URLs du Jour

2008-06-13

  • Pun Salad loves the Google. But the Google does not love Pun Salad, nor America.
    Few keep a closer watch on Google than the editors of National Review. For years, they have monitored Google's doodles in search of value judgments about America. When Google ignored Memorial Day in 2006, editor-at-large Jonah Goldberg wrote on NRO's Corner, "It's kind of sad. They change their logo for all sorts of holidays and occasions. Just last week they paid tribute to Arthur Conan Doyle's birthday. But Memorial Day doesn't seem to rate anything at all." In 2007, online editor Kathryn Jean Lopez wrote, "What, no Easter? I wasn't expecting a risen Christ, but at least an Easter bunny?" Last June 6, Lopez sniffed, "So today is the D-Day anniversary. Today is the day RFK died 40 years ago. So Google is celebrating Diego Velazquez's birthday, natch."
    That's from a Slate article, which Glenn Reynolds describes, accurately, as a "rather dismissive treatment." He quotes himself:

    Google has come under criticism from people on the left — and right — for its cave-in to Chinese demands for censorship. From "don't be evil," Google's motto has seemed to be "don't be evil unless there's a really big market at stake."

    "Indeed." But they've also put themselves in a tough no-win position. For example, Flag Day is tomorrow. So Google can choose to (continue to) irk patriots by ignoring it. Or they can annoy (for a change) America-haters here and abroad by putting up some Red White and Blue. (Also, as a bonus, they'd be accused of caving under pressure from us right-wing troglodytes.)

  • And (via Blog Hero Carl Schaad) it's not as if the Google actually believes in that "Don't be evil" stuff anyway.
    In an on-stage interview with writer Ken Auletta of the New Yorker magazine, [Google CEO Eric] Schmidt said "Don't be evil" is meant to provoke internal debate over what constitutes ethical corporate behavior, rather than representing an absolute moral position.
    Well, you know what Jesus said: "Lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from what might be constituted, after internal debate, as unethical corporate behavior."

  • Internationally-renowned Dave Barry rarely links to New Hampshire local news items—it's pretty hard for us to compete with Florida in amusing outrageousness—but he liked this item and so do I:
    PORTSMOUTH — After using a stolen credit card to buy a belt in a mall store, a Dover man filled out a job application in the same store, fast-tracking the police work that led to his Tuesday fraud conviction.

    Fandi Pradipta, 18, of 304 Plaza Drive, Dover, pleaded guilty Tuesday in Portsmouth District Court to a Class A misdemeanor charge of fraudulent use of a credit card.

    In addition to his punishment by the court, Fandi can look forward to years and years of his prospective employers Googling his name.

  • And finally: fifty punny stores. We'll sample one appropriate to Pun Salad:

    lettuce_eat

    Beware: some puns are Not Safe For Mom. (Via BBSpot.)


Last Modified 2008-09-12 1:40 PM EDT