"Search WIKI" User Rating when Loged into Google

Google apparantly launched a new "Search Wiki" feature when you are viewing seach results and are logged into your google account.

Just to the right of the search resutls there is an up Arrow, and an X.
The Arrow elevates the item in your search results.
The X removes the item from your search results.



There is also a () Thought balloon after the "Similar pages" link which allows the user to make comments. These comments are viable by other users who are logged into and record which google user made the comments.  This feature is referred to as SearchWiki in the popup baloon you get when you go to use the controlls.

Interesting.  I wonder how much influence this will have on Googles overall search algorythm over time...

A brave new world all over again.

Mission Statments

You may not know it, but I am a geek.

In looking for a folder for taxes this year I found my old mission statement from 1997 and then from 2000. So I present those as exhibit A and B in the case of me being a geek.

1997

1. I will balance my convictions with my compassion
2. I will not burn the candle at both ends
3. I will learn to say No
4. I will spend one hour alone every day in peace
5. I will never stop learning
6. I will trust my own judgement
7. I will live what I teach
8. I will get to know my family
9. I will trust my friends before they have earned it
10. I will never betray a trust unless a person's future is at risk
11. I will never lie, cheat, or steal
12. I will not make a promise that I can't keep
13. I will keep my mind and body health
14. 2000 - I will read for at least half an hour for growth or pleasure each day
15. I will develop Strength of Character by finding ways to be held accountable
16. I will live as a witness to my family
17. I will use my time and money and talents wisely in order to glorify God
18. I will make time to prepare for things that I am committed to
19. I will be early, not just barley on time (still working on this one)
20. I will really lift up one person each day
21. I will get organized
22. peace...

Tagged

I have been tagged.

Rules: Once you've been tagged, you are supposed to write a note with 25 random things, facts, habits, or goals about you. At the end, choose someone else to be tagged. If I tagged you, it's because I want to know more about you.

So here you go:

1. I want to go to Italy
2. I love when my girls sing together
3. I once lived in a house in collage with 9 guys where everyone but me and my brother were musicians.
4. I broke my wrist once...playing twister...in math class...3 days before the end of the school year.
5. I just started learning biblical Greek (only working on the alphabet now)
6. One of my girl's favorite toy's is a simple helium balloon.
7. Hannah went down a sled hill so fast this year she lost her hat!
8. When I was a kid I always wated a black pickup truck, with a blue motorcycle tied up in the bed so I could drive around and always be ready for fun.
9. I used to have an imaginary friend named Jason.
10. When a group of cousins went out to a drive in movie, we almost rolled a Chevy Blazer with about 8 kids inside. Then we had to drive a few hundred feet sideways until we could drive out of the ditch.
11. I ran so hard in a race once that I was dry heaving through the last 1/4 mile. This scared the person I was trying to pass so bad that I beat them to the finish line.
12. I used to go around the U of M wearing suspenders hanging down, and a fedora - swing kids had a big influence on me I guess.
13. I was nicknamed "Socrates" in high school partly because of Bill & Ted's excellent adventure, and largley because I was known for asking too many questions.
14. My Great Grandma lived to be 103 and she remmebered seeing Haley's commit twice.
15. I chear for the Chicago Bears, Twins/Whitesocks/Tigers, Wild/Avalanch, Pistons/Wolves (in that particular Order)
16. My grandpa had a bayonete from WWII which I thought was one of the neetest things in the house I grew up in.
17. We also had some kind of wind/Pipe Organ in the house that was fun to try to play at the age of 5
18. The only comics I own are the Spiderman/Carnage series, and the "Death of Superman"
19. I thought I wanted to marry Cara within about the first 2-3 weeks that I had met her.
20. On our honeymoon, my favoriate thing we ate was a great Italian dinner, where they brought out frozen fruit and wrapped prochuto and cheese around it as an appatizer.
21. Cara humored me on our honeymoon by going to a live lobster roast place. They really creaped her out since they were moving around just behind where we were sitting.
22. Lilly and Hannah like Rootbeer floats, and Lilly just recently started calling it a "Floopbear"
23. I carry both the name of, and the weading ring of my grandfather.
24. I had a key supporting role in the musical "HMS Pinaphor" in Jr. High.
25. I enjoyed being a member of the general cast more in OKLAHOMA in Highschool, and being in the One Act adaptation of "A mid summer's night dream" with Caleb.
    

Table Topics - Paid too much

A friend of mine from work is part of a public speaking group.

He came up with these great table topic questions one day when he was in charge of the discussion.

I thought these were excellent so I decided to publish them one at a time over a few weeks. Feel free to answer any of them in comments or in your own blog or facebook post.  Just let me know if you answer because I would be curious to see what you said.

Tell a story that finishes this sentnce

• Something for which I paid too much, that was worth it ...
  

For me it would have to be learning Italian at the U of M.  I calculated this out once and I don't remember now, but I think I paid between $3,000-5,000 to learn the Italian language, plus Books and tapes - yes I am old enough to have had audio tapes in my class not CD's (use wikipedia if you don't know what they are :) which was hundreds in it self.

I say I paid too much because it was way more money than I had to spend on something so frivolous then.  Also I never did make it to Italy to practice my long studied skill.  

It was worth it because I did graduate...eventually, and that was a requirement.  It was also worth it because I came to really enjoy
Roberto Benigni from such films as Johnny Stecchino.  Also it is now on my and Cara's life list to make it to Italy some day.  And that is a wounderfull goal to be able to look out on fondly in the midst of every day life.

So how about you, how would you finish the sentence?

-- more topics to come in the future.