Gotta Wonder

I can't figure it out. A friend on Ranchoweb's Discussion Board mentioned that her daughter gave her some 'new versions' of some perfume" and they are nowhere near the originals!"

I had to ask, "You mean to say these perfume outfits change formulas without telling people?"

Evidently so.

I never hear commercials on perfume saying NEW and IMPROVED like I do soap commercials.

The way I figure it Tide is so NEW and IMPROVED by now that dirt shouldn't even exist!

I remember it was NEW and IMPROVED when Jack Bailey was hosting

Queen for a Day!

Tide commercials have continually been 'Shouting' at us (oops, different product.) that this stuff is better today than it was yesterday. So when is perfection reached? Day after tomorrow?

I guess the perfume manufacturers don't like to boast. Otherwise they would tout the NEW and IMPROVED line.

My friend at Ranchoweb prefers the original formula. Maybe that is why they don't boast, "NEW and IMPROVED".

Which makes me wonder how long can a SALE go on? (Don't ask the connection, I can't figure it out either)... I've heard there are government regulations on SALEs but never checked Snopes.com/Urban Legends on it. It seems to me that you cannot pass a mattress store or a furniture store without seeing the SALE banner out front. Some of those banners are looking shabby from age.

There is something you won't see selling big on eBay.

"Slightly used 'SALE' banner only used once"

- Yeah, for five years! -

I have to wonder if soap commercials and mattress/furniture sales (What the hell, lets throw in used car salesmen and lawyers) are not the reason behind the cynicism and the 'what the hell' attitude in America these days.

Lord know I've got it and I want to blame someone for it besides Mom.

Security Issues in America

Political Nut posted a piece called "Security Issues in America" I wanted to post a comment but unfortunately to comment on his blog a person has to be a team member.

So I figured to get my two cents in I'd bring a touch of his post and my comment here. But then I saw that for my comment to have it's impact I needed his entire post. Both sorry and thanks Political Nut. Please open your comments to the general public and/or supply an email address.

- quote - House Democrats issued a statement that the Homeland Security Department has not met expectations. They cite that the department has not met 33 of its own goals including upgrading specific types of targets and the streamlining of communications between agencies.

It is necessary that the American Public gets a report on the progress of the HSD. But do we need the specifics such as types of sites that are vulnerable. Isn't that making terrorists' jobs easier by allowing them to focus on those types of sites. Knowledge is a powerful tool, but it is also one that can be very dangerous. - end quote -

My comment:

Yesterday I was standing in front of a store when a young lady with her 9-10 year old son drove up. They got out of the car and as they neared me the boy said, (real loud) "Mom, You didn't lock your car door."

Then the boy looked at me.

I said, "Now the whole world knows."

I hope the boy learned a lesson and does not grow up to be like the House Democrats.

Yahoo Pictures 2005

Yahoo 2005 Year in Review

What a year it has been. As usual both the best and worst in man has been on display. From suicide bombings to aid for tsunami and hurricane victims.

May the bombs of terrorists blow up in their hands before their plans come to fruition.
May the Living God help us live better in the year to come. - GBYAY -

Search Engines Bring Up Differing Results

Having Site Meter hooked up to your blog can be quite interesting. Today I had a visitor come through Yahoo's Search Engine looking for - kelly letterpress for sale - My blog was not what the searcher was looking for. Nowhere close...

However number 6 on the list of his search was a link to my post - Baby Parts For Sale - in which I quoted "Kelly" a pseudonym of a person who harvested baby parts for researchers. My "About Me" section on my blog mentions that I am a letterpress printer. By Google Search I was not listed in the top 100.

How could this person have improved his search query? Perhaps by adding quote marks around the model of the Kelly press he is searching for. With quote marks surrounding a statement the search engines look for that exact statement and cull out some of the excess. But the search query was really wrong to start with.

I know it can be frustrating to search for something specific and come up with everything except what is really being searched for. (see previous post)

Looking for someone selling a used machine it might have been better to start with - "used printing equipment" - and then added - Kelly (model name) - If looking to purchase something on the internet it bodes the searcher well to check the side adverts on the search page. They are designed to aid searchers as well as pull in some coins for the search engine company that is providing you a free service.

The quote marks really help if you want to find the rest of a quotation or perhaps the source of some obscure statement. Sometimes it helps to use the advance search features both Yahoo and Google offer. The + and - marks can help add or subtract keywords you want or don't want.

Ice Cream - in Google brings up 28,600,000 hits. Modifying it to - Ice Cream Raspberry = 2,420,000 hits. Then "ice cream" -vanilla +raspberry = 522,000 / - Still quite a bit. Add the word recipes and then you bring it down a bunch more. Only 252,000 hits. Much easier to peruse. The advanced search used properly will drop that number dramatically.

I like to keep a folder in my favorites that is titled 'searchers'. In it I have links to Yahoo, Google, Bookfinder.com, a Bible search, a dictionary & thesaurus, Snopes.com (Urban Legends) and a couple other resources. I've found that results from Yahoo and Google can vary. Doesn't hurt to use both if you are really trying to research a subject.

I've found it best to not get frustrated while searching. Instead consider yourself to be smarter than the computers you are accessing. You know what you are looking for. Use the right words and you will find it!