°06.02.21.tu | reading encyclopedias

I am reading A.J. Jacob's The Know It All, his diary of his musings while reading the Encyclopaedia Britannica. And, ironically enough, it's given me a new way to enjoy the Wikipedia. When I want to learn more, I can type the word searches "claque" into my PDA and learn that canned laughter precedes the TV, and then learn of the odd yakuza sokaiya: "Sokaiya are a form of specialized racketeer unique to Japan, and often associated with the yakuza. They typically prey on shareholders' meetings, disrupting them (and causing the company a great loss of face) until their demands are met."

If I wanted to make this into work, I could also compare the Wikipedia entries and Encyclopaedia Britannica entries, maybe even improve any deficiencies in the Wikipedia, but I'd rather just enjoy myself for now.