I like Wikipedia. It is not fashionable to like Wikipedia. I teach at a university and intellectuals often look down on Wikipedia — not scholarly enough, not high brow, not thorough.

I like Wikipedia. I can’t afford the Britannica — however you spell it. I don’t want to drive to the library every time I have a question. I simply go to Wikipedia, often on a whim, and it always gives what I want. For example, in the past few days I had the urge to find out the following 4 things, some quite marginal. Wikipedia came through.

1. Nervous Norvus. His real name was Jimmy Drake (1912-1968) and he made one of the best/worst rock songs of all time called Transfusion. Wikipedia had it including selected lyrics — “Pour the crimnson in me, Jimson.”

2. Ralph Tiger Jones. Serviceable and willing middleweight of the 50s and a real TV hero. He beat Sugar Ray Robinson in one of Ray’s comebacks and Ray never gave Tiger a rematch. He fought 6 world champs, was never one himself.

3. “Herzog,” Saul Bellow’s novel which I just finished. Wikipedia has a long discussion of the book which helped me as sometimes the book is a mind bender. Wikipedia says it wants to improve the Herzog section. Sure, go and improve.

4. Bud Podbielan: He pitched for the Dodgers, among others, when I was a kid in Brooklyn. On May 18, 1953 he pitched for the Reds vs. the Dodgers and walked a franchise-record 13 in 10 innings.

I could go on about Wikipedia. I like Wikipedia.