One of the earliest thrills of the Internet Age for many of us was the simple joy of discovering things, new and old. As we learned how to use the early websites like Yahoo to sift through structured information, we also encountered unexpected and unsought items by serendipity.
Among with facts came people -- friends old and new, as gradually everybody showed up at the online party.
The pre-Internet (and pre-cellphone) world kept us so constrained that only the most adventurous among us were good at discovering things or finding people. This elevated the role of journalists, because we tried to excel at exactly those things.
When teaching journalism, I would assign the task of finding somebody who was trying to maintain a low profile. In the old days, reporters became accustomed to checking reverse phone directories, voter registration rolls, property records and court files to locate the basic details about people we were interested in finding.
All of that became exponentially simpler with the web, as did the surprises we collected along the way. As it emerged as the most powerful search engine, Google rapidly expanded the information universe to the point where today, reporters or anyone else need not ever leave the comfort of their easy chair to locate virtually anybody or anything they wish.
One of the curiosities of Google's pre-eminence is how purpose has replaced serendipity, but from its origin, the search giant has provided a correction to that excess. You can either enter a search term or click "I'm feeling lucky."
I had never tried that option until just last night but when I did, Google informed me that besides starring in many of my favorite silent movies, Charlie Chaplin wrote, directed and produced over 80 films, scored many of them and at least once served as the on-set hairdresser.
This random entry was created in 2011; when I reloaded I was greeted with other content surprises.
All of this reminded me that the world once reserved for explorers, scientists and sufis is now just a mouse click away for the rest of us.
Virtually the only limitations left are those we impose on our ourselves. Go ahead, click on "I'm feeling lucky" and tell somebody (me?) what you find.
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Here's some self-limited news:
* Assassination in Iran Could Limit Biden’s Options. Was That the Goal? -- The killing of Iran’s top nuclear scientist is likely to impede the country’s military ambitions. Its real purpose may have been to prevent the president-elect from resuming diplomacy with Tehran. (NYT)
* Biden Aides’ Ties to Consulting and Investment Firms Pose Ethics Test -- Some of the president-elect’s choices for top posts have done work for undisclosed corporate clients and aided a fund that invests in government contractors. (NYT)
* Analysis: With urgent problems facing him, Biden cannot afford early missteps (WashPo)
* New York City public schools will reopen on Dec. 7 for younger students, but middle-school and high-school students will remain fully remote, Mayor Bill de Blasio said. The nation’s largest school district will require weekly Covid tests (WSJ)
* Plastic Dividers and Masks All Day: What Teaching in a Pandemic Looks Like -- As school districts diverge on handling the pandemic, Baltimore City Public Schools are slowly trying to get students back in the classroom. It has not been easy, but neither has remote learning. (NYT)
* This Year’s Hurricane Season Smashes All Kinds of Records (WSJ)
* Wildfire Smoke Is Poisoning California’s Kids. Some Pay a Higher Price. -- Fires are making the state’s air more dangerous. How much that hurts depends largely on where you live and how much money your family has. (NYT)
* The price progressives paid for getting rid of Trump: A moderate president (WashPo)
* A Boeing Exec’s $20 Million Bet on Teaching College Students to Think -- Not enough workers can see the big picture beyond the screen in front of them. A new program at Virginia Tech aims to teach students that problem-solving requires both sides of the brain. (WSJ)
* Job Interviews Without Interviewers, Products of the Pandemic -- Video responses to set questions, online games that measure a person’s traits and skills: The future of interviews is coming to a wider variety of professions in the pandemic. (NYT)
* In first post-election TV interview, Trump renews baseless claims of fraud (WashPo) This has reached SNL territory. (DW)
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Today, the last day of November, is special because it is the birthday of my "friend without baggage." Happy Birthday!
***
I'm not one of those who can easily hide
I don't have much money, but girl, if I did
I'd buy a big house where we both could live
Or a man who makes potions in a travelin' show
Oh, I know it's not much, but it's the best I can do
My gift is my song and this one's for you
It may be quite simple but now that it's done
I hope you don't mind
I hope you don't mind
That I put down in words
How wonderful life is while you're in the world
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