In a bit of surprising news, I found out that poker beat out MySpace as the top search on Lycos in 2006. In even more surprising news, people are still searching on Lycos. Seriously, who does that? I suspect these search numbers are based on about 87 users who are using their Prodigy dial-up accounts. I would expect, based on the user base’s relative awareness of the advances in the world, that the top searches would be “George H. W. Bush reelection” or “Right Said Fred lyrics” or “The Bodyguard release date”.

Wait, does this mean that someone actually still works for Lycos? I think if I met someone who told me they worked for Lycos, I would think they were joking.

So are people still using Northern Lights too? Did anyone ever use Northern Lights?

I think I just dated myself.

So I’ve decided not to do the “fifteen statements” all you kids did. I thought about it (and even started writing some), but changed my mind. At this point, if I haven’t told you something, there’s a reason for it. Me posting it vaguely here wouldn’t help. Even if I did want you to find out, it wouldn’t be from deducing which sentence might be about you. And more importantly, I don’t want people assuming things that aren’t true, thinking I’m using this as a secret way to be mean to the people I’m normally nice to. It’s way too easy to assume that the worst one is about you. If I’m nice to you, it’s because I like you. Or I’m using you for something. In all seriousness, if you’re unclear where we stand, ask me.

Maybe I’m getting too old for these memes because this post makes me sound like a cranky old man.

GM is running a promotion called GM Fuel Price Protection, which guarantees CA residents only pay $1.99 per gallon for the first year of owning a new vehicle. Based on your driving patterns (tracked via the on-board nav system), GM will add credit to your “GM Fuel Price Protecton Card”, which is a prepaid Mastercard.

The TV ad said “Chevy Fuel Price Protection: that’s an American revolution!” How very true. Rather than working to decrease our dependency on foreign oil through more fuel-efficient cars or alternat energy sources, GM is encouraging Californians to drive their new H2, Yukon, Tahoe, or Suburban (all which are eligible for the promotion) as much as they want. Good plan, GM. Our enemies in the Middle East thank you for the additional funding.

I know I just complained about a movie a couple days ago, but this one wins. Although not quite to the level of Flight 93, I have to ask: Is the world really asking for a movie version of Welcome Back, Kotter? And if they are, I’m fairly sure they’re not asking for one starring Ice Cube, nor do they require the writing/directing “talents” of the guy who brought us such classics as White Chicks and The Animal. Wasn’t Dukes of Hazzard enough?

Does this movie seem like a bad idea to anyone else? Sure, there have movies about other historic disasters, but this just feels different.

First, it’s just too soon. After less than five years, September 11th still evokes strong emotional response. Perhaps this is a movie that could be made 10, 20, 50 years after the event, when there is a generation that doesn’t remember a time where you could go through airport security without taking off your shoes and throwing away your nail clippers.

Second, the events of September 11th is not a day anyone will soon forget. Unlike an event like Pearl Harbor, the world experienced 9/11 in real time. We all sat in front of our televisions in shock as we watched video of the planes hitting the World Trade Center. Over. And over. And over. Everyone will forever remember where they were when the planes hit the WTC. I think this may be the first tragic event where this is true . (Remember, people do not remember where they were when Kennedy was shot. They remember where they were when they heard Kennedy was shot. Even then, they didn’t immediately turn on the television and watch angle after angle of planes colliding with those buildings.)

Third, something I feel very strongly about. This is not (as the site claims) “the story of the fourth” plane. This is a story about what may have happened on the fourth plane. I feel that it disrespects the memory of the passengers of Flight 93 to pretend to know what happened. While we can deduce that some number of passengers did an extraordinarily brave thing, we just don’t know . “Let’s roll” is not a story. It’s a sound byte. We should honor their actions with a memorial, not a movie by the same guy who brought us The Bourne Supremacy.