All You Need is Google

Last night Brian told me I've been listening to too much classic rock. This is most likely true, as we listen to 101.7 at work and I have slowly started to recognize almost all of the songs they play and even enjoy most of them. And, well, they get stuck in my head.

However, I find them a rather fitting soundtrack for my current self. They are generally upbeat, sometimes goofy and often reflective (even when being goofy). They can apply to more parts of life than I thought possible. So, now, as little things happen in my day, they often trigger the memory of some classic rock song.

The main problem - I don't really know who these songs are by, or what they are called. I often only know a few words.

Last night, I decided that I should list Vitzy's as a small business on Google. This is free, and once complete, when people run a Google search for services in your area, your business pops up. I entered my information and clicked "continue." Next, my browser asked me how I would like to validate my listing. Would I prefer a phone call or a postcard in the mail?

This question disturbed me on a scale that was wholly unreasonable. What? People exist behind Google? Someone could pick up a phone and dial my number and... talk to me, from Google. I did not like this idea. Google is supposed to be a quietly omniscient, pervasive, unapproachable, and possible not entirely real entity - something like a God.

I opted for the postcard.

This morning, after a night's sleep involving massacres and murders (this is why I don't watch horror films - apparently I generate enough disturbing fuel all on my own) I looked to Google for a brighter start to my day. While looking at other people's blogs, I took a leap and experimented with Google Reader. This service (free) allows you to subscribe to people's blogs. You can then visit one page and it will tell you which posts are new, which are old. You can rename people's blogs, sort them, see the whole post without going to their website. In short, it's pretty wonderful.

Then you can add a little preview to your Google homepage and effortlessly keep track of everyone you care to read about. This made me happy, and an appropriate song popped into my head. (Don't worry, I do know the title and artist to this one.)

So, in spite of yesterday's brush with the scarier truths of Google, I remain convinced - Google's all you need.