(011101) The Green Power Network: Up-to-date green power news
http://www.eren.doe.gov/greenpower/

The Green Power Network
National Renewable Energy Laboratory
Golden, Colorado, USA

The Green Power Network is maintained by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (http://www.nrel.gov/) for the United States Department of Energy (http://www.energy.gov/), as part of the Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Network (http://www.eren.doe.gov/). A little complicated to be sure, but as markets for residential and commercial electric power start to see deregulation here in the US it will be resources like these that will help consumers wade through the noise and hype of competing electric companies. Companies offering electricity from renewable sources will probably see favorable response from individuals and companies willing to purchase green power. The Green Power Network: Up-to-date green power news provides information on current studies and research in addition to real life applications of green power in major US markets. Imagine one day being part of an electric cooperative that operates its own wind farm — that day is close to reality. Find out more at this site. (Back to top of page)

(011102) Home Power
The Hands-On Journal of Home-Made Power
http://www.homepower.com/

Home Power, Inc.
Ashland, Oregon, USA

A companion for Home Power magazine, this site not only offers the print version of the current issue as an Adobe Acrobat file, but has selected articles from previous issues available as well. Content here is for individuals who are serious about operating separately from the power grid — because of geography, politics, or any number of other reasons. You do not have to live in a remote location to take advantage of renewable energy sources, the information and resources here can help visitors learn more. Being aware of alternate sources of energy is the first step in breaking our dependance on fossil fuels and like any kind of social or political reform, it starts best at home. (Back to top of page)

(011103) Communications Security Establishment Unofficial Webpage
http://watserv1.uwaterloo.ca/~brobinso/cse.html

Bill Robinson
London, Ontario, Canada

Signals Intelligence probably goes back to the very early days of radio experimentation. By the time World War II came around the use of radio communication was everywhere and government agencies started sprouting up around the world to harvest and spy. This unofficial site looks at what is known about the Canadian Communications Security Establishment, and its interaction with other countries. The section on The UKUSA Community (http://watserv1.uwaterloo.ca/~brobinso/cseukusa.html) will be of special interest. Media coverage of this sort of intelligence has increased in recent weeks and sites like the Communications Security Establishment Unofficial Webpage could help to answer questions you might have about what these agencies do. Complete with annotations and pointers, there is a lot of information here. (Back to top of page)

(011104) SpyNumbers.com
http://www.spynumbers.com/

Black Cat Systems
Westminster, Maryland, USA

Usually found in shortwave radio signals, strange broadcasts in different languages have been going out for decades. Thought to be intelligence communications, the programs are unlike anything else on the air. Repeated numbers, music, static that probably contains buried treasure, and other oddities make up the bulk of these transmissions. SpyNumbers.com explores this topic with detailed analysis, sound files, special offers, and quite a few pointers to related sites. Listening to a numbers station is something not soon forgotten and SpyNumbers.com offers up a healthy dose. (Back to top of page)

(011105) The New York Surveillance Camera Players
http://www.notbored.org/the-scp.html

The New York Surveillance Camera Players
New York, New York, USA

Every time I use an Automated Teller Machine Machine I make a habit of waving into the camera. With my deposit or withdrawal, the bank gets another set of pictures of me. Not saying hello would be plain rude. Taking the idea of rude and cameras to a level of anarchy, The New York Surveillance Camera Players have for years misbehaved in view of the assorted cameras in and around New York City. Far more than saying hello, this group which has sprouted international chapters takes pleasure in giving the people behind the cameras surrounding them a bit of a show. News crews have followed the players around town to the point that The New York Surveillance Camera Players are now able to pick and choose who they speak with. Protesting closed circuit cameras isn't all that difficult but the amusement factor is quite high, especially in a wide open public space. Complete instructions, images, and accounts of past protests are here. Never disturbing nor destroying closed circuit cameras, The New York Surveillance Camera Players have a site that may disturb certain visitors. That's probably what they have in mind. (Back to top of page)

(011106) Ear Identification Based On Surveillance Camera's Images
A. J. Hoogstrate, H. van den Huevel, E. Huyben
Netherlands Forensic Institute
http://forensic-evidence.com/site/ID/IDearCamera.html

a paper at

Forensic-Evidence.com
http://forensic-evidence.com/

Andre A. Moenssens
Overland Park, Kansas, USA

Ear Identification Based On Surveillance Camera's Images is a paper written by A. J. Hoogstrate, and H. van den Huevel, E. Huyben of The Netherlands Forensic Institute (http://www.minjust.nl:8080/b_organ/organisa/b1_7/gl/gl.htm). The tests conducted came about because of gas station hold-ups at Utrecht, The Netherlands and the surveillance tape which contained images of the perpetrator and the possibility of playing the suspects by ear. An interesting look at a new discipline. Part of the much larger Forensic-Evidence.com which contains more material along these lines — pieces include the following: Are Dutch Ears Different From American Ears?, Lip Print Identification Anyone? (on People v. Davis --Ill.), Phenotype v. Genotype: Why Identical Twins Have Different Fingerprints, to name just a few.

A related site also worth looking at is Stephen Mancusi's For Artist: Forensic Art - Illustration - Artist Images (http://www.forartist.com/index.htm) (SdJotD 000502). (Back to top of page)

(011107) Mary Celeste: Mystery Solved
http://www.deafwhale.com/maryceleste/

D Williams
Deafwhale Society, Inc.
Oakland Park, Florida, USA

Bound for Genoa, Italy, the brigantine Mary Celeste left the port of New York on November 7, 1872. Several weeks later the ship was discovered seriously off course, cargo in tact, no signs of struggle, and no crew. The fate of the crew of the Mary Celeste remains one of the most enduring mysteries of the 19th Century, and this section of the site for Deafwhale Society, Inc. offers a fairly well worked out explanation. With dozens of versions of the story of the Mary Celeste we will probably never determine exactly what happened — educated guesses like this one might help get us close. (Back to top of page)

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(011108) Dracula by Bram Stoker: A searchable online version at The Literature Network
http://www.literature-web.net/book.php3/dracula

The Literature Network
West Branch, Michigan, USA

Site du Jour of the Day reader Jim Leyshon sent in a message that was more feedback than it was a site suggestion regarding Mary Celeste: Mystery Solved (http://www.deafwhale.com/maryceleste/) (SdJotD 011107). Jim's message read in part, "…Have you ever read the original Bram Stoker's Dracula? I can't help but think of it with this one. Interesting stuff…"

It's been quite a while since I last read Dracula. After a quick poke through the story which is available at The Literature Network (http://www.online-literature.com/), the connection is that much more clear. So too is the reason Dracula by Bram Stoker: A searchable online version at The Literature Network should be featured as Site du Jour of the Day — Bram Stoker was born on November 8, 1847. (Back to top of page)

(011109) The Australian Electoral Commission Home Page
http://www.aec.gov.au/

The Australian Electoral Commission
Commonwealth of Australia
Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia

Last week Site du Jour of the Day reader Nick Walker wrote in with a reminder of the upcoming Australian election day, Saturday, November 10, 2001. Of course Nick took the opportunity to mention the election fiasco of a year ago here in Florida. Be careful what you wish for there Nick! The suggestion was made that, "It might be interesting to compare our system with yours…". The fact that compulsory voting has been the rule in Australia since 1924 makes elections different right there. The Australian Electoral Commission Home Page has information that should prove interesting for anyone who is curious about how the process works in Australia, especially for those participating. (Back to top of page)

(011110) Laugh Lab
http://www.laughlab.co.uk/home.html

Laugh Lab
Psychology Department
University of Hertfordshire
Hatfield, England

In a gigantic science experiment designed to figure out why stuff is funny, the Psychology Department of the University of Hertfordshire along with the British Association for the Advancement of Science have come up with Laugh Lab. Visitors are encouraged to participate by answering a few questions about themselves and then by rating a series of individual jokes. Slated to run through September 2002, the focus of Laugh Lab will change slightly each month. As jokes are rated by more people, and additional jokes are added to the database by visitors the line between funny and not funny should become evident. But then again it might not. You'll have to check and see. (Back to top of page)

(011111) The History of American Electrolux
http://www.137.com/lux

Charlie Lester
137 Technologies
Los Angeles, California, USA

Charlie Lester has been a Site du Jour of the Day reader since his site, The Vintage Vacuum Cleaner Museum (http://www.137.com/museum/) (SdJotD 990207) was featured as Site du Jour of the Day on February 7, 1999. In a recent chunk of shameless self-promotion regarding The History of American Electrolux Charlie wrote, "Even if the subject matter doesn't particularly interest you, the sheer bulk of material — and the incredible amount of research- organizational- graphic- photographic- webdesign- text/input- and grunt- work it represents — might impress you. (Not to mention the perhaps-frightening level of obsessive/compulsiveness required to bring forth this esoteric labor of love!)".

A frightening level for sure, but a level that makes these pages as definitive on the subject as it gets. The Internet is so full of opinion and noise that finding sites like these on a subject as mundane as vacuum cleaners, well, just does not suck. A detailed survey of the American Electrolux indeed. (Back to top of page)

(011112) The International Central Services Toaster Museum
http://www.toastermuseum.de/

Jens Veerbeck
Central Services Design and Consulting
Mülheim, Germany

It becomes clear after looking at The International Central Services Toaster Museum why these things make great wedding presents or at the very least, wonderful premiums for opening a bank account. Small kitchen appliances that when plugged into the household electrical circuit and fitted with slices of bread, burn that bread ever so slightly. Yum, toast. What a novelty these things must have been in the early days. It's the early days that make up the bulk of the collection at The International Central Services Toaster Museum. A very nice design and just enough information to be useful make up the pages here. Categorized by composition, the galleries house a set of four photographs and a history of each of the toasters in the collection. Lots of toasters from different parts of the world. (Back to top of page)

(011113) Rock School
http://www.rockschool.com/

Crispin Wood
Rock School
Arlington, Massachusetts, USA

So you wanna be a Rock 'n' Roll Star…

Rock School is a crucial site for those budding performers getting started in the business of music. Shockwave and Flash animations are used to take visitors through the basic lessons of founding and propelling a local band to greatness. A few of the lessons at Rock School include Understanding the Relationship between Rock and Romance, Striving for Excellence in Songwriting 101, Rehearsing New Material is Hard Work, It's Not Easy Being a Drummer, and of course, The Importance of Tolerating a Day Job in the Name of Rock. After completion of the lessons, the "Rocktivities" will help Rock School students sharpen their skills and hone their instincts. Give the Try-to-Book-a-Gig-a-Thon a go, then take on the Try-to-Get-Paid-athon for good measure. Rock School is wonderful fun for both fans and performers and it shouldn't be missed!

Old School Rock School Rockers will probably want to take a look at My First Band: Some of the Best Bands You Never Heard Of (http://www.myfirstband.com/) (SdJotD 010128). It's a yearbook of sorts maintained by Keith Buckley and Dan Angott just outside of Detroit (Rock City). (Back to top of page)

(011114) The Liberace Foundation for the Performing and Creative Arts
http://liberace.org/

The Liberace Foundation for the Performing and Creative Arts
Las Vegas, Nevada, USA

It's difficult to fathom, but there is an entire generation of adults who do not know who Liberace was. This is the official site for The Liberace Foundation for the Performing and Creative Arts, a non-profit organization established to grant scholarships to deserving music students. To date, over four million dollars in scholarships have been awarded. The site also contains pages that look at The Liberace Museum, Online Store, and biographical information for Liberace. Star of stage and small screen, Liberace was certainly unique and The Liberace Foundation for the Performing and Creative Arts serves to keep his memory alive. (Back to top of page)

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Copyright 2001, Edward J. Pelegrino. All rights reserved.
Harpo, Trade and Service Marks used herein are the property of their respective owners.

https://members.tripod.com/~SdJotD/2001/0111.htm

Updated November 14, 2001