Limping Llama: I Heart Google

Best search engine in the history of the Internets?
There can be only 1 answer: GOOGLE.

It has saved the lives of desperate students in search for answers and meaning to life; it has entertained the ignorant and procrastinating employees at work; but most importantly, it has brought Internet browsing to a whole new level.

Google is the God of all search engines that the World Wide Web has to offer. Not only does it allow searches based on percentage of relevancy on all websites, but furthermore, it offers other alternative searches for all kinds of information and formats:

1. Image search- displays searches of different formats of images/pictures/gifs, etc.

2. Google Maps- illustrates the roads and territories of countries and cities all over the world!

3. Google News- brings frequently updated important news coverage from all over. (Includes sports--essential stuff).

4. Google Video- much like YouTube, this video search engine offers video streaming that Google users can independently upload and share. Also like YouTube, viewers aren't allowed to download any of the content. A Google video player can be downloaded to a computer to conveniently watch the videos.

5. Gmail- Google mail which frequently upgrades its storage space to allow for larger files and lengthy emails to be saved without the account user having to frequently delete and clear their inboxes. Users of Gmail started off as an 'invite only' standard: people could only be 'invited' to obtain a Gmail account through a friend or acquaintance. With the ever-growing popularity of Google and Gmail, now almost everyone who has access to the Internet has a Gmail account. YEH.

6. Google Shopping- Shop online through Google! Search by category or price range. Very simple and easy to use, with great images for customers to see the products before they buy it.

7. Google Groups- Everyone wants to be a part of something--and now with Google Groups, everyone is making up their own clubs...about a certain hobby, interest, company, class (a.k.a. COM 125's Google Group created by our beloved Mr. Abel Choy), or even about themselves. Talk about narcisistic.

8. Google Books- much like a Google version of Amazon.com or Barnes&Noble, yes, of course google has to have their own online book reference center. Search for keywords that you want to find in a book, and it will automatically show it to you; be it the relevancy of the entire book, or just a single chapter or sentence in it. Innit?

9. Google Scholar- useful database for Graduates and Undergrads to find relevant secondary sources of information to use for their research, projects and assignments. Swim through oodles and oodles of dull-lookin boring, so-called, Scholarly journals and articles just to find that single reference to a desired topic. Excellent stuff, but might not quite reach up to Ebscohost's standards just yet...

10. Google Earth- This is probably one of the most advanced and enjoyable programs that Google has EVER come up with. Fly over the clouds and visit destinations that you've always wanted to visit, or see again. Periodically updated satellite images of Earth are shown to the viewer, and can even zoom up close enough to see single buildings or structures. Bored of our planet? Look to the skies--go stargazing through Google Earth, and don't forget to check your horoscope if you can even decipher what all the alignments are...Perfect for Subterranean homesick aliens--I like.

11. Blackle- The environmentally-friendly, energy-saving, hippie-like version of the Google web search engine that claims to save 1,095,896.547 Watt hours. Do your part; it's time to switch.

12. Elgoog- Google Mirror developed by a company called All Too Flat that was kind bored and severely confused. They decided to mirror the search results and words and everything they can think of and show it all in reverse. Use it only if you have time on your hands--or else everything looks like Finnish.

Google offers so many useful programs and search engines that make my life so much easier. I would like to give my sincere gratitude to the creator(s) of all these programs and software. Keep it up!
Hint: You guys should make a Google Recipe database for all the wannabe cooks out there.

!THANK YOU GOOGLE!

And now, for the final act of the night, here is a video that I have created a couple of years back. It is a short slideshow of the Singapore Baha'i Summer School back in 2006.