The web turns into a cocoon

Was reading the paper this morning on my fabulous new deck and having a cup of coffee.

There was a lengthy interview with Eric Schmidt - CEO of Google - and his views on various things.I thought this should be interesting - in fact, it was strange.

I've been hearing lots of chatter these past few weeks about privacy and the web - which seems a bit odd since nothing of note has really sparked it. Well kind of.

I forgot that Verizon and Google - aka don't be evil - decided to compromise on net neutrality, only for the wired world. So Google will side with bandwith limits on wireless - that is interesting.
But what is more interesting is the thought that E. Schmidt is under the impression that search will become obsolete. Now when your business model is predicated on search (well its really advertising from search) - that sends an interesting message.
Search is going away and guess what is coming - the web customized for you. All that cookie stuff that the WSJ has been foaming at the mouth over during the previous two weeks - well it would appear that the web will be able to anticipate our every need in the future. Using what we have done - it will tell us what we will want next. Plus no need to look for anything - the web will do all the work for you.

Now I don't think search is going to die - but there is a certain creepiness regarding the fact that currently you can basically be identified (with fairly good precision) by your search history and cookie crumbs.

Facebook pretty much already has a beta version of this - everything and everywhere you go in facebook creates the meta-data they need to give you what you want. Not by asking you - just by scanning what you are doing.

Snooki(e) tax

I'm kinda fixated on Snooki(e) in a similar fashion to the way I was fixated on Nene on the R.H. of Atlanta. Too horrified to confront the underlying reasons for my own weakness for trashy, needy, self-centered bitch/sluts, I just throw myself into the moment and go along for the ride.
I do feel horrible later - but its like a hangover. It goes away. Fast enough that you are guaranteed to do it again soon.

In any case, Snooki(e) somehow lives on despite having absolutely no meaningful value in an accidental case of the US Senate via the tanning tax and ObamaCare. Now accidents do happen - but when an august publication like the Wall Street Journal has Snooki(e) in an op-ed piece BY THE EDITORS.

Things have gone a little bit too far. Is Rupert Murdoch secretly infusing the paper with his signature dross (think anything Fox)???

Now many don't like ObamaCare and the tanning tax is silly but when Republicans start invoking Snooki(e) and her penchant for tanning as a rebuttal to the president's policies - I start to wonder if nothing is now sacred...

Pop culture has become simply insidious - I mean it just seems I cannot get away from Lady Gaga - no matter how hard I try, she is on TV, radio, the web, The New Yorker, Wall Street Journal, Economist, every drag show has several Gagettes, the gay bars have her on endless loops.

It seems that the only place I haven't seen her is in Foreign Affairs (and very interestingly - she never makes it to the tabloids, I've yet to see her on the cover of any of the lowest forms of mass media) - but she'll probably show up soon enough. Just because it is out there and the masses like it - that does not mean one has to discuss it.

I just wish there was a firewall in serious publications and media sources to prevent pop culture contamination.