Today's Measurement URL

Thanks to pageantmalarkey, we now have a new way of determining how many spider monkeys equal the weight of a whale's testicle, and other great comparisons.

Today's Animal House URL

ISTR that a food fight was part of that movie's charm...well, these students didn't find it so charming.

Best quote: "It was just insane," said senior Zach Little, who was in the cafeteria when the melee began Thursday. "Things like milk cartons, full pop bottles and blue slushies were flying around. Kids literally bought the food to throw it and, to me, that's a little expensive."

Googling for people

I don't know whether others do it, but I often, in moments of idleness, google on names of people I used to hang out with, go to school with, date, and the like.

But, it's a real art to actually get the right person and know you've got him or her.

For example, one man who was a classmate of mine in 6th through 9th grade in Marblehead has a very common name. I won't give his first name, but his last name is "Smith". Oh boy, are there lots of XXXXX Smiths hanging around. Even XXXX Smiths occurring with the words "Marblehead, Massachusetts". No one I've asked in Marblehead knows what happened to him. We weren't bosom buddies, but I've always wondered what happened to him.

I have discovered that another classmate of that same time is now a teacher at a Christian Science school somewhere in the Midwest. Very easy to find him, as he has a very out-of-the-ordinary name.

Our sixth grade teacher (see him here on the left) became some sort of school bigwig in another town in Massachusetts.

Another person in that picture gained a doctorate in horticulture and is one of the world's leading experts on rhododendrons; he's a professor at a university in Ohio.

Several people have visited my Classmates profile--I "cheated" a bit and put myself down for Marblehead High School even though I ended up in St. John's Prep, where I graduated in 1970. But these people are usually not the people I am most interested in tracking down.

My former Singaporean boyfriend has dropped off the face of the earth. This is probably OK, but I find it hard to believe that he's just disappeared. Our friend V.V. who was here last week, knew him at the same time we were going out together, but hasn't heard from him in years. No one else I know in Singapore knows where he ended up either. Unfortunately, he shares a name with a very prolific professor in the United States and it's hard to separate the dross from the actual information.

It's quite hard to find women as they have this habit of getting married and changing their names. One woman I went to primary school with ended up as the leader of a children's choral group in New England but unless you know her married name it's rather difficult to find references to her.

What's the point? I realise that people often are not findable for various reasons. I love that "Bingo!" moment when I do a search on someone and actually find them.

Does anyone else do this? I know that everyone Googles themselves, but what about other people? Do you often succeed? Any funny or interesting stories about it?

EDIT: Looking up the name of someone with whom I went to Columbia, I came up with this reference.

He has apparently done quite well. I remember Tom fondly for introducing me
to Chinese food and being a friend. Sad that we ended up not keeping in touch.