Low Tide Cometh

Okay, so I surf alot.

And by surf? I mean internet, not shark-infested. I surf at work, at home, and if I could afford a laptop, on my hammock, and on the toilet. As such, I come across quite a bit of odds and ends. But I can't be too harsh on the debris that my surfing washes up, as I'm the one entering the keyword searches that lead me to where ever I end up. And I do love keyword searches.

Keyword searches let me tap into subjects and ideas that I sporadically have. Microsoft used (or uses) a slogan that goes, "Working at the speed of thought." And that's pretty much how I like to surf. "Gee, isn't that what surfing is," you may be asking yourself. And, you would be right. Look up a subject, click on a link, follow that link to another, etc.

But I am amazed at how little the internet is used to satisfy human curiosity, like "why is the sky blue" or "why do people say 'bless you' when sneezing" or "are homosexuals born or made". You know, answers to questions we all have. Those kinds of questions that we've all had since grade school but either forgot about or were too shy or embarrased to ask about. Enter the World Wide Web.

It drives me nuts when someone asks me a question that could easily be answered by a simple keyword search. Or worse, when someone spews a tidbit of knowledge that is obviously wrong, yet is being passed on as fact because "that's what they heard." Come on, people. Look it up. It's called the "internet"? It has plenty of dictionaries, too.

Ah, but there's always a catch. You'll hear people (usually book lovers) warn of the unregulated propaganda and one-sided trash that can be found on the web. And it is out there. But here's the thing: It's always been "out there." In books, in speeches, in articles, in pamphlets and <gasp> now on the web. If you're gullible enough to just look up one source, believe it, not do any independent thinking, and never look back, then you're a fool and I hate you.

So here's to you, Mr. Internet. I pay homage to thee with this sacrificial blog. Full of links of interest, spur of the moment thoughts, burning questions, and off-beat rants that I affectionately call "Washed up by the Surf."

Enjoy and feel free to partake.