Today I was poking around on that big ol’ Internet thing, and I decided to Google ‘gizo’. He is the Millennial Office Holder and all. It turns out that the top reference that refers to a human being is our gizo, but there are several links to an island in the Solomon chain that come in ahead of him. It’s not much, but I offer this link to gizo‘s home page to help boost his ratings, and to encourage folks here to drop by and say hello over there.
Yes, I know that gizo probably doesn’t care where he ranks on Google.
Then, of course, I searched my own name, and I was nineteen out of the top twenty matches. This is what happens when the spelling of your name is an unusual variant and you’ve been cluttering up the Web for a long time. Ancient threads about Java coding practices, links to this blog, imdb listings, my photo gallery, and so forth. One link caught my eye, though, that spurred me to write this episode. It is from the Web site of a major European university, giving course materials for a class on American literature and culture.
An excerpt:
John Updike, Rabbit, Run
Report 1: Give a brief presentation of 1950s conformity.
Suggested sources:
U.S. Department of State, “The Culture of the 1950s“
“1950s: Pop Culture Explodes in a Decade of Conformity“
“Social Trends of the 1950s“
Report 2: Comment briefly on the value placed on the open road in American culture.
Suggested source:
Jerry Seeger, “American Road Myth 01“
So the oldest University in the Nordic countries is using my writing as a source when discussing John Updike. I think that’s pretty darn cool. Makes me think maybe I should get around to writing more of that intended series. Purely coincidentally, the short story I’m noodling on right now is rooted firmly in that mythos.
And you sometimes question why we snap up anything you toss our way … you’re solid gold, Jer.
Thanks. While I accept the compliment in the spirit given (I had to loosen the baseball cap tonight — not sure why), I must say that I would never simply toss something your way. I respect the pikers far too much for that.
I may have no interest in my google rank, but I am thinking about joining the NaBloPoMo…
I refuse to google myself. Nick or real name. I have had others do it and tell me later what they found. Makes me itchy. Oh, sorry didn’t mean to rub that one in. Okay, maybe I did. YOU wouldn’t have been sleeping on crappy Czech sheets washed in bad detergent had you made it to the US like you had planned.
*beams nicely anyways*
True enough, but today I held my new passport in hand (no entry stamp — unlimited visa?) and now I feel more confident about making travel plans.
My photo is not so good, and I almost had the place redo it when it occurred to me that it looked like I had just staggered off a transatlantic flight. Immigration won’t even blink.
Yeah, having a ‘perky’ passport picture for years got me a few chuckles after being in the air for 14 hours.
Congrats on semi-legality? Hope you are feeling better.
Now When one googles you, this post is #1!