Google Updated

Here's a follow-up article about the earlier article on NY Times.  The blog is titled "SCAM".

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/02/technology/02ranking.html?src=me
Great job Google with getting on the ball.  They announced an updated algorithm 3 days after an article ran about a man breaking their system.  They had to have started work as soon as that story ran.  Then, they ran a follow-up in the same media showing that they fixed the problem.  How did no one think about the problem of negative publicity making someone's site higher up on their search engine when Google is probably chalk full of brilliant minds?  Or maybe they just thought that no one could break such a dominating system.  People shouldn't abuse a free resource like Google when we are lucky enough to have it at our fingertips.  But I am happy to hear that Google fixed the problem immediately.  If something like the first article would have lasted a while and gained more publicity, Google could have some seriously angry customers.  They nipped it in the bud!  This new,improved Google will be a great benefit to most all users.

SMU Traditions

There are a few things at SMU that a lot of students feel they must accomplish before graduating.  I am among this spirited, peruna-loving crowd.  The "traditions" are normally passed on to the incoming freshman who have to come up with sneaky new ways to deceive the police.  The two main traditions that I have come across are:
1.  You must "fountain-jump" in at least one of the schools 563 colorfully-lighted fountains.
2.  You must have a picture taken of you riding one of the three, bronze horse statues.

Luckily for me, I can check off the first important action.  My friend and I ran to one of the fountains, submerged ourselves in the freezing water, took a few pictures, and ran away totally undetected.  It was a success.
Who came up with these strange rituals?  And how did they become so popular?  It's not like there is anything to gain by performing them.  The only award is the proof of the pictures and the satisfaction that you have in a way been initiated to a higher inner level at your university.  School spirit and pride is important; you gotta love where you go.  These couple traditions influence that spirit.  Only one thing left for me to do now: scale those monstrous mustangs and snap that pic.

The Ugliest Shoe

Running barefoot has never looked uglier or more uncomfortable.  Toe socks are extremely uncomfortable so I can't imagine how irritating these must feel.  This shoe from Vibram is supposed to be the revolutionary - best - running - shoe ever.  And scientific studies are there to back it up.  When we run with regular tennis shoes, we tend to run heel, ball, toe.  The shoes are designed with thick soles on the heel for this very reason.  But when we run barefoot, we run toe, ball, heel.  This style of running gives less of an impact on our legs and knees.  Plus, watch sprinters.  When they run, their heels never once touch the ground.  Maybe this is the new thing that will revolutionize running and shoes.  I just wish that it could be a little more attractive. 

Definition: Hot Mess

Supposedly, this hot mess aka Kesha will be coming to big D this coming April.  Yes, I admit I am quite excited to see someone with such fame make their way to my small campus.  And I'll admit that her songs are very catchy and I may or may not play them all the time.  But Kesha just baffles me.  How can this trashy, nose-ring wearing, glitter-infatuated, drug abusing drunk ass can get so famous while singing about partying?  And she's so famous that her music is played all over the radios, giving young children the chance to hear these terrible messages.  It's hard to keep children's minds clean when these songs become so overplayed that parents don't even think twice before letting their kids listen.  Kids really pic up on lyrics too.  They seem to be able to hear a song once and can sing every word.  That is what worries me the most about songs like this.  I realize that there is and has been some very riskaay artists, but as of now, Kesha fits that definition.