MARKING AN UNHAPPY ANNIVERSARY
Eight years ago, the world watched developments in Tiananmen Square,
wondering how they could possibly end gracefully. Within days, we knew it
wouldn't end gracefully at all. Support Democracy in China's site has
posted hundreds of photographs from Tiananmen's seven weeks of protest and
the attack that crushed it. Text is rightfully sparse; the pictures speak
eloquently for themselves. Expect more than the event's seminal image, that
of the single man blocking a tank's advance. Reproduction isn't really
crisp, but the images - not sanitized for your protection - are as deeply
disturbing as they should be. The photos include graphic evidence of the
outcome of confrontation between people and armored vehicles, people and
fire, and people and more intimate weaponry.
<http://www.christusrex.org/www1/sdc/tiananmen.html>
IF YOU'LL EVER SEND A PRESS RELEASE, READ THIS
The Internet Press Guild is a collection of Net journalists striving to
promote fair reporting of the online world (some of us are members). One
recently completed document posted at the organization's Web site deserves
worldwide fanfare, for it will make easier the lives of Net journalists and
the public relations flacks who feed them. "Care And Feeding of the Press"
is a guide to sending out press releases, which range in scope from the
simplest "Look at my site!" message sent to pressrm@netsurf.com to massive
50 kB tomes sent to every Steve, Rebecca, and Dan in the biz. Most of these
recommendations apply to any e-mail, and just make good sense. We hope you
take the time to read the page, for our sake and yours.
<http://www.netpress.org/careandfeeding.html>
HOW TO BE A PROPER EVIL OVERLORD
Dr. No, the Emperor from Star Wars, the Joker - villains all, and all
sharing another trait. They're all dead. This who's who of bad guys all bit
the dust at the hands of their worst enemies, the good guys, because of
their own stupidity. In an effort to prevent any other would-be conquerors
from being hoisted on their respective petards, the Evil Overlord List has
been set up to warn against some of the more glaring errors committed in
the past. For instance, the list suggests potential doomsday devices should
be properly grounded and up to code, with a computer system run by an OS
completely incompatible with any Earth-based OS. (This means you, ID4
aliens. Undone by a PowerBook - the shame). This is handy information for
anyone looking to take over the planet or wanting to produce the next Bond
flick. <http://world.std.com/~olorin/peter_overlord.html>
A work in progress, alt.culture - the Web site - presents itself as a
cutting edge encyclopedia of the soon-to-end 1990s. You can cruise the site
via a search engine, two dozen or so pre-established categories, or with
the autopilot, a slick little piece of entertainment that presents random
bits from the decade's A to Z. It's got everything from toad-licking to
Quentin Tarantino, as well as this interesting bit on the potential of the
WWW to democratize distribution: "Entertainment conglomerates are
predicated on ability to dominate limited record store, bookshelf, and
newsstand space - commodities that are, in theory, infinite in cyberspace."
Oh, by the way, the site originated as a promo for a book by the same name
but, having joined forces with entertainment conglomerate Time Warner's
Pathfinder site, alt.culture has become an entity and entry in its own
right. <http://www.altculture.com/>
Spritzers are out. Single malts are in. Our preference is for Laphroaig but
aggressive flavors of Scotland's distinctive single malt whiskies challenge
the palate. The Malt Whisky File leads us through single malt lore,
explaining why a barrel of Scottish whisky is unique even within its own
distillery and how aficionados can actually appreciate a liquor whose
perfume conjures visions of cowpat. We learn how casks influence
definitively the taste of whiskey, bourbon, wine, sherry, brandy, and rum.
The page on aging reveals what happens to the angel's share and why a
cask's location changes the nature of its contents. Slainte. (It means
cheers, and it's pronounced schlan-jer.) The Scotch Malt Whisky Society
includes reviews and members may order limited bottlings
File: <http://www.whiskyweb.com/jhb-maltfile/mainframe.html>
Society: <http://www.fujipub.com/scotchmalt/>
ASSOCIATION FOR RELIGION AND INTELLECTUAL LIFE
Atheists need not approach this site with predisposed emotion. The
Association for Religion and Intellectual Life is a collection of
discussional papers and research with an emphasis on the intellectual
rather than the religious. From an intense discussion of Foucault's theory
that the soul emerged from government's excess power over the body, to
real-life discussions on WWII experiences, this site provides fascinating
insight into the work of people who are leaders in their field.
<http://www.aril.org/>
HOPPING ALONG THE NET'S BACKBONE
Net whitecaps hampering your surfing? Wanna know who to blame? The Internet
Weather Report lists up-to-the-minute simple ping and traceroute results
for the sixteen biggest backbone providers of Internet service as listed in
InternetWorld magazine. You can also do a traceroute to your IP number
directly to see where the bottlenecks in transmission speed are at that
minute. Put together as a service/entertainment by Clear Ink, the site also
offers a listserv should you want to delve deeper into the bandwidth topic.
<http://www.internetweather.com/>
We were thrilled to find a site devoted to the sleazy secrets of
Disneyland. Are Mickey and his pals up to mischief? Not really - this site
is a look behind the animatronic curtain. Correspondents ranging from Bill
Nye, the Science Guy to former and current "cast members" (as Disney park
employees are called) contribute trivia about Disney the man and Disney the
empire. Did you know that Cinderella Castle contains an never-occupied
apartment Walt was going to use for his family? Disney is apparently
planning to allow a family to stay a night in the room as a 25th
anniversary promotion. Sure, we're disappointed there's no dirt, but the
info still holds fascination and insight into Walt's genius.
<http://www.hiddenmickeys.org/Secrets.html>
The Klingon Empire is no longer simply a construct of the late Gene
Roddenberry's incredible imagination. No, this proud warrior race has made
the first steps towards conquering ... the Internet. The Klingon Imperial
Diplomatic Corps site threatens (and we do mean threatens!) to be one of
the most complete compendia of Klingon legend and lore to appear on the
Net. Websurfers willing to delve into the Klingonnaise will find convention
information, links to other Klingon-related sites, and Klingon cultural
information derived from the legends created for the Star Trek universe and
from the imaginative minds of those commissioned to fill in the blanks that
simply can't be explained in 46 minutes of television. "Engage!" Or, as Lt.
Worf might say, "Move the ship forward or I'll remove your head and those
of your loved ones". <http://www.klingon.org/>
Brought to you by the same folks that created the insightful, introverted,
and introspective "Ren and Stimpy", the Spumco Web site is a colorful look
at the creations and people behind the cult classic toon. The creators of
the site even take time to poke a bit of good-natured fun at the trouble
they had with the censors. Among the goodies to be found are a video by
Bjork which features work by the Spumco gang of cartoonists and an on-line
adaptation of the oddly-titled "Turtle Food Collector" comic book. Look for
the NBC Peacock animations on the site, courtesy of Spumco and the NBC
network. <http://www.spumco.com/>
THE WALL OF SOUND TACKLES MUSIC
The Wall of Sound is a good looking Web site that tackles the business of
music CD reviews and artist interviews with a compact, professional modus
operandi. Surfers with a slant towards new/alternative music will find
plenty of information on the acts making today's charts, including song
excerpts in RealAudio format, the current standings atop the accepted music
charts, and biographies of such current sensations as Jewel, as well as
golden oldies like James Taylor. A good, no-nonsense site for the straight
scoop from the music biz. <http://www.wallofsound.com/>
Cartoonist Sam Gross features various cartoonists (Callahan, Caldwell,
Goff, Frascino, Long, Orachek) on his Web site, hoping to counter the
limitations on emerging artists that push them into animation. Each day
brings a new theme, and the quality of the work is world class. Taking
advantage of the medium to both present and market work, the site also
sells books, T-shirts, and coffee mugs. <http://obryan.com/10Laughs/>
The Washboard Chronicle is the '90s interpretation of a downhome country
newsletter. With recipes for Grandma's Bread, garden tips, how-to's on
quaint hobbies like digging for antique bottles, reviews of folksy events
like balloon fetivals and an article that defies classification (how to be
a cheese connoisseur), the pages are worth a visit when you're hankerin'
for that flannel and pudding kind of feeling.
<http://www.spec.net/home/gorst/>
Not that anyone in their right mind would care that the Roadkills-R-Us Web
site has officially seceded from the United States, but it has, complete
with its own constitution, national anthem ("Back in the USOR"), and slick
"Tread On Me" national flag. Of course it's inane, of course it's silly,
but it's not nearly as surreal in concept as the now-dead (?) attempt
Toys-R-Us made to close the site down for copyright infringement. If you
need a quick giggle, take a tour of the Web's latest declared cybernation
where the women are strong, the men pretty, and the animals flat.
<http://www.rru.com/>
Conk is just the spot for those who feel like conking out for a bit. The
site features fun stuff, dumb jokes, adolescent message boards and chat
rooms, dozens of daily comics and, for those who just can't loosen up, a
newsstand with more than 60 newspapers and magazines from around the globe.
While nothing knocked us out of our chair gasping for breath amidst
gale-force laughter, we did get a giggle or two. The spot's uncluttered and
fast, which is just as well 'cause otherwise it would be a real time
waster. <http://conk.com/>
Salon Wanderlust is an e-zine overflowing with sagas related to travel.
You'll read articles brimming with phrases such as "the so-called
Philosophy Cafe whose terrace spills invitingly onto the Place de la
Bastille." You can also access Outahere, which lets you perform such
travel-related tasks as booking tickets, researching your future wanderings
for satisfying your lust, and so forth. Witty and useful.
<http://www.salonmagazine.com/wanderlust/>
Mais oui, c'est vrai! French culture is alive and well in New York, unless
this nicely crafted Web site is fiction. For you francophiles who dwell in
the Big Apple but long for a croissant, here's the place to become au
courant about French movies, restaurants, travel, events, films, news,
music, and more. French New York Online contains, as its tagline promises,
"Everything That's Happening That's French In New York."
<http://www.french-ny.com/>
If any Mexican cities appear on your vacation itineraries then look no
further for information than the Mexico Travel Guide's Web site. Eleven of
Mexico's most popular tourist sites are featured, complete with valuable
travel information on hotels, bars, historical and archeological sites, and
health information. An image map is used to navigate to the individual city
entries for Cancun, Puerto Vallarta, and the other sun and sea spots. Donde
esta la Web site? <http://www.go2mexico.com/>
Leisureplan Travel Guides guides you in steps as you plan your next
vacation. Choose a spot from around the world, click through some slides,
read about the regions and get useful tourist info, review the history and
culture to pique your interest for sights to see, check the health and
safety section and then search for a hotel to reserve right online. Nifty
and painless, though not for real adventure or budget travelers.
<http://www.leisureplan.com/LPI/bigdestinations.html>
Bananas on the Web presents a database of bananas and banana labels of the
world. You'll find bananas as art, a banana bulletin board, and the
Encyclopedia Bananica. <http://zany.netaccess.co.nz/>
I SEARCHED THE WHOLE WIDE WORLD
WorldPages says you'll find the world at their site, and with more than 112
million integrated white and yellow page listings from the US and Canada,
along with another few million listings available via links to
international directories, there's a good chance it's right.
<http://www.worldpages.com/>
The Seeker can put you on the right track to finding lost loves, biological
parents, long-lost family members, and more. Special sections are devoted
to searches for Native American relatives, genealogical roots,
beneficiaries and military buddies. <http://www.the-seeker.com/>
Earth:2025 is a free Web wargame that runs completely within your Web
browser. Solaria Interactive has ported the board game experience to the
Net with remarkable success. No software downloads, excellent help docs,
and a growing set of players make this a must-see for gamers of all levels.
<http://www.solariagames.com/>
The Video Games Yellow Pages is an organized list of links with concise
descriptions on all things gaming. You'll find info on games and platforms,
as well as links to more news and - of course - demos, cheats, and download
sites. <http://www.ugo.net/yellowpages/>
A LOT MORE THAN A LITTLE BIT COUNTRY
With artist bios, discographies, and song clips of some 200 country/western
artists along with concert tour info, a chat area, and articles gathered
from major news and entertainment publications, this is clearly the
definitive site for fans of the fastest growing music genre in the US.
<http://countrysong.com/>
The Top 100 Electronic Recruiters Web page has a loooong title - and many
links. Whether you're an HR manager seeking an employee, a job hunter
looking for a position, or a third-party recruiter representing either of
the former, this site's worth checking out. <http://www.interbiznet.com/eeri/>
The Noble Directory of Experts is a searchable database that makes it easy
to find, you guessed it, experts in a wide variety of fields. This site
should prove primarily valuable to press, lawyers, and fact-checkers.
<http://www.experts.com/>
Stop by USArchitects, an index-based Web site that helps you locate the
kind of architecture or design firm you're looking for in the US. Firms are
arranged by size, region, and area of specialty.
<http://www.usarchitects.com/>
ACRONYMS, ANAGRAMS, ABBREVIATIONS
You know how sometimes you take painkillers and it makes you loopy? We really wish we could rely on that excuse, or some other one, for our brain lock, but we can't - at least not honestly. In the last NSD, we asked, "How many of you know the difference between an anagram and an abbreviation?" We meant to ask the difference between an acronym and an abbreviation, which on the whole, makes a more sensical question. For the record, an abbreviation is any shortening of a word or phrase (e.g. "ltd." or "USA"), an acronym is an abbreviation that forms a word ("radar" or "NATO"), and an anagram is a recombination of letters into words ("dog" and "God"). Thus, all acronyms are abbreviations, and anagrams have nothing to do with it. Now, where are those pills....
In NSD 3.13, we let you know about a site that brought all kinds of movie
errors to your attention. We also noted it was being renovated. Well, the
union guys have left, taking their tarps and ladders with them, and the new
site can be found here. <http://www2.aros.net/~davej/choice.html>
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