can damage the brain and nervous system, cause behavior problems and learning problems, slowed growth, hearing problems, and headaches. Hey Fisher Price, if you screw up your customers, they might not grow up to have their own kids for you to whip up into a frenzy over Tickle Me Elmo 3000. Was the manufacture of these toys outsourced to China? There's all manner of crazy crap coming out there these days.

Grace Jones: I can't figure out what it is people are seeking based on this Hot Trend keywords phrase. There is a link specifically stating the name Grace Jones, but when you click it you get a story about Andy Warhol. Then there are stories about Nancy Grace from CNN and Carmen Jones at Royal Hall in London. So, go figure on this.

The rest of the Hot Trends, now that I look down the list, are all related to the horrific accident in Minneapolis. Let's call it a night and say a prayer for these people. It's hard to be a smart alec and act funny about the other stuff anyway when there is such devastating news to deal with seriously.

Google Trends for July 31, 2007, as of 10:43 PM

Today's top five Hot Trends for Google Trends are listed below. One note that I wanted to post is this: the Hot Trends that are listed on Google Trendshttp://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gif are not the most popular searches conducted each day. Instead it's a listing of keywords/phrases that show a surge in popularity at a given time/day (some kind of algorithm that figures this crap out). So, now that we got that out of the way, here are the top four (I'm too tired for five tonight) Hot Trends on Google Trends at 10:43 PM this evening, July 31, 2007:

Off The Wall Beds: Ummm . . . I couldn't figure out what the big story is on this as the number one Hot Trend search. There were no news stories listed with this key phrase (just the words peppered throughout the news releases I found). There were some listings for websites, though, called Off The Wall Beds. Oh wait! I see it now. There is a link to Oprah.com. Oprah must have had a show that featured Off The Wall Beds today. Now this makes more sense. Looking at the Oprah site, these beds are pretty cool. It's kind of like a murphy bed, sort of, but not really. It doesn't hide in the wall or in a wardrobe. Instead, it's a desk by day that converts into a bed for guests by night.

FTA Forum: This is something about a Free Trade Agreement Forum. Several news articles came up and each was from a different country, but all of it seems to hinge on something that has to occur in the United States Congress. I would take the time to read it and report back to you on it, but I am honestly pretty tired. I think trying to understand all this mumbo jumbo right now will put me to sleep.

DSSCentral: There are absolutely no news stories listed in Hot Trends for this, but there is a website called DSSCentral.com. I went to the site, but it has a lot of words on it. Around 10:45 PM on a work night I start to become illiterate. Go read it for yourself. Look it up . . . you'll remember it longer. At least, that's what my Granddaddy always says.

Faith Hill: This story is finally something interesting (interesting in the sense that at 11:03 PM, the time while typing this sentence, I don't have to think too much about it). Some sex-crazed fan grabbed Tim McGraw's crotch during a concert while he was greeting fans. Faith Hill, McGraw's wife, chided the hoochie who grabbed Tim's nether reaches. This is probably a stereotype, but I always thought fans of country music were much less slutty than rock/pop/rap fans. I like a little bit of all kinds of music, so I don't claim one scene more than the other. So, maybe country fans are husband-stealing hoochies. Who knows? Just seems when you think of groupies, you think rock and roll.

OK. Peace out peeps. I am tired. Rock on.

Google Trends for July 30, 2007, as of 7:09 PM

Thought I would try to write about the top five Google Trends searches as a routine post (at least weekly -- if not daily). Here's the scoop on most searched terms on July 30, 2007, at 7:09 PM. More than just what's being searched, you are lucky enough to get my "keen" insight and commentary on each (ain't you lucky!):

Bill Walsh: not knowing a lot about football, well nothing really, I didn't recognize this name. I had the name confused with John Walsh, the America's Most Wanted dude. Anyway, Bill Walsh died today after losing his battle with leukemia. He apparently was some sort of football genius. Some sites call him the "Father of NFL's Modern Offense." He was 75.

Danica McKellar: So, little Winnie Cooper from The Wonder Years is on the scene making some noise, huh? Apparently Ms. McKellar has penned a book about how important it is for young girls to learn to love math. She proclaims you can be hot and smart: Math Doesn't Suck. Kudos! Although let's face it, not everybody can be hot if they weren't born that way. Plastic surgery is expensive. But, maybe young girls can read this book and learn how to effectively use math to manage their finances so they can afford that synthetic hotness. Danica goes a step further than simply urging girls to study math because it's cool. She disses Paris Hilton and Lindsay Lohan by stating that they provide poor examples to girls because they make "fun and glamorous" seem obtainable only by being "dumb and irresponsible." Danica has apparently solved her own mathematical theorem, and she majored in math.

Port Clyde, Maine: Here's the story . . . Chief Justice John Roberts was at his summer home in Port Clyde, Maine, today where he suffered a seizure and a fall. He had minor scrapes and will be hospitalized overnight. The thing I don't get is this: why is the big keyword/search phrase "Port Clyde, Maine" instead of "Chief Justice Roberts." People don't give a poop about him, or they are so enamored of him that they hope their first seizure will be in Port Clyde too? Curious.

Steve Walsh: This is one of those weird trend returns. There are stories with the Bill Walsh link above. There is a site about somebody named Steve Walsh. So, I am not sure what the story of the day is on this one. The link I included has to do with football.

Luis Castillo: this is a hard day for a gal who doesn't watch a lot of sports. I guess this dude is some kind of kick-butt baseball player that the Mets just acquired from the Twins. Rock on Mets. I guess. I have no idea.

Go check out trends for yourself at http://www.google.com/trends.

Thank Goodness!

If you have visited this blog in the past few weeks, you know I have been worry about Emmett, my dog.  The vet was concerned that he may have cancer.  He doesn't!  Thanks for the kind thoughts and prayers some of you have said.  I really appreciate it.  E is a great beast, and he got me through some hard times when I was down during my cancer treatment.

Google Trends for July 29 as of 11:08 AM

Have you used the Google Trends search? If not, go to the Google Labs area and check it out. It's pretty interesting, and reveals how out of touch I must be with the rest of the Internet surfing community. Here's the top five today at 11:08 AM EDT:

Anne Stringfield: I had no idea who this broad is until I went to Google Trends this morning. Apparently she is Steve Martin's long-time girlfriend. They got married secretly this weekend. My question is this: why do so many people give a crap? Don't get me wrong, Steve Martin is a legend . . . for work he did decades ago. The Jerk . . . a masterpiece. Cheaper by the Dozen, well not so classic in my book. Maybe the big draw on this story is the fact that he is 61 and she is 35. I'm not sure. Big whoop is all I know. Congrats to them, and I hope they are happy. But, they aren't my friends, so I don't really care about the details of their ceremony.

Victoria Tennant: Still part of the Steve Martin story. Victoria Tennant was married to Steve Martin before. Again, I don't really care.

Sekiko Sakai Garrison: this is some chick that claimed Mayor Michael Bloomberg sexually harassed her when she was an executive at his financial company, Bloomberg LP. This at least sounds more like news than the two hits above. This dude may be running for president, so we need to know if he's a dirty old man. Everybody seemed to love the last perv we had in office, so this could go either way for Mike. Hey, I liked Clinton, so I ain't knocking him. I thought he had questionable morals as far as being a good husband goes, but these days so do 50% of all men. Women cheating on husbands is on the rise, too. Does that mean it's OK: no. Does that mean they won't be competent leaders: not necessarily. Of course, if you are harassing the people you lead, you might need a kick in the pants (in the front). Or, you may just need your Viagra prescription revoked.

California State Seal: this hit shows a quirk -- in my opinion -- of the Google Trends search. Although this is in the top 5 most searched for this morning at 11:08 AM, the stories I found on it don't all seem to go together. One is about Seal Beach in the state of California. The other is about a state little league softball tournament where a team was able to "seal" a win. Another article listed by Google Trends search for this topic is about organic farming in California, and yet another is about a commemorative bronze seal depicting California's Native American tribes. Go figure.

Paul Stanley: apparently Mr. Stanley has heart problems. That's sad. He had to bail on a concert in order to go get treatment. I think this qualifies as news-worthy over the Steve Martin story. Paul Stanley is a performer who couldn't perform. That's news. It's like hearing Coke can't make Coke anymore. If it were a story about Paul Stanley having lunch with Steve Martin and Anne Stringfield after just having a rendezvous wit Victoria Tennant . . . well, that wouldn't be news would it?

That's my take on the top five Google Trends as listed at 11:08 AM EDT on July 29, 2007. Peace out.