Dirkmonster

Winless Titans can only provide ironic twist

 At 0-4 heading into a nationally televised date with the 4-0 Colts next Sunday, the Tennessee Titans really have nothing to show us as far as football is concerned.

We are left to use this sad team as an english lesson to illustrate the often mis-used word "irony".

Long ago the Titans proclaimed the home game next Sunday night as "Code Blue", hoping to provide a compelling visual for the national TV audience.  Here's real, authentic irony:  A "Code Blue", is a common term in a hospital used to call all available resources to help resusitate a dying patient.

It's ironic that a winless teams is using a term that denotes a potentially deadly situation as a "rah-rah" PR strategy.

As a side note, if you'd like to attend this Code Blue to see if the Titans can be resusitated, please bid on my tickets I'm trying to unload.

Top 10 things to do while Gmail is down

Gmail, and possibly some other Google systems are going through a major outage today.

Here are some things to do in the meantime to keep from melting yourself from melting down as well:

1. Pause your Google AdWords campaigns until this blows over.  Who knows how far reaching the Google problems are.
2. Think about how much you depend on the cloud for your everyday life.  What analog back-ups do you have in place?
3. Consider this another stepping stone on Google's path back down to earth.  No web entity stays on top.
4. Commiserate with all the other victims on Twitter.
5. Get ready for your Fantasy Football draft!
6. Call an elder and ask them how they survived without Google all those years ago.  There are some tips for living to be had.
7. Know that you have to think faster next time: Gmailisdown.com was registered today by Nick McIntyre of San Bruno CA.
8. Actually get some work done.
9. Write a letter and mail it.  This is the best thing to happen to the USPS.
10. Buy an affordable tech stock that you think will be the next Google.

Other suggestions welcome.

Day 1 in 1st grade

What a difference a year makes.

A year ago, there were tears and fear.  A year later, Ross woke up excited about his first day.  He saw his kindergarten teacher on the way into school, gave her a quick hug and moved on to 1st grade.  As he walked the halls on the way to his new classroom, he said hi to the kids he knew from last year.  He stopped for a few quick pictures but was more interested in getting inside his classroom and getting down to business.

He's growing up.

Look at a picture from a year ago:

And from today, Ross' first day of 1st grade:

Google may finally be in for a fight

Two things happened this week that I believe signal the biggest challenge Google has faced since becoming the dominant player in search:

Today, Yahoo and Microsoft announced a 10 year partnership that combines their forces for a direct assault on Google.  Microsoft's new Bing search technology will power Yahoo's search, and Yahoo will lead the advertising charge.  For a more detailed explanation, click here.

Yes, Bing is new and I think it represents a shift in search.  But the real shift in search is coming from Twitter, which unveiled it's new homepage this week.  It looks a lot like Google and it's all about search.  While Twitter grew on a commonly held feeling that it was a social networking/micro-blogging phenomena, it turns out that the real power of twitter may be in search.

Although a recent study purports to show most Americans aren't even aware of Twitter yet, it is well on its way.  Twitter claims millions of unique visitors a month and the average Twitter user has 126 followers.  I shudder to think what it will be like if in fact it is still widely unknown!

It's Twitter's search functionality and unique real time results that should concern Google.  There are enough users Tweeting on enough topics so that one can getup to the second results on almost any query.  Furthermore, these results are not filtered through an algorithm.  The results come from what our peers have to say on the topic. Perform your next search on Google and then on Twitter and you'll see what I mean.  Can you say "paradigm shift"?

The advertising piece of Twitter is still missing, and that fact may be at the root of it's egalitarian growth curve.  But have no doubt, Twitter or someone that buys them (betting Google is thinking about it) will cash in soon.

The new search wars are underway!

Titans' Keith Bulluck "4 certain" about Super Bowl win

Following Titans' linebacker Keith Bulluck on Twitter is enterataining.  He's been haninging out with his family in New York, but now he's "fully prepared 2 get down 2 business this week".  As a Titans fan who just sank a lot $ into tickets, I like what he's predicting:

kbull53: One thing I kno 4 certain is next yr's offseason is gonna be even better coming off a Superbowl win ya digg

He's also looking forward to setting up his locker at Baptist Sports Park this Wednesday - apparently he's got an entertainment center in his locker.

Go Titans - I'm even excited about the Hall of Fame game August 9 vs T.O. and the Buffalo Bills.  Maybe we'll get to see kbull53 put the wood to loud mouth Owens.

Bang Bang - "It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood"

Our hopes for a speedy recovery go out to the two people shot last night in an apparent drug related disagreement on Fred Rogers Place in Nashville.

The irony is too much to resist however - a double shooting on Fred Rogers Place?  Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood, as we recall, is characterized "by its quiet simplicity and gentleness" (Wikipedia).

On the other hand, it also brings back the memories of a young Eddie Murphy on Saturday Night Live and his parody Mr. Robinson's Neighborhood.  And still more irony! Notice the puppet show in the clip.

Predators Skate of the Union 2009

There's nothing like sweaty hockey fans in July to getting excited about the upcoming season. The Nashville Predators held their annual Skate of the Union event for fans tonight at the Sommet Center in downtown Nashville.

I got my picture taken with Predators star forward Steve Sullivan.  In front of us is the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy he won as  "the player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey".

Click here to see my photos and highlights from the event.

Keep in mind our fallen soldiers

I recently read an account of a military family member who was disheartened at the disparity in attention given Michael Jackson's death on the same day her nephew was killed in action.

It sure seems that we get desensitized to ongoing casualities in Iraq and Afghanistan.

I certainly spent a lot of time lately thinking about Steve McNair's death.  At the same time, I subscribe to a Department of Defense RSS feed that funnels press daily press releases to my news reader.  This feed contains the news releases concerning those killed in the service of our country.  I try to take note, especially of where the hero was from, on a daily basis.

It doesn't make me some kind of patriot - I just hope it gives me some kind of perspective.