Welcome to the Site du Jour of the Day Archive for October 1998, companion site for the original e-mail version of Site du Jour of the Day. Episodes are sent out seven times a week to people around the world.

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(981001) gumbyclub.com
The Official Gumby®Web Site
http://www.gumbyclub.com/

Prema Toy Co., Inc.
Responsive Marketing Communications, Inc.
Schamburg, Illinois, USA

Pokey and Gumby are two clay animation (claymation) characters that folks either like a lot, or don't care for at all. The green 43 year-old "Man of Action" and his side-kick orange horse continue to amaze those of us who do enjoy looking at new and old episodes of The Gumby Show. Mainly it's the trouble they get into. Almost as if by magic Pokey finds a solution and our little clay friends live to see another day. Stop-action photography techniques have improved since Gumby made his debut in Moon Trip, and the early shorts have a very primitive feel but are nonetheless wonderful fun to watch. gumbyclub.com Is basically for children, although adults will appreciate the historical information — especially Art Clokey's explanation of how Gumby's head came to be slanted. As a rule, official sites sell official products and this one is no different. Toys and clothing make up the bulk of goods offered and the serious fan can purchase items autographed by Art Clokey. Official sites also tend not to be as comprehensive as fan sites, Responsive Marketing Communications, Inc. have put up a few outside pointers but oddly not to other Gumby sites. It would be nice to see more here, an interview with Art Clokey would make for interesting reading and additional photographs would certainly help out this otherwise charming site.  (Back to top of page)


(981002) Topher's Breakfast Cereal Character Guide
http://www.geocities.com/~tophers-castle/cereal-guide.html

Topher
Honolulu, Hawaii, USA

Recently I saw a print advertisement for a new breakfast cereal from Kellogg's (http://www.kelloggs.com) and while it may not be a big deal, I find it a little disturbing. Kellogg's Marshmallow Blasted Froot Loops somehow screams "a toothache in every spoonful" to me. The idea of marshmallow shapes in cold cereal made from otherwise real food is cool, General Mills' (http://www.generalmills.com) Lucky Charms has marshmallow shapes mixed in with real oat things but Froot Loops are sweet enough on their own. Adding marshmallows to Froot Loops is probably just Kellogg's way of hoarding grocery store shelf space and a clever distraction to the rest of the industry while the brass in Battle Creek, Michigan get a strike plan ready. The patent for Prozac expires soon, moms everywhere will jump at the chance to buy the yet to be created(?) Kellogg's Kalms. "Tasty bits of medicine in milk" could be the tag line, and the profit margin would be staggering. No expensive sugar, or for that matter, real food whatsoever. Children would come down from the sugar rush, further behavior changes from the yummy "medicine frosting that doesn't taste like medicine" would have the kids walking around all zombified, easy targets for box-top promotions and merchandise tie-ins… no, wait.

Breakfast cereal manufacturers have entertained and nourished children and adults for years. Who can't resist the delightful "They're Greeeeeat!" of Tony the Tiger or laugh every time that Tricky Rabbit gets blown to smithereens? These lovable characters not only get children to eat a delicious breakfast, but they have become icons of popular culture. Topher's Breakfast Cereal Character Guide explores the various names and cartoon faces we have come to love over the years. This site is the ideal place to find that brand, the name of which has been bugging you for the past twenty or thirty years. The one that went off the market the very week you were sick in bed all delusional with a fever, waking only to find that you ate your very last bowl forever and cannot remember doing so. Your lost little cartoon buddy has been haunting you ever since. Most of the information is on US, Canadian and Mexican brands, but an attempt is being made to secure data on favorites from around the world. Japan and Australia are probably best represented outside of North America. Topher's Breakfast Cereal Character Guide is a delicious part of Topher's Castle (http://www.geocities.com/~tophers-castle/), a wonderful site for kids of all ages.  (Back to top of page)


(981003) S I M C I T Y 3 0 0 0
http://www.simcity.com/

Maxis UK LTD.
London, England

When Maxis (SdJotD 970614) was absorbed by Electronic Arts (http://www.ea.com/) there was concern expressed by Sim fans and industry types about the fate of future Sim projects. In 1989 Maxis released what is considered to be the best simulation game up to that point with their Sim City. Mayors, as players were called could zone and develop cities and towns using a commercial, residential and industrial populations. The first time I played Sim City was on a Commodore 64 and that experience was amazing. Since that time, Maxis has released many other Sim titles, some successful and others not so. The 1993 sequel to Sim City was called Sim City 2000 and to date, a combined six million copies have been sold. This incredible number will only increase now that the Sim collection has been re-released at a budget price point of less than US$15, and because of that low price it looked as though an era had ended. Not so, scheduled for a fall release is SimCity 3000. Utilizing faster machines and sophisticated programming, the latest version of the game you cannot win sports a wider range of graphics and game play and an enhanced editor for customizing cities. System requirements are a far cry from a C=64, demanding at least a P166 processor, 32MB RAM, 150MB free hard drive space, quad speed CD-ROM drive, 2MB video card and Direct X compatible sound card, but the world has changed a lot in ten years and machines have too. The site has screen shots and assorted hype about the title and will eventually serve as a platform for playing SimCity 3000 with other Mayors around the world. If the jump to SimCity 3000 is anything like the jump from SimCity Classic to SimCity 2000 it should be fantastic.  (Back to top of page)


(981004) De Oude Kerk Amsterdam
Old Church Amsterdam
http://www.oudekerk.nl/

Lucien Lecarme
Stichting de Oude Kerk
Amsterdam, Netherlands

Today the Old Church Amsterdam is a source of civic pride in Amsterdam. After twenty four years of restoration costing 26.5 million Dutch Guilders, the oldest church in Amsterdam was reopened to the public in 1979. Founded in 1260, the building has seen many changes — changes to the surrounding city, religion and to the very structure itself. This mostly Dutch language site celebrates the building with such historical significance as being the place where Rembrandt married his first wife and having once been dedicated to St. Nicholas. Now used for concerts and receptions, De Oude Kerk Amsterdam is an important landmark in Europe and the site should be visited by students of Art and Architecture. A strong English language section and beautiful images should more than make up for any language barrier.  (Back to top of page)


(981005) Oddities Curios & Rarities for Macintosh
http://www.mac-curios.com/

Kris Kunze
Soma -Computing Horizons
Chippendale, New South Wales, Australia

Oddities Curios & Rarities for Macintosh is a collection of desktop toys and utilities for Mac users, a few of which are available elsewhere for other platforms. Highlights include Homer 2.1, Xmas Lights, Moon Tool 1.0.1, Mystic 8-Ball 1.1, Mouse Odometer, Apple Easter Eggs 1.4, Zoom Lens 2.0 and the classic The Macintosh Joker along with other Shareware and Freeware gems. Of interest to visitors with or without a Mac will be the collection of text files. A tale about converting a Mac Classic into a fish tank is well written and probably a better idea than using it as an anchor, another describes methods for getting less junk mail and a third with directions for recording a UK Number One single by the folks now called The KLF. A few SdJotD readers will spend a great deal of time downloading this stuff but be aware of the fact that older files may not play well with OS 8, a system backup is always a good idea first. Kris Kunze should be applauded for making so many great selections available in one place, he has done a nice job here.  (Back to top of page)


(981006) dogmark online magazine cool dog site of the day
http://www.st.rim.or.jp/~ito/d/dogmark.html

Takashi Ito
Tokyo, Japan

Dog lovers will adore this quirky new site for a number of reasons, there is a gallery for showing off candid pictures of your favorite pooch, a decent forum about issues facing dog owners both new and old, plus the fact that every month visitors get to choose the best dog themed site from the pack. The winner of this friendly contest is then featured in the top selling dog magazine in Japan, WAN. Perhaps the title dogmark online magazine cool dog site of the day is wishful thinking on the part of Takashi Ito, but with enough outside encouragement and interest it could eventually happen, at the very least it's a fun place to visit.  (Back to top of page)


(981007) Clipping Services
http://www.buyerszone.com/clipping/

A topic at BuyersZone
http://www.buyerszone.com

BuyersZone
Beacon Research Group, Inc.
Watertown, Massachusetts, USA

If you have ever been intrigued by one of those classified advertisements promising riches for doing nothing more than reading at home here is an opportunity to make ten, fifty or even one hundred dollars! Do not send a check, keep your hard earned money and rest assured that you will not receive is a special report with instructions for starting a home-based clipping service. You have made that ten, fifty or even one hundred dollars in a manner of speaking — saved it actually. The special report you could have bought would tell you that by reading and cutting out articles in newspapers and magazines then finding buyers for the groovy stories, you can make a fortune. Industry types always know the competition is up to something, you might as well be the one to help them find out what it is. Only problem is that subscribing to a hundred publications, even if some are free, can cost more than you will ever hope to make. On the other hand, if it eventually works and the checks keep coming in send some my way.

This excellent section of BuyersZone provides articles and sources for finding a professional clipping service and looks at the terminology of the business. An established and reputable firm can have hundreds of clients and like BuyersZone, might just prove to be a great resource for building your medium to small sized business. BuyersZone lists hundreds of topics at this site and in syndicated columns appearing in the Boston Business Journal, Washington Business Journal, Crain's Cleveland, Puget Sound Business Journal, and Business Consumer Guide. The Essential Business Buyer's Guide (Sourcebooks) was released last year and can be found in better bookstores in the US as well. BuyersZone is chock full of products and services you may have never heard of or know little about and contains enough useful free information to warrant a bookmark.  (Back to top of page)


(981008) Job Profiles
Career Exploration: The Personal Side of Work
http://www.jobprofiles.com/

Steve Hay
jobprofiles.com
Modesto, California, USA

Originally Site du Jour of the Day (970323)
March 23, 1997

(Much like a person new to the workforce, quite a bit has changed at jobprofiles.com in the year and a half gone by since this episode originally went out. Far more polished and sophisticated, jobprofiles.com has found a style of its own and continues to improve. Short of rewriting this whole episode may I suggest you take a Before and After approach when visiting the site. The insight gained by such an experiment could be a motivating factor leading to Site du Jour of the Day readers sharing their own experiences. At the very least it may give the opportunity to look back at your own professional development, back to the days when earning more than the minimum wage for the first time was something.)

Job Profiles is a new site and is quite raw. Considering that the content is aimed at high school students entering the workforce, it is mildly appropriate. Not a job search, not a recruiting service, but plain talk from various professionals in all walks of life describing how and why they are making a living the way they do.

Different fields are listed along with the trades and professions within these groups. All in the words of people who have answered a short questionnaire about things like education and training, duties and responsibilities and even topics that make a particular line of work challenging. Although the data is ported directly from the input files, it is still interesting. HTML coding would make it all easier to read, but this site is new and that may happen.

Take a little time and contribute your ideas and experience if helping kids get started is an interest.  (Back to top of page)


(981009) The Ultimate Taxi
http://www.ultimatetaxi.com/

Jon Barnes
Aspen, Colorado, USA

Looking more like the Disco-Rama Lounge down at the Holiday Inn than a 1979 Checker Cab, the Ultimate Taxi is a sight to behold. Part recording studio, planetarium, web-cam and taxi, Jon Barnes' fares have been known to travel thousands of miles for a ride. Connected to the Internet through the wonders of wireless technology, it's not uncommon to see the whole backseat packed with folks having a blast and sharing it with the world. Even though the Ultimate Taxi is off the road and off the air for a few days as this is written, there is enough material here at this site to keep you entertained — archival pictures of families hamming it up for the live camera are up alongside those of celebrities being seen in Aspen, all the while helping the Ultimate Taxi remain famous for being famous. Information about the crew and gear along with other diversions contribute to making this more than another live camera site. This is wretched excess at its best, and it sure looks like a good time. The fog machine and mirror ball only add to the charm, making it better than a burro ride in TJ.  (Back to top of page)


(981010) The Chank Company Alphabet Store
http://chank.com/

Chank Diesel
The Chank Company
Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA

In the old days of graphic design it wasn't uncommon for an artist to define the image of a product or company with nothing more than letterforms. A logotype or advertising headline would be hand drawn, reflecting the talent of that particular artist. If the individual moved on or was otherwise unable to create new designs, the company would try and find another to emulate the previous style. Failure would be the result more often than not and a new look was quickly developed. Typography is not a simple art, it's more than simply drawing letters and numbers. A font or type family need to work as a whole piece, conveying a specific feel or message, never getting in the way of the words it creates. Computers have taken a lot of the art out of font creation and by the sheer volume of poorly designed and incomplete sets available the future looks dim. There are CD-ROMs on the market today holding thousands of fonts, some not too bad and others just plain butt ugly. These seem to be the most popular from what I've seen. While I make no claim at expert status when it comes to typography let me cut this short by simply stating that type is meant to be invisible and that only on rare occasions does bold text in all capitals look "professional."

The Chank Company Alphabet Store is almost one of those places one would like to keep a secret. Chank Diesel and other talented designers have assembled a wonderful line of display fonts with attitude. Hand drawn and professionally rendered, a Chank font is an amazing thing. Most contain the whole character set, which in itself avoids so many printing problems and can come in handy whenever you need a cent sign (¢) or paragraph mark (¶), for example. As an introduction to the fine work available cheap here, a large selection of free fonts can be downloaded and installed for Mac and Windows machines. This is where the keep it a secret part comes in. It would be a crying shame to see some of these unique fonts abused to the point of becoming commonplace or even perceived as ugly. If you take a few please use them with care and consider sending Chank the ten dollars if you are selling whatever you make with a Chank font. New fonts are constantly being created and are available for sale or subscription. A lot of quality work has been created using these fonts and never being afraid of shameless self-promotion, Chank Diesel has assembled a nice gallery of examples from real life — a rather impressive line-up so far that includes food product packaging and best-selling album covers. Chank's Rockstar Font Archive at Tripod (https://www.tripod.com/explore/computers_internet/lifesupport/columns/chank/rockstarfonts.html) is an expansion of Chank's empire with fonts created from handwriting by the likes of various musicians including members of Morphine, Soul Coughing, and others. Back at The Chank Company Alphabet Store you can even bid on original artwork so fresh it could possibly become a good investment if such things interest you.  (Back to top of page)


(981011) Maps in the News
http://www-map.lib.umn.edu/news.html

John R. Borchert Map Library
University of Minnesota
Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA

Maps in the News is comprised of pointers to outside sources containing maps and charts of places in the international news during the past few years. Sources include official government sites, news agencies, commercial map sites and other libraries. A part of John R. Borchert Map Library site at the University of Minnesota (http://www-map.lib.umn.edu/), this single page is one that every educator should be aware of. An excellent idea and resource.  (Back to top of page)


(981012) Tektronix colorize.com
http://colorize.com/

Tektronix Inc.
Wilsonville, Oregon, USA

Among other things, Tektronix (http://www.tek.com/) manufactures color printers for home and commercial use. Part of the support program for users of their fine machines comes in the form of colorize.com, a site with tips, ideas, templates and tools for using desktop color more effectively. Of course they are trying to sell you a printer and/or consumables, but with colorize.com it's an almost painless pitch if you ever notice it at all. No matter what extent color plays in documents you create, or how deep your existing knowledge of working with color is, there is bound to be something here of use for you. You don't even need a Tektronix color printer for most of this stuff but if you are in the market for a color printer…  (Back to top of page)


(981013) Telegram Wire Services
http://www.dailynews.net/garden/wire/

The Garden City Telegram
Hays, Kansas, USA

This page from The Garden City Telegram (http://www.gctelegram.com/) site posts updated stories from the Associated Press (http://wire.ap.org/) and the regional Harris News Service (http://www.dailynews.net/hns/news/) every ten minutes, around the clock. World news can be found at many other sites, but the draw here is that the pages load quicker than any I have found due to the almost complete lack of graphic elements. Both the Associated Press and the Harris News Service sites take approximately four times as long to load and contain essentially the same material. In addition to the local Garden City, Kansas features, sections with national news, international news, financial news, political news and Kansas news are available as fast loading text pages. Pointers to other Harris properties such as The Hutchinson News, The Salina Journal, The Hays Daily News, The Ottawa Herald, The Chanute Tribune, The Parsons Sun along with similar pointers to other wire services and news sites will lead visitors to flash and hype. Unless you are looking for a highly specific piece, this is one of the best sources around for tomorrow's newspaper stories. In many markets these articles will be printed verbatim with slightly larger headlines and maybe an illustration or two thrown in for good measure.  (Back to top of page)


(981014) One Fish Two Fish…
http://members.xoom.com/onefish/

Shanie B. O'Connor
Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

One Fish Two Fish… is an ideal site for anyone interested in maintaining an aquarium as a hobby. Clinical studies have shown that keeping even a small tank can reduce stress levels significantly which never hurts. If setting up an aquarium is an interest this would be the place to learn just what it takes to set up a healthy environment for both humans and fish. Advanced hobbyists will benefit from the forum area and reference material. Better than the books sold in pet shops on the subject, One Fish Two Fish… is a remarkably comprehensive site which continues to improve as time goes by.  (Back to top of page)


(981015) The Elvis Costello Home Page
http://east.isx.com/~schnitzi/ec/index.html

Maintained by John Everingham
Created by Mark Schnitzius
Atlanta, Georgia, USA

As far as record labels are concerned, Elvis Costello is like that crazy uncle everybody wants the privilege of having stay with them. For the duration of the current contract, the label puts up a humdinger set of pages but ultimately it becomes time for him to move on and they come down. This becomes a bit of a problem for the artist, not having a place to store old photographs and like that, but does wonders for a site like The Elvis Costello Home Page. There is no label affiliation here making it a true fan site, certainly one of the best you will ever see. Elvis Costello is on the road supporting his latest album titled Painted From Memory, a package written and recorded with a musical genius from another generation, Burt Bacharach. The Elvis Costello Home Page has all the news that's fit to print about this latest outing and archived material from a career which has spanned over twenty years. It's not often that you get to see a list of every public performance given by an act, and even if you are just a casual fan it's an amazing thing to see — it's here along with so much more. Multiple contributors add to the value of these pages, providing an interesting and fair look at the work of Elvis Costello. Like that crazy uncle and the music of Elvis Costello, this site is best enjoyed in little chunks. Little chunks you can ruminate on and enjoy.  (Back to top of page)


(981016) The Bacchanalia Cartoon Site
http://members.xoom.com/bacchanalia/

Nick D. Kim
Hamilton, New Zealand

This site, originally titled Strange Matter is the creation of cartoonist Nick D. Kim. His single panel strips are riddled with science and show an insight normally reserved for smart people. Hundreds of very funny, well drawn cartoons await the visitor here as do a few other surprises. The similarities to Dave "on hiatus" Farley's The Doctor Fun Page (http://sunsite.unc.edu/Dave/drfun.html) (SdJotD 970814) are unavoidable considering the format but are still different enough to compliment one another. Both artists allow non-commercial use of their work and The Bacchanalia Cartoon Site goes so far as to provide two resolutions for most pieces to accommodate duplication. A series called The Post in the Machine is made up of over twenty five illustrations solely designed with printing in mind — they turn into small aerograms which are perfect for sending a quick "howdy" through the mail. Some of the jokes found throughout the site may only funny to New Zealanders but since that's where the cartoons originate it only makes sense that they would.  (Back to top of page)


(981017) The Page of Anxiety
http://ic.net/~kottca/

The Novative Peragrations Company
Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA

As if there wasn't enough going on in modern society to occupy our attention, The Page of Anxiety comes along and offers pointers to additional things you can add to the old anxiety attic. Some of the subjects are quite serious while others are laughable, all depending on your point of view. It's rather ironic that The Page of Anxiety originates in one of America's best places to live. That Ann Arbor has a dark side has me a little worried now.  (Back to top of page)


(981018) QuackWatch
Your Guide to Health Fraud, Quackery, and Intelligent Decisions
http://www.quackwatch.com/

Stephen Barrett, M.D.
Allentown, Pennsylvania, USA

As the medical establishment warms up to alternative methods of healthcare, a trend noticeable with the inclusion of certain fringe techniques by managed healthcare providers and plans, it becomes quite clear that some doctors are open to these changes and others adamantly deny and positive benefits. Most of these New-Age treatments are hooey, a quick way to bilk the old and weak out of their money. Living in SW Florida, "God's Waiting Room" as we sometimes call it, seeing stories in the newspaper about people being fleeced for thousands of dollars at a time is not uncommon. Treatments straight out of 19th century medicine shows still find victims here, and the "smoke out their back-sides" healers have a big market to work with. One aspect of unconventional treatment often overlooked by the medical profession is the power of positive thought — a patient who feels better will sometimes get better faster.

The healing properties of positive thought are stock in trade for retired psychiatrist Stephen Barrett. As a medical editor of Prometheus Books and consulting editor for the newsletter Nutrition Forum, he has seen and helped to expose countless fads and quacks. QuackWatch is a series of articles, pointers and postings which act as a consumer warning/guide to credible treatments, wonder cures and scams. As with any medical advice always seek the opinion of a trained professional or two. New techniques are always showing up and many doctors are open to improving the science, others still swear by leeches for everything. Healthcare is big business and you are the consumer, if you are not happy with your doctor you can always find another, but remember that if you could heal yourself you would. Skepticism can sometimes be the best medicine.  (Back to top of page)


(981019) The Virtual Autopsy
http://www.le.ac.uk/pathology/teach/VA/titlpag1.html

Tim Taylor
University of Leicester
Leicester, England

Written by Tim Taylor as a special project while attending the Medical School at Leicester University, the Virtual Autopsy is primarily a learning tool designed for Preclinical Medical Students at the university. Amateur medical examiners (there's a thought) and those at other (learning) institutions will find this site very informative. Case studies are presented in the form of an actual examination, allowing the student to analyze observations and attempt to determine a cause of death for seven unrelated individuals. For the curious visitor this site is worth a look and a spin to see exactly how an autopsy works or for no other reason than a chance to see internal organs in the form of full color photographs and x-rays. Although the Virtual Autopsy is highly educational, the clinical nature of the subject may not be suitable for those visitors afraid of seeing human guts. Pages here also carry the following disclaimer: "None of the information on this site is to be taken as equal to, or better than, the advice given by a qualified health care professional; it has been designed for teaching purposes only." In other words, don't try any of this at home.  (Back to top of page)


(981020) Sullivan's Online Scanning Resources
http://www.hsdesign.com/scanning/

Michael J. Sullivan
Burlington, Massachusetts, USA

About a year and a half ago desktop scanner prices dropped to the point of becoming affordable for more people than ever before, this proliferation of technology made scanners available for well under one hundred dollars in the US. As many have since discovered, image scanning is not as easy as it looks. Part science and part art, getting the right combination of settings and levels together to give the optimum scan is no mean feat. Starting with a quality scanner is crucial, before investing in a low priced machine consider increasing the amount you are willing to spend and go from there — a good rule of thumb with any computer purchase is to buy double of whatever you think you'll need or use. Consider spending a minimum of three hundred dollars on a flat-bed scanner unless quality is not important. While you can find a good machine for less than three hundred dollars, the extra support and software bundles included with the package will frequently be worth the extra expense. The big computer magazines have hardware shoot-outs every so many issues and with a trip to the library or a visit to a site like Ziff Davis Inc.'s (http://www.zd.com/), finding valid comparisons of scanners will not be that difficult.

Not until a scanner is purchased and installed does the real fun start. Learning how to scan things can be a challenge and mastering the tool a serious undertaking. Color depth, resolution and a host of other concepts and terms can quickly become confusing but in reality are quite easy if approached in a simple manner. Sullivan's Online Scanning Resources is an excellent source of tips and instruction for the beginning scanner, and even individuals confident with their skills who will not want to miss Sullivan's Scanning Calculator at the same site. Michael J. Sullivan is a professional designer and regular contributor to the publications HOW and Publish. His book entitled Make Your Scanner a Great Design & Production Tool is available through the site along with a related CD-ROM title. Download a demonstration version of Sullivan's Scanning Tips and Techniques on CD-ROM (http://www.hsdesign.com/scanning/cd-rom/preview.html) during your visit. The site, book and disc are well worth looking at.  (Back to top of page)


(981021) The FDA Enforcement Report
http://www.fda.gov/opacom/enforce.html

U.S. Food and Drug Administration
Rockville, Maryland, USA

As Halloween fast approaches I've been pondering what to give the kiddies who come around begging this year. The thought that keeps reoccurring is probably something I once saw on television and found remarkably funny. Give 'em each a handful of sauce packets. Those handy single servings of mustard and ketchup, etc. that pile up after each take-out meal would be the perfect choice — delicious, nutritious and mighty thrifty to boot. Being a grown-up and realizing that the phrase "Trick or Treat" can actually lead to an early morning outside clean-up I've decided that sauce packets might be a bad idea. I did a search on the subject anyway using Dogpile (http://dogpile.com), and was under whelmed by what was found. That is until the letters FDA came into view. It seems that back in 1994 there was a problem with science projects growing in the little plastic condiment vessels and The FDA Enforcement Report posted the information about a recall. Further exploration revealed a world of data pertaining to recalls, field corrections, warnings and legal actions issued and undertaken by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration since 1990. Most of the food products listed here have been recalled because of undeclared ingredients or contamination which leads to yet another thought, canned goods with rodent parts almost screams Halloween doesn't it? Maybe I'll just fire up the old camping stove, get out a skillet, and crack open a couple rolls of nickels like I threatened to do last year.  (Back to top of page)


(981022) JoDI
Journal of Digital Information
http://jodi.ecs.soton.ac.uk/

Multimedia Research Group
Department of Electronics and Computer Science
University of Southampton
Southampton, England

The Journal of Digital Information (JoDI) is the only peer-reviewed journal to appear in digital-only form. Articles and papers describing the future and past of digital communications can freely be read here after filling out a simple form. Most of the material is very serious, presenting solutions and innovations in the field. The contributing authors and researchers are helping turn ideas once considered science fiction into practical applications, shaping the not so distant future of telecommunications. Recommended for anyone with a decent understanding of how things digital work, but because sharing this work is crucial to its growth, even casual visitors will find a great deal of useful information here.  (Back to top of page)


(981023) Vegemite Rules
http://www.vegemite.com.au/

Kraft Foods Limited
Port Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
a division of Kraft Foods, Inc.
Northfield, Illinois, USA

This Australian site serves up the seventy-six year history of Vegemite, recipes, a sing-a-long to the "Happy Little Vegemites" song plus a lot more. The one and only official Vegemite site.  (Back to top of page)


(981024) Cornboy.com - The Simpsons Wonder Quiz!
http://www.cornboy.com/wonderquiz/default.asp

Jason Hart
Denver, Colorado, USA

Fans of the television show The Simpsons will appreciate this simple but good looking site. After taking The Simpsons Wonder Quiz! add questions of your own or browse a catalog of Simpsons merchandise available though an arrangement with Amazon.com. The commercial aspect of this site is a perfect example of a commission based partnership with an Internet vendor. Nice job Cornboy!  (Back to top of page)


(981025) Cara's Poetry Cove
http://www.cxo.com/~cara/

Cara Filipeli
Wichita, Kansas, USA

Cara's Poetry Cove contains over 350 poems written about various subjects by Site du Jour of the Day reader Cara Filipeli. Each piece is accompanied by an illustration relevant to the theme of the poem, most are floral images and match the background color of that particular page. As one who encourages self-publication, I found the poetry and layouts here to be refreshing and pleasant. Poetry readers and writers alike understand the personal nature of the genre, and will appreciate the way Cara's Poetry Cove is designed and how the quality of Cara Filipeli's output shines because of the extra work involved. The range of human emotion displayed here stretches from relationships to the not so often written about joys of baking bread. The site also features work by a monthly guest poet, stories, tales, and letters from visitors. Unlike a lot of other poetry sites, the material is very positive and worth a look even for individuals not normally interested in poetry.  (Back to top of page)


(981026) Joke-of-the-Day
The World's Largest Daily Joke List
http://www.joke-of-the-day.com/index.html

TWT International
New York, New York, USA

The material at Joke-of-the-Day will not be suitable for everyone, a fate often bestowed on humor, making it that much funnier. Jokes and goofs on popular culture, current and historical events as well as undiscriminating blasts at religion and government leaders archived once a month from the daily e-mail version are available free. A lot of the jokes mailed out by Joke-of-the-Day end up being forwarded many times over, so you may already be familiar with the name of the site and will certainly recognize a few items from the twenty one month deep Archive. An example from June:

"A guy is walking past a big wooden fence at the insane asylum and he hears all the residents inside chanting, "Thirteen! Thirteen! Thirteen! Quite curious about this, he finds a hole in the fence, and looks in. Someone inside pokes him in the eye. Then everyone inside the asylum starts chanting, "Fourteen! Fourteen! Fourteen!"

If such mail strikes you as interesting, start your Joke-of-the-Day subscription either by filling out the appropriate form at the site or send a blank message to (Subscribe@joke-of-the-day.com).  (Back to top of page)


(981027) WebElements
The Periodic Table on the WWW
http://www.shef.ac.uk/~chem/web-elements/

Mark Winter
Department of Chemistry
University of Sheffield
Sheffield, England

When I was nine years-old there was this kid who lived in the neighborhood who dedicated his summer to memorizing the Periodic Table. At the time, we all thought he was crazy and to this day cannot imagine what possessed him to waste a perfectly good summer vacation learning stuff. Many years later I still have not committed the table to memory, and sadly recall nothing else from that summer other than the kid who memorized the whole Periodic Table. Locating a printed version in a book or on a poster is probably how most of us made due if we weren't required to learn the thing. Site du Jour of the Day reader Phil Konstantin* suggested WebElements a while back and since then I have used it on many occasions, wondering how I survived without. The amount of detail at WebElements is staggering, the most complete resource of its kind I have ever seen. Visitors of all ages will learn more than expected after exploring WebElements, in fact forget everything you know about The Periodic Table and acquire a new perspective at this site. Not all gasses and solids, WebElements has pronunciation guides, real life data about each element, and it follows IUPAC recommendations for accuracy. Not completely serious, you'll see Strange Matter panels from The Bacchanalia Cartoon Site (http://members.xoom.com/bacchanalia/) (SdJotD 981016) gracing certain pages and lots more. Nine year-olds should pay very close attention!

*Phil Konstantin's site, This Week In North American Indian History (https://members.tripod.com/~PHILKON/index.html) (SdJotD 970728) is unrelated to this one but well worth a visit.  (Back to top of page)


(981028) The Philadelphia Ghost Hunters Alliance
Paranormal researchers and investigators
http://members.aol.com/Rayd8em/index.html

Lew & Sharon Gerew
Philadelphia Ghost Hunters Alliance
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA

_________________________________

PhACT
Philadelphia Association for Critical Thinking
http://www.phact.org/phact/

Eric Krieg
PhACT - Philadelphia Association for Critical Thinking
North Wales, Pennsylvania, USA

There is probably no better time of the year for ghost stories than this last week of October. The month-end religious festivals go back as far as mankind can remember and in the Northern Hemisphere coincide with the end of the harvest — a time when most plants give way to the cold of winter. It's only fitting then that our attention to human death is amplified and celebrated. What better a location than Philadelphia to look for manifestations of an afterlife. Surviving structures in the city have seen an estimated fifteen generations, through as the Pop band The Godfathers so aptly put it, Birth, School, Work, Death. It can be said with a fair degree of certainty that the organizations who's sites are featured in this episode would agree about their Pennsylvania city being a hot-bed of potential for the discovery and the explanation of energy from beyond the grave. The methods and disciplines each uses differ greatly, to the point that one would not be surprised to hear them being compared to poor old Charlie Brown's Halloween costume by the opposing camp.  (Back to top of page)


(981029) Find A Grave
http://www.findagrave.com/index.html

Jim Tipton
Salt Lake City, Utah, USA

Jim Tipton has put together a set of searchable pages and images pertaining to the resting places and memorials of famous dead people. The most visited graves of expired entertainers are most likely those of Jim Morrison at Le Pere Lachaise, France, and Elvis Presley at Graceland (see ELVIS is still #1 (http://www.KarenDerr.com/elvis) (SdJotD 970808)), both of which are represented at Find A Grave. You'll also find sections devoted to interments that probably see far less traffic, making them perhaps that much more interesting to seek out — Roy Acuff, Brian Epstein, Burl Ives, Annie Oakley, Richard Upjohn and even Brigham Young. Not just show business types though, countless other historical figures, heads of state, gangsters and more are remembered here. With locations detailed, and in many cases photographs of markers contributed by visitors, it's amazing how respectful the project comes across. Most of the sites included at Find A Grave are in North America and new finds are both appreciated and encouraged. This could be the perfect opportunity for Site du Jour of the Day readers to pitch-in by making a Halloween weekend trip to the local bone-yard for pictures. Important people in countries around the world are lining up to go all of the time (see The Lee Atwater Invitational Dead Pool (http://stiffs.com/) (SdJotD 970918). Here's a chance to help them live on or at least see what they left behind.  (Back to top of page)


(981030) KBON 101.1 FM
http://www.kbon.com/

Paul Marx, Owner/General Manager
Designed by Lee Benoit
Eunice, Louisiana, USA

I have proudly maintained the belief that the type of music played by Louisiana Proud! KBON is bound to become as popular around the world as the current Swing revival has been. The rich diversity and culture in Louisiana is reflected in the programming on this meager 25,000 Watt signal. Through a marvel of modern technology the sounds of KBON are no longer confined to the 150 mile radius of the tower — RealAudio Streams make the world Paul Marx' oyster. The KBON staff loves what they do and you can hear them at it around the clock playing the best the region has to offer. Limited bandwidth makes for interesting listening at times. Sounding like a distant AM station occasionally adds to the charm, fortunately the music is so good it makes it through. The records KBON plays are as real as they get. Stop in to pick up the feed and have a look around at the site, pictures of the crew, artists and other local information grace the pages. In a few months when all the kids on your block are starting up accordion bands remember that you heard it here first.  (Back to top of page)


(981031) Today@NASA
http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/pao/NewsRoom/today.html

National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Washington, D.C., USA

Originally Site du Jour of the Day (970610)
June 10, 1997

For information regarding all of the missions the National Aeronautics and Space Administration has going, this sub page of the NASA site (http://www.nasa.gov/) can't be beat. Available here are the headlines and press releases, links to home pages of ongoing projects as well as pointers to several newsgroups. For most individuals this is probably the best place to start exploring the many different agencies, images and reports available from America's Space Agency. The topical nature of this page almost guarantees something new every time you visit.  (Back to top of page)


 

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Copyright 1998 Edward J. Pelegrino. All rights reserved.
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Updated  October 31, 1998

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