Is it just me, or is this freaky?

Google’s Answer to Wikipedia

Knol, Google’s answer to Wikipedia, has arrived.  It tries to avoid the most obvious pitfalls of Wikipedia by allowing more than one article on a subject by different authors.  So instead of one page that gets endlessly written and rewritten by people with opposing viewpoints, only one person is allowed to grant authorship rights on their page, and anyone can create their own page on any topic.  The content that is available now (there’s not much) looks like it is very good quality, such as this one about how to deal with a clogged toilet (a very common problem in my family!).  http://knol.google.com/k/the-family-handyman-magazine/toilet-clogs/24fnzmhl3vkiz/11#.

The visual interface is a lot cleaner and more attractive than Wikipedia’s, which I’ve always found to be a bit confusing and overwhelming, and yet it still allows some of the advanced wiki features such as revision tracking and page-level discussion.

So why not update your bookmarks to point to Knol?  Mainly because it only has a fraction of the content.  Chances are, the subject you’re researching is probably not there yet.  If you’re a content author, just because the site is from Google doesn’t mean it’s bound for success, so there’s no guarantee your articles will ever have the readership found on Wikipedia.  Of course, most people get to Wikipedia through Google searches, and if Google starts tweaking their search engine to show Knol entries higher than Wikipedia…  Maybe in ten years, who knows?

No Country For Old Men

How long, O LORD? Will You forget me for ever?
How long will You hide Your face from me?
How long must I wrestle with my thoughts
and every day have sorrow in my heart?
How long will my enemy triumph over me?

Well, we heard No Country For Old Men was a good movie, and finally got to watch it.  Here are some thoughts (beware of spoilers!)

The most disappointing part was that it was not wrapped into a nice, tidy, Hollywood package where the good guy wins and the bad guy gets his comeuppance.  Of course, you can’t always count on this, and although it’s a little unusual in a movie, I do see it happening more often (like The Happening).

The movie even goes so far as to toy with you in this regard.  Many times, you’re like, “Oh, yeah, here comes the butt-kicking!”  But as is sometimes the case, the bad guy is always one step ahead.

Despite what some people (particularly my beautiful wife and my parents) find to be an unforgivable flaw in a movie, I found there to be many good points.  First, it reminds me of the Bible–such as Psalm 13 above.  Occasionally the wickedness of man is allowed to proceed unchecked, and it seems as though God has hidden His face.  But when it does, and even the smallest act of selflessness is committed at the end of the movie, it is like a breath of fresh air.

Llewelyn Moss (Josh Brolin), the man who finds the money at the beginning of the film that sets off a violent chain reaction that destroys both the innocent and guilty is basically a good guy.  He makes some surprising choices that include being faithful to his wife, and intending to show compassion to a wounded drug dealer.

The sheriff (Tommy Lee Jones) assumes the mantle of “main character” near the end of the film, but is frustrated in his desire to see justice brought to an increasingly out of control and chaotic land.

Anton Chigurh (Javier Bardem) was the best part of the movie.  He’s weird-looking, psychotic, pure evil.  Great dialog throughout the movie, especially when he toys with people with one of his coins.

The cinematography was also great.  The desolate, sometimes stormy landscapes both at day and night… The stuffy, oppressive interiors of the trailer, rental office, etc.  There was no music throughout the movie, which gave more attention to all of the details, such as the ever-present house flies, the squeak of satchel full of money in a duct, the sound of Chigurh’s silenced rifle, booted footsteps outside a hotel-room door.

By the time the movie had built its crescendo, the ensuing action scene was so intense, Monica had to cover her eyes with a pillow.  Yep, it was that good!

So a typical hollywood blockbuster it was not, but if you are willing to put on hip-waders and try to find some justice in an excellently made movie, give it a try.