Ask.com Is Better Than Google, Part II

Ah ha! I'm not the only one who thinks this. While I've been sneaking around changing people's home pages to Ask.com without their consent, some members of the media have been doing their homework. Rob Pegoraro of the Washington Post (via the Nashua Telegraph) gives props to Ask.com and Live Search in this article:

Google may not always be your best search option.

Ask, which redid its site this summer, is the most creative. It uses a clean, clever two-column layout that keeps your search query and related links visible on the left at all times, instead of having them scroll out of view. It also provides thumbnail previews of many sites it indexes.

The best feature at Microsoft’s Live search, also recently redesigned, is its “search macros.” The customizable queries limit a search to a set of sites that use particular terms. One of them, for example, looks for recipes posted at five popular cooking sites.

Albion Place Townhomes

Here are some quick pics of the place Elizabeth and I purchased in Fremont. It is still being finished so hopefully we'll close mid-September. Yes it is a drab gray, but the rooftop deck and little back yard is what this place is all about.

Try to guess where the hot tub will go.

Click here to visit the builder's official website.

I Surrender. Ask.com IS Better Than Google.

Seriously. Google may have popularized the true power of search, but Ask.com has contextualized it. Maybe my attempt below is a bit of wishful thinking, but nonetheless I've found my new home page.

PRIZM Clusters

In marketing research we often focus on segmenting consumers into aggregations of identifiable persona. For example, a very simple segmentation would involve dividing consumers up by income levels.

Claritas is a part of the Nielsen family tree that specializes, among many things, in segmenting consumers by where they live. I'm not talking about just cities or zip codes, or DMAs, but by the personality of the neighborhoods in which we live.

You may have a bit of fun perusing their page trying to figure out where you and your friends fit. I don't know too many people in the "Upper Crust" or "Blue Blood Estates" market.

Claritas intro to PRIZM segments.

Footzone 5k Results

Elizabeth set a 1:21 5k PR, running 22:23. Another big step for an adult-onset runner. She actually puked at the finish line. I'm so proud!

Mike Heidt broke my course record by one second to take the race in 14:47. Nice running by Mike considering that second place was 20 seconds in arrears.

PDF download of full results from Promotion Events and Onlineraceresults.com.

Top Males
506	Mike Heidt	14:47
540	Brett Winegar	15:07
252	Leif Kohler	15:11
177	Eric Garner	15:19
217	Doug Holt	15:21
502	Ian Fraser	15:21
364	Andrew Prentice	15:30
434	Jake Timm	15:33
235	Mathew Kaftanksi	15:35
577	Julian-Blake Cowan	15:36
475	Tony Young	15:38
131	Anthony Ellis	15:43
167	Matthew Frerker	15:45
113	Patrick Dill	16:06
347	Hans Otten	16:10

Top Females
541	Gwen Greiner	17:16
522	Lauren Matthews	17:37
524	Alysun Deckert	17:45
495	Madeleine O'Meara	17:57
138	Susan Empey	18:03
182	Sarah Gist	18:15
73	Cheryl Choy	18:37
501	Lisa Cadmus	18:59
556	Elizabeth Stahl	19:00
198	Shelly Hack	19:03
114	Cara Dils	19:07
345	Chelsea Orr	19:30
424	Nicole Sweeny	19:33
565	Anita Behrbaum	19:46
491	Christina Overbeck	19:46

Engagement Photos

Here are some pictures Elizabeth and I snapped when we got engaged last week. I proposed at home and then we walked over to Gasworks. I call the ring "Meestah Spahkoru".

Worst. Phishing Attempt. Ever.

I love getting phishing emails from the darkest parts of Africa. Most I just delete but this one is just too good to not share. The best part has to be: "Starting from tomorrow system of access to workfields is transferred to coding with a floating number."

WACHOVIA

Dear User.

Our company persistently keeps vigilant watch over recent acheivements in strife against network piracy and continuously implements preventive works aimed at maximal protection of our clients personal data against security violation by fraudsters.

Starting from tomorrow system of access to workfields is transferred to coding with a floating number. It means that your password and ID will not be changed but will be logged differentially. The only necessary conditions includes the following: you only need to log the first source-key which will generate further conversion. Thereto you have to follow the link http://wc.wachovia.com/online and enter your access code and ID in the appropriate fields. Then, if data entered concur with those in our system you will be proposed to answer some more questions, so as to exclude any possibility of your account usage by third parties. This information will also be necessary in a case if you for any reason forget or lose your password.

List of questions you have to answer must look as follows:

• What is your favorite book?
• What telephone number, besides your own, is most important to you?
• What is your favorite date in history?
• What is the population of your hometown?
• What is your favorite hobby?
• What is the location of your birth?

We would like to draw your attention to the fact that all fields must be filled out, othervise the system will block escape to the next level and you can not start work with your personal data.

Should all necessary fields be filled in and password and ID concur with those registered in our system, you will get access to the workfield. After that your personal identification key will be siccessfully logged in the system. No other operations from your part are required.

If for any reason you could not gain access to the system, please check accuracy of data entered. In the event that entered data are exact but access is disabled, please contact our clients support department.

Thank you for cooperation and support.
IT Security Department