Brian's World

Highlights

Facebook’s “Highlights” sections torments me on a daily basis.  I don’t mind the newsfeed, as things come in to the top of the queue and slowly drift down over the course of or two… but that highlight section, it has a life of its own.

Not only does it believe in ‘highlighting’ things that are no longer recent and fresh, but it believes on highlighting them over and over again!  Its like that bad memory or repeating bad dream you just keep having over and over and over again.  Its not like there has been any activity on the photos that shows up in the highlight section, but Facebook has determined that its worth my perusal.  Trusting in their algorithm I click and see no new comments on the photo.  Doubting the link… maybe Facebook was talking about the entire album?  I then click next through all 60 photos to see if I have indeed missed one of my friends commenting on something that is worth my time.  Alas, there is nothing for me there.  Maybe someone at least 2 degrees separated from me has commented on a photo that has no one I know tagged in it.  Certainly not ‘highlight’ worthy.  I don’t mind seeing a newsfeed entry when a friend is tagged in a photo, or when a friend comments on a photo, but when a stranger comments on a photo containing stranger that happened to be taken by a friend?  I don’t think so.

Someday, a website similar to Facebook will successfully point me to things I care about, and only when I care about them.  Until that day, I’ll continue to flounder around on whatever social networking websites I deem valuable.   I do give MySpace credit, the banner-style ads they place along the sides are far less likely to draw my attention like Facebook’s “highlights” section.

In other news, I finished my Junior year of college and passed all my classes.  Unfortunately, it appears my Senior year is going to involve lots of unpleasant requirements, like some silly “HASS Core” to ensure I’m a well “rounded” person or something like that.  I do not want to be a round person, and if I did… I doubt a course in economics or arts would help mold me into one.

This summer has been off to a mild start.  I have just finished catching up on all but one show’s finale.  Stupid CBS and Fox cancelled The Unit and Terminator: Sarah Connor Chronicles (respectively) which were the two shows I picked up mid-season this past year and placed top on my list.  I think its because both of those shows were a little bit slow and involved some back story.  Additionally, neither of the shows involved doctors or crime scene investigation.  Maybe if Sergeant Major Jonas Blane sent evidence back to the lab instead instead of instantly knowing what to do the show would have been able to continue.

Records indicate today is my 21st birthday.  I regularly want to cancel said event, because my birthday isn’t anything special.  Maybe if I was the leader of a country, famous person with a fan club, etc it would then be of value to others in which case I would do something.  Until that day (in the low likelihood it comes) I see no need to acknowledge that I have survived another year on this planet.  If people died regularly at my current age (for example, if I was 90) having a birthday would be something worth doing.. because Hey!  I’m not dead yet!  But the probability of my life terminating now is quite low, and celebrating seems unnecessary.