Window to my brain

Can someone explain to me exactly how the Amazon "I know your head better than you do" recommendation system works?

Over the last year or so, I have used Amazon a few times, but mostly in the US and in France. My Amazon.co.uk purchases consist of a Green Day CD, Freelancer for the PC, and a Good Charlotte DVD (a gift for my nephew). So exactly how did they come up with the following recommendations, and more accurately, how the hell do they know that that's what I would like? Because if I have to be honest, they were annoyingly spot-on.

1. Team America - World Police
2. Star Wars Trilogy - Episodes IV-VI
3. School of Rock
4. Battlestar Galactica
5. Red Dwarf. Only Series 6, peculiarly. However, it was always one of my favourites.

It's just spooky, really spooky.

Other than that, I've had a quite interesting couple of weeks, so fasten your seatbelts and prepare yourselves for another mamoth Ribby post.

Obviously after we came back off holiday I haven't really posted, but there was one thing that happened while we were just still on holiday and I forgot to mention.

Terrorism.

A pretty big thing at the moment with what has happened in the UK, and of course the Nazi-type tactics of the TSA(Gestapo unit) in the US. Or so you would think. We were waiting at the check in line at Washington Dulles airport (for trivia fans you can note that this was the originating airport for one of the 9/11 flights), so as you can imagine, the security there is pretty tight.

While standing there, Mrs Ribby pointed out a bag to me that was on its own with no-one near it. You never know how to react in this situation, but seeing as I had been talking to the American lady next to me about the attacks in London I felt I had to do something. I asked the nearby shoppers if it was their bag, and all of them said no. Then I called over a United member of staff checking tickets, explained that it was an unattended bag and could she please call security immediately. She didn't do this.

She asked all the people in the line if it was their bag. Of course they all said no, as I had already asked them, but this just increased the anxiety of the people waiting. I then asked her again if she would please call security to sort this out properly, but she didn't. Eventually, after she had queried everyone within a 50-foot radius, a coloured gentleman came forward.

He didn't, however, claim it as his bag. He said it "looked like one of his" and he "thought it was his but couldn't be sure". Now other customers in the line are asking the girl to call security. The guy decides the 'easiest' way to decide that the bag is his is to open it up and look inside. Smooth move, Sherlock. Yes it was his bag. But he wasn't certain. All the staff cared about was getting this sorted quickly. I understand that terrorism is about disrupting the way of life - but too many people have died through not wanting to 'cause a fuss'. Here's news to you - we don't care. Call security. Be safe.

And a note to the nice lady I was talking to, who gallantly hid behind me when the chap opened the bag - if it was a bomb, it would have still taken out both of your arse-cheeks.

This blog is getting interesting and alive again - tomorrow we will be talking about what constitutes paedophilia (relevant subject at work at the moment)