Cool Websites
LAST UPDATED:
08 November 2007 18:23:02 -0600
Changes to this page are IN PROGRESS
MUSEUM SHOP
http://www.museumshop.com
You won't find King Tut's sarcophagus for sale on this new site,
but you will find books, photographs, videotapes, and other curios
about Egypt's prodigal son here. In fact, if you're looking for a gift
that will surely impress your recipient with its uniqueness, the
Museum Shop is hard to beat. Search for gifts by museum or topic.
Books, toys, clothing, games, jewelry? It's all here. Plus, no craning
your neck trying to see the display case from ten people back.
KIDS DOMAIN
http://www.kidsdomain.com
With the trying to find a fun, safe, and noncorporate site for kids
is getting more and more difficult. Fortunately, for every potentially
unsafe site that pops up, there are safe sites like Kids Domain. If
your child is the one telling YOU how to download that Star Trek
screen saver, he or she will enjoy the technology articles written for
little ones in mind. The site also features kid-friendly downloads,
articles, contests, and even a place for grown-ups too.
VIRTUAL DOG
http://www.virtualdog.com
Are you a dog lover but have no time for the real thing? Allergic
to pet hair? No problem. At Virtual Dog, select the type of pup you
want, name it, and you've entered the world of pet maintenance,
Internet style. Owners start off with a certain amount of money and
must feed, nurture, and maintain the health of their new pet. E-mail
reminders from the kennel let you know if you're being negligent. No
virtual potty training, thankfully.
PRO LAUNCH
http://www.prolaunch.com
Are you bored stiff with your start page? Craving a little variety?
How about a little variety that rewards you for providing your likes
and dislikes with frequent flyer miles or discounts on clothes and
CDs? With personal preference data becoming more and more popular as
an effective marketing tool, you're likely to see a lot more of these
types of offers in the future. With Pro Launch, you tell the site your
personal interests, hobbies, and so on, and every time you launch your
browser, you are presented with a different site that coincides with
your interests. Take the time to surf these sites, and you'll rack up
"points," which can then be redeemed for tangible goods.
LISTEN TO THE NEWS
http://listentothenews.com
When the Internet became a household word, the death knell was
sounded for many older forms of media. But ironically, the Internet is
actually helping radio not only stay alive but flourish. Streaming
audio has allowed radio stations to become international in reach, and
this site, Listen to the News, is a hub for hundreds of international
and local news radio sites. Select your station by region, or peruse
through the half-dozen rotating headlines and choose which news angle
you want to tune into.
FISH SEARCH
http://www.fishsearch.com
"If it ain't about fishin'--it ain't here" reads the welcome mat on
this hub dedicated to one of humankind's favorite pastimes. If you're
still crying in your beer over the one that got away, perhaps you
should cast your modem line over to this friendly shore of fishing
information. It's all about links, not hooks--from finding the
necessary hardware to chartering fishing expeditions in your area, to
catching and cleaning tips, and more. You'll find everything you need
to know about fishing, except for how to best explain to your loved
one your consistent desire to wake up every weekend at 4:30 a.m. and
go sit in a boat.
INCONSTANT MOON
http://www.inconstantmoon.com
"O swear not by the moon, th'inconstant moon/ That monthly changes
in her circled orb/ Lest that thy love prove likewise variable."
William Shakespeare spaeke those words in Romeo and Juliet, and he was
neither the first nor the last person to wax romantic on that most
grand satellite, the moon. Curious as to whether the moon will be full
tonight, thus making your evening stroll all the more beautiful? No
problem. Click the calendar and discover a wealth of information about
the slice of the moon you'll be seeing on any particular evening.
Marvel at lunar maps, moon myths, photos, and more.
THIS TO THAT
http://www.thistothat.com
Remember those elementary school arts and crafts projects in which
you glued felt to construction paper, glued Popsicle sticks to one
another, and glued leather to rubber? Well, maybe the last example
doesn't ring a bell, but who knows? Perhaps in some school somewhere,
leather and rubber were key ingredients in the school project stew. As
a testament to the Internet filling every potential information need,
we present you This to That, a site that takes the concept of Web
"stickiness" to a new level. Select the two items that you want to
glue together from the drop-down menu, and the site returns glue
recommendations, drying-time statistics, and potential toxicity. This
is a must-see for schoolteachers and handyfolks everywhere.
C-SPAM
http://www.cspam.com
Had it up to here with spam? So have the creators of C-Spam, who,
instead of writing their congressional rep or buying a Spam filter,
have decided to take the lowly spam and make it art. That's right
folks, on C-Spam you see a gently scrolling continual loop of actual
spam received by the site. Choose your favorite classical composition,
kick back, and listen to soothing sounds while screaming come-ons from
MLMs, pornographers, and dubious get-rich-quick schemes scroll by. If
you'd like to contribute the detritus collecting in your inbox, you
can find forms for that as well.
NATIONAL OPPORTUNITY NOCS
http://www.opportunitynocs.org
Just because you graduated from college with nearly $100,000 in
student loans to repay, that doesn't mean you have to compromise your
ideals and work for a soulless corporation. And finding jobs available
at nonprofit organizations has never been easier with the debut of
National Opportunity NOCs (Nonprofit Organization Classifieds). You'll
find thousands of positions listed here, from administrative assistant
to executive director. Search by date posted, state, country, or
keyword, or visit any of the dozens of related links available.
OVERBOARD
http://www.pbs.org/closetohome
Hmmm . . . "As the Web Spins"? Nah . . . "HTML Hospital"? Too
techy. How about "Overboard"? Sure. This Web soap opera, put together
by PBS and Close to Home Online, chronicles the lives of a handful of
teens and their struggles with drugs and alcohol. Part interactive
comic strip and part after-school special, Overboard is updated weekly
and might make a good spot for your young teen to visit. Along with
each adventure, issues of drug addiction and peer pressure are
addressed.
AUCTION INSIDER
http://www.auctioninsider.com
The Internet is rife with scams, so it's no surprise that people
are dubious of some auction sites. But while we won't deny that those
snake oil salespeople exist, you can find plenty of legitimate sites
offering tremendous bargains on everything from notebook computers to
refrigerators--and Auction Insider will point you to them. Select from
the list of auctions--each with a pithy review and separated by the
items for sale. The top ten auction sites are also listed, as are tips
for bidding and for making sure the site you're dealing with is legit.
We're sold.
PROXY SERVER 2.0 FIXES
If you're experiencing problems with Microsoft's Microsoft Proxy
Server, version 2.0, you'll be interested in a package of hot fixes
available for this product. To make it easier to retrieve and install
important bug fixes, Microsoft now provides the Proxy Server 2.0
Combined Hotfix Collection. For more information, including a list of
fixes, visit the Microsoft Product Support Services Web site at
http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/q190/9/97.asp
SOFTWATCHER
http://www.softwatcher.com
Most of us are content to shell out money for our computers,
knowing that in 18 months, we'll have to shell out more money to
upgrade our systems to remain current. Some fiends, however, track
trade publications with fervor, drooling over news of the latest
software releases. But while these publications arrive in your mailbox
only every week or month, this new site delivers new software release
info every hour. Catch those hourly updates or search by categories,
such as business, communication, games, science, utilities, and many
more.
DRIVEWAYS OF THE RICH AND FAMOUS
http://www.driveways.com
You won't find OJ Simpson's famous driveway on this offbeat site,
but you will find the asphalt entrances to more than a hundred of your
favorite celebs' houses. That's right Robin Leach, eat your heart out.
Choose your own path: Click through the photos, read pizza delivery
testimonials ("The Spellings are always good tippers"), or read the
horrifying tale of the site creator's arrest at Martha Stewart's
quaint domicile. The official site of a local access cable TV show,
this is a good spot for a quick laugh or to take a look at the latest
developments in high-security fencing.
SMALL BUSINESS FOCUS
http://www.sbfocus.com
In today's increasingly crowded corporate world, a person
considering launching a small business just can't have too much
knowledge and preparation for one's endeavor. If nothing more, the
Internet is probably the largest, cheapest research repository in
existence, but it's also the most frustrating. Searching for
information on bank loans, for example, might return 100,000 hits,
most of them irrelevant to an aspiring entrepreneur. That's where SB
Focus, a small business-specific search engine, comes in. Type in the
terms or concepts you want to learn about, and the site returns
relevant articles, research results, studies, and how-tos. This is a
great vertical source for information pertinent to the small
businessperson.
GARBAGE
http://www.learner.org/exhibits/garbage/
How's this for a sobering stat? "If your habits resemble those of
average Americans, you contributed 1570 pounds of solid trash and 3613
pounds of sewage to the world's waste this past year." Taken from the
home page of this startling call to arms, this statistic is but one of
many found at the Garbage exhibit at the Annenberg/CPB Project site
(the company behind PBS's "Save the Planet" series). Read the dire
global situation surrounding solid and hazardous waste and sewage, and
explore possible solutions to each problem. The key to the solution
revolves around education and action, two things this site presents
well. And if you think there's a lot of garbage on the Web, you're
right: The links section here contains more than a McDonald's trash
can after lunch.
PEZ.COM
http://www.pez.com
It's doubtful that the creators of Pez dispensers ever imagined
their candy caddy would one day become the impetus for a multibillion
dollar Internet company. But when the founder of eBay started his
company to try and find a network for his girlfriend's Pez dispenser
collection, that's just what happened. If you're one of the countless
folks who feel a strong connection to these kitschy toys, you'll find
collector information, company news, tips on limited edition releases,
and more at the official site of Pez.
AMBER GALLERY
http://www.ambergallery.com
>From the waves of grain to the genesis of trouble in Jurassic
Park, amber has long played a side role in our nation's mindset. The
fossilized sap makes for an excellent necklace centerpiece, a perfume
scent, or as a scientific preserver. If any of these amber
applications interest you, you can find plenty of information at this
inclusive site. Find out if the amber you bought at that garage sale
is the real deal and find out how much it's worth. Discover how amber
is made and trip through the dozens of amber-related links also
available here.
LIVING ARTS
http://www.livingarts.com
Yep, you guessed it. TipWorld's Cool Site of the Day is based in
California. That admission aside, you probably would have been able to
guess that after perusing the site: Living Arts (The Catalog for Total
Wellbeing). But more recently, the ideas of yoga, meditation, and Tao
are moving east from California and across the United States and the
globe. Of course, these concepts hardly started on the West Coast.
Learn about some of these and more practices, and if you like what you
read, you can purchase books, videos, music, jewelry, tools, and more
from the site.
FIREPHOTOS.COM
http://www.firephotos.com
You can find something for everyone on the Internet. Take a look at
Firephotos.com, for example. Pyromaniacs and fans of real-life
firefighter shows on Fox will appreciate the gallery of house
burnings, factory explosions, and other combustible disasters found on
this unique site. Read through basic and fire photography-specific
photo tips, check out the equipment used to take the shots, and link
to various fire departments around the United States.
CONDENET CURRENCY
http://www.cncurrency.com
People are making a lot of money off the plethora of financial
information sites available on the Internet. If you're wired, the
amount of info available to you on how to manage your money is simply
staggering. And CondeNet (a division of CondeNast) has joined the
fray. Its advice is thorough--though we don't necessarily agree with
the somewhat scary editorial assertion that money is life--and the
site offers a nice selection of lifestyle articles to balance out the
hard number-crunching discussions. Scores of links, stock advice,
financial calculators, and much more is to be found on this warmly
designed site.
RIBMAN
http://www.ribman.net
When the president of KC Masterpiece BBQ Company decided he'd had
enough of the daily, er, grind, he turned to making a comic strip. And
in the great tradition of "writing what you know," he called his strip
"Ribman." Currently found in two midwestern newspapers, the
fork-handed hero is now heating things up on the Web. A self-financed
presidential candidate for the 2000 race, Ribman fights leftovers and
vegetarians with equal aplomb. Read through a few episodes, meet the
cast of characters, and groan at the hundreds of meat puns found on
this offbeat site.
KROQ.COM
http://www.kroq.com
In many ways, KROQ epitomizes cool. The Los Angeles rock 'n roll
station has been pivotal in launching the careers of many of
yesterday's, today's, and probably tomorrow's top acts. Although you
can't listen to the radio via streaming audio, you can find out the
station's most played and most requested lists. What's more, you'll
find news, reviews, 3-D studio tours, games, and more at this hip
spot. Catch it here now, and watch it hit the top of the charts later.
ORVIS FLY FISHING OUTFITTERS
http://www.shop.orvis.com
The die-hard fly fishers of the world must have been pretty
surprised when "A River Runs Through It" came out and suddenly their
Saturday afternoon pastime became "hot." It did, and the pockets of
companies such as Orvis are now lined with gold-plated fishing wire.
If you're considering fishing on the fly, you'll need to buy some
waders and other accessories, and this site has oceans full. From rods
and reels to waders and something called a "tippet," you'll find it
here.
THE FEDERAL GATEWAY
http://fedgate.org
"Hey Fred, what are you doing tonight?" "Oh, I dunno, checking out
some federal Web sites." While that might not be the kind of dialogue
one might expect to hear at the corner pub, truth is that a great deal
of people rely on the Internet to research government-related
documents and information. And with hundreds of official government
sites, this can be a tiresome prospect. Enter Fed Gateway, a
one-stop-shopping resource of sorts for all things federal. While it
doesn't bring together ALL the U.S. government sites, it does organize
most of them neatly into the familiar legislative, executive, and
judicial categories--and also provides a helpful acronym decipherer
for the rest of us.
JEEEM'S CINEPAD
http://cinepad.com
A respected film critic and film historian, Jim Emerson has culled
a sizable collection of interviews, reviews, commentary, and curios to
create this vast and wonderfully idiosyncratic site. Guests are
encouraged to visit various rooms (the site employs the common house
metaphor) for the aforementioned content. Emerson has interviewed
Bette Davis, Milos Forman, the Coen brothers, and many more. Check out
his tribute to cinematic plumbing for some vitriolic writing. A
goldmine for true cinephiles.
MISSING AND EXPLOITED CHILDREN'S PROGRAM
http://www.ncjrs.org/ojjdp/missing/index.html
Few things in life strike more terror into the hearts of parents
than the prospect of losing their child. Sponsored by the Justice
Department's Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention,
the Missing and Exploited Children's Program Web site is accessible to
both parents and children. Children, for example, should be led
through the Tips for Kids section, which offers suggestions on where
to go and what to do if you're lost, as well as how to protect
yourself. Parents will want to peruse the extensive links found
throughout the site and also read through some of the periodicals and
articles on child abduction and recovery.
SUN SOLARIS PATCHES
Sun Microsystems continually releases operating system patches to
address known bugs or those that reflect security concerns,
designating them as recommended and security patches, respectively.
For a complete list of these patches as they relate to your version of
Solaris, visit the following area of Sun's support Web site:
http://sunsolve.sun.com/pub-cgi/show.pl?target=patches/summary&nav=patches/pub-patches
WWF CONSERVATION ACTION NETWORK
http://takeaction.worldwildlife.org
We all love nature, right? But can you walk the walk when it comes
to preserving the wildlife around us? Well, the task becomes easier
when all that "the walk" requires is sending an e-mail. The World
Wildlife Fund has organized this unique, grassroots-level approach to
connecting concerned citizens with the congress representatives and
legislators who hold the pens signing environment-damaging bills.
Similar to Amnesty International's Urgent Actions, the WWF will send
participants approximately one urgent environmental alert e-mail a
month with e-mail addresses of the folks you should write to with your
dissatisfaction.
VIDEOSEEKER
http://www.videoseeker.com
"Hey, did you see Jennifer Aniston on Conan last night?" How many
times have you had to duck out of a conversation from the get-go
because you didn't catch the reference? Well, if it's TV your friends
are gabbin' about (specifically NBC TV), you don't need to be silent
any longer. Enter Videoseeker, which houses selected clips from
selected TV shows--available in streaming video. The first step toward
user-defined show schedules? Could be. We give credit to NBC for
listing non-NBC-affiliated sites under its news links section.
CONTENTIOUS
http://www.contentious.com
When people think of writing on the Web, unfortunately, the image
of Matt Drudge or the news of a newspaper's online error comes to
mind. Well, believe it or not, people aside from Drudge and errant
newspaper editors do write online--and write well. If you're a print
journalist considering taking the plunge into the world of virtual
clips, you'll want to check this new site before you leap--and check
back along the way. Put together by a freelance journalist, the
monthly zine features editorials, interviews, examples of good and bad
writing, and more.
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TRUE HELPDESK AND TECH SUPPORT STORIES
http://helpdeskfunnies.cyberjuice.com
Most of the world laughed when Bill Gates' Windows 98 demo went
horribly awry in front of thousands at the spring Comdex show in 1998.
Some thought Gates should have gone one step further by calling tech
support and revealing how inept it often is. But sometimes it's the
callers who are the inept ones, and that's the basis of this humorous
new site. Read actual e-mails and phone call transcripts, and listen
to recorded calls. Funny stuff, and it might make you go a little
easier on the voice on the other end of the line next time you call
tech support.
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THE DOG HAUSE
http://www.doghause.com
No, this is not a place to go when you're in trouble. Did you know
that if your cat nudges your feet in the morning, it wants to stay
inside, and if it nudges your face, it wants to go out? That, and
dozens more pearls of folk wisdom can be found at this site dedicated
to pets and pet lovers. You'll also find jokes, helpful hints, essays,
idioms, fonts, sound files, a kennel of links, and much more--all
related to the animals that help make our lives a little more
complete.
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ABDUCTEE.NET
http://www.abductee.net
While some UFO-related sites amount to little more than a gray page
with heavily exclamated text reading "I WUZ ABDUCTED!!!", this hub
offers a great deal more content, taste, and a far higher design
ethic. Read abductee stories or report your own, discover government
cover-ups, or chat with fellow UFO-heads. A galaxy of other options
awaits you on this--the final frontier.
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CURRENCY CALCULATOR
http://www3.dynamind-llc.com/currency/input.cfm
Summer's here, and for many of us, that means vacation. Some of the
more lucky vacationers will be traveling internationally. But what
will the U.S. dollar be worth when you arrive in that foreign land?
Whether you're a penny pincher who will determine the location of your
vacation based on the best currency rate, or simply one who wants to
know just how much money to bring, the Currency Calculator can help
you. Choose from dozens of foreign currency, enter how much money
you'll be converting, and find out whether you'll be able to get a
diamond for cheap in Uruguay or if hotels will be costly in Costa
Rica.
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UNION OF CONCERNED SCIENTISTS
http://www.ucsusa.org
Save the planet and score brownie points with your chemistry prof!
Even though scientists have gotten a bad shake with the cloning
controversy, one organization, the Union of Concerned Scientists,
seeks to serve as a bellwether on the fragile state of the environment
and what we can do to preserve it. Currently 70,000 strong, the
members are seeking a healthy environment and a safe world. How are
they looking to accomplish such a goal? They divide their focus among
six categories, from agriculture to transportation, and all are
expounded on at this site. Find out more about the organization, its
initiatives, and how you can get involved.
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NFL EUROPE
http://www.nfleurope.com
Okay, let's see a show of hands: Who even knew that NFL Europe
existed? Okay, both of you can put your hands down now. Well, if
anything, this new site will increase awareness of the burgeoning
league, currently comprising six teams. Get the latest standings, read
game reports and news items, and find out who among this satellite
league stands the best chance at making it into the "real" NFL. Our
lingering question: With soccer called "football" in Europe, what are
they calling this game?
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VISUAL BASIC 5.0--VISUAL SOURCESAFE BUG
If you're using Microsoft's Visual Basic with Visual SourceSafe,
you may receive one of the following errors when trying to retrieve a
project from SourceSafe:
"Failed to reload project" "Application error" "The instruction at
'0x0fa659de' referenced memory at '0x30303030'. The memory could not
be read."
Microsoft has confirmed this to be a bug and has fixed the problem
in Visual Studio 97 Service Pack 2. For more information on the
Service Pack, you can read the article "Visual Studio 97 Service
Packs--What, Where, and Why" in the Microsoft Knowledge Base at
http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/Q170/3/65.asp
For a list of the Visual Basic 5.0 bugs fixed in the Visual Studio
97 Service Pack 2, you can read the article "Visual Basic 5.0 Fixes in
Visual Studio 97 Service Pack 2" in the Microsoft Knowledge Base at
http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/Q171/5/54.asp
CAKE RECIPE.COM
http://www.cakerecipe.com
Want to have your cake and surf it too? That's now somewhat
possible thanks to this new site, sponsored by the same people who
brought us Cookie Recipe.com. Although we doubt many people have the
waistline tolerance to whip up a cake seven days a week, if the urge
strikes, this virtual cookbook delivers. Check out This Week's Top 10
Recipes ("Better Than Sex" cake was No. 1 when we checked), search
alphabetically or by keyword, or discover exotic tastes in the
international recipe section. Bon Appetit!
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WILMA: THE INTERNET GUIDE TO LIVE MUSIC
http://www.wilma.com
The redheaded woman who adorns the opening page of this vast live
music resource looks like Fred Flintstone's wife after a serious
makeover. WILMA is the place to go to find out if your favorite band
is touring. What's more, you can attach favorite selections from
WILMA's 17,000 bands and 2,000 metropolitan regions to your profile
and get e-mail notification about upcoming shows. In addition, you can
meet other people who share your musical preferences.
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FILM.COM
http://www.film.com
Ever feel like throwing a shoe at the TV when movie critics pan a
movie you adore, or worse, gush over a movie you abhor? Now, with the
newly redesigned Film.com, you can issue the electronic equivalent of
a brickbat or a bouquet to the movie of your choice. Read the
professional critics' reviews or submit your own. In the preview
section, you'll find streaming trailers of the latest flicks; and in
the store, you can buy all the cinema paraphernalia your
popcorn-greased hands can afford.
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SUN'S Y2K PATCHES
Is your Sun system Y2K ready? Sun now provides Y2K operating system
patch clusters that include all available Y2K patches. You can now
install one cluster for all Y2K patches relevant to your operating
system. For complete details and to download the clusters, visit the
following URL:
http://sunsolve.sun.com/pub-cgi/show.pl?target=patches/y2k-patches
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THE ANTLION PIT
http://www.enteract.com/~mswanson/antlionpit/
We'll try not to let our own squeamishness over the subject matter
cloud our critical judgment. If you're a fan of the antlion, (a.k.a.
the doodlebug), you'll find just about everything you could possibly
want to know about these scurrilous creatures on this strikingly
extensive and well-designed site. Peruse the educational resources,
consult the vast About Antlions section for arcania or--and we're not
kidding--gasp in amazement at the role that antlions have played in
culture. We'll think twice next time we're about to squash one of the
critters.
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INVISIBLE HAND ELECTRONIC MARKET
http://www.myhand.com
With the stock market soaring, it seems that nearly everyone wants
a piece of the action. But to make serious bucks on the market, you
have to do some serious research, and who really wants to read through
financial forecasts and analysts' reports on a Saturday night? Enter
Invisible Hand, a faux market that "trades" on issues the rest of us
probably feel more comfortable with. Register with the site and you
get $10,000 in fake e-cash to "invest" on such propositions as "Will
the Chicago Bulls win the championship?" or "Will Madonna's latest
album remain the Top 40 for less than 25 weeks?" If this seems like a
mindless waste of time, it is, but the top traders are awarded
valuable REAL prizes like a $500 gift certificate to CD Now. Just
think, reading Entertainment Weekly religiously might actually pay
off!
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SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE
http://www.nbc.com/snl/
Live . . . from your desktop . . . it's Saturday Night! Although
that doesn't quite have the ring of the original slogan, one could
argue that the current lineup of SNL comedians doesn't quite have the
zing of the original cast. But, tit for tat, this new official site
packs quite a wallop with a slew of options guaranteed to please even
the most marginal of SNL fans. Take a peek at the Behind the Scenes
section, read cast bios, and view RealVideo clips of classic and
current seasons.
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THE DIGITAL FREEDOM NETWORK
http://www.dfn.org
While nations such as China struggle to maintain control over the
Internet, a medium inherently anarchic, a group of concerned activists
have launched this new site dedicated to people who have lost their
freedom by expressing themselves and their opinions. What's more, the
Digital Freedom Network publishes the material that got the
individuals in trouble in the first place. Check out banned political
cartoons, editorials, and articles from around the globe. Find out the
latest hotspots for censorship and what you can do to combat
suppression.
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JAR-JARGONIZER
http://www.hit-n-run.com/jarjar.html
Love him or hate him, no Star Wars character since the Ewoks has
created as visceral a response in moviegoers as Jar-Jar Binks, the
goofy sidekick in the new Episode One: The Phantom Menace. And if, for
the sake of argument, Jar-Jar were to miraculously appear on Earth and
start surfing the Web, the pages he'd see would no doubt look
something like these. The Jar-Jargonizer lets visitors type in the URL
of the site they want Jar-Jargonized, and this resource returns the
Gungan translation of that site's content. A good laugh and a great
way to play a prank on that Web designer you know and love.
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Outcast
2007: The US government successfully deploys a probe designed to
prove the existence of a parallel universe. Minutes into the mission,
an intelligent life form damages the probe. The result is a black hole
which threatens the very existence of our planet. You are Cutter
Slade, US Navy SEAL Commander.
http://www.pcworld.com/r/gdl/1%2C2061%2Cgdl-dl-07-30b%2C00.html
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ANALOG2DIGITAL
http://www.analog2digital.com
Starting this year and continuing through 2002, all major TV signal
providers will need to make the transition from analog to digital
television. One thing is not certain: just how that will happen. As is
typical with the high-technology industry in general, various factions
are balking at the proposed standards, as well as causing delays and
confusion among consumers and government regulators threatening to
enter the fray. Confused? Understandable. This resource helps clear up
some of the confusion with culled news updates, standards schematics,
discussion forums, and copious links. Cleverly designed and extensive,
this site is a good resource for people with vested interests in the
battle or who are considering plopping down the cash for a digital TV.
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JAMAICA THINGS
http://www.jamaicathings.com
Jamaica, an island with an average temperature of over 80 degrees
has given the world many things--Reggae music, some of the best coffee
around, spices, hot sauce, and other fine pleasures. If you aren't
lucky enough to be heading to the isle to pick up these treasures for
yourself, this site can help. Featuring a number of the aforementioned
items plus videos, books, and novelty items, Jamaica Things offers
good prices and hassle-free ordering.
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ONE IN TEN: ADRIAN SCOTT AND THE HOLLYWOOD TEN
http://www.otal.umd.edu/~rccs/blacklist/
A little more than 50 years ago, Hollywood wasn't the
happy-go-lucky town it is today. Pushed on by Senator Joe McCarthy and
his anti-Communist witch hunts, Hollywood was scouring its own ranks
for "reds," offering up ten sacrificial lambs to appease McCarthy. One
of these ten was Adrian Scott, a screenwriter, playwright, and
producer. This historical retrospective offers a look at Scott, the
dark time, and his 16 years of being blacklisted in an attempt to
educate and prevent this awful period from ever happening again. Well
designed and thorough, this site is a must see for history and film
buffs everywhere.
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NETWARE 5 SUPPORT PACK 2
Novell recently released an update to the Support Pack for NetWare
5--Support Pack 2. This support pack contains updates for all the
services included in the NetWare 5 box. The purpose of the support
pack is to provide a bundle of fixes that have been tested together.
Novell doesn't recommend installing individual files from the support
pack.
These files have undergone component testing, core OS testing, and
integration testing with other Novell products. The download file
corrects an installation problem in which the complete set of SMS
components fails to copy to the server. In some cases, this may cause
backup products to become unstable. Look for the file nw5sp2a.exe on
the Novell Technical Support Web site at
http://support.novell.com/misc/patlst.htm
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THE TECH MUSEUM
http://www.thetech.org
"Wow, daddy! Look at the 5-1/4-inch floppy on that 286!" At the
Tech Museum of Innovation in San Jose, California, exclamations such
as these might actually be commonplace. Scary? Ah, it's all in your
perspective. Curious? Check out the recently revamped official site of
the museum, with profiles of revolutionaries, a PC Weblopedia, top
sites, and scores of other online exhibits. Educators will love some
of the sections geared especially to teachers, and students have
plenty of interactive fare to keep them entertained as well. See how
far technology has come--and take a peak at where it might be heading.
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IIS DOUBLE-BYTE CODE PAGE VULNERABILITY
If you're running Microsoft's Internet Information Server (IIS)
version 3.0 or 4.0 on a computer that has the default language set to
Chinese (Simplified or Traditional), Korean, or Japanese, you need to
be aware of a known problem identified by Microsoft. This problem
occurs on some localized versions of IIS, including Simplified
Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Japanese, and Korean IIS 4.0. The
problem can occur on any language version of IIS 3.0 and 4.0
(including the English version) if a double-byte code page or
double-byte character set (such as Japanese, Korean, Simplified
Chinese, or Traditional Chinese) language pack is installed on the
computer and is configured as the default locale in the Regional
Settings of Control Panel.
Microsoft recently released a patch that eliminates this problem.
You can download the patch file from
ftp://ftp.microsoft.com/bussys/iis/iis-public/fixes/jpn/security/fesrc-fix/
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UCOPIA WEDDING REGISTRY
http://www.ucopia.com
"She's going to the Internet and she's gonna get married." We doubt
that classic song will be re-written to include those more current
lines, but getting your gifts registered online is a whole lot easier
than doing it in the analog world. No more trips to every shop you
want to register with. Stop in to this site, with dozens of national
gift shops under its umbrella; then register and have your guests
visit, look up your profile, and buy your gifts directly from the
site. Many other services are offered, such as e-mails to your friends
to tell them where you've registered, as well as chats and bridal
consultations.
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GARDEN SOLUTIONS
http://www.gardensolutions.com
A site about sun, water, and dirt? Well, sort of. Foster and
Gallagher, the huge catalog company specializing in garden goods
sponsors this site aimed at gardeners who prefer their horticultural
products straight up. What do we mean? While some garden sites pepper
the product pitches with lifestyle articles, discussion forums, and
the like, GS skips the BS and primarily offers one-stop, no-hassle
ordering options on everything from bulbs to trees and the tools
you'll need to plant both. Sure, weekly chats are offered, but the
nature of this site is anything but chatty.
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TRAVEL SMITH
http://www.travelsmith.com
Sometimes a Web site will present us with so much information, so
many purchasing options, that we say to ourselves, "Why bother leaving
the house anymore?" We almost caught ourselves saying that to describe
this exhaustive new spot, until we realized that as a travel site,
that would defeat the purpose. Even though you'll find packing lists,
weather forecasts, travel accessories for men and women, U.S. Embassy
information, travel agency listings, continents, and more, all that
info is here to help you get out and go somewhere. An absolute
bookmark for the casual, business, or adventure traveler. More links
would make it near perfect.
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CAFFEINE ARCHIVE
http://www.caffeinearchive.com
You wouldn't figure a site dedicated to caffeine lovers would coat
its info with much fluff. This is a quick, to-the-point jolt of info
links. The selection here is a nice blend of humor, vendors, and
facts. Check out the adventures of "Too Much Coffee Man" or visit the
coffee maker Web cam that started the whole Web cam craze here. With
all the highly caffeinated programmers out there on the Web, we're
sure that a lot of jumpy fingers will be typing this URL in the near
future.
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BIZARRE TALES FROM NEW SCIENTIST
http://weird.newscientist.com
Chickens squawking from the oven, spiders stoned on marijuana. No,
these aren't topics scheduled for "Jerry Springer," but tales of
dubious truthfulness taken from the pages of New Scientist magazine.
Now you don't need to subscribe to the rag to read such
stories--though the opportunity to do so certainly appears often on
the site. If your humor tastes tend to lean toward the bizarre, you
might want to poke around in this frame-riddled site for a few laughs.
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NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC'S RETURN TO MIDWAY
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/features/98/midway/
June 6, 1942 stands as one of the fiercest sea battles in American
Naval history. Two U.S. ships were lost that day, but three Japanese
craft went down, and the battle effectively turned the tide of World
War II. Robert Ballard, the man who found the Titanic remains, is now
heading an expedition three miles down into the Pacific Ocean to find
the five ships lost at Midway. Wish you could join him? You can, sort
of. On this National Geographic site, visitors can take a cyber-dive
into the ocean and follow along with the daily discoveries. Well
designed and fascinating.
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GLOBAL COMMUNITY CENTER
http://globaldevelopment.org
While many people focus only on themselves and their immediate
surroundings, a small group of dedicated folks continues to think and
act globally. Thank Heavens for them. One such group is the Global
Development Center. Past projects include building housing projects in
Iraq and wiring villages in Guatemala. Check out the group's official
site for a look at what it has accomplished, what it stands for, and
why it is different from many other assistance organizations.
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PROMOTION 101
http://www.Promotion101.com
You've strung together enough HTML learning to put up a pretty darn
good site (if you may say so yourself). Every day you check your hit
counter and are continually discouraged to find only 12 people a day
are checking you out. What to do? We recommend paying a visit to this
fantastic resource for anyone looking for free advice on how to get
noticed. Everything from search engine placement tips to newsletters,
to things we didn't even think of. Pay enough attention here, and you
won't need a Promotion 201 site.
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AUTO LITERATURE
http://www.autoliterature.com
"Romeo, wherefore art thou distributor cap?" No, really. Auto
Literature is nothing like that. In fact, it's a site dedicated to
selling books (mostly how-to guides) on car repair, maintenance, and
upkeep. Whether you're a hardcore gearhead or just want to save
yourself some money every 3000 miles by changing the oil yourself,
you'll probably find a tome to toot about here. Secure online ordering
is available, and, thankfully, if you enter incorrect credit card
info, a shrill car alarm does not sound.
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ADAMS GOLF
http://www.adamsgolf.com
Today, the sport of golf is popular with almost every age group
(thanks in large part to Tiger Woods), and Adams Golf is one of the
sport's preeminent woods manufacturers. Take a stroll through this
appropriately green site for some Nick Faldo-proferred tips, a
reseller locator, a free golf screen saver, and a Q & A section with a
man named Barney.
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ACTION ATLAS: CORAL REEFS
http://www.motherjones.com/coral_reef/
Mother Jones magazine and the Coral Reef Alliance in Berkeley,
California, have teamed up to put together this red alert site that
calls attention (and hopefully action) to the Earth's troubled coral
reefs. Armchair activists and serious crusaders alike will find oceans
of information about where the current hot spots are and what they can
do to help. Scientists are predicting that 70 percent of the world's
reefs will be destroyed in 20 to 40 years unless we do something to
stop it. This well-designed site is a good place to start.
THE SKINNY
http://www.skinny.com
How can you be so skinny when you live so phat? That's the question
you gotta ask after flipping through the garish pages of this hip new
zine. Based in San Francisco, but with contributors from both coasts,
The Skinny dishes the sauce on fashion, music, nightlife, art,
photography, and music. Well written, plenty of attitude, and with an
apocalyptic humor throughout, The Skinny's not for everyone, but
serves its neon-hued corner on the Web well.
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RATE.NET
http://www.rate.net
Looking for the lowest rate on a mortgage, car loan, credit card,
or just about any other sort of loan? This service, offered by
DataTrac, PR Newswire, and IDC Financial Publishing , tracks more than
11,000 banks and loan institutions across the country and updates them
daily. More than 100,000 rates are updated each week. Search by type
of loan, the best rates, or your local providers; read reports; and
vaults more.
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LATE NIGHT WITH CONAN O'BRIEN
http://www.nbc.com/conan/
When Conan O'Brien came on the air in 1998, few would have
predicted he would qualify as a television success story. But here he
is, having mellowed a bit, calmed his coif, and knocking us dead,
night after sleepless night with his offbeat humor. This official new
site features Web versions of some of the show's funniest sketches,
including "In the Year 2000," "If They Mated," and "Actual Items."
Meet the cast and crew, and check to see who will be appearing on the
show in the nights ahead.
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UPS E-COMMERCE
http://www.ec.ups.com
In the world of e-commerce, the old phrase that says "those who
don't learn from history are doomed to repeat it" might be more
appropriate if it read "those who don't prepare for the future are
doomed never to see it." UPS sure seems to believe this, anyway. The
folks in brown want to help your business make the transition from the
analog to the digital age. Because even if your customers order from
your Web site, you still need a way to get them the product right?
Clearly intended for those businesses still caught like deer in the
Internet's headlights, the site provides some good straightforward
advice and information--before laying on the expected sales pitch.
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TASTE THE PAIN
http://www.tastethepain.com
No, this site is not what you think, folks, but one dedicated to
the often-masochistic purveyors of some of the world's spiciest and
most exotic hot sauces. Once you get through a couple of clunky
opening screens, hundreds of sauces, marinades, and mustards present
themselves (so innocently) for your consideration and purchase. Of
course, with names like "Sudden Death," you won't be mistaking these
for strawberry jellies. Taste the Pain extends its reach to include
hot sauce "lifestyle" items as well, such as drink mixers, posters,
and shakers.
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GIRLS ON NETWORK
http://www.girlson.com
Little did the boys in Duran Duran realize that in penning a tune
called "Girls on Film" several years ago, they provided a name for one
of the more successful young women-oriented Web sites around. Girls On
Film (the site) has just expanded to become the Girls On Network, in
which twenty-something women discuss TV, books, movies, and more. Romp
through the "fluff" section or dive into the features, but relax any
furrowed brows; these are fun reads all, with a clever sarcasm
throughout. We'll trust the site's comparison of the old "Love Boat"
show with the newer version over the stuffy TV Guide anytime.
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POPULA
http://www.popula.com
Tired of making what you think is the winning bid on eBay, only to
check back 30 seconds later and find that 57 people have since outbid
you? It's one of the problems of the online auction market--it's so
popular that getting a good deal is increasingly more difficult.
That's why it's good to get in on sites like Popula early--before
other people find out. So keep it a secret, OK? Go here to find
obscure, bizarre items in the books, Hollywood, music, and other
categories.
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MEDIAGOSSIP
http://www.mediagossip.com
Psst--did you hear the one about Tina Brown? Ha! Which one? Are you
a media junkie? Do you avidly read through the New York Observer's
"Off the Record" column and eagerly await Noam Chomsky's latest media
missives? You'd do well to stop by Jim Romenesko's Media Gossip. Jim
posts several items daily, culled from newspapers (mostly) around the
United States, usually described with biting editorial wit. Great
fodder for cocktail parties and to see how stories are covered around
the country.
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THE SMOKING GUN
http://www.thesmokinggun.com
Do you enjoy true crime novels and TV shows or find yourself with a
morbid curiosity whenever a high profile crime takes place? If so, you
might want to take a cautious gander down the barrel of this smoking
gun. This hub presents scores of legal papers, arrest affidavits,
crime scene reports, and more from famous lawsuits and crimes. You'll
find the police reports from Kurt Cobain's suicide, the Unabomber
trial notes, and sundry Hollywood Babylon affair documents. Photos are
rarely used (thankfully), and much of the papers are filled with
legalese mumbo-jumbo, but for the curious (morbidly or otherwise),
there's plenty of grist for the late night conspiracy theory mill
here.
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SHEWIRE
http://www.shewire.com
Looking for news from a woman's perspective? Look no further. The
venerable (can anything be venerable on the Net?) women's hub
ChickClick recently launched SheWire, a news service covering hard
news but with an audience of twentysomething women in mind. Read
selected stories from around the Web or interviews with weekly media
mavens, peruse well-written editorials, and participate in very active
message boards.
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THE PASSWORD
http://www.thepassword.com
Some cyber hipsters would have you believe that to maximize the
Web, you must be privy to a secret password, which, of course, they
won't give you. But now this brand new personalization service brings
to you the Web that you want to see. How does it work? Simple. The
Password consists of more than 350 "magazines," each topic-specific,
consisting of articles culled and edited from sources on the Internet.
What's more, The Password has a team of real live humans that scour
these sites, making sure what makes it into these magazines is
appropriate and timely. A revolutionary and successful way to truly
make the Web your own.
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THE HYPNODOG HOMEPAGE
http://www.btinternet.com/~hypnodog/
"Oscar stared at me strangely. I could feel myself going deeper and
deeper." One can almost picture a cover for a cheesy romance novel
with Fabio posing as the hypnotizing Oscar. But that quote isn't the
tag line on Danielle Steele's latest tome, but rather a satisfied
customer of Oscar, the Amazing Hypnodog. That's right, folks, a dog
that hypnotizes. Hugh Lennon's black lab has been knocking 'em dead in
England for quite some time now. You can check out some pictures of
Oscar at work and read more breathless testimonials to the canine's
curious capabilities.
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BARBECUE'N
http://www.barbecuen.com/
The smell of a ragin' barbecue on a hot summer night is one of the
reasons many people claim they can't become vegetarians. Whether
you're wet behind the ears when it comes to the great outdoor activity
or a seasoned charbroiler, Barbecue'n has something for you. Not sure
what cut of meat to grab at the market? Take a look at the cut guide
and rating system. If a recipe's what you're after, Barbecue'n has 'em
by the dozen. The role spices play in a barbecue is examined as well.
No longer will you think that a barbecue means simply throwing a
burger on the grill.
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OBSCURE STORE
http://www.obscurestore.com
With all the serious issues covered in the news, sometimes you need
to read lighter fare. Something to make you laugh or drop your jaw in
good-natured shock. Obscure Store and Reading Room (created by Jim
Romenesko, the same man who brought you mediagossip.com) can do just
that. Read through the several stories posted every day. Some sample
stories? "Crowds pack museum to smell stinky flower" and "Virgin Mary
image surfaces in Chicago home." Kinda like The Onion, but he's not
making this stuff up.
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ELECTRO MAGNETIC POETRY
http://prominence.com/java/poetry/
We doubt that when Beat poet William S. Burroughs first cut up his
writing and reassembled the words in a hodgepodge manner, he was aware
that his technique would become the model for the magnetic poetry kits
adorning refrigerators across the country. If he had, he'd probably
have died a much richer man. Now you can bring the fun of randomly
assembling words to make sentences right to your computer. (No, we're
not talking about a word processor.) It's a Java-based poetry kit.
Sharpen that pentameter and have fun doing so.
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CENTER FOR CONTEMPORARY DIPLOMACY
http://www.centerfordiplomacy.org
Let's face it: The world often needs to be a little more
diplomatic. The Center for Contemporary Diplomacy obviously thinks so.
We imagine the members walking through the center's halls, speaking in
hushed tones, and never butting in to another's argument. But that's
just us. Anyway, if politics interests you, you'll find dozens of
articles, essays, news stories, and video presentations all housed
here. Some revolve around Africa and African politics, but other than
that, the topics are entirely global. Fascinating, heady stuff.
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THE KISS
http://www.thekiss.com
Although some might simply call it an anatomical juxtaposition of
two obicularis oris muscles in the state of contraction, most of us
thankfully know it as a kiss. And few actions in all of humanity are
so simple and so everlasting. Remember your first one? Of course you
do. This site wants to hear all about it, so start using that mouth
(well, keyboard) for something other than puckering. Visitors can also
send an e-kiss or take in the latest kissing tip of the day. And with
a kiss's quality often signifying whether or not the dalliance will go
further, you can't know too much about the fine fun art of the kiss.
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CAREER BOOKSTORE.COM
http://www.careerbookstore.com
"Get a job!" To the less-than-motivated, those words, spoken by an
outraged parent, spouse, or guidance counselor can sound as shrill as
fingernails across a chalkboard. Through the help of this new virtual
bookstore, however, the task of becoming gainfully employed just got a
little easier. You won't find comic books sold here. Nope. Just books
about jobs. Getting one, keeping one, succeeding at one, you name it.
The topics are conveniently organized, and a very brief synopsis of
each title is offered. Online ordering, however, is not.
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STIMULUS
http://www.stimulus.com
Stimulus wants to do more than teach you the basics behind site
design, the physical underpinnings of the Internet, and tech
jargon--it wants to become your way of life. Well, maybe it doesn't
want to do that--quite--but this hip tutorial spot does stretch things
a little too far with some of its nontutorial sections. Still, for
what it's trying to do--teach about the Web--it does a good job.
You'll find how-to's on frames, HTML, and CGI scripts broken down into
easy lessons. Some freeware is also available.
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LOVING YOU.COM
http://www.lovingyou.com/
Valentine's Day is coming up right quick, well in a few months
anyway. Have you gotten your significant other a gift? Or are you
romantically challenged? Well, if you think a romantic night is one
where you hand over the remote control, you'd best stop into this rosy
spot immediately. You'll find romantic poems, quotes, date ideas,
links to like-minded sites, advice, free postcards, and much more.
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ISLANDCAM
http://www.islandcam.com
If you're living in a part of the country that has been suffering
from a month of heat and drought or a part of the country that's been
coping with hurricanes and floods, you might want to know that some
parts of the world are having nice weather. And if you're planning a
vacation, it helps just to take a glimpse at paradise. In this case,
paradise comes in the form of San Juan Harbor in the state of
Washington. How soothing to stare at a sunny, tranquil harbor while
the rain streaks down our windows.
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TEMP 24-7
http://www.temp24-7.com
The entry of "the temp" into the American workplace has
dramatically changed the way companies and individuals view labor.
We've become a nation overrun with "disposable" workers. And now, the
previously unheard temps have their very own sarcastic voice online in
the form of this new zine. Peruse gripes of the week, "temp terms,"
and temp tales of terror, play a hilarious Shockwave game, and forever
change the nonchalant way you consider hiring a temp for the day.
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AUSTIN CYBER LIMITS
http://www.pbs.org/klru/austin
Austin, Texas, has long been the unsung hero for good music. While
New York and LA got all the attention, Austin was busy churning out
heroes like Stevie Ray Vaughan, Lyle Lovett, and more recently, Spoon.
Those names represent three styles of music, but they all share one
thing in common: All three have performed at Austin City Limits, a
club whose shows are broadcast on PBS. But you don't have to be from
Austin to appear on the show. In fact, many musicians view playing
there as a right of passage. This new official site presents the
history of the show, with descriptions of each of its performers. Find
out who will appear on next week's program, or take a trip through the
musical past.
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PAUL IS DEAD
http://etonline.com/html/CyberScoop/362.3.html
It's 1981 and Paul Lomo, charismatic singer for the punk band
Miasma, was just found dead in a swimming pool. The media writes off
the tragedy as the suicide of a desperate man. But one woman--the
band's biggest fan--doesn't buy it, and she's taking you along on her
quest to uncover the truth. What is it? It's the latest serial
adventure on the Web, Paul is Dead. Each day, more clues are added to
the Shockwave-based mystery, and you get to tag along. Was it the
Satanic bass player? How about his mysterious girlfriend? The path to
the truth is nonlinear, and who knows what lurks beyond each click.
Well done, rich, and enthralling.
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GEEK CULTURE
http://www.geekculture.com
No longer an oxymoron, geek culture is alive and--well--alive. Ever
wonder what geeks think is funny? What kinds of TV shows they watch?
Wanna learn the latest lingo? How about checking out some geek strip
pens (don't worry, mom and dad, the whole site's rated PG)? Check out
geek culture to send your loved one a geek e-card, buy some geek
paraphernalia, download free geek software, or visit some sites deemed
geek worthy.
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ATOMIC POP
http://www.atomicpop.com
Fight the power! When Public Enemy's Chuck D rapped those words, he
probably didn't know that they would manifest in his releasing PE's
1999 album "There's a Poison Goin On" on an Internet record label,
thereby circumventing the record label's power. But sure enough, he's
done just that. And so did fellow rapper Ice T. Stop by one of the
first Internet labels to see what all the fuss is about, buy PE's
album (in MP3 or Zip drive format), or check out some of the free
music downloads.
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THE DIGITAL JOURNALIST
http://www.dirckhalstead.org
Renowned photojournalist Dirck Halstead was originally granted some
server space by Hewlett Packard to exhibit his photos and test some of
the company's visual imaging products. After hits to the site grew
phenomenally, Halstead decided to turn his project into a webzine
showcasing photos and photo-related articles from talents around the
world. His site bursts every month with fresh content--stories and
photos--and is a must see for anyone interested in photojournalism or
who likes to look at pretty pictures.
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PLAY IT AGAIN, SAM
http://www.sonique.com
While the debate rages over online music, with major labels wishing
it would go away and college kids and independent artists eating it
up, many sites have sprung up to cater to the demand. One such site is
Sonique, an MP3 player. What's so unique about that? Well, for
starters, Sonique has about the coolest looking MP3 player you've ever
seen. Adjustable, flexible, with tons of personalization features,
this player rocks. Technologically, it's flexible enough to handle
many standards, should MP3 not be the format that wins the online
music battle.
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WHEN THE LIGHTS DIM
http://www.bulbs.com
Damn! The light went out again. No, we're not talking about what
happens when you lose a good idea, but when an actual light burns out.
What to do? Well, obviously, you head to the closet or the nearest
store for a replacement. As testament to the fact that no market is
too small for a Web presence, we offer you bulbs.com, a site promising
"...the easiest method of sourcing, tracking, and reordering all your
light bulb needs at competitive prices." Obviously, this site is
geared more toward the business customer, but we thought it was cool
just for laughs.
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THE WORD DETECTIVE
http://www.word-detective.com
Puzzled by posh? Confounded by cattycorner? Baffled by balderdash?
Flummoxed by flabbergast? Have no fear! The word detective is here!
Although he wears no brim slung low and has no helper in tow, the word
detective is the place to go if you're unclear what any of these or
any other of about one gazillion English words mean. E-mail the good
detective your question (though no guarantee is made that you'll get
an answer), and while you're awaiting a reply, peruse the online
version of the eponymous newsletter or surf through the language links
at the bottom of the page. Disclosure: We had to ask the detective
what eponymous means.
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URBAN LEGENDS REFERENCE PAGE
http://www.snopes.com
"A friend of a friend was telling me the other day..." Stop! We've
all heard stories that start like that, and many times those stories
fall into the category of urban legend. Thanks to the Internet, urban
legends abound like never before, in the form of chain e-mails from
Bill Gates promising you $5,000 if you forward to ten people. Before
you make ten enemies, consult this site. Remarkably comprehensive,
snopes.com houses scores of legends, categorized by type and even
whether they're true or not. To back up their findings, the site's
owners provide source info for the verification.
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ASK JEEVES FOR KIDS
http://www.ajkids.com/
Perhaps you've heard of the Web site Ask Jeeves. If not, it's
essentially a smart, agent-based search engine: You ask the cyber
butler a question, and he returns some suggestions of sites based on
the inquiry you submitted. Now there's a Jeeves just for kids. Rather
than trying to teach Junior the arcania of Boolean search terms, have
your child enter a question such as "Where can I find Mr. Potato Head
online?" and Jeeves will offer his suggestions.
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STUNTMAN'S ASSOCIATION OF MOTION PICTURES
http://www.stuntmen.com/
When you were a kid, did you delight in jumping from trees and
sledding down cliffs? You might want to consider making a living from
those childhood traits. The Stuntman's Association of Motion Pictures
is a group of brave-hearted men and women who literally fall for
today's hottest stars. Read the history of the health insurance
industry's most hated organization, find out about upcoming events,
and send an e-mail if you're interested in joining. Probably the most
visited section is the store area. After all, if you're too chicken to
jump out of buildings for a living, at least you can wear a hat that
says you do.
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ONLINE JOURNALISM REVIEW
http://www.ojr.org
Hillary Clinton bemoans the lack of an "editor" for the Internet
(note to Hil: We're here--Ed.), but some notable journalism purists
beat her to the punch. Run by the Annenberg School for Communication
at the University of Southern California, the Online Journalism Review
takes a hard look at the state of reporting on the Web through news
stories, features, and interviews; the publication isn't afraid to
point out wrong doings, regardless of their source. A tremendous
resource for journalists (online or no), and anyone who reads words on
the Internet.
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YOU READ IT HERE FIRST
http://www.itgossip.net/
Think Matt Drudge has the market cornered on Internet gossip? Think
again. Although you probably won't find the word "Lewinski" anywhere
on this new site, if it's dirt about the Web that you're looking for,
you'll probably find it here: politics, policy, policing--you name it.
The tidbits displayed here are largely culled from other sources, but
you will find a couple of items put together by the IT Gossip squad as
well. The little message boxes that pop up whenever you click on a
headline grow annoying very fast, however.
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STRESS, INC.
http://stress.jrn.columbia.edu/
Stress, Inc. takes a look at the indecent sums of money, the
incredible stories, and the indelible stain that the commercialization
of stress has created. Read well-written essays discussing stress as
it has been commercialized in the worlds of advertising, publishing,
pharmaceuticals, fitness, and more. Getting stressed just reading
about it? Thankfully, the site provides some respite in the form of
games and quizzes. Wait--what if you don't get a high score?!
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ENTREPRENEUR'S HOME OFFICE MAGAZINE
http://www.homeofficemag.com
Home-based entrepreneurs (we call them loose collar workers)
constantly battle feelings of isolation. Gone is the inner-office
dynamic, replaced by mocking computer screens, complicated tax forms,
and daytime television. This empowering online version of the printed
magazine hopes to help change all that. Designed specifically for
those of us who call our home our office, EHOM presents a handful of
helpful articles, broken into features, trade secrets, technology,
home business, and living topics. The blend is a heady mix of
how-to's, first person testimonials, and humor. Next time you're home
working and feeling a little lonely, browse through this site and
marvel at the size of your demographic.
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DUMB LAWS R US
http://www.dumblaws.com
We don't recommend that you refer the police officer who pulls you
over to this site, but if you're frustrated by the bureaucracy of the
law or just want a few laughs, you'd do well to visit this site.
Nobody's got a lock on stupidity: all 50 states are represented here.
The site is forthcoming that some of the mentions haven't been
verified, but we're not taking any chances. When we're in
Massachusetts, we'll NEVER drive a car with a gorilla in the back
seat.
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HAPPY TRAILS TO YOU
http://www.westerns.com
"They don't make 'em like they used to"--a lament usually heard not
long into a Sunday afternoon UHF viewing of a classic black-and-white
western film. Although the genre has enjoyed sporadic resurgence in
the 1990s (with films such as Unforgiven, Dances with Wolves, and The
Last of the Mohicans), it never reclaimed the peak it held in the
1950s and early 1960s. This site is doing something to combat that--it
offers dozens of the classic films in streaming WindowsMedia format.
You'll also find trivia, links, sound files, and--shore 'nuf,
pardner--a tradin' post.
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THE GOLDEN RASPBERRY AWARD FOUNDATION
http://www.razzies.com
Ever felt cheated walking out of the movie theater? You plopped
down $8.50 on the flick, and it was really awful? Vent, my friend,
vent. The Golden Raspberry Award Foundation feels your pain. Each
year, the group compiles a list of what it calls the worst movies of
the year and awards them Razzies. Past award winners include Xanadu
and (of course) Showgirls. Visit the site to cast your vote in the
"100 Years, 100 Stinkers" poll, or check out who's in the lead for
this year's competition.
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PLAY IT AGAIN, SAM
http://www.sonique.com
While the debate rages over online music, with major labels wishing
it would go away and college kids and independent artists eating it
up, many sites have sprung up to cater to the demand. One such site is
Sonique, an MP3 player. What's so unique about that? Well, for
starters, Sonique has about the coolest looking MP3 player you've ever
seen. Adjustable, flexible, with tons of personalization features,
this player rocks. Technologically, it's flexible enough to handle
many standards, should MP3 not be the format that wins the online
music battle.
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ATOMIC POP
http://www.atomicpop.com
Fight the power! When Public Enemy's Chuck D rapped those words, he
probably didn't know that they would manifest in his releasing PE's
1999 album "There's a Poison Goin On" on an Internet record label,
thereby circumventing the record label's power. But sure enough, he's
done just that. And so did fellow rapper Ice T. Stop by one of the
first Internet labels to see what all the fuss is about, buy PE's
album (in MP3 or Zip drive format), or check out some of the free
music downloads.
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THE DIGITAL JOURNALIST
http://www.dirckhalstead.org
Renowned photojournalist Dirck Halstead was originally granted some
server space by Hewlett Packard to exhibit his photos and test some of
the company's visual imaging products. After hits to the site grew
phenomenally, Halstead decided to turn his project into a webzine
showcasing photos and photo-related articles from talents around the
world. His site bursts every month with fresh content--stories and
photos--and is a must see for anyone interested in photojournalism or
who likes to look at pretty pictures.
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GARBAGE IN, GARBAGE OUT
http://www.learner.org/exhibits/garbage/
How's this for a sobering stat: "If your habits resemble those of
average Americans, you contributed 1,570 pounds of solid trash and
3,613 pounds of sewage to the world's waste this past year." That
tidbit is taken from the home page of this startling call-to-arms,
part of the Annenberg/CPB Project (the company behind PBS's Save the
Planet series). Read dire warnings and explore possible solutions
(largely revolving around education and action, two alternatives the
site presents well). And if you think there's a lot of garbage on the
Web, you're right: The links section here is fuller than a McDonald's
trash can after lunch hour.
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TABLOID.NET
http://www.tabloid.net
The New York Times' slogan is "All the news that's fit to print."
We highly doubt the slogan for Tabloid.net is anything like that. But
if you like your news a little, um, vitriolic and loud, this is the
spot for you. Be warned, however: This is not your father's watered
down, all-things-for-all-people newspaper. Nope, this is a monthly
read aimed at those who like a little action in their scoops.
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THE ARCHIVE OF MISHEARD LYRICS
http://www.kissthisguy.com
How many times have you been out on a date, trying to impress the
person, thinking you're cool, singing along to the song on the radio,
when your companion leans over and politely tells you, "Um, those
aren't the words." Duh! Bummer. You can find companionship on this
site, which houses botched lyrics to more than 1,800 misheard lyrics.
Visitors send in each bungled lyric, and you can see the actual lyric,
how the lyric was misheard, and the embarrassing moment of revelation,
as well. Hilarious stuff.
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DICK DALE
http://www.dickdale.com
Jimi Hendrix was known for turning a right-handed guitar upside
down, stringing it backwards, and playing it as a lefty. Dick Dale,
surf-guitar hero bar none, plays his left-handed Strat upside down and
keeps it strung as a lefty, so that he can more easily solo on the
lower notes and create that low, rumbling staccato push associated
(thanks to him) with all surf music. Read Dale's personal history
(including how he single-handedly created surf music), send off fan
e-mail (Dale promises to read every piece he receives), and if you
just can't get enough of the man, purchase T-shirts and other
memorabilia, shippable even to such landlocked locales as Des Moines.
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NOT JUST FOR TEENS
http://www.bolt.com
Bolt, an online teen lifestyle journal, has compiled a compendium
of high school newspaper stories from around the nation. You won't get
lunch menus or sports scores here, but you will find some surprisingly
well-written opinion pieces, news reports, and--perhaps most
interesting--a section called Banned from Bolt, where stories that
have been censored by school administrators are posted. One such
article is an investigation written by a student who reveals how
easily children can buy cigarettes at two local stores. Fascinating
reading for people of all ages, and a welcome reminder that young
people are critical thinkers.
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THE LABOR OF LOVE
http://www.thelaboroflove.com
Perhaps if you asked them how they felt the day after delivery,
mothers of, for example, quintuplets or quadruplets would say they
were tired. At the new Labor of Love Web site, however, we found
scores of stories from women who wax romantic on the birth experience.
Home births, water births--you name it, you'll find it here, and no,
not all entries read simply: "Aaaauuugghhh!!!!" Want to post a birth
announcement? Go ahead, and be sure to include a glossy of your
young'un. Articles from Family Forum Magazine are available for
consultation, as is a pregnancy-and-parenting search engine.
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PIE GATES
http://www.hyperspective.com/piegates.html
Much of the world rejoiced (or at least snickered) when Bill Gates,
the world's richest man, got pied in the face in Belgium. Of course,
in this digital world, that creamy dish became a catalyst for a frenzy
of programming. Folks started digitizing and manipulating the image of
the flustered Bill, and other propeller heads put together Shockwave
games such as this. You control the head of Gates as he works his way
through a PacMan-like maze, avoiding the menacing pies and collecting
bags of loot along the way, first stopping by the courthouse, and then
to the World TV zone. This programmer obviously has a chocolate chip
on his shoulder, since it's nearly impossible to escape the pies.
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HEADCOUNT
http://www.headcount.com
"Everyone using the Internet...raise your hand!" Aside from
straining a lot of shoulders, counting all those extended digits would
be a tedious endeavor indeed. That's why services like Headcount are a
good resource if you're interested in how many people are on the Web,
where they're located, and what language they speak. Mostly culled
from other sources, the information presented here isn't detailed
enough to answer any need-to-know questions, but it fits squarely in
the nice-to-know category (read: good geek party convo). The links
section is pretty extensive, as well.
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BAJA OFF ROAD TOURS
http://www.bajaoffroadtours.com
If the thought of your annual vacation to the in-laws' condo fills
you with fear, not cheer, consider this rugged alternative. Couch
potatoes: Beware or be fried; this vacation is of the extreme variety.
For three days, you'll be led along the coast of California and Mexico
on a dirt bike. This official site offers gushing testimonials, some
beautiful photographs, and information on how to sign up for one of
these $1,500 sojourns, but little else.
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RINGLING BROS. BARNUM AND BAILEY
http://www.ringling.com
Psst--hey kid, wanna take a peek behind the big top's curtain? The
Ringling Bros. Barnum and Bailey Circus site has set up quite an array
of sights and sounds for young and old alike. Learn the history of the
travelling spectacular, find out when the two operating versions of
the circus will appear in your town, and purchase tickets online. Meet
the performers (see the pictures of the new baby elephant!), and keep
yourself busy until the circus comes around. Don't pay extra to see
the egress, though.
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THE DIGITAL ART OF LARRY CARLSON
http://www.ziplink.net/~s76
Photo-enhancing programs like Photoshop have broadened the palette
of artists and, at the same time, lowered the bar for what it takes to
call yourself an artist. This site demonstrates both of those
statements. First, Mr. Carlson, self-described "surfer and sampler" is
able to take photographs from the Web and enhance them digitally,
turning once blase photos into kaleidoscopic landscapes. On the other
hand, however, his work consists merely of tweaking existing photos.
Artist or borrower? Visit and decide, but decrease the resolution of
your monitor, because Carlson uses a tiny font throughout.
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TOBACCO RESOLUTION
http://www.tobaccoresolution.com/index3.html
In today's conglomeratized (we made up that word) world, it's hard
to know what news source to trust, especially when the topic is as
monied, lobbied, and detested as the tobacco industry. Hail, then, the
Internet and its ability to post the millions of pages of once-secret
documents that the tobacco industry has only now made public. Of
course, you have to have a true zeal for the topic to wade through the
often incalculably dull legal mumbo jumbo, but the real victory here
is that these papers are available, and a medium exists for all to see
them.
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POOR RICHARD'S WEB SITE
http://www.poorrichard.com/
Think you need to spend hundreds, even thousands of dollars to put
together a killer Web site? Think again. Poor Richard's Web Site, a
book by Peter Kent, will set you back less than $40 and promises to
tell you whether or not you need a Web site, how to make one, and
perhaps most important, how to promote your site once you get it up
and running. A handful of chapters are offered in their entirety for
your perusal, as are testimonials and examples. The strength of this
promotional site lies in the 700-plus links offered. Definitely worth
a visit.
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M&M'S CYBERCENTER FOR MILLENNIUM HYPE
http://www.m-ms.com/
Did you know that M&Ms are "The Official Candy of the New
Millennium"? M&M is the Roman numeral representation of 2000, get it?
Now you know. To find out more important facts about the history of
the durable, colorful candy, including how the idea struck Forrest
Mars Sr. during the Spanish Civil War and why red ones were taken out
of the color mix for 11 years, check out this corporate site. You
won't find just shameless PR here; the hypesters have taken a
tongue-in-cheek approach (so to speak) to their material. Oh yeah, you
can also register for a couple contests and proclaim yourself the
"Darned-Near-Official" something of the millennium.
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JUST QUOTES
http://www.justquotes.com
Money's important. It's not everything, but it's important.
Managing your money, therefore, is important as well, but who's got
time? The information on the Web makes money managing easier, but you
still have to search for dozens of sites to get the info you need.
Until now. Just Quotes pulls together and links dozens and dozens of
financial news sources, stock quotes, and indicators on one page. Type
in the company name you're interested in, and all those links are
automatically calibrated to link to the company you specified.
Bookmark the page and you can find out about your portfolio quicker
and easier than ever before.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
INTEL'S MIXMAN STUDIO DEMO
http://www.intel.com/cpc/play/music/
Think you have what it takes to be the next hot producer? Or the
greatest new hip DJ? If you have a Pentium II-based PC with a
soundcard and CD-ROM drive, you have what it takes. Of course, a
little talent and a discerning ear never hurt, either, but enough
about that. Intel's Mixman Studio--downloadable from the site--enables
you to download and mix sounds, fiddle with sounds from a CD-ROM, and
basically provide you with enough tech fun to wile away many a rainy
afternoon. Like what you hear? You can purchase the full-featured
version as well.
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THE WEBBY AWARDS
http://www.webbys.com
The votes were cast, the trophies polished, and the 1999 Webby
Awards finally happened--and as attendees, we can confidently
say--without a hitch. This official site has been up for a little
while, but now you can view the list of this year's winners. Plus, for
the 2000 Webbys, there'll be a People's Choice vote as well. Note to
aspiring Webmasters: There's still plenty of time before next year's
awards, so get coding!
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ANOTHER UNIVERSE.COM
http://www.anotheruniverse.com
Comic book fans exist in a pretty inclusive world--a world whose
habitues typically include pre-teen sci-fi enthusiasts, post-teen
programmers, some role-playing fans, and little else. Still, somewhere
amidst that demographic must certainly exist the comic book fan who
wants to expand his or her borders. We think that Another Universe
exists for that demographic. We think that because exactly whom AU
exists for isn't entirely clear. It focuses on comic book
paraphernalia, sci-fi memorabilia, and the like, but it also includes
Hollywood news items, interviews with B-level celebs, and other
assorted items. Maybe it's step one in a 12-step comic book weaning
program.
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YAHOO! INSURANCE CENTER
http://insurance.yahoo.com/
With Yahoo!'s stock leaping more than 10 percent recently, perhaps
the best insurance you can get is to gobble up some of the company's
stock. Well, given the volatility of the Internet stocks, that might
not actually be the best policy, but you can check Yahoo! to decide
what kinds of policies are right for you, thanks to this new hub. Read
the short articles arranged by insurance type, and then head off to
the company's selected links for the program that best matches your
needs.
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ANDALE
http://www.andale.com
Until the naming committees on the Internet can figure out how to
allow an accent mark in a URL, allow us to offer a quick tutorial. The
name of this power-auction users' hub is not pronounced "an-dale," but
rather "an-da-lay," as in Spanish for "quickly." That said, this site
is a treasure if you're one of the umpteen thousand "power auction"
sellers on Internet auction sites. Managing and tracking items on
various auctions has been a time-consuming endeavor, but Andale
enables you to automate and manage your auctions across a wide array
of sites from one central hub.
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EXCITE VOICE CHAT
http://www.excite.com/communities/chat/voicechat/
There's really only so much you can express with those pesky
emoticons. You know, :), :(, etc., etc., ad infinitum, ad nauseum.
Sometimes there's just no substituting the human voice. Until
recently, however, it wasn't possible to "chat" vocally over the Web.
Fear not: the wheel of technological innovation rolls on quickly, and
Excite is one of the first sites now to offer "voice chat." Download
the small app, plug in that microphone, turn on those speakers, and
you're in business. It's easy to set up private chat rooms if you want
to schedule a talk with your ma or that certain cyber someone.
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SPIN MAGAZINE
http://www.spin.com
Spin, the arbiter of cool in the areas of music, clothes, and
lifestyle for the 15- to 30-year-old age set, has recently revamped
its Web site. The result? A successful mirroring of its paper-bound
'tude, plus daily news postings, songs samples, video clips, and a
weekly Kool Thing section, detailing what the Web site's editors deem
the "hot" thing of the week. We'd like to see a little more content
from such an action-packed magazine, but the samplings that the
Spinsters give us keep us coming back.
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I-DRIVE
http://www.idrive.com
It's 9:30 p.m., you're about done with the PowerPoint presentation
you have to give at 8:00 a.m. the next day, but when you go to
transfer it to your notebook, you realize the file size is too big for
a floppy, and you don't have access to a Zip drive. What to do? Used
to be, panic. Now, however, you can simply upload the file onto
I-Drive, a site that offers users 25MB of free secure storage, so you
can access your files anywhere there's an Internet hookup.
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TURKISH GUY
http://www.istanbul.tc/mahir/
We don't understand it either, but there's something about Mr.
Mahir that has the Web all aflutter. Since his site was first noticed
in October until now, millions of fans have flocked to his homepage
seeking ... what, exactly? A good laugh, to say the least, as this
affable Turk announces his affinity for women and a propensity for
broken English. A testament to the Web's quirky collective sense of
humor.
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GOOD STORY
http://www.goodstory.com
You've just finished the final chapter on what you're sure is the
Great American Novel. Your mom and your significant other both say
they love it, and now all you have to do is turn the rest of the world
onto it. Where do you start? You could do worse than to turn to
goodstory.com. The site offers help to fledgling writers through work
critiques, publisher contacts, and agent interactions. You can
classify your work as a screenplay, novel, short story/article, or
Internet concept. Goodstory is one Internet concept that's been a long
time coming.
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SEINFELD.COM
http://www.seinfeld.com
Sniff, sniff. After Seinfeld signed off the air for the last time,
Jerry devotees had to find solace and laughs elsewhere. A logical
choice might be this official site, a self-proclaimed "site about
nothing." But wait, there's something there! Quite a bit, actually.
View episode clips, cast your vote on whether or not Jerry and Elaine
should have ended up together, play a Shockwave game, enter your
trivia questions, choose your favorite episodes, enter a Seinfeld
contest, yadda yadda yadda.
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ABSOLUTE PROMOTIONS
http://www.victoryone.com/
So you finally mastered a few HTML tags, you put up some photos of
your vacation on the lake, and now you want to tell the world. What to
do? You might want to stop by this simple site that can point you to a
few existing resources on the Web to help you promote your site. Not
overly exhaustive, but including most of the key players, you can
choose from search engine submission services, banner exchanges,
promotional software, marketing e-zines, and more.
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SMITHSONIAN WITHOUT WALLS: REVEALING THNGS
http://www.si.edu/revealingthings/
All too often museums call attention to lofty works of art, in the
process neglecting the simple things that surround us, equally capable
of inspiring and invoking beauty. This online exhibit by the
Smithsonian--the first created specifically for the Web--calls
attention to such items. The exhibit showcases ordinary items donated
by ordinary folks that transcend their pedantic origins and evoke high
art. Peruse exhibits featuring patched bellbottoms, wooden hand
puppets, an ironing board, and more on this incredibly well designed
enclave.
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THE SINGAPORE ZOOLOGICAL ADVENTURE
http://cyberfair.gsn.org/tchs98/
Can't make it to Singapore anytime soon? Worry not, dear comrades,
as the Singapore Zoo is coming to you through your computer. Read
interviews with the zoo masters, check out the photographs (lions and
tigers, oh my!), and discover the unique aspect of the zoo--that it's
open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. No rest for the wicked or the
zoo animals, apparently. This allows for a unique "night safari" in
which visitors are allowed to explore the jungle scenarios in the
dark. Yikes.
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WORLD OPPONENT NETWORK
http://www.won.net
Some people buy computers for business, others use them to surf the
Web, and some buy them mainly to play games. If you fall into the
latter category, you'll probably enjoy this gaming hub sponsored by
Cendant (formerly C.U.C. International). Here you'll find downloads,
demos, access to multiplayer rooms, reviews, news, updates, patches,
message boards, links, tournaments, and contests. Phew!
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MAMMOTH RECORDS
http://www.mammoth.com
Mammoth Records, home to the Squirrel Nut Zippers, Victoria
Williams, Blake Babies, and dozens more artists, has just redesigned
its official site in sync with its announcement that all future CDs
released by the label will feature interactive content. While most
pundits declared CD-Is dead in the water a couple years ago, the folks
at Mammoth continue to hold that flag high. Read the latest
label/artist news, check out the latest release dates, and visit any
of the artists' official homepages here.
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THE REMEDI PROJECT
http://www.theremediproject.com/
We were put off by this site's audacity when we called it up for
the first time. As part of the opening screen, you have to download a
400k Shockwave program! But once we got inside, we realized our
initial disdain was unwarranted. Named after the concept of
"REdesigning the MEdium through Discovery," this gorgeous, artistic
site profiles 10 artists/Web designers and their visual theses on
communicating. Stunning in a museum-like quality, this is not a place
to go in a hurry, but an enclave to explore when you're in the mood
for enchantment.
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DG: EXCERPTS FROM D.W. GRIFFITH'S GREATEST FILMS
http://www.uno.edu/~drcom/Griffith/
Few American filmmakers hold the cultural and artistic prestige
that D.W. Griffith held in his lifetime, a prestige that continues
through today. Spanning the years from 1908 to 1931, his films, most
of them silent, handled such heady topics as the Civil War and
intolerance. This site offers an extensive history of Griffith, as
well as clips of his more famous movies, including "Birth of a Nation"
and "Intolerance." The clips aren't in RealVideo, and to break the
films up into uneven segments hardly does them justice. Still, by
viewing a couple or reading of his influence on the world of cinema,
you might be inspired to hunt down some complete prints at your local
arty video store.
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COMPUTER JOBS
http://www.computerjobs.com
Who says you need to move to the San Francisco Bay Area to land a
good job in the high tech industry? Not the people behind this site.
With thousands of jobs listed in the often-overlooked areas of
Atlanta, Texas, the Carolinas, and Chicago, this hourly updated hub
could help you land the gig you're after. Search by date listed, level
of skill required, computer language, or post your resume here.
Exhaustive and current--two very desirable traits for a job posting
service.
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KRANZLER KINGSLEY COMMUNICATIONS
http://www.kkcltd.com/
Rarely will a corporate Web site make us chuckle--intentionally.
This home of the Kranzler Kingsley Communications company provides the
requisite 411 on the Web design/advertising/marketing firm, but also
throws in a little fun as well. Try your hand at writing awful
headlines or creating annoying jingles while you peruse the client
list and view the group's previous work.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
EDUCAID
http://www.educaid.com
For many parents, sending Junior off to college is a mixed
blessing. On the one hand, you get the thankless twirp out of the
house and you can rediscover one another. On the other, his higher
education can set you back six figures if you're not careful. This
site can't help you rediscover your significant other, but it can help
you make the financial aspects of college education a little easier.
But this site from Educaid--one of the 10 largest educational loan
institutions in the country--isn't just for parents. College and high
school students will also find stuff for themselves here. Subscribe to
the monthly newsletter that provides checklists for soon-to-be
students, consult financial aid information, and consider taking out
loans offered here.
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THE HUNGER SITE
http://www.thehungersite.com
Every 3.6 seconds, someone on the planet dies from hunger, and
three-quarters of those deaths are children under the age of five.
Pretty depressing, huh? Thanks to the Internet, though, doing
something about it has never been so easy. If you have a few seconds
to spare, stop by the Hunger Site and simply click on the link that
reads Donate Free Food. For every click on the link, the 11 sponsors
behind the site will contribute three cups of staple food--wheat,
rice, maize, or others--to starving people around the world.
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SPACE STATION
http://www.spacestation.com
With the recent failure of the Mars mission, the space program
could use a little pick-me-up. We all cheered when John Glenn took to
the skies again, but--let's face it--that was more a PR move by NASA
than anything of serious scientific merit. The Space Station, on the
other hand, that's where the real action is. Whether you're mildly
curious about this USA/Russian hookup far up in the sky or a die-hard
aficionado of all things interstellar, you'll find something of
interest on this jam-packed site. Presented by Encyberpedia and NASA,
Spacestation.com offers true geeks the opportunity to view real-time
space station data and gives the rest of us a chance to meet the crew,
discover the history of space travel, and view launchings. Who knows?
Maybe someday we'll all be up there, checking out Web sites about the
planet Earth.
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THE DIALECTIZER
http://www.rinkworks.com/dialect/
Know a Webmaster who you'd love to play a practical joke on? Visit
the Dialectizer, choose which dialect you want to run that person's
Web site through (pig latin, Elmer Fudd, redneck, jive, and more),
enter the URL, call your coding geek friend over, and watch as his or
her heart races and he or she runs screaming for the servers. The
Dialectizer takes all the HTML code on a site and, well, dialectizes
it. For instance, a sample headline on PC World's site talking about
the influx of women on the Web suddenly reads like a redneck: "Wimmen
on th' Net t'Stay. In about 4 years, wimmen haf become 40 percent of
Net users, an' they're changin' th' lan'scape. Mo'e in PC Wo'ld
Today." Hilarious stuff.
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STICK FIGURE DEATH THEATER
http://www.sfdt.com
Yep, this one's a little, well, different. We had no idea that
people didn't like stick figures. You know, those most rudimentary of
drawings, the star of the popular Hangman game? But apparently some
folks do, and they've taken the time to create this handful of
bizarre, yet hilarious, short gif file snuff drawings. Don't worry
about bandwidth blues when you want to watch these executions; the
beauty of stick figures is that they're light on the graphics files.
Choose from four scenes (all of which would garner no worse than a PG
rating in the movies) and give your day a much needed dash of
nonsensical hilarity.
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BOTSPOT
http://www.botspot.com
Even though bots are the rage in portals and the Internet, they've
been around for more than 30 years. What's a bot? Short for robot, a
bot is an electronic sentry--also known as an intelligent agent--that
scours the Web to help you find what it is you're looking for. Kind of
like a search engine, bots are more finely tuned and personalizable,
able to adapt to your needs and learn from previous retrievals. Three
years old, Botspot is the place to go if you want to learn more about
these programs and where to find the best ones. The site profiles a
"Bot of the Week," reviews the selected bots, and gives a glimpse of
this fascinating and burgeoning area of computing.
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JUST LUKE
http://justluke.virtualave.net/index2.html
Pity poor Luke Skywalker. Left out of the most recent Star Wars
movie, his spotlight stolen by something called a Jar Jar Binks, ol'
Luke could use a little loving these days. If you're a die-hard Star
Wars fan who wants to feel the Luke love, stop on by this extensive
fan site for Luke news, sightings, rumors, sound files, and movie
clips. Mark Hamill--if you're out there--we still care, man. May the
force be with you.
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MAKEUP DIVA
http://www.makeupdiva.com
Ever wonder why some women go to the bathroom in groups and take so
long while they're in there? This site might give you an idea. For
most men, personal grooming is very simple. We shower, shave, and
maybe comb our hair. Some women, however, feel the need to dress up
their faces and bodies with makeup. This offbeat site hopes to serve
as a guide to such women, offering weekly makeup tips. "Let me just
start by saying that makeup is my life!" boasts the diva herself, and
judging from her knowledgeable responses to the questions (past
inquiries are archived), she walks the walk and talks the talk (and
carries a stylish makeup bag all the while, we're sure).
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ACRONYM FINDER
http://www.mtnds.com/af/
Remember when Y2K threatened to be TEOTWAWKI? Uh, what? In today's
increasingly confusing world, acronyms are common in conversation.
Sometimes--as in the sentence above--a combination of them can be
pretty overwhelming. The next time somebody spouts alphabet soup,
you'd do well to stop into the Acronym Finder to decipher what it is
he or she is saying. The interface is simple. Type in the acronym and
the site searches through nearly 70,000 known acronyms and returns
what it finds. We tried to stump it on computer arcania and scientific
esoterica, but it had us in every instance. A valuable bookmark.
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PUZZABILITY
http://www.puzzability.com
Oh, these dark days of winter, when the snow won't let up, the sun
won't stay out, and about the only way to get the mercury rising is to
light a match under it. What's a spring-seeking glum chum to do? If
you have a Java-enabled computer, you can at least wile away the dark
hours of winter having fun--it seems to make them go by faster. Why
not tease your brain while you're at it? Some former editors of the
venerable Games magazine have formed a company called Puzzability, and
they're offering some free brain-teasers on this engrossing site.
Crosswords, word searches, you name it--you'll find plenty of clever
(and tough) games to play gratis. Puzzability is an 11-letter word for
fun.
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MULLETS GALORE
http://www.mulletsgalore.com
Ha ha ha ha! That was our uproarious reaction when we first clicked
on this site, a homespun effort dedicated to pointing out the mullet
and all its glorious variations. What's a mullet, you ask? The style
of haircut that might never have been in style, but continues to
thrive today. Short in front, long in back, baby. The mullet. Take a
tour through the "Mullet classification" sections, view the mullet of
the week, and brush up on your mullet vocabulary. The language gets
saucy occasionally, but nothing too bad.
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FRISKY PET
http://www.friskypet.com
Not a new spin-off magazine line from Penthouse, but a catchall Q&A
site for anyone who owns either of the top two pets: cats and dogs.
Just because cats and dogs are domesticated doesn't mean they're not
quirky, often nonsensical beasts. This site, sponsored by such
companies as Alpo, Friskies, and others, answers dozens of "Why does
my dog/cat..." questions and offers nutrition tips, pet care resources
(both online and off), and an opportunity to ask a pet expert
questions such as why Fido continues to tear up the magazines you lay
on the coffee table.
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DULL MEN'S CLUB
http://www.dullmen.com
Call them what you will. The dullard. The bore. The guy who shows
up at your party and bores half the room to tears. Of course he means
well, but how do you tell a friend or acquaintance that, well, he's
dull? One way might be to slip this URL in his mailbox anonymously, or
forward this e-mail. Dull Men's Club has some pretty strict admittance
requirements, as you'll find out if you take the "Are You Dull?" test.
Once you're in, check out some of the monthly events they have
scheduled, read profiles of certifiably dull fellows, and discover
what celebrities are yawners, as well.
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WHO WOULD YOU KILL
http://www.whowouldyoukill.com
We'll start off by saying that we don't condone even the notion of
murder, but given that this site is a fantasy site based on the murder
of television characters, we thought it was OK to mention. Besides,
who hasn't at one point or another screamed at the television as their
favorite character hooked up with that, that worm? Well, here's your
chance at revenge. Each week, Who Would You Kill lets visitors vote
for who on a particular show they'd off (past choices included
Baywatch, Addams Family, and Dawson's Creek), and how they'd do the
deed. Good, escapist fun.
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DICTIONARY.COM
http://www.dictionary.com
The English language is an odd, unwieldy thing. Ask any
multilinguist what the toughest languages are to learn, and English
will probably rank near the top. Of course, that's no excuse for
native speakers not to be able to put together a sentence or spell
things correctly. If you're among the grammatically challenged, you
might want to bookmark dictionary.com for future term papers,
presentations, or important e-mails. Dictionary.com hubs all the top
dictionaries, thesauri, style books, and more, and it also offers some
basic English language tutorials.
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BAD COOKIE
http://www.badcookie.com/
Many of us have played that naughty fortune cookie game in which we
add the words "in bed" to the end of our prescribed fortune. But even
that randy twist doesn't deflate the often bubbly, rosy text that
greets us when we crack open the dessert. And it doesn't take a cynic
to wish for a fortune with a little more teeth, a little more realism
and grit. Enter not the dragon, but Bad Cookie, an online fortune
cookie for the rest of us. Crack open the virtual cookie for gems like
"Beware the dark, mechanical bird" or "You have little wit or energy,"
and suddenly, even your worst days don't seem so bad compared to the
fortune this site predicted for you.
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USELESS KNOWLEDGE
http://www.uselessknowledge.com
Did you know that "If the head of a cockroach is removed carefully,
so as to prevent it from bleeding to death, the cockroach can survive
for several weeks? When it dies, it is from starvation." Pretty
incredible stuff, huh? That and $2.50 will get you a grande mocha
latte, my friend. But some of us thrive on these kinds of ridiculously
arcane and esoteric tidbits to get us through cocktail parties,
airplane flights, and job interviews. Where do we get it all? Some of
us start at Useless Knowledge, a site dedicated to trivia, quotes,
quizzes, and useless facts. Comb through words of the day, sound
quizzes, and more. Really, you can never tell when knowing that a pig
can get sunburned will come in handy.
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SPEEDING TICKET
http://www.speedingticket.net
You have flown halfway across the country to attend a friend's
wedding. You grab a rental car and rush off, desperately trying to get
to the church on time. Then in your rear-view mirror you see that
horrible sight: the flashing lights of a police car, pulling you over
for speeding. Were you going that fast? You've never been to Kalamazoo
and you don't have the slightest clue how to find a good traffic
lawyer to contest the ticket and save some points on your insurance.
No problem. Call up this site for a nearly countrywide listing of
lawyers, insurance agents, and, if need be, bail bondsmen to help you
out of the jam. Enter the county and state you were pulled over in,
and detailed listings are only a click away.
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PEEL DOWN
http://www.peelworld.com
Before you dismiss this site as yet another portal, take a closer
look. Although it borrows from the popular design aesthetic of its
portal siblings, Peel has a very specific target audience in mind,
namely the Web-active 18-30 set. If you are in that age group, or wish
you were, you might want to take a look at some of the site
suggestions offered here. Rather than just stick to URL pointers,
however, Peel also presents original opinion columns, relationship
advice, and the opportunity to search other, more comprehensive search
engines, as well. Like Yahoo!, Peel offers links only to sites it
thinks its audience will like. We'll hope that the variety of
offerings increases from this nascent hub as time goes by.
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GROUNDHOG'S DAY
http://www.groundhog.org/
Let's all pause for a moment and be thankful we're not Punxsutawney
Phil. The poor critter spends his entire life in a hole, and when he
does finally come up, it's only for a couple minutes until people can
catch whether or not his shadow can be seen. Seems like an odd reason
for a holiday, doesn't it? If the origins of this bizarre occurrence
have ever intrigued you, you'll want to cast no shadow in rushing over
to this official site of the Philadelphia town where the magic
happens. Trace the history, watch the event in real-time (or archived
Quicktime footage), check on the weather, play some groundhog-inspired
Shockwave games, or buy some groundhog memorabilia. Bet you never
thought so much could be made of one varmint's ability to see his
shadow, eh?
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PHONESPELL
http://www.phonespell.org
Mark my words: before too long, business cards will get bigger.
They'll have to, what with the explosion of cell phones, pager
numbers, personal faxes, private lines, and everything else that's
happening around the world. It's tough to remember all your own
numbers, let alone someone else's. But now there's a site that can
help manage this dial-up overload and let you have a little fun while
you're at it. Enter your phone number (area code included if you want)
at PhoneSpell, and it returns all the possible spellings from the
digits you enter. For example, 827-7877 becomes "TAR-PUPS." Simple,
and a lot of fun.
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I-DRIVE
http://www.idrive.com
Nope, not a site rallying people around the car, but rather a place
for you to store stuff while you're on the road. Think of it as
storage space that's always available to you, wherever you are, if you
have access to the Internet. I-Drive provides up to 50MB of space on
its servers--free of charge. It's a great place to store digital
photos so your family can see them, to put a big PowerPoint
presentation you need to access in a faraway town, and for remote
collaboration.
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LATIN AMERICAN RADIO STATIONS
http://www.latinworld.com/radio
With the soaring popularity of salsa dancing, you don't have to
listen too hard these days to find the sweet strains of Latin American
music issuing from a radio or dancehall somewhere. Of course, if
you're holed up at work and can't exactly cha cha over to the fax
machine, this RealAudio site might be a happy middle ground. Here
you'll find dozens of audio streams from stations found in Columbia,
Puerto Rico, Venezuela, Honduras, and more. If you find a station you
like, you can jump to its home page from here. Who knows, if it takes
e-mail requests, you might be able to set up a truly long-distance
dedication.
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BASQUIAT.NET
http://www.basquiat.net/
Jean-Michel Basquiat lived a short, brilliant life. Single-handedly
rejuvenating the New York art scene in the 1980s (well, OK, with the
help of Keith Haring), Basquiat (pronounced bahs-kee-aht) took his
graffiti-based art to unimaginable heights. This site is an
educational effort to help people understand and appreciate the man's
genius. View some of his work, read his life story, and understand the
reason why a major motion picture was made about the man a few years
ago.
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SIX BILLION HUMAN BEINGS
http://www.popexpo.net/english.html
Perhaps you first notice it in a crowded subway line. Or while
waiting for a table at a popular restaurant, or looking around at an
outdoor concert. Yep. It's official: The world is a crowded place. Six
billion crowded, as a matter of fact. Every second, five people are
born, and two folks die. That's a net gain of three people for every
click of the clock, according to the folks at the Museum National
d'Histoire Naturelle in Paris, the sponsors of this fascinating site.
If you're 28 years old, the world's population has increased by nearly
60 percent since you were born. Take a trip through the
Shockwave-heavy tour to discover countless facts about the delicate
balance that we as humans maintain here on earth.
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STAT MARKET
http://www.statmarket.com
Here's a little secret: Many people become writers or editors
because they...hate math. As one of the only majors where you don't
have to take any math classes, English is a godsend for the many
numerically challenged among us. But for every numberphobe, there's a
number-freak. If you crave both numbers and the Internet, Stat Market
will make you a very happy person indeed. View the latest statistics
and percentages in a wide, uh, number of Internet trends. Check on
Microsoft's browser lead over Netscape, operating system trends, plug
ins, and more.
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DIGITAL FILM FESTIVAL
http://www.dfilm.com/
The San Francisco Film Festival rolls into town in March, bringing
with it some of the finest foreign and domestic cinematic minds. Most
major cities boast of their own fests, and a few--such as the Sundance
Film Festival and Cannes--make international headlines. But appearing
right now on your computer screen is a new kind of film festival,
available all year round, 24 hours a day. D-Film, as it's known, has
been around for a couple of years, and with the promise of high-speed
bandwidth finally appearing, the digital movies available for viewing
can be seen in close to their intended form. If the thought of sitting
in front of your screen and watching tiny movies doesn't appeal to
you, you can find out where the physical, traveling version of this
festival will appear next. What's more, the site offers classifieds
and how-to's for aspiring filmmakers.
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ABSURD
http://www.absurd.org
E-commerce sales up. Chat rooms flourishing. Everybody's got a Palm
Pilot. Just a sign that the economy is skyrocketing and that
technology is bringing us all together? Well...some folks have other
ideas about what this technoglut portends. Their vision--if, like a
pointillist painting, observed close up and scrutinized--doesn't
really make sense. By stepping back and searching for the bigger
picture in the cacophony of noises, sights, flashes, and text, this
truly insane site offers often biting commentary. Too heady for you?
Turn down the lights and marvel at the eye candy.
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BIG WORDS
http://www.bigwords.com
Before too long, the end of another college year will be upon us.
Besides the litany of well-wishes to graduates and "see you next
falls" to underclass folks, it also means college kids across the
United States will have to try and sell back books they may have only
opened a couple times for nickels on the dollar. But wait! There's an
alternative. Check out BigWords when you're trying to sell back your
books. As their candid motto states, "We rip you off less." What's
more, BigWords sells college textbooks for far less than school
bookstores, and you don't need to stand in line for hours just to
shell out several hundred dollars for a semester's texts.
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RIO PORT
http://www.rioport.com
"You know something's happening, but you don't know what it is, do
you Mr. Jones?" When Bob Dylan sang those words, they became a
metaphor for young upstarts threatening to disrupt a complacent
entity. On the Web, one of the most vocal (pun intended) disruptions
is happening in the music world. MP3, a file format for compressing
CD-quality sound to about 1MB per minute, threatens to revolutionize
the music industry. Diamond Multimedia is one of the major players
here, with its portable MP3 player, the Rio. RioPort is an MP3 portal
put up by Diamond, with links to MP3 files, news, tools, bands, and
more.
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CONEY ISLAND USA
http://www.coneyislandusa.com
"Step right up, step right up! See the dog-faced boy! The human
pincushion!" For some strange reason, that exhortation--combined with
the promise of acid indigestion-inducing food--has proved irresistible
to boys and girls of all ages for decades. With spring beckoning, it
can't be long before another season at that venerable vacation spot,
Coney Island, is upon us. Whether you're only a ferry away or halfway
across the globe, you can check into this site to learn more about the
history of the place, some of its more famous continuing attractions,
and, yes, photos of the Bearded Lady.
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NUCLEAR BLAST MAPPER
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/amex/bomb/sfeature/mapablast.html
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