| This Is London |
| So Is This |
| Footnotes to a Remarkable Journey |
| Europe Today, Gone Tomorrow |
| Stop Plouterin' Aboot and Read this Newsletter, Laddie |
| NYC's Public Toilets |
| New England, Pretty as a Picture |
| The Less than Mighty Cult of Anubia |
| Take Part in a Web Census |
| Game Girls |
| UK World Cup Site |
| Free HTML Lessons |
| Online Auction Notifies You of Higher Bids via Paging |
| Win NT/95 Denial of Service Attack: Bonk, Boink, Newtear, and Teardrop |
| Excite's EWS Site Search Software Security Bug and Patches |
| WebEdit Pro 3.0 HTML Editor Released |
| BOOK REVIEWS |
| LETTERS TO THE EDITOR |
| Contact and Subscription Information |
| Credits |
BREAKING SURF
Further Adventures of the First Penis
Well. We all know what the big (one assumes? hopes?) story is this week. The very phallic center of our great nation is under assault. The Enemies of Bubba argue it's self abuse. The Friends of Bubba argue it's molestation. Us? We'll just keep our hands right off it, thank you very much, and play the voyeur by pointing you at some sites. For authoritative breaking news you can't do better then Allpolitics, by CNN and Time. An overview of the media frenzy in general can be easily followed on Yahoo. For related gossip, the Drudge Report has juicy tidbits, and fans of Monica Lewinksy can check out her Fan Club page. After all is said and done, no one involved is going to come out a virgin from this one.Allpolitics: http://www.allpolitics.com/1998/index.html
Drudge: http://www.drudgereport.com/
Yahoo: http://headlines.yahoo.com/Full_Coverage/US/Intern/
Monica Fan Club: http://members.aol.com/monifan/index.html
Statutory National Phallus: http://www.nps.gov/wamo/monument/monument.htm
The people wailed in anguish, and Arthur heard their cries. Arthur spoke from on high and said, "Verily, you mourn that your monitor cannot display the full scripture. Because of my love for my people, I have thrust my hand down upon the code and I have changed it for you. Behold my power and rejoice." This should work better for all you low-resolution types out there.
Cyber Patrol: Overzealously Protective
Organizations use Cyber Patrol, which filters Web sites and forbids access to those on its own blacklist, to restrict surfing. The Censorware Project, a group of Net activists and writers, has posted "Blacklisted by Cyber Patrol: From Ada to Yoyo", a report that criticizes Cyber Patrol for overzealous blockage. It cites the MIT Project on Mathematics and Computation, blocked under the "FullNude SexActs" category, although there's no hint of a sex act on the page in question. Other sites blocked with the same filter include the National Academy of Clinical Biochemistry and Explore Underwater magazine. Some sites have been unblocked since the advent of the report, but some - including every Tripod home page - remain. Some argue that it's impossible to filter the Net; others, that it's difficult but imperative. Take sides, if you must, but surf on.http://www.spectacle.org/cwp/
InfoBeat provides superlative free daily news updates on all subjects, but their sports mailings - one newsletter per sport - prove especially valuable. The baseball fanatics among us couldn't do without the baseball newsletter, which lacks boxscores but includes everything else. InfoBeat has wisely begun to put out a Winter Olympics update, to which you can subscribe at the URL below. While many Web sites will provide Olympic coverage (visit your neighborhood search engine), no-one is likely to provide a better fast, comprehensive, and graphic-free source of information.
http://www.infobeat.com/sw/cgi/sw_merc.cgi
Have You Done Your Groundhog Day Shopping Yet?
It had to happen: the commercialization of the innocent groundhog and its day. Oh, well - at least Hallmark hasn't caught the wave yet. The best parts of the Groundhog Day Web site are the links. You can learn about Punxsutawney Phil, check out the Groundhog Day schedule of events, see pretty pictures of the critters, play groundhog games, and learn all about the fabled history of these bodacious rodents.http://www.groundhogsday.com/
Klaus Barbie Doll Raises Mattel's Hackles
Copyright is undoubtedly a major Internet problem, combatted only by packs of company lawyers prowling the Web to protect their employers' property. But Mattel's noble combatants seem to have gone a bit too far with their formal objections to a site devoted to the life, works, and infamous Nazi deeds of Klaus Barbie, the Butcher of Lyon. They objected particularly to a Shockwave game based on a "Klaus Barbie doll". We suspect the buying public may be able to distinguish between Klaus and Ken, but Mattel has threatened a lawsuit. Site owner Bebe Williams is fighting back. Check out the Comics Journal report.http://www.tcj.com/online/bullpen/raging12_07.html
SURFING SITES
Life Is a Cab on the Net, Old Chum
Is it wrong to go to Aspen, Colo., not for the skiing or the scenery, but simply for a taxi ride? Mind you, this isn't your normal taxi. It's the ultimate taxi, piloted by Jon Barnes and wired to the gills. Define "wired to the gills"? How's this for starters: inside the cab are nine lasers, six blacklights, 800 feet of fiber optic lighting, a digital keyboard and drum set, a four-track mixer, a digital camera, a laptop, a cellular modem that connects to a high-speed wireless radio network, two cellular phones, a dry-ice effects machine, and, of course, the all-important mirror ball for those times when you've just gotta boogie. Plus, theoretically, Jon fits passengers in there; some of the more famous faces gracing the taxi's Web page include Jerry Seinfeld, Hunter Thompson, and Bob Dole. If you're planning a trip to Aspen and you're wondering how to pick Jon's cab out of the crowd, the blue neon undercar glow will let you know he's coming.http://www.ultimatetaxi.com/
Words of Wisdom Have Multiple Uses
"Either that wallpaper goes, or I do" - the dying words of Oscar Wilde, appropriate to many Web sites, can be found at the Brain Candy site together with other quotes, riddles, puns and some really elegant insults. The final sayings of executed prisoners bring the phrase "gallows humor" to life. The occupational hazards section is especially amusing, and the insults can be borrowed and re-used to great effect. We leave the last word on the site to the expiring Lady Mary Wortley Montagu: "It's all been very interesting...."http://members.aol.com/WordPlays/words.html
Just last summer, we watched our first cricket match, and even then it was only to spend a pleasant afternoon in the sun. We're pleased to report that the game is insidious. In short order, we'd glimpsed the bloody-minded strategies and gamesmanship that drive this most polite sport, and having tasted blood, we'd happily subscribe to a 24-hour cable cricket network. Still, it's apparent that until we know what a leg break googly bowling style is, we just can't fully appreciate CricInfo. The world's third busiest sports Web site, serving 20 million hits each week, doesn't cater much to the casual fan, offering scores, schedules, cricket news and history, and brief profiles of players past and present - including whether or not they used that leg break googly style. If you count yourself among the crickerati, though, CricInfo is just the ticket.
http://www.cricket.org/
The graphics won't bowl you over, but then again you needn't be an electronic Sinbad to navigate these realms of international myth, legend, and folklore. Choose from scores of traditional stories from dozens of cultures and regions. Some, particularly the Greek mythology, are very familiar, but most of the stories, characters, and sensibilities will be fresh. There are also separate sections of more conventional tales - notably from Aesop and those grimmer boys Grimm - and special holiday pages. The site links to a library of what might be called latter-day mythology, with the full texts of Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes adventures or the mannered writing of Burroughs's Tarzan stories.
http://www.bconnex.net/~mbuchana/realms/page6/mindex.html
Structured as a research tool and curiosity quencher, the Museum offers articulate and often intriguing essays for anyone with an interest in natural phenomena. From lost worlds to dinosaurs, scientific experiments to archeology, the material is not endless, but provides a good run down that should lead to further research.
http://unmuseum.mus.pa.us/unmuseum.htm
Channel 6000 for the Pacific Northwest and Beyond
Using specially trained journalists in Portland, Ore., KOIN-TV continually updates the Channel 6000 site to bring breaking news, weather forecasts, traffic, sports, and other information. While most focuses on the Pacific Northwest, this site has items of interest to almost everyone. For some interesting stories on important issues, look into the KOINvestigators archives for stories from privacy to criminals working in schools to medicinal marijuana. Check out the article that tells how the Clinton/Lewinsky scandal grew out of an item in the Drudge Report.http://www.channel6000.com/
Is Politically Incorrect Past your Bedtime?
NSD readers who've mastered their VCRs know that Bill Maher's sometimes fractious, sometimes snoozy Politically Incorrect can be sometimes sophomoric, sometimes sparkling. At the show's site, the producers offer more than the usual slick star bios and an episode guide. Transcripts help you sort out those overlapping exchanges that mark the show at its best - even if they read badly verbatim. You can see and hear clips, and Americans who don't even know their senators' names can send e-mail to them through the site. Those of you with politically incorrect aspirations can write your own comedy bit with the none-too-reverent Speech Generator.http://www.abc.com/pi/
R.J.'s in Jail, and Here's His Web Page
R.J. Hawkins, 26, is serving a six-month sentence for proprietorship of a property where drugs were sold. His online journal reveals his emotional state as well as the physical demands of prison life. He seems to have opened his entire life to the reader. R.J. receives and answers correspondence via the page. A dynamic read with an insightful look into America's drug problem, with discussions on crack, crank, and the life he led before prison, the site comes across as articulate and honest.http://www.captivated.com/
Serial Killers - Number One with a Bullet
With trepidation, we cruised through horror, finally settling in for coffee and gore. Find out how innkeeper Karl Denke pickled and ate his lodgers, how John Wayne Gacy dressed as a clown and molested little boys, how most cases involve necrophilia, cannibalism or trophy body parts. With a motto - "They tried it, they liked it, they did it again" - the site ranks the murderers by number of victims. We won't freak you with details, but we loved the site despite itself.http://www.mayhem.net/Crime/serial1.html
Woman Motorist Good for All Who Drive
Boasting "a monthly circulation of over 100,000 affluent, fully-employed readers researching new car purchases", Woman Motorist offers bright, unpatronizing information on safety, maintenance, and motorcycles. The section on cooling systems saved our Australian writer during a fortnight of 30-degree C heat (poor girl - ed. who just shoveled another foot of snow). Each section's questions are pertinent and fully answered.http://www.womanmotorist.com/
If music be the food of love, there is a lot of love encapsulated in this beautifully structured, gently worded, and graphically pleasing site. You'll find over 40 lessons presented here, each with clear pictures of the keys and easily understood text, which take you from total beginner to composer - and the last lesson even teaches how to incorporate your compositions into your Web site.
http://www.artdsm.com/music.html
The Monks of Adoration have created a Web site to provide facilities for Catholics who use the Internet. They provide daily prayers, links to other Catholic sites, books for sale, and spiritual guidance. Photos and biographies of the monks show life in a devout, unusual monastic order with simple rules, a vegetarian diet, plenty of exercise, and lots of laughter. They seem like nice people. Several of the monks promote their books at this site, but that couldn't possibly be the reason it exists, could it?
http://www.rc.net/org/monks/
ONLINE TRAVEL
There are local sites designed for locals and those set up for tourists. You get the advantages of both in the wonderful Online Guide to London, a slick compendium for consumers in search of culture, news, and guidance in one of the world's most vibrant cities. On the home page, hints of scandal and sexcapades in high places point to the influence of tabloids. (Surprise, surprise.) Should you tire of spice on the screen - we seldom do, to be honest - the navigation bar and links make it scrumptiously easy to move on to lifestyle features, restaurant and pub reviews, and all manner of other articles on goings-on in town. Wherever you go here, an ever-present search field invites you to explore. Tourist information is available in English, American English, French, Italian, Spanish, and German. An electronic newsroom team updates the site around the clock. It's easy to imagine hotel and airport kiosks displaying just these pages. Is this great, or what?http://www.thisislondon.com/
Every city Web site needs maps. The compact, well-crafted Official London Web Site has nifty pop-up Java map apps that run well, especially with a fast connection. Some interactive maps at other sites only let you zoom in or out, but the maps here also let you pan to neighboring areas. If only they were a tad larger.... Meeting planners will like the design of Convention Venue Finder, which lets you find convention sites on the basis of any facilities - movie screen, ISDN, parking, bar, etc. - you might need. You can also search a variety of topics such as entertainment, events, and services. A downloadable Java app lets you customize maps drawn from a database updated daily by the London Tourist Board. The What's New in London page lists new Web sites as well as attractions and highlights. Clearly, the tourist industry in London embraces Internet technology in a big way.
http://www.londontown.com/
Footnotes to a Remarkable Journey
You're health conscious; you're fit. Let's say, for argument's sake, you run three miles a day. In a year, you've run over 1,000 miles. Looks pretty neat on the fitness worksheet, doesn't it? Now do it for the next 14 years and you'll have traveled the same distance as Dave Kunst, the first person verified to have circled the land mass of the earth on foot, did in four years. You can relive his journey at his Web site. It has all the excitement of a good supermarket tabloid: bribery, murder, meetings with royalty, and a whole slew of mules. Yet some of the most intriguing questions remain unanswered. For instance, WHY? What possesses a Minnesotan to wake up one morning and decide that on the day's agenda is walking around the Earth? We didn't see it on the site, but maybe you'll have more luck.http://home.earthlink.net/~earthwalker1/
Europe Today offers much to the Continental tourist. It has a section for each of 14 European countries, along with MapQuest maps, a good interactive car-rental section that promises confirmation within 24 hours, and (at our last visit) a skiing section where you can request brochures for Alpine resorts. All of this may seem standard fare in a travel site, but Europe Today has some great extras. The Interactive Currency Table is a useful reference. If you need to convert US dollars to, say, Chilean pesos, Fijian dollars, or Hungarian forint, start here. In Travel Forum, you can ask for advice and guidance from other travelers. Neophytes may want to follow the link to Explorers' Academy, a travel school in a village in the Catalan Pyrenees. You'll find slicker travel sites, but Europe Today doesn't require lots of bandwidth, and it has the appealing variety of a smorgasbord.
http://europe-today.com/
Stop Plouterin' Aboot and Read this Newsletter, Laddie
The Rampant Scotland Newsletter is - ahem - rampant with the latest in parliamentary, educational, and confectionary news pertaining to Scotland. You read that right: confectionary. Pretty much anything happening of note in Scotland is going to show up on the pages of the newsletter, from current affairs and history to pop culture and sports. For instance, did you know that the Scots recently lost the World Darts Championship? Did you even know there was a World Darts Championship? The newsletter comes with a mini-glossary in each issue, which leads us to term the whole package nae bad. Nae bad at all.http://scotland.rampant.com/letter.htm
With a feature toilet every issue and future plans for a search engine that uses porcelain, paper, and gender as preferences, Toilets.nyc seemed a pretty hip place to be - until we found the chain store horrors at Union Square. McDonald's had some rather murky lavatory depths and Wendy's didn't seem to employ cleaners all that often. A couple of the included spots had no loos at all and seemed pointlessly included, but this site makes an effective warning for NYC residents and visitors.
http://www.itp.tsoa.nyu.edu/~student/elecpub/kain/
New England, Pretty as a Picture
Tour New England through a photographer's talented lens. LeBlanc's PhotoJournal Web site offers some lovely links to visions ranging from Windjammers to nature. Be sure to check out his On the Road section, which includes such sights as Mystic Seaport in Connecticut.http://www.the-spa.com/fred.leblanc/
FLOTSAM & JETSAM
The Less than Mighty Cult of Anubia
At first glance, Anubia's cult seems to be an amateur copy of real cults - the ones that promise eternal happiness and a ride on a comet's tail if the followers do exactly as they are told. On closer inspection, it reveals itself to be a biting, acid parody.http://members.tripod.com/~anubia/index.html
If you have a minute (really, that's all) to spare or you like answering fill-in-the blank questions, you may wanna mosey on over to this new quarterly census, compiled by LinkExchange.
http://www.webcensus.com
GameGirlz coolly contends in the world of online gaming resources. This site uniquely seeks to promote women in the computer games industry. Features include game-related reviews and interviews, organizational notes for gaming groups, beta releases, and more.
http://www.gamegirlz.com/
In addition to the latest World Cup news, this site provides games, quizzes and competitions. Scores and team ratings are continually updated and the site is awash with background info. An excellent and addictive Shockwave slot machine gives only Brits a chance at a prize draw.
http://www.budweiser.co.uk/worldcup/
If you've been champing at the bit to learn HTML but lack either money or time, then Introduction to Web Design is for you. You'll learn everything from Web history to body tags, coding style, lists, and more. You can even get the scoop on image maps.
http://stars.com/Authoring/HTML/Tutorial/
Online Auction Notifies You of Higher Bids via Paging
If you're plagued by the need to check your online auction bids every few hours, Auction Universe has an innovative solution for you. They'll page you when you've been outbid. The site offers several categories with collectibles and memorabilia having over 1,000 items when we checked in.http://www.auctionuniverse.com/
SOFTWARE
Win NT/95 Denial of Service Attack: Bonk, Boink, Newtear, and Teardrop
Yet another denial of service exploit is making the rounds, of particular concern to Windows webmasters. If your site runs on NT or 95 then you are vulnerable and the bad guys can crash your machine. A patch is available and the Microsoft page has further information.http://www.microsoft.com/security/newtear2.htm
Excite's EWS Site Search Software Security Bug and Patches
A popular freeware package from Excite that adds search capabilities to Web sites has been found to have, you guessed it, a serious security hole. Fortunately patches are available, and if you're one of the thousands of webmasters who are running this software you should read the information here.http://www.excite.com/navigate/patches.html
WebEdit Pro 3.0 HTML Editor Released
Luckman Interactive has just released the latest version of their full-featured HTML editor. It has support for the latest Communicator 4.x and Explorer 4.x tags, better table handling, and so on. The site has details and a 30-day trial version for download. Price is $90.http://www.luckman.com/