US DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE SERVER HACKED
If you happened to try to visit the US Department of Justice (DoJ) home page August 17, you either couldn't load it or were in for a big surprise. Hackers replaced the page with their own, which featured swastikas, Attorney General Adolph Hitler (ably assisted by a fake topless Jennifer Aniston), and obscenities. The hack comes off as a sophomoric attempt to rant against censorship and limits on free speech. The real DoJ page is back up, but we found a copy of the hack floating out there. Be prepared for a humorless page and a faceful of genitalia. CNN has the media blurb. Hack: "http://www.otol.fi/~jukkao/usdoj/" DoJ: "http://www.usdoj.gov/" CNN: "http://www.cnn.com/US/9608/17/website.sabotage.wir/index.html"
We promised more Mars links, and would we lie? There's a plethora of eminently visitable sites, starting with the NASA Ames' Center for Mars Exploration and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory's (JPL) Mars Exploration home page. Both feature gobs of information, including photos, fact sheets, newsletters, and an array of links to other Mars related material. Three robotic missions planned for launch later this year - Mars Pathfinder, Mars Global Surveyor, and Russia's Mars 96 - all have pages of their own, the first two at the JPL site. Watch for another Mars installment next issue. Ames: "http://cmex-www.arc.nasa.gov/" JPL: "http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/mars/" Mars 96: "http://www.iki.rssi.ru/mars96/mars96hp.html"
A CLOSE LOOK AT NEXT JANUARY'S PRESIDENT
Between now and November, Bill Clinton and Bob Dole are going to be duking it out for the American presidency, barring any miracles from short, loud billionaires. An extremely neat series of pages entitled Parallel Lives, hosted by the PoliticsNow Web site, contains biographies of the men who would be prez. A timeline beginning in the 1920s stretches in ten-year increments to the present, comparing events in the candidates lives and the noteworthy events in each time period. All in all, the Parallel Lives site is an interesting look at America's future leader (whichever), and well worth the download time. "http://www.PoliticsNow.com/campaign/inter_bio/front/"
THE HISTORY OF THE WORLD, MAPPED OUT
So much has happened over the last 3,000 years, and now you can see the latest bits for yourself with an interactive online World History Chart, a "synchronoptic" display of human history since about the year 1000. (We could have really used this back in high school.) Follow the links to HyperHistory for the full-fledged Netscape 2.0 experience, then follow the map to your heart's content, viewing information by people, events, civilizations, or geography. This is really, really cool. "http://www.hyperhistory.com/"
At last, a site after our own hearts! The Cruel Site of the Day looks at the Net through jaundice-colored glasses, picking out such intriguing locales as the "Human Lay-z-boy" or "Unhappy Adoption Reunions". If you have a secret desire to see who's gonna burn in hell, or what Bill Gates is writing in his secret diaries, this is your launch pad. "http://www.cruel.com/"
For fun in print check out Newspeak, a satirical news journal celebrating the Orwellian face of the 1990s. It explores the cutting edge of the art of doublethink by carefully scavenging the pages of our finer newspapers. The stories they reprint are so bad they're good, and they'll restore your faith in the ability of the inept to explain the improbable to the gullible. Don't miss your chance to make nonsense of the world. "http://www.scn.org/news/newspeak/"
MEDIEVAL MEMORABILIA MERITS MENTION
Sponsored by Georgetown University, the Labyrinth Project is a Web site devoted to medieval studies. The site's design presents an "Ariadne's thread" through the volumes of medieval studies-related material on the Web. You can brush up your knowledge of mythology, revisit the glories of Beowulf, and read French, Iberian, Latin, Old English, and Middle English documents. You can also avail yourself of information on medieval studies organizations. "http://www.georgetown.edu/labyrinth/labyrinth-home.html"
THE ANCIENT, NOBLE, AND SURPRISINGLY PROGRESSIVE KNIGHTS TEMPLAR
What's a really old secret society doing with Web pages anyway? Seeking new members and taking full advantage of life in cyberspace, apparently. The Ancient and Noble Order of the Knights Templar is a chivalric society founded during the crusades in 1118. The order's legendary mystique is the subject of "Foucault's Pendulum" by Umberto Ecco, a fictional adventure worth reading if you like this kind of thing. The Templars are still in existence today - and now even women can join. Stop by both of the following sites for a comprehensive overview "http://www.compulink.co.uk/~littlevenice/templar.htm" "http://www.trantex.fi/staff/heikkih/knights/portcull.htm"
HOLY (NAME) HOSPITAL HOME PAGE (BATMAN)
A model of community service, the Web site of Holy Name Hospital, in Teaneck, N.J., may never get zillions of hits, but that's the point: it's intended for relatives and friends of inpatients and outpatients. The CyberNursery, for example, is a "Who's Who" of newborns at the hospital; each page has a photo and an e-mail button that lets you send congratulations to the parents. Greeting-card companies will also be interested in the Electronic Get Well Card, a fillout form for well-wishers. (It's not clear how greetings are distributed to patients. Presumably some candy striper with a cheery note in her voice drops them off.) You'll find the expected info pages, too, such as a phone directory, descriptions of programs and services, job openings, physician and staff pages, and a What's New section. Hospital administrators should browse these pages with envy. "http://www.holyname.org/"
WANT TO SIT IN A DIRECTOR'S CHAIR?
We can't promise that, but the Web site for the Directors Guild of America (DGA) does offer some intriguing interviews with their famed members, including Jodie Foster, Woody Allen, and Martin Scorsese. The Hot Topics section features a reprint of a lecture by Elia Kazan on "What Makes a Director". You can also get info on the DGA's assistant directors training program. "http://dga.org/dga/"
The Writers Guild of America (WGA) Web site opens with different writers' greatest lines, such as John Huston's classic: "Badges? We ain't got no badges. We don't need no badges. I don't have to show you any stinking badges!" In addition to such immortal lines, the WGA provides links to resources for writers, articles from the WGA Journal, interviews, and - worthy of their own site - numerous Web links focusing on "The Craft of Writing". You can learn how to start - and finish - a script, study "classic notes on scripts", and contemplate "Tales from the Edge," which features writers such as Larry Gelbert, who recalls his ups and downs in rewriting the musical "Hot Spot". "http://www.wga.org/"
BETTER BUSINESS BUREAU OF THE INTERNET
The International Small Business Consortium has a great idea. It's sponsoring a clearing house for consumer complaints against companies operating on the Internet. Cute name, too: "Bust'em". Unfortunately, in a classic case of "unclear on the concept", not a single portion of the data is available on the Web. The pages merely describe the process and point to some legalese. The actual interface is via e-mail. You're expected to electronically request electronic search and complaint forms which you then must snail-mail for the results. Your intrepid NSD reporter made such a request which took a mere 12 hours to arrive. Oh well, at least there's no charge. Otherwise, we might be forced to report these folks to themselves. E-mail::register@isbc.com "http://www.isbc.com/bustem/bustem.html"
What's round, white, and full of holes? You guessed it - the wiffle ball, the celebrated object of Bob and Dave's aptly named Wiffle Ball Home Page. Here, catch game-by-game summaries of their hard-fought wifflewars, a simplified rule book (very helpful), and tips on how to throw a wiffle ball like a pro. Well, not really - there are no pros, but you get the idea. You can even learn to throw the infamous wiffle sinkers and sliders. "http://home.ptd.net/~murray49/wiffle.html"
CLASSMATES LEADS TO ONLINE HIGH SCHOOL REUNIONS
If you've lost touch with your high-school sweetheart or you're a professional reunion planner, ClassMates can save you time and money. It'll help you keep in touch with alumni via e-mail and the Internet. They have a database of over 17,000 high schools throughout the US and Canada. Registration with ClassMates is free. A few days after registering, you get a confirmation letter with the names of all those registered from your school who graduated within three years of yourself. "http://www.classmates.com/"
ONE HUNDRED YEARS OF SILICON VALLEY
This Web site contains pictures and text from a new book put out by the Santa Clara Valley (Calif.) Historical Association, "The Making of Silicon Valley, A One Hundred Year Renaissance". It chronicles the history of the area from the founding of Stanford University in the 1890s to the present, and includes profiles of dozens of leading companies and the people behind the history. Interesting pictures and audio clips make it a trip worth taking. "http://www.sentius.com/SiliconValley/"
If you view the Golden Gate the same way Dorothy regarded the doors to the Emerald City, you can be virtually fulfilled at this Web site. An insider's guide to San Francisco, Yahoo's SF Bay Area home page offers links to topics ranging from relatively mundane (News, Maps, and Business) to specific (CalTrain, Castro, Nightlife). If you're contemplating a visit, be sure to check out the Travel section, which features bed and breakfasts, Getaways, and Guides. If you've always dreamed of living there and you own a mint, you can investigate the (and come back down to) reality in the Real Estate and Employments sections. "http://www.sfbay.yahoo.com/"
Heading west, partner? You may want to take your laptop to take advantage of the weather pages and excellent collection of state and park maps online at Go West, an interactive guide to outdoor life in the American West. Before you go, of course, you may want to check out the chat rooms and bulletin board, take a quiz or two, and play "Shoot the Go West Staff", a Shockwave game. The customized search page is nice, as is the fishing section. Whether your interests tend to camping, skiing, biking, hiking, or just plain sightseeing, hitch your browser to this free star. "http://www.gowest.com/"
Easter Island. Stonehenge. America's Funniest Home Videos. The origins of the aforementioned items have remained shrouded in mystery for eons (Except for the last item, which is of course still shrouded in stupidity). Cliff Wassman, a photographer, has visited some of the more exotic and arcane locations on the planet and has collected photographs and text descriptions of these places on his Mysterious Places web site. Supplementing his own descriptions, the page's author has also included links to more traditional sources of information on the locales he exhibits. "http://205.179.4.34/index.html"
CIRCLE THE GLOBE WITH JANET, JOHN, AND FARGO
Jam your laptop and modem into your backpack and get moving! Full of travel tips, good places to go, photos, and a daily journal, this site is drowning in love and enthusiasm for exploring. The threesome has been on the road for 18 months and they've covered a heck of a lot of ground. Fargo, by the way, is a puppet that resembles an offspring of Oscar the Grouch and Fozzie Bear. If you're planning a trip, check it out, if only to better prepare for the inevitable travel disaster, illness, and confusion you'll encounter. "http://tawny.bu.edu/JandJ/"
OJ, OJ, EVERYWHERE AND NOT A DROP TO DRINK
In withdrawal from the OJ Simpson trial? Get your jollies from a Court TV site that scrutinizes his current civil trial. Download zipped daily depositions or read them online. If you've truly lost meaning in your life, discuss the case on the message boards. "http://www.courttv.com/casefiles/simpson/"
INVADE THE US WITH THE ROYAL ARMY
The Royal Army's Web site has a neat feature, a scenario challenge in which you choose a series of options while on a mission. One such mission is a "training" mission at Fort Lewis, Wash. Training - sure, we believe that.... "http://www.army.mod.uk/"
RED ARROWS PRECISION FLIGHT TEAM
More Brits with expensive hardware, the Red Arrows are the RAF's flying acrobats. Everything you expect is found at their Web page. "http://www.deltaweb.co.uk/reds/"
There's wacky and there's insane. Scott Breedlove will attempt to be the first to go 700 mph on wheels. Tag along for the ride at the Web site, which includes a QuickTime VR look at the "car". "http://www.spiritofamerica.com/"
If you want to search the Web like a pro, you go to a pro. Sherlock Holmes gives a fortnightly tip (thankfully archived) for how to go about searching the Web in the most efficient manner. Drop in; it's more useful than a Baker St. irregular. "http://www.intermediacy.com/sherlock/"
When the rap remake of Stayin' Alive made radio play this past year, the floodgates opened. You can now find a rap version of "Lord of the Rings" on the Net. Wonders, apparently, will never cease. If a rapacious appetite for parody fits the bill, check this site out and you'll get your fill. "http://www.naples.net/~durin/lotr_rap.html"
Farming has become as reliant upon instant information as any productive industry can be. Progressive Farmer Online is updated daily with the latest farming news and features. "http://pathfinder.com/PF/today/"
Remember those pens with the women that slowly undressed with a simple wrist tilt? These classic stripper (with men, too) pens are featured at the Floaty Industries page. You can order the pens, but only gawk at such wonders as Elvis's pink Cadillac cruising downtown Memphis. G-rated pens are featured as well. "http://www.floaty.com/"
You a soccer fan? We're not (well some of us ARE, but we're too polite to barge into somebody else's Digest item to say so), but we figure somebody is. So here's the official MLS page. Remember, kick balls, not dogs. "http://www.mlsnet.com/"
This site is touted as a resource for how-to info in over 28 categories. OK, but beware the eye-straining backgrounds, bandwidth-hogging graphics, and java animation. Apologies to the Furniture Guys for the stolen headline. "http://www.concentric.net/~Videoweb/"
HELP FOR WRITERS AND WRITERS GROUPS
Writing can be lonely unless you're in a group. The Six-Foot Ferret Writers Group welcomes you with furry virtual arms and offers writing exercises, tips, and a recommended reading list. "http://members.aol.com/ferretgrp/index.html"
This mailing list, devoted to detailing the history of cyberspace, has moved to a new server. See the original article in NSD 2.21 or the Web page for more information on how to subscribe. cyhist@sjuvm.stjohns.edu "http://www.reach.com/matrix/community-memory.html"
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