Friday, October 16, 2009

Assignment 8

1. All english words containing the letters "eue"

12 words found.

* banlieue
* banlieues
* feued
* queue
* queued
* queueing
* queueings
* queuer
* queuers
* queues
* subfeued
* unfeued

Succeeded with Google, third result for query all english words containing +eue. Wolframalpha unable to understand question.

2. How much potassium in 4.7 oz of banana?

477 mg.

Succeeded with WA. Google returns numerous results with irrelevant content, or difficult content to filter.

3. How old was Barack Obama on the day you were born?

Neither engine could figure it. WA tried but got confused because Obama was born well after me. Google had no idea what I was asking. Barack Obama birthday received accurate answers from both.

4. Date and time of the next total solar eclipse in Eugene?

11:25 PDT, Monday, August 21, 2017.

Both engines delivered accurate results with the query total solar eclipse in Eugene Oregon.

5. What is the minimum and maximum price of google stock since it went public?

Conflicting minimums-- WA says $100.01 (but does not list the IPO date). Google's best answer seems to imply IPO date of August 19, 2004, initial price $85. Neither has trouble with the stock high of $741.79.

6. Link an image of the barcode for UPC 01234567890

  WA found the barcode easily. Using Google image search, found it also without problem. Google web search was a bit more difficult.

7. How many vertices does an icosahedron have?

12

First result in Google for search vertices does an icosahedron. WA also finds it easily.

8. Distance from Eugene to Tokyo?

4886 miles.

WA pulled that info and much detail from a search for Eugene to Tokyo distance. Answer also appears as Google's number 2 result.

9. Average Oregon income per capita?

$31,930

WA displays the answer unabiguously. Google takes some digging, and proves difficult to uncover current data.

10. What is the Morse code for your first name?


WA had no trouble. Google's best result was a full Morse code alphabet.

Google Street Views My House

All right, this is kind of creepy. Google shot my house.

My House, about a year and a half ago.

They captured it during a remodel (hence the POD). What I want to know is who the heck is that woman? And more importantly, is that a weapon in her hand?

 

Friday, October 9, 2009

Time machine ?!?!?!

WTF?!? No really. Learned about this guy in class today.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ronald_Mallett

I'm gonna send him $10. Maybe he'll let me test drive it!

Friday, October 2, 2009

Comments on a News Article

Jobs Cuts Unexpectedly Accelerate


Amid all the happy economic news--stock market up, GDP in positive territory once again--confidence that the recession may be ending has begun to show glimmers of promise. Things are looking up! All the bailout money is starting to work!  Until, of course, reality sets in. In today's news, we learn that the unemployment rate has just gone up again. Looks like a "jobless recovery. Meaning great news for the wealthy and the corporate powers and the brokers and bankers. BUT not so good maybe for those of us without that most essential element: work.

So, here I am, back in school after 20 years, trying to enhance my skills in order to try and become more employable. For the past ten years, I've been a search marketing professional, getting paid to help internet businesses rank higher on search engines. Last January, though, the tanking economy took me with it. No jobs to be found.

Other Blogs I Read

Matt Cutts
Matt Cutts runs an officially sanctioned blog dedicated to search marketing from Google's perspective.

Kat in the Kitch
I used to work with Kat. She is an extraordinarily amusing human being. Her baking blog is also full of deliciousness.

Alien Squid
This is a blog I started as a search market test bed, but I likes it.

Necropolitique: The Testimony of the Mad Liberal
This is an out-dated fictional (?) blog that I found pretty interesting.

Kale's Web 2.0 Blog
This is where I go to find all my Web 2.0 assignments and other vital information!

Image Post

Gots to get me one of these....


Video Post

I think squid are really, really weird. If anything on this planet doesn't belong here, the Cephalopods might be them.

Test

Hey, this post is being created in class, as part of an assignment.