The Popcorn Stand: Don’t get me started...

I can’t stand Google. I mean I really can’t tell you how much I can’t stand Google. Don’t get me started. Of course I’ve got to point out when people say “don’t get me started” what they really mean is “let me get started and keep going.”

Google Docs. Can’t stand them. Pretty much everything about Google, I can’t stand. I guess the one thing I can’t stand most about Google is it pretty much makes you go through a bunch of hoops and hurdles to try to use anything involving, well, Google.

I’ve written before when it comes to all this technology those who design all this technology should go by two simple rules: 1. Does it work. 2. Is it simple to use. That’s it.

So, yes, I’m going on my rant about technology for the umpteenth time. And Thursday was almost too much to take.

About half the websites I tried to go onto weren’t available because of some kind of Google clock or something or other. At first I thought the time was changing but then I realized it was too early for that.

Whenever I tried to go to a website I would get this Google message about it not being the right time or something or other. As if the right time should have anything to do with trying to use these interweb-type things.

I mean shouldn’t these interweb-type things work, like, you know, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. I mean this isn’t like a threeminute egg timer.

Which now leads me to go on one of my tangents which those of you who choose to read this Popcorn Stand know all about. The legendary Brooklyn Dodgers announcer Red Barber would set an egg timer for every three minutes to remind himself to give the score of the game he was broadcasting over the radio.

I know for certain the egg timer Barber used worked because he never failed to give the score as often as possible. Yes, maybe the radios people used to listen to Barber provide coverage of the game didn’t always work.

But my guess is the radios people used to listen to Barber worked a lot better than Google websites. My guess is Red Barber had to just occasionally apologize for technical difficulties. But I don’t think he ever had to announce the radio broadcast didn’t work because of some stupid clock or something or other.

And I can say as I’ve noted before the first color television my parents bought in 1965, a Zenith, always worked. ALWAYS. I confirmed that fact with my mom. My mom confirmed that 1965 television never needed to be repaired. NOT ONCE. Never until it finally gave out 28 years later in 1993.

And as I’ve pointed out Zenith’s motto was “The quality goes in before the name goes on.” If I ever saw Google using the motto “the quality goes in before the name goes on” I would fall out of my chair laughing because it would be that laughable if Google ever tried to use a motto like that.

My reference to Zenith allows me to go on another tangent and to throw something in about Hallowthanksmas as the same time.

I do try to give credit where credit is due. I like Youtube because it basically follows the two rules: It works and it’s easy to use.

I watched the 1973 USC-UCLA football game on Youtube, the entire game with commercials, that was played the Saturday after Thanksgiving. Try doing that with Google.

During the whole broadcast of that game there was just one commercial that made a reference to Christmas and it was a Zenith commercial. Now Christmas shopping season is pretty much almost over by the Saturday after Thanksgiving.

Anyway I’ve got to go. I’m having trouble opening or downloading or whatever it is I’m supposed to do with one of those Google Docs.

And about my Apple iphone. Don’t get me started...