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NETSURFER DIGEST
More Signal, Less Noise |
Volume 04, Issue 34 Friday, November 20, 1998 |
BREAKING SURF
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BREAKING SURF Restraining Order Against COPA (a.k.a. CDA II) The Child Online Protection Act (hereafter and forever to be known as COPA), which was to go into effect on November 20 and would make it illegal to post material deemed "harmful to minors" on the web, has been placed on hold. The judge overseeing the lawsuit against this law issued a preliminary injunction pending more hearings on the matter in December. CNET has a very good, link filled writeup of the entire situation.http://www.news.com/News/Item/0,4,29082,00.html
Trailer for "Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace" Obi-Wan Kenobi mixes it up with Anakin Skywalker, Yoda, the Queen and assorted Jedi and alien types. The trailer implies much, but reveals little beyond the dazzling visuals we almost take for granted. A lot of us grew up with the dysfunctional Skywalker family and we're all curious how they got that way. Come to think of it, doesn't every dysfunctional family have a Phantom Menace?Official Star Wars Site: http://www.starwars.com/episode-i/news/trailer/ Faster Alternative: http://www.real.com/realguide/showbiz/index.html
Linda and Monica Dish the Dirt Holding our nose we bring you the recently released audio of some politically incorrect girl talk - all 22 hours of it.Linda and Monica: http://www.broadcast.com/news/tripptapes/archive.stm It seems that there may be a minor rehabilitation campaign in the works for the hapless Prince Charles. He came off as a bit of a second banana to the media mania that was - and still is - Princess Diana. Several recent books paint relatively favorable portraits of the Prince and he finally gets his own official web site on the eve of his 50th birthday. The British Royals are nothing if not media savvy so one wonders if this is the start of a long term campaign to build up the Prince for a coronation. The centerpiece of the site is the Online Forum where public comments about various issues of concern to Charles can be posted. The comments are refreshingly literate if not especially controversial. Worth a browse. http://www.princeofwales.gov.uk/ SURFING SITES Imagine what Deadhead society would have become had its members not grown dissipated and tedious. Burning Man was also born of San Francisco counterculture, but it's progressed from a spontaneous combustion rite on Baker Beach 11 years ago to a daring annual experiment at reconciling individual freedom with community commitment. This past August, a dry Nevada lake bed drew more than 15 thousand campers for a week's participation. Burning Man encourages the heresy of conscious interaction and discourages mindless passive consumption. No wonder federal authorities are trying to adopt policies which would kick Burning Man out of Black Rock Desert. The beautiful Web site is, like all aspects of the event, created and sustained by volunteers.http://www.burningman.com/ In February 1996, the US House of Representatives passed the Communications Decency Act, a heavy-handed attempt to ban "indecent" and "patently offensive" material (regardless of social value) from the Net. The lunacy of attempting to control the Internet aside, this action marked the greatest challenge yet to the vaunted freedom of the online community. Cut to Sept. 11, 1998. The House votes overwhelmingly to make available via the Internet Independent Counsel Kenneth Starr's referral, a document punctuated by graphic descriptions of sex acts between President Bill Clinton and Monica Lewinsky. Two hundred and eighty-four House members resolve their cognitive dissonance through hypocrisy, by voting "aye" on both the Decency Act and electronic release of the report. Here's an attempt to bring a little accountability to legislators who think they can have it both ways. http://206.215.211.222/resource/hypocrites.html A Web site dedicated to chronicling "aviation oopsies" is, on its face, about as appealing as a collection of "surgical blunders" or "mistakes involving power tools". And with photos like China Airlines Overshoot and Uncontained Engine Failure, this site doesn't disappoint. Fortunately, it's short on the macabre, instead featuring many unusual and entertaining images from the world of aviation. Some of the language is slightly technical, so it may help to know your engines from your ailerons. On the other hand, replete with tarmac run-ins, explosives testing, and planes trapped in power lines, this regularly updated gallery is fascinating if not frightening, even for the casually curious. http://www.n-w.de/top/ Sufferers of advanced road rage might find a good antidote by clicking on the primary colored, cheerful icons of this clever Web site. It contains the real rules of the road, the ones followed by that moron who cut you off on the way home tonight. The site teaches every type of behavior, from indicating left and driving straight to back-seat drivers with invisible brake pedals. A stupid directory name, but an attractive and amusing Web site. http://members.aol.com/doggiesnot/ How Does One Say Moof in German? Always wanted a Mac, but couldn't afford to have one in addition to your PC? We've got the answer for you. A prank e-mail circling the Internet promotes a site that guarantees to turn your PC into a Mac in one easy click, as long as you've got JavaScript and your monitor resolution set high. It's a bit disconcerting at first, but thoroughly enjoyable, if only because somebody sat down and thought this up. (And we can't tell you much more about him, because his personal page is in German.) He uses all sorts of good scripting to enhance the illusion, from some status bar code to a date/time feature. Be sure to look in the trash can while you're there.http://www.bln.de/yaro/macos/ CPB Does the European Renaissance Whether you're interested in how Guttenberg's printing press affected the course of history or in humming along to a merry olde English madrigal, this CPB/Annenberg Foundation site brings to life many aspects of a fascinating cultural watershed. The interactive games are hard to quit, too. Try your skill at being a 16th century spice galleon entrepreneur. What route to Asia is best? Should you carry guns? Would you make enough money bringing back tobacco or sugar to justify the expense? Make the right choices and turn a profit. Alas, witless netsurfer, thou hast squandered thy fortune. Try again.http://www.learner.org/exhibits/renaissance/ We can hardly wait for auto makers to install Web technology in our dashboards. While we don't plan to surf and drive at the same time, we would like to listen to InternetNews Radio, a RealAudio streaming feature of Mecklermedia's Internetnews.com, on our way to work. In his brief daily summary, host Brian McWilliams reports business news about Net topics such as the ongoing Microsoft trial, Internet IPO fever, new multimedia and network technology, and developments in Web standards. At the moment, his newscast (also available at pc-radio.com and www.dailybriefing.com) is a slick sidebar for InternetNews.com. We'd like more depth, or coverage of additional news. It would surely grow in length and popularity, at least among Net professionals, if you could tune in while you wait in traffic. http://www.internetnews.com/ According to this site, "Disco will go down in history as humanity's greatest intellectual and artistic triumph." Disco reaches renaissance status here, with some of the longest sentences we've ever seen, but the merits lie in the intense analysis and knowledge as well as an overwhelming enthusiasm for the musical style. Disco is "The only form of music in all history not the accidental product of street performances and novice musicians... but an art form born of the profound understanding of the psychology of music." Boogie oogie oogie. http://www.discomagic.org/ Out of scenic Whidbey, Wash., comes the innovative and immensely enjoyable TestingTesting, a weekly interactive and improvisational music performance. TestingTesting sends out a RealAudio broadcast every Monday evening to listeners around the world - or at least around Whidbey Island. Thanks to the interactive nature of the show, listeners can't help but feel as if they too are ensconced in the studio/frontiersy living room of keyboardist, sound mixer, and designated announcer Gordy Coale. The wholesome ensemble and weekly guests evoke granola more than grunge, with an eclectic assortment of instruments that ranges from guitars to mandolins to saxophones. We, for instance, were treated to the incomparable salsa styling of the Rio de Janeiro Rhythm Kings. A video stream or CU-Seeme transmission would be a welcome addition, although smooth audio is already spotty for users with average bandwidth. http://www.electricedge.com/testingtesting/ With a new four-question battle every two weeks, the War of the Minds offers points for answering tough questions before anyone else. New battles commence the first and 16th day of each month. Moderator Duane Bristow structures questions to eliminate easy Web "keyword" searches for the answer and most importantly "forces history to be not just a dry recitation of facts, but a thought process about the implications of people and events." http://www.webcom.com/duane/warmind.html Welcome to Terroir Virtuel, mesdames et messieurs. We specialize in wine, French wine. You may select from our wine menu a 1998 regional harvest report, background on wine regions in France, grape varieties, winemaking, wine tasting, health considerations, or a glossary. Perhaps you would care to join our wine-cellar club? Collectors may put in their requests on-site, of course. We also offer a JavaScript wine game for your amusement. Ah, don't let me forget our auctions of fine wines. Do I hear 15,000 FF for one cask of Domaine de Clovallon or 16,500 FF for one of Les Coteaux du Pic? Bien sur! Our online cellar awaits your order. Parlez vous francais? Tres bien! Some prefer the French version of our site, but the English version, it is also exceptionnel. Vive la France! Vive le vin! Vive le Terroir Virtuel! http://www.terroir.com/ Oh, those beguiling animated apples and bananas! Welcome to Chuck's Produce Talk. Chuck works in a grocery store - yes - produce department and here tackles head-on the big issues in the fruit world, such as how to tell whether a pear is ripe, why Valencia oranges may be greenish, and how to "Know Your Winter Squashes". A rotating apple on the busy page leads to an apple database of flavors and uses. If you can't find what you're looking for, e-mail Chuck and he'll be happy to answer your question. We did, and now we know why the delicious apple-pear is so expensive. We live too far away from where they grow. http://www.comevisit.com/chuckali/produce.htm Dear Diary, Today I Found Free Scheduling Groupware Online... Easy Diary lets members coordinate scheduling information online for free. A member selects people to keep as contacts in her own diary, and can then grant privileges such as scheduling permission which lets a contact find a mutually convenient free time to schedule a meeting. Easy Diary automatically sends e-mail notifications and, later, scheduling reminders. The site has all the features of a day organizer, but the group coordination capability makes it unique. This site would be especially helpful for managers who collaborate on deadline projects, or for people, like hair cutters, whose businesses consist of appointments.http://www.easydiary.com/ >From city guides to breaking news, 555-1212.com tries to be all things to all people, but just from its name you know it must have been originally intended as a place to find information on phone numbers. That's still what it's best at. 555-1212 provides a quick interface for reverse phone, area code, address, and e-mail lookup. You can even get a listing of all residents on a given street. Do a little ego surfing and find out what facts folks could discover about yourself just by visiting the site. At the bottom of the entry, there's an automated e-mail link you can click on if you wish to be removed from the directory, but what fun would that be? http://www.555-1212.com/ ONLINE TRAVEL Change lanes without indicating? Tailgate? Forget your headlights? Do your makeup in the rear-view mirror? Live in British Columbia? Watch out, you could find yourself publicly humiliated here. With lists of license plates, vehicles, locations and dates, this site holds responsible those drivers who seem to have passed the How to Drive Like a Moron course (q.v.) with flying colors. The Killer Driver disHonour Roll (sic) and other stories overly enthusiastically highlight the horrors of careless driving with flashing sentences. The careful drivers among us will appreciate the stories of idiot pedestrians and especially cyclists. Good idea, if perhaps a little smug.http://www.geocities.com/Baja/9799/index.html A trio of well known - in outdoorsy circles - explorers have set out from the coast of Antarctica to ski to the South Pole and back. Eric Philips, Peter Hillary, and Jon Muir have undertaken this journey of 2804 km, one of the longest unsupported polar treks of any kind. They'll do it on skis towing 170 kg sleds and being helped on their way by specially designed steerable traction kites called Quadrifoils. Cool idea. It's a grand polar adventure with the added attraction of Internet accessibility. Explore their goals and read their journal at the site. http://www.iridium-icetrek.org/index.htm Old Sturbridge Village's Newfangled Web Site Old Sturbridge Village (OSV) may claim that "it's fun to dwell in the past," but they're certainly not lagging technologically. A living history museum set in the 1830s, OSV ironically offers a Web site that employs all the latest gadgets, including RealAudio clips and sound files of everything from the local sheep (baa!) to the blacksmith clanging on the anvil (clang!). A virtual tour of the village includes 360-degree panoramas for Java-capable browsers. The online gift shop provides secure transactions, and via a form visitors can place an online reservation at a local lodge. As a museum, however, OSV's chief aim is teaching. They provide online resource materials for teachers looking to educate their students about the era, as well as a special feature entitled Ask Jack, where the director of research answers such burning questions as "Did kids in the 1830s make snowmen like we do?"http://www.osv.org/ Anybody Else Sensing a Theme Here? Historic Latta Plantation, a living history farm, portrays life in North Carolina from the 1800s to 1840s, on property owned at the time by James Latta. The site begins with some interesting biographical sketches, including ones for known slaves, plus a photo tour of the farm and grounds, which captures the exquisite beauty of antique rose varieties from the late 18th and early 19th centuries. The site runs a Photo of the Month contest for visitors who capture that special moment, while freebies include a gingercake recipe from Jane Latta, James's wife, and a cross-stitch pattern of a bookmark she kept in her Bible. Parents and teachers might like the online study guide aimed at third graders.http://www.lattaplantation.org/ Travel Guide or Destination Directory? We hardly knew the difference between the two until we visited Kasbah.com, which calls itself the Internet's largest destination directory. You're three or four clicks from background on almost any destination. Click on a country listed on the home page, search by keyword, then select content on Kasbah.com or go to related content at Lycos. An enormous amount of information awaits your curiosity. This site, which is part gateway, would be great for a hotel Internet kiosk. If you need regional or general information, use Travel Toolbox, an excellent collection of links to offsite health and weather information, currency converters, maps and route planners, transportation schedules, and a distance calculator.http://www.kasbah.com/ FLOTSAM & JETSAM Never waste your money on a dud film again. The Hollywood Bitchslap lets anyone rate films and write reviews. You're sure to find something for that wooing movie night at home or out. Last we checked, "Life Is Beautiful" was number one and "One Tough Cop" dead last. You've been warned.http://hollywoodbitchslap.com/ A clever combination of picture and coded word, a cryptograph presents a character, and a coded quote accredited to the character. A pleasant diversion in a busy day, the site changes daily. http://www.cryptograph.com/ A man out there has a brain at least twisted, if not actually sprained. It is the only explanation for his latest fiendishly difficult, totally addictive little puzzles, beautifully presented as always. Don't bother checking for Netsurfer in the Winners Listing. http://www.fitzweb.com/balls-10.html By now, everyone knows him, right? This site follows him from birth in Czechoslovakia through his life as a hero of the Holocaust, womanizer, and gambler. http://home8.inet.tele.dk/aaaa/Schindler2.htm Arj Barker has taken Europe and the US by storm, or at least by heavy drizzle. Barker describes himself as a "comedian who went from being virtually unknown in the San Francisco Bay area to being virtually unknown all over the world". The site includes a collection of riotous QuickTime clips. http://www.arjbarker.com/ Live video cameras have proliferated across the Internet, and Live Cam's catalogue of cameras is a cornucopia of virtual viewing. The site features 1,000+ cams in more than 58 countries, ranging from commonsensical (see the live Atlanta traffic map) to sanguine (check out the fish cams). http://www.live-cam.com.ar/ This site's a winner when it comes to graphics. It's got everything free, from buttons and backgrounds to flying critters and fonts. You can enter contests, download free software, take tutorials, and visit Web sites where you can create your own graphic gizmos. In addition, the links are rated. http://freegraphics.com/ It's Nice to Know Someone's Paying Attention... Why confine yourself only to the measly Y2K menace? Clocks, counters, and timers here tell you how goes the war with AIDS, atomic annihilation, the national debt and other realities which refuse to be swept under the rug. The Death page will provide a few laughs before those last few grains of sand slide by.http://www.panaga.com/clocks/clocks.htm SOFTWARE Many sites offer free or low cost services to users, everything from search engines with attitude to anonymous e-mail systems. BotLink links to and neatly reviews all these tools by category, along with a hit count and - a useful touch - the date the link was added. A good way to save hours looking for a particular service, and you may also be surprised at the services available. Despite being just a list-of-links site, BotLink is well presented and easy to use.http://www.botlink.com/
CORRECTIONS Chip thinks we've been "very generous" in our praise of his sites over the years. We think he's been very generous in providing Chip Rowe's Electric Fun (NSD 1.37), the Book of Zines (NSD 3.26), and the Spinal Tap Fan Page (NSD 3.33). He's moved them to faster servers and added "a ton" of new material. Visit them again for the first time.Fun: http://chiprowe.com/ Zines: http://zinebook.com/ Tap: http://chiprowe.com/tap/ Global Issues That Affect Everyone (NSD 4.21), in a move that may or may not affect you, has moved as well. http://www.globalissues.org/ As Well As the Museum of HP Calculators NSD 1.22 saw the promotion of the Museum of HP Calculators at its old address. Here's the new one.http://www.hpmuseum.org/ MX Bookfinder (NSD 4.30) has also shed some weight and become merely Bookfinder. Ditto the URL. http://www.bookfinder.com/ |
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