Friday, June 18, 2021

Buster


Our third peony has finally opened, and it looks like we'll ultimately get two flowers from this plant. It's especially photogenic in the soft spring rain we've been receiving for the last few days. The other two peonies -- the yellow one and the Bowl of Beauty -- are already finished.

I survived our third end-of-the-year gathering yesterday, and of course once I had a glass or two of champagne it stopped seeming like a bad idea! Today I have very little to do, but I do need to go in just to clear a few final things off my desk, and then we have our final all-school Zoom meeting. I don't think drinking will be involved.

Walking (unsteadily) home from work yesterday, I encountered this guy:


His name is Buster, and though he's pretty old (about 11) he was quite wiggly and it was hard to get him to pose for a picture. He was lying on the sidewalk while his owner, Jerry, sat nearby on the steps of an apartment house, finishing a beer. I kept telling Buster to "stay!" and unlike Olga he paid no heed whatsoever. He appreciated a few scratches. Don't tell Olga I've been unfaithful.

And just to make today's post look even more like yesterday's:


I had to do a Google search yesterday for something -- I can't remember what -- and when I entered the words "how is" into the search field, these were the prompts I got. Clearly they haven't gotten the news about Prince Philip.

I'm wondering how Google comes up with their suggestions. I assume it's based almost entirely on where I live, because clearly readers in the USA wouldn't get prompts about council tax or the weather in London. I would think my own search history might also play a role, but I swear I've never searched for anything involving Michael Schumacher, a German auto racer. I didn't even know his name. (Or that he had a skiing accident years ago that left him comatose.)

When you enter "how is" into the search field, do you get a similar list?

Anyway, the peculiarities of Google never cease to amuse me.

52 comments:

  1. I just put "how is" to the test (different search engine). Prince Philip's wellbeing does feature. To which my answer is: He rests in peace. Unless he's gone to hell.

    The other one that popped up "How is HIV transmitted". Let's not go there. I have an anecdote concerning a bout of hysteria on the subject I best take to my grave.

    Your peony looks lush. Buster isn't my type.

    U

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    1. As you can imagine, I as a gay man have experienced my fair share of HIV hysteria. We could compare notes!

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  2. I got some duplicates to my “How is” question... plus How is Tiger Woods doing? But my favorite was: How is it going? Buster’s adorable. Don’t you think Olga smelled him on you? Whenever we pet another cat or a dog, our cats sniff us intensely and look at us accusingly.

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    1. "How is it going" -- that cracks me up. I'm tempted to search it just to find out.

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  3. I got Tiger Woods, weather, easter ,bit coin mined, and the HIV one!
    Hope you are " enjoying " the rain? I just told Jennifer that you and I wouldn't have to water our gardens for weeks!

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    1. I'm happy for the rain, but does there have to be so much of it all at once?!?!

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  4. How to get a free Robux and how to make slime are two of the things that came up for me. Robux is an online game and I haven't been near any slime except maybe from my garden snails, lol
    Love the old doggy.
    Briony
    x

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    1. I've never heard of Robux! That's a new one. Do you play online games? Maybe Google concluded you might be interested in that based on your computer history.

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  5. My "how is" prompts list was different from yours. I got various medical questions such as "how is fibromyalgia diagnosed". This may be to do with the fact that my personal nurse sometimes uses this laptop.

    Surprised you didn't have a few cans of beer with Jerry as you are now a registered alcoholic.

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    1. Do alcoholics really register? Who takes care of that, the Bureau of Alcoholism?

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  6. A lot of what Guggle steers me to is understandable, but not always. I remember Schumacher's skiing accident, as if motor sport isn't dangerous enough. I am now wondering a little about crude oil.

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    1. I wonder how often people follow the prompts just to see what will come up!

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  7. My "how is" list starts with "how is coal formed", "how is gold formed", "how is plastic made" and "how is granite formed". Oddly enough, "how is HIV transmitted" was a few steps down, so obviously people in my part of the world still don't know.

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    1. Hmmm...lots of geology there. That's intriguing.

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  8. I got how is oxygen made and how is tiger woods doing ! Then the obligatory prince Philip!!

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    1. I wonder why it thought I'd care more about Michael Schumacher than Tiger Woods?

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  9. Your peony is beautiful. Looks like one of mine. Buster is soooo handsome! I entered "how is" and got: how is tiger woods doing, easter determined, almond milk made, the weather today, bitcoin mined, hiv transmitted, ms diagnosed. ????? Nothing I would be looking up. You have a super day, hugs, Edna B.

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    1. Yes, this is the peony that I think might be the same type as your pink one. They look identical, don't they?

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  10. I got the same list as Frances, plus "how is chyme different from a bolus" & I am going to click on that one because how IS chyme different from a bolus? Inquiring Bugs want to know!

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    1. Ok, that was slightly disgusting. 3 out of 10 - do not recommend!

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    2. LOL -- that is a weirdly specific medical question! I know just enough to know I don't want to read the answer. LOL

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  11. "How is Tiger Woods doing?"
    Trust me when I say I have never asked about Tiger Woods in my life.

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    1. Just like I've never asked about Michael Schumacher!

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  12. I typed "how is" and got "How is tiger Woods doing".
    What the what.

    Hopefully Olga doesn't read the blog because Buster's got a fabulous punum!

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    1. Apparently lots of people are concerned about Tiger Woods.

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    2. PS -- I had to look up "punum" -- not a word I have ever heard before!

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  13. I got "how is Tiger Woods doing" which is pretty crazy because I would never search on that. It looks like a lot of "how is" lists are similar with other commenters here. Interesting test, Steve.
    Love that you photographed that doggie and gave him a few scratches.

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    1. Yeah, Google definitely feeds people the same basic list of prompts, with some variations.

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  14. you know, I never look at the prompts, just keep typing my query. so I tried it out. not one thing is related to anything I have ever searched for so definitely not connected to my personal activity. there was one prompt in common with your list though...how is easter determined. and I guess we all got how is Tiger Woods doing? something I couldn't care less about.

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    1. The prompts can be very entertaining. I'm often surprised at how quickly Google deduces what I really am trying to find out. Sometimes it only takes a few words.

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  15. how is Easter determined, how are bitcoin mined, how is almond milk made, how is Juneteenth celebrated, how is social security calculated, how is plastic made. Also How is Tiger Wood? Crazy list.
    Buste is an adorable lille man!

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    1. Juneteenth is a new one, though appropriate for now! And the Social Security prompt is America's answer to the Council Tax one here, I suppose.

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  16. I got a similar list to what Linda Sue listed above... but mine concludes with "how is alchemy related to chemistry". I guess if bitcoin doesn't work out for me, I can try making my own gold.

    Buster is a fine looking fella.

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    1. You'd probably have better luck making gold than mining Bitcoin! (And it would take less energy.)

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  17. I did the "how is" and got similar responses to Linda Sue also. I wonder about the "I'm feeling lucky" button on Google which I never usually click. What's the point of that anyway, do you know?

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    1. I think it used to send searchers to a random site. Now, when I try to click on it, it gives me an option like "I'm feeling stellar" (which turns up pictures of astronomical features) or "I'm feeling hungry" (which gives me a list of restaurants).

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  18. how to screenshot on mac, how to lose weight fast, how to delete instagram, how to pronounce, how to draw, how to Train Your Dragon, how to tie a tie. That was very interesting because I've never queried any of those things. I love the "how to pronounce" one. Pronounce what, I don't know. I wonder if the algorithm has anything to do with location because I didn't get Tiger Woods at all. Maybe people in Arizona don't care about Tiger Woods.
    Love the flower with the rain drops and Buster looks like a friendly old soul.

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    1. Yeah, your list is quite different from everyone else's! That's interesting. Wonder why?!

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  19. I tried your "How is . ." suggestion and got things like "How is Tiger Woods" doing (and I AM in Arizona!) to how is Bitcoin mined. While I am interested in Mr. Woods I don't think I ever was curious about Bitcoin mining (whatever that is). Good photo of Buster. I assume you knew him. Had I not, I fear I'd be more than a tad nervous about him.

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    1. I had never met Buster but he looks pretty harmless in real life -- relatively slow-moving and a bit gray. (Like me!)

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  20. My comment was deleted so here is a recap.
    I'm glad that Buster welcomed you with a lot of wiggles. Olga must not be the jealous type.
    On my Google search I got How the Who is responding now to the Covid-19 crisis in Liberia? And something about Ebola and I stopped right there.
    I really love the image of the soft raindrops on your beautiful flowers. We are in a heat wave. 105F here yesterday.
    I have to run. Almost lunch time. Have a great day. Hugs.

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    1. Sorry your comment got deleted! That's frustrating! I heard about the massive heat in the West. Hope you're staying as cool as possible!

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  21. The first five results I got when I typed in "how is" were all searches I have actually done. The next five were for Tiger Woods, Easter, HIV, bitcoin and vinegar.

    THEN I decided to ask Google how is the drop down list of suggestions created, and the answer (from Google support) was this:
    "Google makes search predictions based on factors, like popularity or similarity."
    A pretty poor answer, if you ask me! "factors" - lol

    Buster looks happy to have his picture taken. I had an uncle called Buster. I was in my twenties before I learned his real name was Clarence :)

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    1. "Factors" is their way of saying "this is our proprietary search algorithm so none of your business" -- LOL! I think Buster was mostly happy for scratches.

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  22. Buster Is A Classic And Dig That Hand Bag

    Cheers

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    1. Ha! That bag had my library books in it. I wasn't really thinking about the fact that it was in the picture -- it was looped around my wrist!

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  23. Buster looks like he’d be Olga’s friend!

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  24. That was fun. I got "how is Tiger Woods doing," "how is social security calculated" and a couple of other things that made no sense!

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  25. Now I need to do this to see what my "how is..." contains!

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