Wednesday, April 15, 2009

My Maiden Voyage

Oh the joy that is Wiki.  I remember my first visit like it was yesterday...  I was so innocently looking up information for school and it popped up.  It was like it was fate.  My destiny was sent to me in the form of an online, user edited encyclopedia.  Have you ever heard of a more glorious thing?  I think not, my friends, I think not.  It was like an angel surfed the entire web to find little old me.  Talk about feeling special!  

If you're looking for something really funny, you need my friend Carly at http://wikrolled.blogspot.com.  If you want random nuggets of info in between rambling thoughts, you found it!  Although I am quite the experienced Wikiwanderer at this point, I have recently discovered that others take a small amount of joy in my aimless hours of meandering through the articles found on this site.  It has actually turned into quite the unhealthy obsession, but I bask in all of it's glory, so like the crack addict to the rock, to it I return.  I take the topics, put them in a nutshell (look at me, I'm in a nutshell!) and dispense these nuggets of info to you...

Today, my journey began (as they usually do) with a news topic...  Apparently Obama wants to bring the glories of the high speed rail to our fine land, so I begin with the maglev train.  Pretty much the second best thing since sliced bread, behind me, of course.

Maglev- It's the world's fastest train that is based on the principles of Magnetic Levitation.  So very sweet.  We all have been on the low speed ones at the airports (not so cool) but the high speed ones are where it's at, fo sho.  Okay, so the 1st patents for maglev trains were granted in 1937 to Hermann Kemper...  1937 and we still don't have a high-speed one in the US?!?!  That's incredible!  Okay...  Next interesting thing...  The 1st commercial maglev with longstar propulsion (that's the cool thing that makes it all fast-like) was in Hamburg...  Hmmm...  Don't know a ton about Hamburg...  Never been there...  Better click on that one...

Hamburg- Second largest city in Germany and the real name is Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg??  Really???  Get out!  Wow, learn somethin new everyday.  Okay, so that's cool.  It has about 1.8mil people and kinda looks like this: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/18/Binnenalster_Panorama.jpg  Well, actually it looks exactly like that.  Curious, no?  It got it's name from a castle that Charlemagne had built there.  Oh Charlemagne...  What a guy...  It has a patron saint called Hammonia that emerged during the early 19th century.  It was only 30 miles from the inner German border and was hurting until the reunification in 1990 but since Eastern and Baltic states have started entering into the EU, it's in a sweet position.  Hey....  Wait a minute...  I ALWAYS like to read about the Baltic states...  Wiki it!

Baltic States- The beautiful Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania are fondly referred to as the Baltic States or the Baltic Nations.  (Total aside...  I'm in LOVE with Lithuania and am dying to go there ASAP.  I gotta figure out a way to get that done...  Adding to the list now.  Yes, I've started an official list...)  They're in northern Europe and they are all in the EU.  Wait, I see Lithuania, better click on it...

Lithuania-  It's the southernmost and, obviously, the coolest of the Baltic states.  It's capital is Vilnius and the whole nation is only 3.35mil people.  It has been an independent nation since 1990 and it has been Polish, Russian, Prussian, and Soviet, yadda yadda yadda...  Now fun stuff.  Wait a minute...  Um...  Still not super interesting...  Wow, for such a cool place it sure does have a shitty Wiki.  Wait, they have the highest suicide rate in the world??  That's messed up.  Hmmm...  Gonna search for a wanderword...  FOUND IT!  Before I go, look at these images, so cool, definitely gotta get there... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Kretinga_rural_tourism.jpg,

Žydrūnas Ilgauskas- Born in Kaunas, Lithuania and plays for the Cavaliers.  He's 7'3" which makes him the 2nd tallest player in the NBA behind Yao Ming.  While at the University of Kentucky, he was the leading scorer and rebounder throughout his career.  He was drafted by the Cavs in 1996 but broke a bone in his foot, so he didn't play until 1997.  Wait a minute, I can click on University of Kentucky...

University of Kentucky- It was founded in 1865 in Lexington...  Wait a minute.  I don't give a damn about the University of Kentucky.  I'm done with this wikiwander.  No bueno this time.  Try again next time.

Tell me where you want me to start next time and I'll Wikiwander from there, and until next time, on a scale of 1 to awesome, I'm super great.

3 comments:

  1. I'm following your blog lovely - i could use some random facts in my life. I can't get enough of your enthusiasm :)Tell Chaos I say hi

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  2. COngrats kels - looking forward to hearing your ramblings via high-speed connection anywhere, anytime!:)

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