I didn't plan to wander around an unfamiliar part of Oakland yesterday, but there I was, one mistaken turn and a wealth of novel sunlit beauty stretched out before me. There was nothing there that I would have known to Google or ask about, nothing I would have planned to go visit.

I read that Google's search engine is now programmed to use data from one's history of searches to determine what the user wants to find when typing in a topic. That's great if I'm looking for information. For example, I occasionally look up the lyrics to songs. Now, when I type in a song title, several lyrics links pop up on the first page. Mission accomplished.

It's not so good if I wish to skateboard. Search engine exploration seems so tame of late. Now I know why. I miss the links that took me out of the confines of my expectations and into unknown territories of salivation, mufflers, arrow-making, Josephine Baker, celestinas, unfamiliar parts of Oakland and beyond. I like surprise.