Rube Goldberg Meets Wikipedia

For those who have ever played the game "Mousetrap," you have been introduced to a "Rube Goldberg device." For those who haven't and are too lazy to click on the link, a Rube Goldberg device is a machine designed to perform a simple task in a complex way. For example, it might use 17 steps/mechanisms to drop a lump of sugar in a cup of coffee. Well, if you enjoy doing things the hard way, I have a little game for you.

I'm not sure where I got the idea from, but I think part of the origin is from the "Random Article" button on Wikipedia's website. I believe any Wiki-type site has such a feature, and it can be fun to keep hitting it and seeing where you end up.

Somehow, that evolved into this little game. Basically, if I want to find something on Wikipedia, I'll hit the "random article" button. Whatever page I land on, I click on the link (in the article) that I think will get me closest to my ultimate destination. On that page, I do the same thing- click on whatever link will get me closer to my destination. And the process continues.

Let me illustrate, in case it still (likely) doesn't make sense.

- Okay, I want to read about Robbie Coltran, the guy who played Hagrid in the Harry Potter movies. So I go to Wikipedia's search page and hit "random article."

- I end up on the page for Sasha Pokulok, a Canadian hockey player. From here, I decide my best next step will be "Canada."

-On Canada's page, I choose "1988 Winter Olympics."

-Then I choose "Cool Runnings."

-That takes me to "John Candy" which leads to "Steven Spielberg" to "Gremlins" to "Chris Columbus" to "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" movie...

-...which ends in "Robbie Coltrane." Wasn't that fun?

Here's another one for funsies:

- Target: Bobby Bonilla (baseball player)--> C.D. Jalapa --> Guatemala --> Mexico --> Baseball --> List of Organized Baseball Leagues --> Major League Baseball --> New York Mets --> Bobby Bonilla

Good times (good waste of time, too)!