Someday...the internet will mock itself.

Continuing along with my infinite blogging series in which I simply marvel at the internet and the various ways people use it, I'd like to offer a glimpse at some of the things people take time out of their day to discuss online.

Here, a discussion answering the question of whether or not hippos have ever been used to wage war:
http://uplink.space.com/printthread.php?Cat=&Board=animal&main=815382&type=thread

Or, If you're passionate about snacks, here is a site dedicated to reviewing them. Actually it's worth it, simply based on the top 10 worst chips page:
http://www.taquitos.net/

Or...somewhat related, this page is amazing simply for the sheer volume of people who take time out of their day to comment on pretzels. Some of them saying informative things such as, "Pretzels are good with cold root beer." or more personal sentiments like, "Ah, I don't like pretzels too much."

All I can say to that, is thanks AlexG681, your opinion and your fearless ability to share it may someday change the way we think about pretzels.
http://pricegrabber.rateitall.com/i-1298-rold-gold-pretzels.aspx

LIAR$!

The internet is amazing, and some of my own blog posts have marvelled at it's veritable treasure chest of ...well, treasure.
But there are certain things that make me think as far as treasure chests go, the internet is more like the one you got to dig through after a visit to the dentist when you were a kid.

I say this because sometimes I look to the internet for reviews. Reviews on music, movies, new technologies and even other websites. But while the internet has become an open forum for the everyman, I can't help but feel that the ability to sell things has influenced some of the reviews of the more legitimate sources.

I'm mainly talking about music.
Exhibit A: The new Kid Rock album Rock N' Roll Jesus.

This record is the antithesis of quality. Everything that was dumb about rap-rock has been not-so-cleverly rewritten into country-rock. The same simple-minded (see dumb) rednecks that think Larry The Cable Guy is a genius, also like Kid Rock because they think he 'Gets them'. Err...."Gits-'em".

In an attempt to feel good about my cranial superiority, and laugh at the hog-calling-nimwits who praise their Rock n' Roll Jesus, I thought I'd read a few reviews the 'pros' gave the album so that I could snicker along with proud self-satisfaction.

Nope.
Rollingstone.com gave the album 4 out of 5 stars! Saying, "...It's stirring stuff."

You've got to be kidding me. They've poisoned the Kool-Aid over at the longest standing pantheon of rock n' roll literature. I could maybe give it some leverage if they had said it was "brilliant!.... pandering to an audience so immersed in being okay with dumb, that they voted for Bush simply on the principle that he's from kcik-ass Texas, and his name is more or less the same as their favorite beer."

But no.
Rolling Stone found it stirring.

And I can only guess that it's because Rollingstone.com has paid links all over their review pages to take you to someone else's page to buy the music they're giving great reviews to. For every good review, a record label see's an immediate opportunity to seize the reader's wallet in an online urge for their $9.99, so that they can be just as 'stirred' as the critic. Rolling Stone is making money, not opinions.