For my very observant readers, you’ll see that once again wigeons and french vanilla ice cream have both made it into Google Hot Trends. I say observant not because I assume you can read the words above, but because you might recall that I once wrote about this exact same topic.

I thought that these two things would make for an interesting flavor combination. Duck and french vanilla. Odd for some, but a delicacy for others, so apparently, there’s some more traction for this strange combination. Probably Ben and Jerry’s…maybe a special flavor for Dick Cheney (think about that one…it’s funny…you’ll laugh later).

It was a mystery then why these two appeared, and it still is. There’s not a single answer online about it. In fact, my post from February is what comes up first if you search for “wigeon french vanilla.” So, I’m the definitive answer on what possibly could be causing this and I haven’t a clue.

Wigeons…they are cute, but why are they back?

Could this be anotehr attack on Google Trends? It’s been taking a hit lately in a number of articles, as apparently someone has decided to have a little fun with the folks in Mountain View. Tech Crunch has covered a number of these Google Trends attacks (or bombings). Some are more creative than others. Including the upside down curse out and a certain infamous symbol (which I still don’t know how someone did). The trick is to get a bunch of people or servers to simply search over and over for the same term until Google Trends picks it up. No one knows for sure what volume of search it takes, but I bet the people behind these bombs have a good idea.

Even terms that seem like a hoax or bombing can turn out to be real, as the same folks at Tech Crunch figured out when they posted this article about the latest goofs and spam attacks. Of course, each of the terms they called out as being either a goof (sh*t pond) or spam (missingmoney.com) were real. Sh*t pond was on Howard Stern and, as I’ve pointed out before, things that happen on Howard always appear on Google Trends. Missingmoney.com I also wrote about, as it was on Dateline MSNBC. I called it a rip off of a Today Show story from 3 month ago (because it was).

So, it’s hard to tell what’s real and fake, but its a good world after all when there’s enough wigeons and french vanilla ice cream for everyone.

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Posted on July 21st, 2008 by Jonathan - Everyone But You
Filed under: A Little Bit of Everything, Mystery, animals | Comments

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Most of my frequent visitors know that it’s pretty rare that I decide to comment on something outside the top 10 in Google Trends, but today is one of those days. I got really bored with all the other options presented to me. As is pretty common, there’s always an athlete in trouble on the list (in fact, two today…this time in Matt Jones and Teddy Dupay. Nice work, guys.). There is not one, but THREE things related to Christie Brinkley’s divorce including Richard Taubman, Diana Bianchi photos, and Jean Francois Allaux. Wake me up when it’s over. The worst part is that no one cares about Christie Brinkley who’s reached some notoriety in life, but instead they care about these people surrounding her who have amounted to nothing but being an ex or the other woman.

People…listen to me. There are far more interesting things to look at online than this. I mean check this out:

What about a video of a dog on a skateboard? Anything. Please keep the semi-celebrity crap out of Google Trends; it makes my life so much more complicated.

So, when I saw “gam and pod” I knew I had to strike. I’m hoping it jumps up in position, but I do admit that I have no idea why it is even in Google Trends. There’s been a lot of that recently, so perhaps I need to improve my research skills. In my defense, there isn’t a single news article or blog posting related to this topic (except for some annoying blog spam…my favorite).

I do however, know what gam and pod have in common. They are both words used to describe a group of whales.

I have no idea who the mad genius was that came up with these completely arbitrary animal group names, but I like them. Pod or gam almost seems normal compared to some of the others I came across. A group of bears is a…wait for it…a sloth. What?!? A group of giraffes is a tower and a group of owls is a parliment.

Have you ever had the feeling that you found your way to a site that fits under the “If It’s On The Internet It Has To Be True” classification? I have. In fact, it’s happening right now. Could a group of porcupines really be a prickle? Come on. It’s like I wrote these myself. You know that I’d call a group of jellyfish a smack if someone ever gave me the chance. For completeness sake, I’ll make one up right now and you be the judge if it fits in or not. A group of platypuses is called an abomination. Why not?

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Posted on July 10th, 2008 by Jonathan - Everyone But You
Filed under: Mystery, animals | Comments

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Popping into the number one spot on Google Hot Trends is a painter that most people have never heard of, Marc Chegall. Another Google Trends mystery for me to solve. This one was pretty simple.

For those landing on Google’s classic, clean homepage, your normal Google logo was replaced with this image. Like most times Google does this with their logo, you only know it’s Google because, well, you know it’s Google. You’re on Google’s page after all. Otherwise, it’s unreadable.

This is a pretty common thing for Google and they’re impressed enough with themselves to have pages of their past logos that they have used for holidays. Among the most ridiculous (and this was a tough choice) is the logo celebrating the anniversary of the first ascent of Everest.

That’s a stretch. I’m sorry, but Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay don’t look like Gs. Simple as that. Especially Norgay…I mean…not even close, right?

Maybe a U or a H, but definitely not a G.

But, back to Marc Chegall. The logo on Google’s homepage was inspired by his work is there to celebrate his birthday today, July 7. For those wishing to send him a happy birthday wish, you can probably save yourself a stamp.  He died in 1985. Marc Chagall would have been 121 today. I love it when the big media companies do that, so I thought I’d do it. No idea what that bit of information is supposed to do for me, but they give it anyway. Am I supposed to think, “Wow, that’s too bad. I bet if he walked for 20 minutes three days a week and had more fiber, he’d still be alive today. A real shame.”

How’d I figure out that this was Chegall’s work in Google’s logo? My many years of art training of course. <Pause for laughter> In fact, an alt tag gave it away.

“Happy Birthday, Marc Chagall. We’ve honored your memory with an inscrutable logo and heavy-handed legal disclaimer.” Love, Google

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Posted on July 7th, 2008 by Jonathan - Everyone But You
Filed under: Art, google | Comments

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Some really good news for me looking through Google Trends today. I see that the “Electric Daisy Carnival” made it into the top 10. That must mean there’s some pretty good interest in it, so it’s sure to be an amazing time. What? You don’t know what the Electric Daisy Carnival is? Holy mother of all…how can you, a blog reader (you fit a profile you know), not know what this is?

You’re probably not cool enough. Judging by the fact that you’re reading this blog, that might be the case (of course, what does that make me, the guy who writes it?). Well, I’ll fill you in because I know this stuff (and how to use Google). The Electric Daisy Carnival is a rave. Yes, they’re back. But this isn’t just any rave, it’s being held at the LA Coliseum. And, according to this article at MetroMix, “The party will also have six areas for live performers and superstar DJs like Moby, Z-Trip, Heather, Colette, BT, Armand van Helden, Paul Van Dyk, and our fave up-and-comer Paparrazzi.” Yes!!!! I love Paparrazzi. He’s amazing…or she’s amazing. Who knows? Checking out these names, clearly I need a DJ name. They just look great. So, I’m going with “MaxMush.” No reason. It just popped in my head. I was also considering “Cheeto,” but I thought that was too commercial.

I think the fact that the LA Coliseum is hosting this is really progressive. Good for them. I mean, why shouldn’t a municipal stadium, owned by the taxpayers, make some dough off the Ecstasy trade? That stuff’s got amazing profit margins and California needs to close that budget gap, so good thinking. I’m sure nothing can possibly go wrong.

By the way, since when did it become cool to have a rave somewhere that people could find it? I thought raves were supposed to be in places that no one knows about and that ravers just find it using some deep seeded, internal navigation system. Think swallows and Capistrano.

I have to admit that I’ve never been to a rave. Not really a house/electronica music kind of guy. I think I could sit there all night and never once hear them play Thunder Road. Unacceptable. So for those who have no idea what goes on at a rave I’ll give you the 30 second primer. Basically, it’s really loud. You’re likely asked to take a lot of drugs that even a chemist (with a pharmacist as an assistant) couldn’t determine what they are. Probably one has something to do with cat urinary tract infections and at least one is made from a plant that grows only the side of cliffs in Toledo, Ohio (think about that one). And, yes, you need light sticks. Don’t bother going unless you have some. Get as many as they have at Home Depot. Yes, they sell them there. Just tell the person who works there that you’re going to a rave and they’ll hook you up.

Here’s what your rave might look like:

Aren’t you sad now that you’ve never been to a rave? If you’re in LA right now, you have no excuse, so get off your couch, grab a fistful of your golden retriever’s itch medicine, and head on out. Don’t forget the lightsticks…and drink 45 Red Bull’s. Why not?

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Posted on June 28th, 2008 by Jonathan - Everyone But You
Filed under: A Little Bit of Everything, Press, Television, google, hollywood, music | Comments

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