Fozzy Networking

Intertubes A Toilet Sometimes

Last week the Intertubes lit up with intense reaction to 13 year old Rebecca Black's song "Friday", dubbed by overzealous editors as "the worst song ever".

"Friday," sung by 13-year-old Rebecca Black, was uploaded to YouTube last month by Ark Music Factory, a Los Angeles-based company that was hired by the girl's parents to produce the song for their daughter. (AFP)

The "worst song ever"? Really? The song has 30 million hits on YouTube. Million.  I heard it -- I thought it was pretty forgettable; typical tween song. But it wasn't horrible. If you don't like it, don't listen to it.

Some Netizens representing the lowest rungs of the culture went so far as to post comments saying "I hope you cut yourself and die or get an eating disorder so you can be pretty."

Seriously? The girl is only 13 years old and her parents paid a company to produce a song for her as a gift. The reactions are so intensely over-the-top as to be unbelievable. The anonymity the Internet affords sometimes brings out the worst in people. (Probably another jealous 13 year old.)

Being a 13 year old is traumatic enough all by itself, no need to pile on.  At least this girl produced something to look at; most of these parasites never will.

Eye Funk

Got some random infection in my eye, making this Internet thing-y difficult. May be slim pickings here until it clears up.

Pat, don't rub. Grrr.

Doppelganger Dilemma

I'm used to being fairly unique. In fact, my surname is somewhere in the neighborhood of the 21,000th "most common" last names in the United States. Not exactly springing up everywhere. So I'm always a bit nonplussed whenever I encounter it somewhere that it doesn't actually relate to my family.

I've looked online and in census tables and there are exactly two other guys who share my name. I can't quite figure out if it's the same guy who moved from Colorado to Seattle or really two guys, so we'll call it two. One of those guys has an Amazon wish list and he wants a piloting book -- not me.  It makes me want to hunt them down and demand they change it due to false impersonation. 

I could use my "mad skillz" on Teh Internets to force the issue, but that just wouldn't be right now would it? (Let's see ... he's got my name, lives in CO or WA, has a wife and kid that I  know about ... no, no must stop.)

Imagine my surprise when "Julie" sent me this email instead of to her husband of the same name:

I'm so sorry but I accidentally had Omaha steaks send you an email (instead of my husband) saying you are receiving Omaha steaks for Christmas.  Unfortunately you're not the recipient :(   I was momentarily mistaken about his email address.

Sorry for an confusion and/or excitement this may have caused.

Doh! Yes, there was some confusion and/or excitement, but not just because of the steak. I feel a little Highlander coming on -- there can be only one!

The least they can do is to send me a veal cutlet. I'm just sayin'.

Know Your Meme: Om Nom Nom

Mrs. Nod made chocolate chip cookies today, and so after dinner I did what every red-blooded American dad would do: Om nom'd some major cookies.

What's that? You don't know what nomming is? Didn't you watch Sesame Street? Cookie monster is only the best Muppet ever!

Never fear, WBN is nothing if not a public service on Teh IntarWebs. It's time to listen up to: Know Your Meme.

Microsoft Browser Choice Rigged?

A co-worker who is a security researcher was talking about the new "choice screen" for Internet browsers that has been popping up all over Europe lately.

[NYT] "Rivals of Microsoft's market-leading Web browser have attracted a flurry of interest since the company, fulfilling a regulatory requirement, started making it easier for European users of its Windows operating system to switch.

The screen displays links to a dozen browsers, including Explorer, Firefox, Google’s Chrome, Apple’s Safari and Opera."

According to my co-worker who was looking into the nitty-gritty, the other half dozen browsers (which he had never heard of) are apparently a re-packaged Internet Explorer with some kind of wrapper around it -- some "choice".

Catholic Dads Have New Online Home

Anyone who might not be aware, the cyber-home of Catholic Dads has moved to CatholicDadsOnline.org.

The site is bustling with new activity and has a revised look and feel, including new sections like Resources, Family Life, Parenting, Reviews, Faith & Spirituality, and more.

So check it out and get encouraged by fellow Catholic Dads; make sure you add it to your favorite feed reader, Facebook, StumbleUpon, Twitter, Technorati, or whatever.

Pope2You

The Vatican is trying to get the hang of this Internet-thingy at http://www.pope2you.net/, a nexus of the Vatican You Tube Channel, Facebook, iPhone App, and WikiCath.

Eh, guys, it's just not there yet ...

I'm Number One

I always wanted to be number one at something - now I have a stupid Google trick.

If you Google "peter hothead", my post about the venerable Apostle is at the top of the heap. Clicking "I'm feeling lucky" takes you right to it.

Of course, if you put in "french military victories" and hit "I'm feeling lucky" it's much funnier.