Here are some of the random things my brain picked up this week from various sources.

- The B-29 was the most expensive undertaking of WWII, ahead of the Manhattan Project (via Malcolm Gladwell’s latest book, “The Bomber Mafia”).

- A guy in 1832 wanted to be mummified after his death for scientific reasons and can still be seen on display in England (via one of my 7-year-old’s creepier books).

- In 1966, amidst the marches against the Vietnam War, there was another protest wave – over inflation and specifically rising food costs (via The Wall Street Journal, on an article about signs of consumer prices rising again).

- Instead of using a knife, you can pop an avocado pit out by pushing on it from the back (via TikTok, because Gen X parents have swarmed yet another social media app originally intended for the young and cool).

Just a fraction of the daily inputs that have filtered past the ole gray matter in recent days. And that doesn’t count all the local articles, interviews and press releases I comb through for my day job.
 
Information overload is a real risk these days. But for an information hoarder – I compromised with my husband on our last move and halved my collection of stored papers and magazines – these are the best of times.
 
Back in my day, I tell my glazed-eyed children, not only did I have to walk a mile to and from school in the snow (in Fayetteville, so there was only that one time it snowed), but then I had to hoof it another 5 miles to the bookstore to get a copy of the Times. There was no internet, much less Alexa. This is when they look at me in pity for my pioneer upbringing.
 
About a decade ago, people started asking me would the web replace the printed newspaper. “Maybe,” was the answer then and still is for the future. But I just don’t think the web is going to replace news and getting out information – assuming we do our jobs right both on the reporting and business ends.
 
Take the story of New Hanover County recently adopting its budget for next year, a decision that caused some debate because of what the impacts might be on homeowners’ bills. Business Journal readers might have come across that info in print in our June 18 newspaper, online on our website or email newsletter, through a post on our Twitter feed or via a WilmingtonBiz Talk podcast featuring an interview with the county manager about it.
 
That’s a self-promotional case study but, still, an example of how we disseminate info in this day and age.
 
So in that spirit, however this issue of the WilmingtonBiz Magazine is getting to you, we hope you pick up new information and learn something new.