Slightly Off KIlter

In 1994, I was introduced to the Web, via a new application called NCSA Mosaic. The Web seemed like an interesting toy and I put up a personal home page soon thereafter. I had to ask, however, what it was really “good for”?

Time passed; I was amused when I saw http://www.shell.com at the gas station. People who weren’t techies were picking up on this thing but, still… what could you do with it?

Then, in 1996/7, it all came together.

Driving through San Francisco, I saw a poster on a bus stop.
My favorite muppet, the Cookie Monster, was surrounded by huge chocolate chip cookies but, without milk, what’s a monster to do? (I half-seriously considered going back in the dead of night to see if I could steal the poster…)

Being a law-abiding grown-up, I tried a different tack. I did my first web search. To my utmost surprise, it really worked. It worked astoundingly well. I located the Advertising firm that had done the “got milk?” campaign (Goodby, Silverstein, & Partners). I got their address and contacted them, asking if a poster was available. I also found the address for the California Milk Board (sponsors of the ads).

In June, 1997, I received the Cookie Monster got milk? poster, free, with a nice note, from the offices of Goodby, Silverstein, & Partners. I still have the mailing tube. The poster is framed and hangs on the bedroom wall.

I was seriously impressed.

I was reminded of all this today when a similar event occurred. I have, of course, come to love and appreciate the web in the eight-plus intervening years since I first asked “but, what can you do with it?” Nevertheless, the Web still occasionally surprises and delights me.

Some months ago, while I was shopping in Walgreens, the piped-in-music played a song I thought was very pretty. After one brief exposure, I couldn’t get it out of my head. The refrain keeps coming back at odd moments. Today, I resolved to find this song. Unfortunately, all I had was a tune and a few lines of lyric.

Then she asks me, do I look all right?

And I say, yes, you look wonderful tonight.

Luckily, this was exactly enough for a profitable search. (Actually, I originally thought the adjective in the second line was “beautiful”; I managed to find the source anyway,
even with a braino!)
Artist and title (Eric Clapton, “Wonderful Tonight”) in hand, I wandered over the the iTunes Music Store where I had my choice of no less than seven renditions. Wow. (I bought two). Ten minutes and $1.98 later, I had what I wanted.

I love the Web.