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(000901) Seven Wonders
Finding A Site Worth Bookmarking Every Day
http://www.penncen.com/7wonders/

Kessler Freedman, Inc.
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, USA

Basically a site development and promotion firm, Kessler Freedman, Inc. have used Seven Wonders to share trends and interesting sites with visitors since February 1996. A categorized site a day along with a one line description makes up the content of Seven Wonders — the sites picked are of a similar nature to those featured as Site du Jour of the Day but not the same types. There are many sites listed at Seven Wonders that I've never seen and I see a lot of sites. While most "one line description" pointer sites are quite cryptic in their descriptions, Seven Wonders is clearly different. It should be mentioned that this Seven Wonders is often used to promote the sites of clients of Kessler Freedman, Inc., but there is no apparent propaganda vibe going on. It's not often that another site of the day site is featured here, the last being Susan Larsson's Translators' Site du Jour – Language Links Plus – (http://home.ncia.com/~slarsson/sitejour.html) (SdJotD 991008) in October 1999. If you enjoy Site du Jour of the Day you should also like Seven Wonders.  (Back to top of page)


(000902) WONDER
The Children's Magazine for Grown-Ups
http://www.pobox.com/~wonder

Rod Bennett and Jim Henry
Austell, Georgia, USA

Like many Do It Yourself print publications in the 1980s, WONDER magazine started with the same gusto that continues to shape the Internet with their migration. For nearly ten years, the print version was a hit with its fans — those who enjoy Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Fantastic Media. More than a horror fanzine, WONDER started by Lint Hatcher as a literary magazine of sorts. The original intent and continued focus of the material in WONDER is the exploration of the links between faith, fantasy, and horror. Features from the original print volumes are available here at the WONDER site along with new pieces every quarter and pointers to other sites. More about popular culture than religion, visitors may not agree with all of the opinions expressed in WONDER, but the pairing of Science Fiction and Christianity may change certain views on one or the other. Possibly both.  (Back to top of page)


(000903) Ask The Toad!
http://www.gfamilynet.com/askthetoad.html

a part of

gFamilyNet
http://www.gfamilynet.com/

Mark Giannini and family
Brentwood, California, USA

gFamilyNet is a small but nice family site, the most entertaining feature being Ask The Toad! Similar to countless oracle sites, Ask The Toad! is perfect for help with those tough decisions we all have to make on a daily basis. Sure it's best if used for entertainment purposes, but one look at Toad Wisdom which accompanies Ask The Toad! might change your mind about that. Also, be sure to see the PaPa G Gallery. Especially if people give you static about still using crayons at your age.  (Back to top of page)


(000904) ClassicThemes.com
http://www.classicthemes.com/

David Jackson Shields
The Media Management Group
El Cajon, California, USA

ClassicThemes.com is comprised of three sections, each exploring a different aspect of the Theme Music genre. The first section, The Light Music Hall of Fame is represented by the likes of Leroy Anderson, Henry Mancini, and Nelson Riddle. The next two sections, Classic U.S. Television Series Themes and Old-Time U.S. Radio Series Themes identify the titles, composers, arrangers, and publishers of Signature Tunes, Main Titles & End Credits, and Theme Songs from a series pre-1965 first run and syndication variations. Maintained and researched by David Jackson Shields, a former broadcaster and composer-producer for TV and radio, ClassicThemes.com does not have audio files available to visitors. ClassicThemes.com does provide more than enough information for visitors to start locating sheet music, recordings or permissions for use. The pointers to related sites should be of use as well.  (Back to top of page)


(000905) Jonathan Winters Official Home Page
http://www.jonathanwinters.com/

Jonathan Winters Inc.
Malibu, California, USA

Jonathan Winters Official Home Page looks at the comedy, fine art, and writings of one of the funniest performers ever. Even if you have no idea who Jonathan Winters is, take in this site and then shoot over to Online NewsHour: Jonathan Winters -- October 21, 1999 (http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/entertainment/july-dec99/winters_10-21.html) for a transcript and RealAudio stream of a Jim Lehrer interview with Jonathan Winters. Last year, Jonathan Winters was the recipient of the Mark Twain Prize from the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Highlights this year have included the film The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle (http://www.rockyandbullwinkle.com/), and during August, PBS (http://www.pbs.org/) aired Jonathan Winters: On The Loose (http://www.pbs.org/whatson/press/summer/johnathanwinters.html), a career retrospective that will hopefully be shown again soon. What a wonderful talent.  (Back to top of page)


(000906) MusicSearcher.com
Music Artist Link Database
http://www.musicsearcher.com/

FuzzLogic
Mo i Rana, Norway

MusicSearcher.com is home to a database containing pointer to sites for over 4,700 artists. The current pointer count is at 15,270, some of these are official artist/label sites while the majority are fan sites. The speed at which MusicSearcher.com pages load is great, and the complete lack of banner advertisements is refreshing. There is a commercial end here though, but that barely shows up — on the page for each artist is a set of pointers to additional pages that take visitors directly to retail and research sites through MusicSearcher.com Affiliate accounts. This approach is very good to see and the crew at FuzzLogic have done a fine job in maintaining that particular subtlety.  (Back to top of page)


(000907) ScrapNetwork.com: The Ultimate Scrapbook Resource!
http://www.scrapnetwork.com/

Jared Riley and Ryan Riley
ScrapNetwork.com, Inc.
Meridian, Idaho, USA

From an archival standpoint the current revival of the art of creating scrapbooks comes with mixed blessings. On a positive note, people are once again creating memory albums — identifying individuals in photographs and creating heirlooms for future generations. On the dark side, the terminally artsy-craftsy are cutting up photographic prints like there's no tomorrow. The paper industry has recognized the market for new adhesives and acid-free papers and the art of Scrapping has become a big business to the point that even manufacturers of scissors have seen better than average sales figures. In addition to hosting pointers galore to related sites, ScrapNetwork.com: The Ultimate Scrapbook Resource! has layout tips and design contests plus a whole lot more. With digital cameras becoming more affordable and improved ink-jet printers, the whole world of photography is undergoing yet another radical change. Creating traditional and digital scrapbooks is a logical extension of new technologies and ScrapNetwork.com could indeed be the ultimate scrapbook resource.  (Back to top of page)


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(000908) World Wide Quilting Page
The World's Oldest & Largest Quilting Site
http://www.quilt.com/MainQuiltingPage.html

Eric and Sue Traudt
T & T Software
North Haven, Connecticut, USA

Extremely popular with American pioneers, the art of Quilting was more necessity than luxury. Piecing small portions of fabric together to make blankets became a right of passage for girls and a useful skill for a woman. Not restricted to females but often enough used as a social gathering for the ladies, Quilting reached peak popularity in the US in the 1930s. As social and economic changes placed traditionally homebound women in the work force during WWII, Quilting began to fall to the wayside. Modern fabrics eliminated the need for the thrift of quilting, television and new families eliminated a lot of the free time needed to produce quilts. Although the form survived, it wasn't until the next generation that interest in Quilting was renewed. One event in particular can be said to have contributed to the revival — the American Bicentennial Celebration in 1976. The renewed interest in home crafts was a direct result of our romantic version of colonial and pioneer life. Quilting, woodworking, and candle making are just a few of the nearly lost hobbies that benefited from the nostalgia. In the 24 or so years since that time, Quilting has maintained momentum and is probably more popular today than ever. The World Wide Quilting Page was the first of its kind, and is a tremendous resource for anyone who is interested in Quilting on almost any level. This site is initially deceiving in its simplicity, it is actually quite vast beyond the top page. Pointers to related sites and content unique to the World Wide Quilting Page make this an excellent starting page for new and experienced Quilters alike.  (Back to top of page)


(000909) Amused.com - The Centre For The Easily Amused.
http://www.amused.com/

Cathie Walker
Centre for the Easily Amused
Victoria, British Columbia, Canada

It's a new and improved version of an old favorite taking advantage of new browser capabilities and the talents of an excellent staff. Cathie Walker (formerly known as the artist formerly known as the Queen of the Internet) has given The Centre For The Easily Amused a new lease on life by adding fresh features to an already great site. With new design elements that hint at a possible expansion (and later domination) into the print greeting card business, The Centre For The Easily Amused is sexier than ever. Classic sections that helped to establish The Centre For The Easily Amused as the premiere spot for wasting time remain, and daily improvements will be introduced through the "What's New" page. The staff at The Centre For The Easily Amused have done wonders to the old place and if you haven't seen it in a while you should see it now. Pound for pound still one of the best sites ever created.  (Back to top of page)


(000910) Scuba Diving Explained
Questions and Answers on Physiology and Medical Aspects of Scuba Diving
http://www.mtsinai.org/pulmonary/books/scuba/contents.htm

Lawrence Martin
Cleveland, Ohio, USA

This electronic book starts with the history of diving and goes on from there. Chapters include Water and the Physical Laws That Affect All Divers; Effects of Unequal Air Pressures While Scuba Diving: Ear Squeeze, Sinus Squeeze, Air Embolism and Other Forms of Barotrauma; Dive Tables and Dive Computers: Their History and Utility; Women and Diving; and Should Asthmatics Not Scuba Dive? Pointers and a fun section called Diving Odds N' Ends round things out. A print version is also available. The author, Lawrence Martin was Chief of the Pulmonary Division (http://www.mtsinai.org/pulmonary/) at Mt. Sinai Hospital (http://www.mtsinai.org/) in Cleveland from 1976 through 2000. In February the teaching hospital was closed but the site remains.  (Back to top of page)


(000911) Your Daily Freebies - Updated Throughout The Day - Everyday!
http://www.todaysfreebies.com/newfreebie.html

Todays Freebies
West Haven, Connecticut, USA

Product manufacturers have known about the usefulness of coupons and samples for ages and with the Internet, building a mailing list of interested consumers has never been easier. In fact, it's too easy and when demand overwhelms supply, a promotion can backfire. For example, if a firm has 50,000 widgets they plan on sending out free and they launch a giveaway through their site it's not uncommon for all 50,000 pieces to be claimed in a single day. If you've ever visited a freebie site and followed a pointer to an exhausted promotion you've seen the results. Todays Freebies works on that premise and posts fresh material several times a day. Not all of the giveaways will be of interest to everyone, but there's bound to be something at Todays Freebies for most people. Visitors from outside of North America may find slim pickings as these promotions are geared toward domestic consumers but occasionally a firm markets that product where you live as well so it's worth a look.

It's important to remember that by requesting these samples and coupons you are often required to give up personal information — at the very least a mailing address and more often than not an e-mail address too. Setting up an e-mail account for the purpose of freebies is not a bad idea — don't be surprised if a company sells your information and you end up on mailing lists. Always look for the option to back out of receiving (e)mail "from companies that may have stuff you'll be interested in". On the very rare occasion that an offer is not valid and the sole purpose is to harvest mailing addresses you'll be glad that you set up an account for receiving propaganda — and you'll get plenty of it even if the offer is good. Also, a Post Office box is worth the annual fee if over time you plan on requesting a lot of things.

Similar to the freebies game are sweepstakes where the whole idea is to generate as much interest as possible in a product or service by giving away a large prize or two. Automobiles, cash, computers, and trips are usually the grand prizes and depending on the budget there may be hundreds of smaller prizes awarded. A good source for the latest sweepstakes information is Sweep The Net Sweepstakes Newsletter (http://www.sweepthenet.com) (SdJotD 990117). Again, be careful giving information to strangers.

At this point I should take the time to mention that addresses on the Site du Jour of the Day mailing list are never sold or exchanged, and will only be used to send out episodes of Site du Jour of the Day.  (Back to top of page)


(000912) Easing The Teasing
http://www.easingtheteasing.com/

Judy S. Freedman
Online Sales Service, Inc.
Northfield, Illinois, USA

School is back in session once again and along with new assignments and classmates, certain children get teased. It's something almost everyone has experienced and as grown-ups we are often called upon to help our children and grandchildren cope with the unpleasantness of the whole deal. Physical appearance, cultural heritage, and names are often bully fodder. Easing The Teasing offers basic strategies and approaches for adults helping their kids through this unfortunate stage of life. Judy S. Freedman is a licensed Clinical Social Worker and is building this site to share her therapeutic and educational experience. While still in development, Easing The Teasing features a puppet show script for first graders. The main characters are Nancy Namecaller and Terry Teaser.

I am not a qualified professional in this particular field, but it seems that if all else fails teaching your children that in the grand scheme of things being called names isn't really that big a deal you can visit another site. The Funny Name Server (http://www.funnyname.com/) (SdJotD 990801) contains thousands of unfortunate names from telephone listings and visitor submissions. At the very least, your kids will figure out that they may not be as bad off as they think once you tell them what you've seen after a visit to The Funny Name Server. Parents too have a responsibility in naming their children something sensible — just ask Rudolph Christmas, Jr. the next time you see him.  (Back to top of page)


(000913) Find mE-Mail.com
The Authoritative Change of e-mail address directory
http://www.findmemail.com/

Find mE-Mail Inc.
Alexandria, Virginia, USA

If you have ever switched a primary e-mail address it is possible that you have lost contact with individuals who you would like to keep in touch with — and they you. Sometimes this is due to changes in employment or Internet Service Providers. Find mE-Mail Inc. provides a solution for others to find you assuming that they have your old e-mail address. Find mE-Mail.com is a free service for you and the people searching for you. List your old and new e-mail addresses, old URLs and if you'd like, your name. The people looking for you must know the information you've listed to find you. Real time updates provide for immediate changes to password protected records. If you are so inclined you can easily delete your record at any time. Nothing beats a configurable forwarding address like those available at Email.com (http://www.email.com/) or similar services, but posting data at Find mE-Mail.com can certainly help after the fact.  (Back to top of page)


(000914) Dr. Seuss Went to War:
A Catalog of Political Cartoons by Dr. Seuss
http://orpheus.ucsd.edu/speccoll/dspolitic/

The Dr. Seuss Collection
Mandeville Special Collections Library
University of California, San Diego
San Diego, California, USA

For two years stating in 1941, Theodor Seuss Geisel served as the Chief Editorial Cartoonist for PM, a New York newspaper. During his time at the paper he created over 400 almost forgotten editorial cartoons. One look at a few of these panels may forever change the way you read Dr. Seuss classics. A far cry from Random House, Inc.'s Dr. Seuss's Seussville! (http://www.randomhouse.com/seussville/) (SdJotD 971127), the scanned newspaper clippings from the University of California, San Diego collection offer a glimpse back at the daily effects of WWII from the viewpoint of an American original. Part patriotism, part propaganda, and mostly the genius of Dr. Seuss. Visitors are bound to see early versions of some of Dr. Seuss's most famous characters here and that will only and to the experience. Thanks to Sally Horstman for the fantastic suggestion.  (Back to top of page)


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(000915) EarthStation1.com: The Internet's Original Multimedia Museum™
World History In Digital Sounds & Pictures
http://www.earthstation1.com/

James Charles Kaelin
Bayonne, New Jersey, USA

During the past several years, Site du Jour of the Day episodes have looked at more than a handful of sites offering audio files. Available in all sorts of flavors and file formats, these samples are often the property of someone other than the people maintaining the sites where they are found. On occasion, the sounds are in the public domain or have become so engrained in popular culture that the copyright holder would be foolish to stop people from using them privately. Catch phrases from motion pictures are the perfect example — "Are you talking to me?", "Go ahead, make my day.", "Bond, James Bond". All three are instantly recognizable as lines from toughs. Without these audio gems we might quickly forget about a picture. Audio recordings of historical moments have preserved events for posterity in a manner previously only dreamed about, add photography and it's almost as if you were there. EarthStation1.com: The Internet's Original Multimedia Museum™ combines all of the above (except for the toughs collection) in a site that will take visitors hours to explore. WAV and RealAudio files make up the bulk of the audio here, pictures are plentiful too. Subject matter runs from Ancient & Esoteric Media to Warner Bros Cartoon Sounds, all preserved with special care and special processes. An amazing private collection, the likes of which only come along once or twice a century. As stated, plan on spending a lot of time at EarthStation1.com: The Internet's Original Multimedia Museum™ and be sure to see the stuff in the aUdIo WeIrDnEsS! section (http://www.earthstation1.com/aUdIo_WeIrDnEsS.html).  (Back to top of page)


(000916) My Trip to the Mayan Ruins of Mexico
by Phil Konstantin
http://philkon.tripod.com/maya.html

Phil Konstantin
San Diego, California, USA

Long time Site du Jour of the Day reader Phil Konstantin has been in southern Mexico since September 9th, visiting Mayan ruins and out of the way places like Chicanna, Kabah, Sayil, and Xpujil. At a special page at Phil's site, On This Date In North American Indian History (http://americanindian.net) (SdJotD 970728) (SdJotD RCMM 000223), visitors can see digital photographs taken during the trip.

In his most recent newsletter "Phil's List," Phil wrote about the pictures. "Of the ones I have seen, the quality has been pretty good. I have not edited them…Also, because I am in a hurry in the Internet places I visit (although the air conditioning is wonderful), I have not looked at all of the pictures. So, there may be a few pictures of people (I demonstrated how the camera worked for them), and bus schedules. There might also be a picture of the blister on my left foot. Sorry about that, if it got in".

As it stands, the detail in the photographs is wonderful. Upon his return, Phil will most likely add information to the pages so checking back over time is highly recommended. What visitors to My Trip to the Mayan Ruins of Mexico will get right now is just that — the immediacy of digital technology and some fancy images. Phil, it's good to see that you are enjoying yourself in Mexico, try lemon juice for that blister.  (Back to top of page)


(000917) GOA WORLD Frederick's Foto Folio
http://www.goa-world.net/fotofolio/

Frederick Noronha
Goa, India

Frederick Noronha is on the team that maintains bytes for all - Computing and Internet for the Majority of the World (http://www.bytesforall.org/) (SdJotD 000829), a site featured as Site du Jour of the Day just last month. Frederick wrote in to suggest the site for another of his projects, this one is an exhibition of his photography. This collection is made up of over one hundred images taken in North Goa during the summer of 1997. Descriptions accompany each picture, subject matter is diverse, and all of the photographs are top quality. To go one step further, all that is asked is a photo credit if visitors find an image they would like to use. This is nice work.  (Back to top of page)


(000918) Delicious Italy
For the independent tourist who knows how to live and eat well
http://www.deliciousitaly.com/

Philip Curnow
Delicious Italy
Rome, Italy

Maintained by marketing and tourism professionals who travel the country for business and pleasure, Delicious Italy looks at the food and events in different regions of Italy. Brimming with information beyond the standard tourism sites, Delicious Italy was originally intended to be a retail site offering local food and other products. Taking a different path, Delicious Italy is an ideal source for anyone traveling to Italy or simply interested in Italian culture. Suggested by Joanne Traeger in Adelaide, who found Delicious Italy very useful during the planning stages of trip to Italy. The Useful Numbers Pages here make up a directory of Italian telephone numbers crucial to have while preparing a visit to Italy — worth a bookmark even if that vacation is a few years away.  (Back to top of page)


(000919) :CRQ.com : Changing the way you surf the Internet
http://www.crq.com/index.html

Convergence Technologies, Inc.
Dallas, Texas, USA

_________________________________

Uniform Code Council, Inc.
http://www.uc-council.org/

Uniform Code Council, Inc.
Lawrenceville, New Jersey, USA

There was a joke that was popular years ago surrounding the time when Ronald Reagan was running for the office of President of the United States or America. Concerned that the public viewed him as being slightly out of touch with the common people, Reagan's advisors took him around where regular folks lived, worked and shopped. It took an extraordinary amount of time to get Reagan out of the supermarket, and when asked by a reporter, "Was it the selection of products in the store, or the scanning technology at the check-out counter that held your attention Governor Reagan?" To which a still amused Ronald Reagan replied, "The doors, they opened and closed by themselves…". It was actually the scanners that caught Reagan's eye, speeding the cashier's job and providing controls on pricing on a global scale for the supermarket chain through the use of the Uniform Product Code. Invented in 1973 by George J. Laurer (http://members.aol.com/productupc/) at IBM for The Uniform Grocery Product Code Council, now the Uniform Product Code Council, the Uniform Product Code and similar codes are now used by over 800,000 companies and their trading partners in nearly 150 countries.

What was once expensive, high technology has gained mass acceptance, and is now so affordable that Convergence Technologies, Inc. (http://www.digitalconvergence.com/) and RadioShack (http://radioshack.com/) are giving away a small LED code scanner for use with Windows systems. The :CueCat system hooks up in line with your keyboard, and with the installed and registered software, consumers can scan a bar code from the back of a book, side of a grocery product, or as a proprietary :Cue in advertising and magazine articles. Heralding the free service as a new way to avoid typing in URLs, it also smacks of Big Brother. Users personal information and site visits are gathered and tracked. If privacy is a major concern as it should be, you should be aware of the fact that by using any advertising _you_ are the product being sold to advertisers. :CueCat simply makes it easier for the companies involved to see what you will and will not look at and/or buy. This is no big secret, Convergence Technologies, Inc. makes it perfectly clear that it is collecting data. Unfortunately for Convergence Technologies, Inc. and a batch of registered users, their private registration information was discovered as a text file sitting wide open on a Convergence Technologies, Inc. server — oops!

Again, the security of your personal information and habits/interests is an important issue using the cat shaped bar code reader but the convenience is the stuff of science fiction. In addition to finding the now repaired registration database, the Intellectual Property of Convergence Technologies, Inc. has been reverse engineered by the Linux/Unix community. Effectively figuring out how the :Cat device works, writing code for it and distributing it has resulted in a letter being sent asking that the distribution be stopped. At the very least it shows developer interest in the hardware for which Convergence Technologies, Inc. offers a $20 Developers License. Book collectors will be interested in Readerware v. 1.85 which supports the :CueCat device. Available from Readerware (http://www.readerware.com/), this cataloging tool looks pretty handy. The :CueCat hardware is being distributed through 7,000 US RadioShack stores and for a small fee through :CRQ.com :. In July, 800,000 subscribers to Forbes magazine (http://www.forbes.com/) received a "Best of the Web" Edition bundled with the :CueCat reader. The launch of this product has been widely publicized and advertised and for good reason — the gizmo looks like it will be a lot of fun when I finally get around to installing the hardware and software. The privacy issues are another matter all together.

As a reminder, with any new hardware or software installation, it is always a good idea to perform a complete system backup just in case things don't go the way the instructions say they should.  (Back to top of page)


(000920) WildCam: Brown Bears @ nationalgeographic.com
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/bearcam/

National Geographic Society
Washington, District of Columbia, USA

Alaska's McNeil River Sanctuary (http://www.state.ak.us/adfg/wildlife/region2/refuge2/mr-home.htm) attracts brown bears like no other place on earth. During the summer the bears are eating salmon to help them through the coming winter and up to sixty bears at a time can be seen sharing this food source. Brown bears are usually loners but the draw of the spawning salmon is too much to resist. RealPlayer 8 is required to view the live video stream, and unless the battery on the camera is recharging visitors have a decent view. Usually after August 15th the subadult bears arrive, the larger adult males have had their fill and they move on. This late in the season the salmon and bears are all but gone, but it is still possible to see a straggler or two. The Video Gallery has prime moments and behaviors year-round, and a number of other features make this part of the National Geographic Society site (http://www.nationalgeographic.com/) an enjoyable destination for anyone interested in brown bears. Pointers here include the International Association for Bear Research and Management (http://www.bearbiology.com) and SeeMore Wildlife (http://www.seemorewildlife.com), the company that provides the live camera technology to the National Geographic Society. Thanks to Bjork for the great suggestion.  (Back to top of page)


(000921) Polar Bears Alive
http://www.polarbearsalive.org/

Polar Bears Alive
Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA

Polar Bears Alive is a non profit organization dedicated to the preservation and study of the largest land-based carnivore on the planet. Founded in 1992 by the late Dan Guravich, an avid photographer and champion of Ursus maritimus. The Polar Bears Alive site details the work of the organization in the five countries which the bears range. It also features images of polar bears captured in their natural environment by Dan Guravich. A great deal of information is contained in The Bear Facts pages (http://www.polarbearsalive.org/facts.htm) — articles such as Polar Bear I.Q., Inuit & Polar Bears, Polar Bears in Zoos, and Myths & Misconceptions add to the understanding of these amazing and beautiful creatures. It is estimated that the polar bear evolved from the brown bear around 200,000 years ago, and that the world polar bear population is somewhere between 22,000 and 27,000 individuals. A protected species in Norway, and since 1956 in Russia where law enforcement agents have not been able to keep up with poaching, polar bears face an uncertain future. Visit the Polar Bear Store, help sponsor the programs with a membership, or just look at the nice pictures. Polar bears are cool.  (Back to top of page)


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(000922) Polar Pointers
http://www-bprc.mps.ohio-state.edu/polarpointers/PolarPointers.html

a part of

Byrd Polar Research Center
http://www-bprc.mps.ohio-state.edu/

Byrd Polar Research Center
Ohio State University
Columbus, Ohio, USA

There are pointers to hundreds of other sites on this page at the Byrd Polar Research Center. Specializing in polar and alpine research, the main page at the Byrd Polar Research Center has news about current projects and events and is well worth a look but it's this set of Polar Pointers that will probably be of the most interest — Arctic or Antarctic, it's your choice. Well organized pointers sorted by pole, country of origin, and field of interest. This is one of those highly sites that deserves a bookmark and exploration when time and attention span allow — it's about a lot more than ice.  (Back to top of page)


(000923) Autowraps.com
http://www.autowraps.com/

Autowraps, Inc.
San Francisco, California, USA

Depending on the market you were in at the time, it's likely that during the 1970s you can recall seeing cars driving around advertising a brand of menthol cigarette. Not too long ago this form of outdoor advertising disappeared on all but commercial vehicles. New adhesives and printing techniques have revolutionized the sign business and privately owned automobiles are once again sporting advertising. Autowraps, Inc. is the company behind this renaissance and they are paying a select few to participate with their cars and as representatives for the sponsors. There are a few minor details — they are looking for people who drive at least 1,000 miles every 30 days, people who don't mind circling the stadium before and after a big game, and who are willing to be available for the program for a period of 5 years. Campaigns last from 30 days to a year, and a Global Positioning System unit will track and record the movements and distance covered every 4 minutes. That end of the agreement is pretty clever, for longer promotions a removable hard drive is shipped to San Francisco for verification and a monthly visit to the facility where the graphics were applied is also required. Fill out the enrollment form at autowraps.com and wait for the e-mail message or telephone call indicating that an advertiser is interested in your vehicle, market and demographic. Not every car will qualify — pieceofcrapmobiles obviously don't stand the same chance of being selected as say, the new Beetle from Volkswagen (http://www.vw.com/) (http://www4.vw-online.de/). Decent insurance coverage is another requirement and not every market has been established, so it could take a while for that call to come through, full details and requirements are listed here. Financial compensation isn't bad if driving a rolling billboard is something you'd be comfortable doing — programs pay anywhere from $100 - $400 a month. I'd be interested to learn if you are selected to participate, and would really like to hear from you if this was something that you were involved with in the old days. Please drop me a line.  (Back to top of page)


(000924) Tucker Automobile Pages
"Keeping the Legend Online"
http://www.tuckerclub.org/

Tucker Automobile Club of America, Inc.
Santee, California, USA

In 1946 Preston Tucker took on the Automobile Industry with a new and radically safe set of design and engineering standards. Among the innovations on the Tucker '48, named for the actual production model year, were a wider wheelbase, safety windshields, and a center headlight that turned in the direction being steered. Working with Harry Miller at the Indianapolis 500 during the 1930s allowed for a great deal of practical experience and led to Preston Tucker taking over the space once used as a Ford Tri-Motor engine plant and Dodge tank plant during WWII, for production of a new line of automobiles (the facility is now the Ford City Mall in Chicago (http://www.shopfordcity.com/)). The Auto Industry didn't take kindly to the "Car of Tomorrow" and as a result, only 51 Tucker '48s were manufactured. On a side note, a restored Tucker '48, the 45th of the 51 produced was sold this year by the Barrett-Jackson Auction Company (http://barrett-jackson.com/) for $315,000.

The Tucker Automobile Club of America, Inc. is a group of Tucker enthusiasts, and the Tucker Automobile Pages offer an introduction to one of the most amazing stories in the history of the automobile. Information about the club and pointers to related sites provide additional resources for anyone interested in this amazing car and the man who built it.  (Back to top of page)


(000925) Hotrodders.com
Resources for Hot Rod and Classic Car Enthusiasts
http://www.hotrodders.com/

Jonathan Rubinstien
Leadville, Colorado, USA

Where I come from, Hot Rod Enthusiasts and Classic Car Enthusiasts are two different animals. The very idea of modifying a car older than oneself is disturbing for those who feel that a perfect car has everything it did when it came off the line — and nothing else. The Hot Rodders on the other hand build elements on top of cars, adding character and more often than not performance to a stock vehicle. Both camps have legitimate reasons for their positions and passions surrounding big toys, but it's rare to see a site that should appeal to both types of enthusiasts. Hotrodders.com features a weekly vehicle, complete with pictures and details about the restoration/customization. There is also a calender of shows and events, a monthly newsletter, and over 400 pointers to other sites. Once as popular with the kids as building a sporty computer is today, performance cars are our link to a post-war world where the Auto Industry wasn't afraid to sell the qualities loud, fast, and powerful. The pictures and articles at Hotrodders.com clearly show that there is still an interest in such a car — even if someone has gone and ruined it by dolling it up. A thanks for the suggestion goes out to Eytan and Marcia Rubinstien of BOOM!: e-zine for baby boomers (http://www.boommalls.com/frontpage.html) (SdJotD 980616).  (Back to top of page)


(000926) The Vanishing Tattoo
One man's journey in search of the last authentic tattoo
http://www.vanishingtattoo.com/

Thomas Lockhart
Pinnacle Productions Inc.
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Tattoos mean different things to people for different reasons. For ages people have been putting pigments deep into the skin, for some the designs are of cultural significance — and for others their tattoo of Mickey Mouse or Bart Simpson will remain a testament to the time when they were a fashion victim. Serious body art can be stunning and this site tells the story of tattoo artist Thomas Lockhart's quest to find the last authentic tribal tattoo. During his trip, Thomas Lockhart meets up with a few of the masters of the craft, and visits a few of the places tribal tattooing may have originated. Stops and fresh tattoos in Borneo, Hawaii, Japan, New Zealand, Russia, Samoa, Thailand, and New Zealand make up the bulk of this tale. The history of the tattoo is explored through images and stories. The Vanishing Tattoo also has body art galleries with designs that go back 4,000 years and examples of work done by Thomas Lockhart at West Coast Tattoos (http://www.westcoasttattoo.com/) in Vancouver where he specializes in traditional Japanese-style tattooing.  (Back to top of page)


(000927) LibraryCard.com
http://www.librarycard.com/

TheLibraryCard, Inc.
Pomona, California, USA

_________________________________

The Top Five List
http://www.topfive.com/

Chris White
New York, New York, USA

Earlier this month I had the pleasure to participate in our democracy, a local election held to thin the herd. The voters in the precinct where I live all go to this building I'd nearly forgotten about — at first I thought it was some sort of a museum. It had thousands of books, on shelves up to the ceiling and the people there all told me that I could take some of them with me if I felt like doing so. Before I could comment that letting folks take books out of the museum was counter productive it dawned on me that almost a year had passed since I'd visited this place. It was a library! The Internet has all but replaced the public library as a source of information for many of us and as if by some ironic twist of fate, most libraries now have Internet access available. Some communities have gone so far as to make their catalogs available to other libraries and even to people from around the world. LibraryCard.com does not have inventories to the world's libraries, but it does offer an Online Catalog searchable by author, subject, and title just like those old-fashioned paper cards you used to see in libraries. A search for "frogs as pets" in the subject field turned up seven titles and not all of them books. The first of which is listed below:

Zimmerman, Helmut.

Tropical frogs / by Helmut Zimmerman ; [translated by Howard Hirschhorn] Neptune, N.J. : T.F.H. Publications, c1979. 93 p. : ill. (part col.) ; 21 cm.

Illustrations on lining papers.

1. Frogs. 2. Frogs as pets. I.Amphibians Tropics.

ISBN: 0-87666-926-7 :$15.68

The handy part for those interested in purchasing a title is the LibraryCard.com Book Shopping Comparison. It shows the going price(s) for the title through one or more vendors TheLibraryCard, Inc. has Affiliate accounts set up with. This book was only available from one retail site, but it could be had with shipping for a price pretty close to the published price.

Other features here include a utility for locating an academic or public library. Because it uses MapQuest (http://mapquest.com/), a map can be printed out to help you get to the libraries. Ideal for travel or relocation. If a move is in your future and you are in the library field, the Library Careers section acts as a job placement service and may help you find a new job. The Research Center and Reference Desk help to make this more like a traditional library, and the site gets better as it grows. Registration is required, the site is free.

While on the subject, I've held on to the following edition of Chris White's The Top Five List (http://www.topfive.com/) since December 1997 and include it here as a forward. I would have included a pointer to it in the The Top Five List Archives but they only go back to December 1998.

=== The Top 15 Signs Your Librarian is Nuts ===

15. Entire library stock replaced by 50,000 copies of "Yes, I Can" by Sammy Davis, Jr.

14. Half-dozen recently-extracted tongues stapled to the "Quiet Please" sign.

13. Recommends Kato Kaelin's book.

12. Instead of scanning bar code on book at checkout, seductively licks the inside cover.

11. Library only has two sections: "Limbaugh" and "Liddy."

10. Inserts boudoir photos of herself in copies of Gray's Anatomy.

9. When you ask for an appendix, she winks suggestively and shows you her scar.

8. Replaces the overdue book fine with canings from the "Rod of Literary Tardiness".

7. Files Art Buchwald under "Humor"

6. Always doing donuts with the bookmobile in the video store parking lot.

5. No matter what book you ask for, she hands you a piece of toast and a Q-tip.

4. Uses the "Dewer's Decimal System", which involves regular belts of scotch.

3. Instead of a simple "Shhhh", uses a bullhorn to say, "One more sound and I cap yo' ass!"

2. Flashes patrons and yells, "Hey! Check *this* out!"

and the Number 1 Sign Your Librarian is Nuts…

1. Leans over to whisper something and bites off half of your right ear.

The Top Five List is also available as a weekday e-mail message and can be hilarious, visit The Top Five List site to subscribe.  (Back to top of page)


(000928) MarksOnline
Free trademark search and domain name search
http://marksonline.com/

Ideabase
Santa Monica, California, USA

One of my favorite types of classified advertising is of the Trademark / Patent Search variety. Send someone at least $50 and they will send you back a report regarding your name or idea. Not a bad deal for the person who sold the original franchise, but locating this information on your own is simple. Save your money for registering the right name, then let a qualified Intellectual Property Attorney do the really hard work. Doing everything yourself is still an option and it isn't really that difficult should you decide to do it that way.

Start by looking for Patent or Trademark registrations with sites like MarksOnline or the Delphion Intellectual Property Network, formerly the IBM Patent Server Home Page (http://patent.womplex.ibm.com/) (SdJotD 970612). Determine if the idea or name you have is owned and go from there. The database at MarksOnline is updated from the United States Patent and Trademark Office and has a shelf-life of six days. A page with pointers to Trademark Forms that are available for download as Adobe Acrobat files and the How-To files are quite helpful. Not limited to Trademarks, MarksOnline can help locate domains available for sites to match your new Trademark. There is a lot going on at MarksOnline and it's nice to find such a large number of tools and pointers pertaining to the often misunderstood business of Trademarks. International resources are included.  (Back to top of page)


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(000929) time and date.com
a guide to time zones calendars and more
http://www.timeanddate.com/

Steffen Thorsen
Sandnes, Norway

With just over ninety days left in the Twentieth Century it's probably fine time to start the hype machine for the new Millennium. Before the sore losers who are still sitting on warehouses of Year 2000 party favors and novelties remember just how much money they lost, we can start the whole thing up again. Printing companies will be glad to have the additional revenue and with the computer meltdown blues all but over, maybe we can rip the top off of a real Millennium celebration. time and date.com Has a Java aplet up and running called the 3rd Millennium countdown around the world (http://www.timeanddate.com/millennium/multicountdowna.html) and a static countdown page (http://www.timeanddate.com/millennium/multicountdown.html). Both countdown tools list the time left until the year 2001 for cities and time zones around the world. If the year 2001 doesn't interest you, there are loads of other utilities at time and date.com that probably will. The Calendar Generator (http://www.timeanddate.com/calendar/custommenu.html) will allow a host of options including country, language, year, and number of months. National and religious holidays for the country selected will be marked on the calendar, making it extremely useful for anyone doing business or communicating with people in other places. Other features at time and date.com include several world clocks, a custom countdown clock (It is 365335 days, xx hours, xx minutes and xx seconds until the year 3001), and a meeting planner. Many of these features are available in a number of different places, but to have them all in one place sure saves a lot of time. Thanks to johnnyp who suggested time and date.com over 658 days, 6 hours, 10 minutes and 51 seconds ago.  (Back to top of page)


(000930) Dave's Web of Lies
http://www.cs.man.ac.uk/~hancockd/dwol.htm

Dave Hancock
Computer Science Department
The University of Manchester
Manchester, England

Dave Hancock is the Registrar at the University of Manchester and founder of the Computer Science Department. Started in 1980 with three not-quite-passing students from the Electrical Engineering Department and a Timex Sinclair he liberated from the Marks and Spencers on Market Street one drunken Tuesday afternoon, the Computer Science Department has grown in scale and enrollment. In an effort to maintain funding for his pet department, Dave took to rounding up misinformation and incorporating it into the servers on the university campus. Dave Hancock has been quoted as saying, "Every time someone receives an inaccurate fact in an e-mail message, it most likely originated at the Computer Science Department here at the University of Manchester. It's part of a project we have underway designed to study the correlation between Internet usage and the worldwide spread of bad data". I'm not sure what the heck that means but the department is obviously doing a good job with its research. This site shares the project name, and Dave's Web of Lies is loaded with whoppers circulating in the ether. Contrary to popular opinion, the following three items are not true:

The Yugoslavian conflict of 1992 snowballed from an argument about how many sausage rolls to put in the oven for Christmas day. source: Reuters (The International News Agency)

The reflective `cat's-eyes' used on roads around the UK, are always given Christmas Day and Boxing Day off. This actually results in far fewer crashes, because people are less transfixed by the glittering beauty of them all.

T-shirts were invented by Henry Ford, to help promote sales of the Model-T Ford.

Yep, all fabricated by the Web of Lies program. Visit this site to see how many more conventions of popular thought are false. A searchable database and a mailing list are just two of the tools here for promotion and advancement of the study. To encourage forwarding of the daily messages, a weekly bounty of £5 is awarded to randomly selected subscribers who have sent the tracked messages on to others. When all is said and done the results of this study will probably change the way we think about telecommunications and the content of e-mail in general.  (Back to top of page)


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Copyright 2000, Edward J. Pelegrino. All rights reserved.
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Updated September 30, 2000

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