Everything2 v. Wikipedia

Q: Which source would you first turn to for information on a topic that you are not familiar with, everything2.com or wikipedia.org and why?

I'm a big fan of the Internet--so much so that when I watch a movie at home, I like to sit with my laptop on my lap and surf imdb.com so that I can take note of all the goofs and movie trivia that occur in random scenes. While cooking, I frequent allrecipes.com or foodnetwork.com to look up new recipes or watch tutorial cooking videos. And when I'm just plain curious about something, I'll immediately type "wiki [insert subject here]" in Firefox's address bar.

As unreliable and lacking in credibility Wikipedia may be, its organized layout and highly simplistic design have made it a personal favorite website of mine. I know, there are tons of more entertaining sites I can visit if I'm ever curious about anything. The point is, I like Wikipedia because it's straightforward and provides a clear description of whatever it is I want to learn about.

I don't use everything2.com too often, but after surfing through the site for a bit, I found myself enjoying its randomness. It's definitely a great time-waster...I learned more in one hour about "Thomas 'Black Jack' Ketchum," the "Infinite Monkeys Theorem," and the history of the "Helvetica" font than I did from my psychology textbook. Unlike Wikipedia, everything2.com has links to various posting on the side of the screen, and occasionally my wandering eye will fall upon an unusual title (i.e. "Chased by a screaming hydrocephalic in a leopard-skin vest and a beehive hairdo") that'll lead to another window chock-full of interesting tidbits. The site's layout isn't as clear or organized as Wikipedia's, but at the same, it helps procrastinators like me learn something while avoiding the other things I should be learning.

When it comes down to it, my loyalty still lies with Wikipedia as the primary resource for finding information on subjects I'm unfamiliar with. It's more straightforward (and seemingly legit) than the haphazard, link-ridden front page that everything2.com offers, although I do enjoy the entertaining, uncensored, and more laid-back style that the latter has.

Flashmob: the Beginnings.

I know this blog is still relatively new, but for class purposes I'm going to start documenting the progress of our flashmob assignment.

According to Wikipedia (one of the most useful, though not wholly credible, inventions on the Web), a flashmob is a large group of people who assemble suddenly in a public place, perform an unusual action for a brief period of time, then quickly disperse. In class we saw a few YouTube clips of flashmobs, linked below:

Japanese "Troop of the One Hundred"

Students worshipping the Purdue Engineering Fountain

My group and I are still brainstorming some ideas for the flashmob we're doing two Mondays from now. It's hard being creative, but I'm definitely looking forward to the response we'll get from our fellow collegians while we're doing whatever we plan on doing :)

New home!

ep·i·cu·re·an /ˌɛpɪkyʊˈriən, -ˈkyʊəri-/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[ep-i-kyoo-ree-uhn, -kyoor-ee-]
–adjective

1.	fond of or adapted to luxury or indulgence in sensual pleasures; having luxurious tastes or habits, esp. in eating and drinking.

Now that I think about it, I'm not that "epicurean," although I am Korean (and "The Epicurean Korean" has a nice ring to it). I LOVE food, but the luxuriousness of a particular dish doesn't really matter to me. Whether it's from the Chateau Marmont in Hollywood or my mom's kitchen, good food is good food. I do appreciate the efforts put into the occasional fine cuisine, though...anyway, I digress. Perhaps I'll learn to develop an epicurean palate, but for now, I'll have my pollo asada fries from Roberto's in SD over a fancy teaspoon of duck liver pate, any day.

My first food recommendation for this blog isn't even in America. Over the summer, a few friends and I went down to Mexico on a quest for some lobster, a sunny beach, and bargain shopping with the vendors by the Mexican/U.S. border.

























We ran into a few of Nacho Libre's friends along the way.



















We also found the most beautiful beach. Even the sand was beautiful! It looked like there were flecks of gold in it, so depending on the angle of the sun and where you were standing, everything would shimmer.



















And then we hit the jackpot: the $15 lobster deal.



















Oh yes.



















Promptly as we sat down at our table, we were served some of the best chips/salsa/guacamole/rice I've EVER had. Hands down. As an amateur aficionado of Mexican cuisine, I rescind my allegiance to all the Mexican restaurants I used to frequent. Maybe it's because we were actually in Mexico, and I've been deprived of authentic Mexican food...but THIS is what Mexican food is supposed to be. The lobster was succulent, but I wouldn't mind driving another 2.5 hours for the guacamole. The next time you happen to be in Rosarito, Mexico, you can't leave without trying the lobster!