Have you tried a Google Fight yet? Pit two searches against each other and have them duke it out. (Thanks to David Weigel for telling about this site.) Some results are surprising, but some are surprisingly accurate — this Devil Went Down to Georgia duel, for example.

Another new Google-plus site is Googlism, which tells you what the search engine thinks of you. My results:

-patrick cooper is a civil engineer with the government of bermuda's ministry of works and engineering

-patrick cooper is rider number 1291

-patrick cooper is one their stars

-patrick cooper is an nyou staffer

-patrick cooper is a coach with the team so there is no shortage of experience and motivation

-patrick cooper is

-patrick cooper is now the pastor

A few days ago, I got an e-mail from Karen, a student at New Norfolk High School, in the Australian island state of Tasmania. New Norfolk, the town, seems to be a wonderful place, but New Norfolk High is the subject of at least one lightbulb joke. (We can thank South Hobart native Pete Escott, age 17, for that one.)

Karen, who is somewhere between 7th and 10th grade, wrote:

Hey whats happening, i got your address from a navy site. Ar you involved with the navy? Iknow a "pat cooper" that has left for the naval base in victoria recently this year. Well i would apreciate it so much if you could get back to me and tell me a bit more about you if you dont mind!

thanks heaps

catchya later!*!

karen!

In replying to Karen's e-mail, I thanked her for writing, but explained that I probably wasn't the person for whom she was looking. But her e-mail left me curious: Why would my contact info appear on a Royal Australian Navy Web site? I've never been to Australia or served in a navy. I filled out a Selective Service card on my 18th birthday, but I'm pretty sure that was for the United States' armed forces.

Nevertheless, I checked out the RAN's recruiting Web site, where no Flash technique goes unused. The site's information was intriguing. I — your friendly neighborhood journalism major — could be a sailor in the Australian Navy.

I'm rethinking this whole job thing now. "Thanks heaps" to you too, Karen, for the inspiration. Twelve weeks at CNN Center in Atlanta this summer, or 11 weeks of basic training aboard the HMAS Cerberus? Think about it. The sun-toughened slang, the drill instructors descended from convicts, the hazing matches of Aussie Rules Football. In my opinion, that's Australian for fun.

The seas of Oz are a fickle mistress, for sure. But the message is loud and clear: Uncle Dundee wants you, meaning me.

You all may remember British Internet executive Richard Myers from our discourse a few weeks ago. (If not, go back and read it.) Well, the dialogue continues.

He wrote to say that I had beaten his son (age five) to registering patrickcooper.com, but that his son was willing to offer "�50 (about US$80)" for the name. Mr. Myers suggested I take the name "George Harrison" because it had just become available. (Is it legal for a British person to take a Beatle's name in vain? I suggested he listen to Paul's new and horrid "Freedom" as punishment. He responded that Ringo obviously had the most talent. Since Ringo was the only Beatle offered the role of Mr. Conductor on Shining Time Station, I'd tend to agree with that statement.)

Also, responding to my assertion that he had stolen the name of my ninth grade English teacher (last row, on the right, bald), he brought up the probability that he could indeed be my ninth grade English teacher.

You can judge a man by the strength of his arguments on ridiculous topics. I like this guy.

Richard Myers posted a very funny entry to my guestbook a few days ago. Mr. Myers is from Newcastle, England, where he is an Internet tycoon with Ethic Internet. The company seems like an interesting place to work, producing such sites as BBC Radio. Anyway, I just replied to Mr. Myers by e-mail:

Dear Mr. Myers,

I enjoyed your entry in my guestbook: "What are you doing with my son's name?" To answer your question, I was given your son's name nearly 22 years ago. Had you said something then, maybe I would have considering giving it back. Now, however, it is too late for me to adopt a completely new name. Unless of course you had a extremely good suggestion.

In the meantime, I have a question for you: What are you doing with my ninth grade English teacher's name?