(010201) AtThePin.com
http://www.atthepin.com/

Bruce D. Katis
AtThePin LLC
Bellevue, Washington, USA

The last day of January was a beautiful one here in Fort Myers, Florida. Low humidity and temperatures in the mid-70º F range made for another one of those Chamber of Commerce days. It was indeed a nice day to be out of doors, and probably had a number of people thinking about the start of Spring Training Baseball. The golf course operators here are making a small fortune, greens fees always double at this time of the year. Perhaps it's justified in some respects — you cannot play golf too well in the snow. Golf isn't really my game, my golf handicap continues to be that windmill at the very end. For some though, these winter rounds are the only chance to maintain an edge or pick up additional skills and keeping track of a handicap makes all the difference in the world.

AtThePin.com offers a fine solution for those golfers who enjoy travel and golf. An annual fee based membership allows golfers a chance to keep track of their games and handicap by visiting the site and keying in the day's scores. With corses galore in the AtThePin.com database, calculating such information is simple. Tips for improving one's game are presented based on results of the information provided and since the mathematics is taken care of for members, a savings of hours could be realized by the end of a year. Currently AtThePin.com is not an officially recognized United States Golf Association (http://www.usga.org/) golf handicapping site but for a lot of golfers that shouldn't make much of a difference. AtThePin.com has a fair amount of free content including the AtThePin Handicap Calculation Page (http://www.atthepin.com/menu/handicap/handicap.asp) which clearly explains the purpose and procedure for figuring out a golf handicap, pointers to sites for leading equipment and apparel manufacturers, and a demonstration mode of the AtThePin.com interface for interested parties. There are plenty of ways to figure and track a golf handicap and AtThePin.com looks to be a mighty convenient method.  (Back to top of page)

(010202) Open Letters
A dormant magazine of first person writing in the form of personal correspondence
http://www.openletters.net/

Paul Tough
Toronto, Ontario, Canada

For over 6 months, up until January 5, 2001 Open Letters posted a new letter or conversation each day. For reasons unknown, Paul Tough has put the skids on the project but these letters are available for all to enjoy. The Subjects of these letters are as diverse as the individuals who wrote them — real letters from real people. Take the time to explore Open Letters and if you appreciate this kind of material be sure to look at the pointers page for related sites. Open Letters is still collecting e-mail addresses so there may be new letters in the future.

If you like Open Letters make certain to visit ( rivertrout.com, a library of letters ) (http://www.rivertrout.com/) (SdJotD 990623). Based at Sao Paulo, Brazil, ( rivertrout.com, a library of letters ) is as good to look at as it is to read. One of my all-time favorite sites.  (Back to top of page)

(010203) Elo Kiddies! Cheap Trick Online--The Official Website
http://cheaptrick.com/

Cheap Trick
Trick International
Brooklyn, New York, USA

February 2nd marked the kick-off of the local version of Pioneer Days here. Fort Myers, Florida celebrates the Edison Festival of Light (http://www.edisonfestival.org/). While not the first event of the Edison Festival of Light 2001, Friday night's 10th Annual Edison Festival of Light Block Party held downtown was a great time and brings the final two weeks to full gear. Several local bands performed, but the highlight of the evening was a show by the band Cheap Trick. Elo Kiddies! Cheap Trick Online was originally featured as Site du Jour of the Day on June 27, 1999 (SdJotD 990627) and has come a long way since then. Still going strong after 25 years, the band has a new album in stores on February 27th — Silver is a 29 song double CD package recorded live. No strangers to releasing live albums, their eventual US breakthrough was a live album. In 1979, Cheap Trick Live At Budokan grabbed the attention of CBS Records after Japanese import copies started showing up on the US charts — a very unusual situation even to this day. The lineup of Cheap Trick remains the same as it did all those years ago, and the live show is still one of the best on the road. Elo Kiddies! Cheap Trick Online--The Official Website has a listing of tour dates, music downloads, photo galleries, and more. As suggested the last time featured, if you have the interest and opportunity to see Cheap Trick any time soon you probably should.  (Back to top of page)

(010204) Setlist.Com
For all your setlist needs!
http://setlist.com/

Kerry Barbato
Santa Cruz, California, USA

As mentioned in the last episode of Site du Jour of the Day, the band Cheap Trick (http://cheaptrick.com/) (SdJotD 010203) played here in Fort Myers on Friday night. It was the 3rd time seeing them perform for me. Before their set, I was talking with a gentleman who was about to see his 98th Cheap Trick show. Not employed by the band or production company, he was a true fan of the band. He was excited about show 100, and was able to answer questions about what had been played on this tour and tours in the past. Seeing a band 98 times does seem excessive, but there are a lot of music fans who will follow an act from town to town during vacations and the summer. I didn't ask him how long he had been seeing Cheap Trick in concert, but in light of the fact that the band has been playing live for over 25 years, those 98 shows could have been at the rate of only 4 or 5 a year. If you have ever supported local music, seeing the same band 10 times in a year is not uncommon.

I can (vaguely) recall seeing a band called Anti-M play from start to finish a total of 20 nights during a Spring Break about 10 or 12 years ago. A dive called The Reef on Fort Myers Beach hired Anti-M on the condition that they draw a sizable crowd every night. On account of the fact that the band members were friends of mine, and that they were asking everyone they knew to come out and see their first extended engagement it was a natural. Sure it was excessive, by the end of the second week it was clear that the owner of the bar wasn't going to turn them loose — and those of us who were there every night were going for an attendance record. I missed 1 of the 21 nights they played, a Tuesday. My then boss was down from Merrit Island, Florida and he wanted to go to one of the original Hooters (http://www.originalhooters.com) restaurants. "For the food," he insisted. Anti-M would have confused the boss, playing cover versions and original numbers that he wouldn't have known or even understood. The band's set changed from night to night and that was part of the fun, they'd play their own material and throw in a few surprises learned during they day.

Part of the enjoyment in seeing an act more than a few times is in the fact that most of them need to keep the show fresh for the fans and more importantly, for themselves. Collecting set lists, the songs that are played during the show, keeps certain fans going. Setlist.Com serves fans of renowned touring groups by offering the latest information about not only where certain bands will be playing, but what they will be playing or have played. Archives compile lists from complete tours and special shows, and for the most part, each list of set lists is maintained by a different person. Sometimes even from members of a particular band. Packing up the family to go "on tour" with a band may not be practical for a lot of us, but there is no harm in thinking about it. For interested parties, Setlist.Com takes all of the work out of rounding up this information and even accepts submissions from music lovers around the world — contact information is listed for the bands watched. Ideal for gaining a preview of that show you have tickets for next week, determining if a show is one that you would be interested in seeing at all, or for reliving a show you attended years ago. Most of the acts listed here have a big live following so you may not find the flavor of the week. Acts the caliber of Bob Dylan, Bruce Hornsby, Little Feat, Los Lobos, Van Morrison, NRBQ, Phish, Rusted Root, and Bruce Springsteen are the norm. Another resource and personal favorite for finding information about upcoming shows is PollStar (http://www.pollstar.com/) (SdJotD 970318). Visitors can use this free tool to search the huge PollStar database for a particular area, venue, or performer.  (Back to top of page)

(010205) Beyond Discovery: The Path from Research to Human Benefit
http://www4.nationalacademies.org/beyond/beyonddiscovery.nsf/

Office on Public Understanding of Science
National Academy of Sciences
Washington, District of Columbia, USA

Last week I received a nice message from Site du Jour of the Day reader, Kristin Fields. The message was regarding a featured site, the Inventors Online Museum - Where the Magic of Invention Lives Online! (http://www.inventorsmuseum.com/) (SdJotD 010126). In part, the message read "…I am a teacher and each year for the past two we have concentrated on getting students to evaluate and research inventions of the last century. Finding sites to help us has been difficult. Thanks for this one. If you have any more sites like this one, let us all know. I'm sure there are other teachers out there on your newsletter…".

Beyond Discovery: The Path from Research to Human Benefit may be a site a lot of readers, not just educators, are unfamiliar with. Exploring many subjects and the sequence of events which lead from garden variety research to life-saving uses for basic existing technologies. Visitors to this section of The National Academies site (http://nationalacademies.org/) will learn about restored hearing and sight, the use of polymers as wound care for insulin-dependent diabetics, and how vitamin D can save bone mass. Combining discovery and invention, these stories of application are not only informative but may provide inspiration for us all.

Quite a few Site du Jour of the Day readers are educators and it's feedback that helps to keep this project interesting for everyone — if you are aware of a sites that would be useful for K-12 students or even regular people, please pass them along.  (Back to top of page)

(010206) Letters From the Heart
http://www.chuckjones.com/lettersfromtheheart/

a very special project from

Animation Art By Animation Director Chuck Jones! Official Site!
http://www.chuckjones.com/

Linda Jones Enterprises, Inc.
Irvine, California, USA

This may well turn out to be a week of unusual site suggestions if the message received from Site du Jour of the Day reader Jim Kaelin is any indication. Jim is the mastermind behind EarthStation1.com: The Internet's Original Multimedia Museum (http://www.earthstation1.com) (SdJotD 000915) as well as a Site du Jour of the Day subscriber. Jim sent a press release that he has up at EarthStation1.com describing a project we can probably all help with. It's not uncommon for people to receive messages asking for this sort of assistance, there was a similar project for Peanuts creator Charles Shultz which circulated for a few weeks late in 1999 and the early part of last year. If you are so inclined, please pass this message on to others *but* do not simply forward it. Using the Edit feature of you mail client, copy the text and paste it into a new message. Not only will such action keep the message from having a zillion >>>> (quotes), it will preserve the privacy of others who received it when you did. Instead of using the Cc: (carbon or computer copy) line for addresses, use the Bcc: (blind carbon copy).

Included below is the press release Jim e-mailed:

--------------------------------------------

Press Release

February 5, 2001: EarthStation1.com Participates In The Chuck Jones "Letters From The Heart" Project

It is the common heritage of nearly every media child in the latter half of the twentieth century to have as part of their very neural structure the surpassingly great cartoons of Mr. Chuck Jones, animator and director of so many Warner Brothers Cartoons featuring Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Elmer Fudd, Porky Pig - the list goes on & on. He made so much else besides - from "The Grinch Who Stole Christmas" to one of my personal favorites, which has since become one of my wife's favorites as well (so much so that she did a grad school paper on it's value in children's education), "The Phantom Tollbooth". If ever there was a fellow to who much was owed far beyond the credit that's been given him, I unhesitatingly declare that Chuck Jones is such a one.

Mr. Jones' birthday is imminent, and to celebrate the event, his family has organized a "Letters From The Heart" campaign to let Chuck know how many people he has touched. As explained at the website they have created for this purpose, (http://www.chuckjones.com/lettersfromtheheart), "It is our goal to collect 1 million letters by February 14th (or thereabout), 2001. Our intent is to compile and publish a book of as many letters as we can feasibly handle. Perhaps it will come out in volumes." In an effort to help get the word out, the family recently sent me an email to see if there was any way that EarthStation1.com, in conjunction with its Warner Brothers Cartoon Sounds Page, could assist them in any way. I am extraordinarily proud to do so - in very many ways, I am a product of that good man's good humor!

I personally feel it my responsibility to let Mr. Jones know how very much his work has meant to me. I intend upon acting on that sense of responsibility by going to their website as soon as this press release is finished to let Mr. Jones know exactly that. I urge you to do likewise - a man of his like comes along once in a lifetime, and we'll not see his like again! So go there now and let your gratitude be heard!

J. C. Kaelin

EarthStation1.com: The Internet's #1 Audio/Visual Archive

(http://www.earthstation1.com)

###

_________________

For more on the work of Chuck Jones, be sure to visit the rest of Animation Art By Animation Director Chuck Jones! Official Site! (http://www.chuckjones.com/). Also of interest will be The Warner Bros Cartoon Companion by E.O. Costello (http://www.spumco.com/magazine/eowbcc/) at Spumco's Wonderful World of Cartoons! (http://www.spumco.com/) (SdJotD 001201), and of course, EarthStation1.com - The TV Sounds Showcase - Warner Bros. Cartoon Wavs! (http://www.earthstation1.com/Warner_Bros_Cartoons.html).  (Back to top of page)

(010207) Modern Living
http://www.hoogerbrugge.com/

H. Hoogerbrugge
Rotterdam, The Netherlands

Using the Flash plug-in, Modern Living is a periodical look at the dreamscape of one H. Hoogerbrugge. On a bed of hypnotic original music, a set of sometimes monochromatic animations form the Neurotica series. The animations are updated every two weeks and archives go back to the simple Gif animations from March 1998. Suggested by John Dixon who writes, "…It's the best flash film series I've seen. Dark & funny". The Flash animations are fast loading, most under 100k in size and they are indeed dark and funny which sets them apart from other animation sites. Modern Living uses white text on a black background, a combination that normally begs for a negative comment or two. In this case it works just fine. Modern Living is well crafted and extremely entertaining.  (Back to top of page)

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(010208) FilmFestivals.com
http://www.filmfestivals.com/

Web Innovation Partners
Paris, France

It seems that lately there are as many film festivals and awards shows as there are feature length pictures. FilmFestivals.com rounds up the pertinent information for over 1,000 television and film festivals around the world and offers entire films and trailers through the miracle of streaming media. Broadband users will probably get the most from this aspect of FilmFestivals.com, but with a page count exceeding 7,000, there's plenty here to see and read. Available in English and French language versions, English and French is ideal for people in the motion picture industry and for those of us who visit the local movie house or video rental store. Suggested by Joanne Traeger at Adelaide, Australia's 107.9 Life FM - Spirit Of The City (http://www.life.on.net) (SdJotD 000612) Joanne wrote that FilmFestivals.com is "…A very comprehensive site with loads of reviews and of course film festival news too". If she has her way, it's probably safe to say that Joanne will be at the oldest film festival in the world in late August — Mostra Internazionale D'arte Cinematografica - Venice (http://www.filmfestivals.com/venice_2000/).  (Back to top of page)

(010209) HeadlineSpot - Welcome to news nirvana.
http://www.headlinespot.com/

StartSpot Mediaworks, Inc.
Evanston, Illinois, USA

This guy walks into a bar and the bartender notices how disoriented the man is.

The bartender asks if he is all right and the man replies, "For the past three days I've been seeing spots".

"Have you seen a doctor?" she asks…

"No, just spots".

Suggested by Cara Flesher who sees spots all day long, it's another site from StartSpot Mediaworks, Inc. (http://www.startspot.com/) the firm that maintains SendSpot (http://www.sendspot.com/) and HomeworkSpot (http://www.homeworkspot.com/) (SdJotD 001102) and 12 others. HeadlineSpot is a bountiful news portal which rounds up hundreds of active pointers to other sites that have all of the news. Wire services, print, radio, and television outlets are scoured for relevant headlines and incorporated into the main page at HeadlineSpot. Visitors will find pointers to columnists, in depth and at a glance analysis of major stories, entertainment features, word puzzles, and just about everything else television and newspaper companies were concerned about losing viewers and readers to a few years ago. Oddly enough, visitors to news portals like this one have seen the benefits. News portals continue to gain in popularity and size and HeadlineSpot is no different. It borders on gigantic.  (Back to top of page)

(010210) Cook's Thesaurus
http://www.foodsubs.com/

Lori Alden
Petaluma, California, USA

Site-Scout Bob Cox strikes again with this suggestion for Cook's Thesaurus. In what amounts to a fantastic kitchen fakebook, Lori Alden has assembled a rather complete site filled with cooking tips and ingredient substitutions. Photographs, detailed instructions, and pointers galore make Cook's Thesaurus a necessary bookmark for even the most casual of cooks. For the budget conscious or rural gourmet this site could save a day in the kitchen should an ingredient turn up short or altogether missing.

The entry for vanilla extract is included below and is just one of thousands available on everything from Accompaniments to Vegetables.

vanilla extract = vanilla essence (British)

Notes: Pure vanilla extracts are markedly superior to imitation vanilla extract, though pricier. If using an imitation, use a bit more than the recipe calls for, to compensate for the weaker flavor. Mexican vanilla extract is highly regarded, and more potent, but avoid imitation vanilla from Mexico--it may contain a dangerous food additive that's banned by the FDA. Vanilla extract usually comes as a liquid in a small brown bottle, but at least one manufacturer makes vanilla powder, a powdered version.

Where to find it: Among the baking supplies in most supermarkets.

To make your own: Cut up two vanilla beans into several pieces and put them in a clean jar with 1/4 cup vodka. Allow the mixture to steep for about a month, then strain out the beans using cheesecloth or a coffee filter. The result won't be as strong as commercial extracts. See also the recipes for Vanilla Extract and Home-Made Vanilla Extract on SOAR. (SOAR: Searchable Online Archive of Recipes (http://soar.Berkeley.EDU/recipes/) (SdJotD 980422))

Substitutes: OR imitation vanilla flavoring (much less flavorful) OR grated lemon or orange rind OR cinnamon

Cook's Thesaurus even includes a section on equipment which is worth a visit if for no other reason than to see a picture of an ice pick. It's in with the Mashers, Graters, Mixers & Grinders.  (Back to top of page)

(010211) AltMartha's Easy Recipes
http://therealmartha.com/

also available in these fine flavors

AltMartha's Easy Recipes (AOL splash page)
http://members.aol.com/AltMartha/easyrecipes.index.html

Diary of a Mad Politically Incorrect Cook
http://members.aol.com/msatte2ude/diarymadpicook.index.html

Martha Jones
Saint Louis, Missouri, USA

If your idea of cooking preparation is rounding up that stack of carry-out menus and deciding if it's Chicken-In-A-Hurry or Curry-On-A-Stick, then AltMartha's Easy Recipes is worth a look. An odd collection of pages that takes the mystery out of cooking, suggested a while back by Martha (sorry it took so long). Forget about measuring stuff, Martha provides the encouragement and instructions just vague enough to have you thinking about hiring assistants like they have on those television cooking shows. When you are in the kitchen, it's your own thing. Make it up, call the results whatever you would like. If guests or the family are hungry enough it really doesn't matter. Let them eat something later — you've done your best. Martha's recipe for a restaurant favorite from the Inventions and Adjustments section (http://members.aol.com/AltMartha/Inventions.index.html) reflects the casual feel of the site and is included below:

Twice-Baked Potatoes

Another thing I looked all over for, just checking you understand, every recipe I found used sour cream instead of cottage cheese - all I can say is each to their own. Bake potatoes (the oblong brown ones) until when squeezed (use a potholder) they "give." Bakers also start "singing" when they're done.

Cut in half the long way and scoop out the innards leaving enough around the edges for support. Mix with a ton of butter, cheese of choice and whatever else sounds good like onions or bacon. Pile back in the skins and bake a few minutes until a light browning occurs. If you have some paprika handy to sprinkle on, it's pretty but not essential to taste.

Navigation of AltMartha's Easy Recipes is exciting to say the least, an entertaining site that may be best viewed while you are hungry. There's a book available too, it's called Holiday Lifestyles of the Culinarily Inept. Current US pricing is only $6.00 and it looks like a bargain (http://members.aol.com/AltMartha/buythebook.index.html).  (Back to top of page)

(010212) Almitra the Photogypsy
http://www.photogypsy.com/

Almitra Von Willcox
hosted by Netcetera Multimedia
http://www.netcetera.com.au/

Cozes, France
and Byron Bay, New South Wales, Australia

What do you do when the kids have left the nest and everyday life starts to get you down? Almitra Von Willcox decided to take a long walk. On August 16, 1997, Almitra Von Willcox left the small Western Australia town of Augusta with a trolley full of navigation, communication, and photography equipment. An urge to connect with as many people and cultures seems to be a motivating factor behind this solo trek. Down time due to illness has the journey at week 105 at the site full of journals entries and photographs. A circumnavigation of the world is an astounding goal even in this day and age, to do it on foot takes it to a completely different level. Other modes of transportation have and will be utilized when necessary, but it's a walking tour. Completion will come at some point in the year 2008 at the Broadway Pier in San Diego, California.  (Back to top of page)

(010213) Cosette's Closet
http://www.cosettescloset.com/

Debbie Lynn
Beverly Hills, California, USA

Cosette is a Yorkshire Terrier. Cosette has a lot of little Yorkshire Terrier outfits and accessories. Cosette has a line of doggie clothing named after her. Cosette's Closet is the site that sells little Yorkshire Terrier outfits and accessories. This site is owned by Debbie Lynn and was designed by Diamond. Cosette's Closet has lots of pictures of Cosette modeling the little Yorkshire Terrier outfits and accessories. They also have stuff for dogs with more dignity, stuff like biscuits and leads, collars and sleeping bags. There are even doggie neckties and underpants in satin or silk, which if you ask me is pretty sick. Who ever heard of a dog wearing a necktie?  (Back to top of page)

(010214) Chimpanzee and Human Communication Institute
http://www.cwu.edu/~cwuchci/

Chimpanzee and Human Communication Institute
Central Washington University
Ellensburg, Washington, USA

The Chimpanzee and Human Communication Institute continues work started in 1966 by Beatrix and Allen Gardner at the University of Nevada in Reno. Washoe is a chimpanzee who was raised by the Gardners and taught American Sign Language. In 1979 Roger and Deborah Fouts designed "Project Loulis," which proved that an adult chimpanzee using American Sign Language to communicate with humans and other chimpanzees would teach an infant to communicate in a similar fashion. Washoe taught her "adopted" son Loulis a limited version of American Sign Language without the intervention of humans. Conservation and communication research are the primary concerns of the Chimpanzee and Human Communication Institute, "With our three decades experience studying communication in chimpanzees, we have become more aware than most that these creatures share many morally significant traits with 2-4 year old humans at the least and some traits of adult humans as well and that this fact should entitle them to an appropriate level of legal protection".

The Chimpanzee and Human Communication Institute site has loads of information about current and past projects, pointers to related sites, a Frequently Asked Questions page (http://www.cwu.edu/~cwuchci/quanda.html), and the often entertaining CHCI ChimpCam (http://www.cwu.edu/~cwuchci/chimpcam-main.html). Resources and information for educators and volunteers can also be found here. Be sure to visit the Chimpanzee and Human Communication Institute Chimporium (http://www.cwu.edu/~cwuchci/giftshop/main.html) for original chimpanzee artwork, books written by humans on the subject of chimpanzees, and other gift ideas.  (Back to top of page)

_

For a wide selection of Music, Movies, and More

(010215) Mr. Monkey's Index of Famous Monkeys
http://www.citizenlunchbox.com/monkey/famous.html

Mr. Monkey
Misha Caylor a.k.a.Citizen Lunchbox
Chicago, Illinois, USA

You may remember Debbie. Debbie was not a chimpanzee, but instead a creature called a Bloop. Debbie was a minor character on the television show Lost In Space, introduced right about the time that particular show Jumped The Shark (http://www.jumptheshark.com/) (SdJotD 010124). Debbie the Bloop is just one of the hundreds of entries in Mr. Monkey's Index of Famous Monkeys. The index lists the names of famous monkeys, their claim to fame, and additional information in the form of notes. Abel and Baker the Jupiter space monkeys are at the start of the list. Lancelot Link, Secret Chimp is included, so is Zira the veterinarian, wife of Cornelius. Mr. Monkey's Index of Famous Monkeys was started almost two years ago and has since evolved into the delightful Mr. Monkey's Home Page (http://www.citizenlunchbox.com/monkey/).  (Back to top of page)

(010216) Cryptozoology
http://www.pibburns.com/cryptozo.htm

Philip R. "Pib" Burns
Evanston, Illinois, USA

This simply titled page has hundreds of well annotated pointers to sites about animals that may, or may not exist in nature. Special emphasis is placed on those animals considered by modern science to be extinct. Magical creatures such as dragons and unicorns are ignored here, they have a special page of their own (http://www.pibburns.com/legendan.htm). That is not to say that some of the species discussed at Philip R. "Pib" Burns' Cryptozoology site are less likely than others to be discovered. Our world has been explored extensively but every now and then we get a surprise. Deep sea exploration continues to change the way we think about other life on the planet. Who's to say that certain land-based animals haven't eluded detection. Some of the subjects are more viable than others but for the most part, the material here may not be all that silly.  (Back to top of page)

(010217) Crushed, Elongated Coins
http://www.ronald-dupont.com/pennies.htm

Ronald Dupont Jr.
St. Petersburg, Florida, USA

Even though he hasn't been collecting them long, they are elongated. Ronald Dupont Jr. has a passion for one cent coins that have been run through hand-cranked press, smashed, and struck with images and legends on both sides. Tourist locations are primarily where these treasures can be made. Most contemporary machines require the deposit of two quarter dollar coins and a penny. My experience dictates that using an older penny is the way to go when making a squished tourist penny — the new coins are made mostly from zinc, and oxidation comes on quickly once the integrity of the copper coating has been compromised. For the machines that modify a quarter dollar, using a coin dated 1964 or earlier would be the way to go. That is if you don't mind destroying the intrinsic value of a silver coin. This collection is off to a good start, the majority of the squished tourist pennies are from Florida but that makes sense in that Ronald Dupont Jr. lives here. With images and descriptions of the specimens so far in the collection, this is a fun new site.  (Back to top of page)

(010218) 555-LIST
http://home.earthlink.net/~mthyen/

Michael Thyen
Anytown, USA

American film, television, and radio producers and writers use the telephone exchange 555 for any number of reasons. The least of which is to avoid disturbing individuals with an actual telephone number they might use. More common in the music business, the use of real telephone numbers has made for hit records and annoyed telephone company customers — if your local phone system uses a seven digit number, try calling 867-5309 and asking for Jenny. In a lot of areas the number has been retired for that very reason. See the Urban Legends Reference Pages: Music (Jenny 867-5309) (http://www.snopes2.com/music/songs/8675309.htm) (SdJotD 970925) (SdJotD 991219).

The 555-LIST is a reverse lookup directory of these fictional telephone numbers starting with 555-0001 which belongs to Mr. Burns of The Simpsons fame and ending with 555-9996, another from The Simpsons. When 555-9996 is dialed as a local number in Springfield it will connect you with Richard Nash. Contributions to the 555-LIST are accepted, most of the listings are from television and motion pictures — perhaps Site du Jour of the Day readers could suggest a few from contemporary fiction?

For more phone number excitement, try Jeremy Grodberg's PhoneSpell - What does your phone number spell? (http://www.phoneSpell.org/) (SdJotD 970311) (SdJotD 980405).  (Back to top of page)

(010219) What T-Shirt Did Sarang Wear Today?
http://www.sarangworld.com/TSHIRT/

Sarang Gupta
New York, New York, USA

Sarang Gupta has a collection of over a thousand T-Shirts and an employer with a dress code allowing such garments. This section at SarangWorld (http://www.sarangworld.com/) provides a description of every T-Shirt Sarang Gupta has worn to work since August 14, 2000. Not every workday is a T-Shirt day, but most of them are. The pie chart which shows the percentage of colors worn over time is a nice touch. Sure it's silly, but it beats listing what was for lunch. When you've seen today's T-Shirt waste some additional time with the highly addictive Sarang's Nifty Word Morphing Thingy (http://www.sarangworld.com/WORDMORPH/).  (Back to top of page)

(010220) How To Shape Shift To Dolphin Form
http://www.dolphinsociety.org/ssdf1index.htm

The Dolphin Society
Torrance, California, USA

Today marks the 4th anniversary of the official start of Site du Jour of the Day. During the past few days I have been looking through the 1,200+ episodes that have been sent out, reflecting on the project as a whole. Many of the sites featured have been mentioned several times, for a number of different reasons — durability, changing content, usefulness and so on. Unfortunately, the really unusual sites do not fare as well in the land of repeat features yet they are often the most entertaining. With that in mind I took another look at what is perhaps the single most unusual site I have ever seen — a site that to this day I am not quite sure how to approach. It's a set of pages from The Dolphin Society (http://www.dolphinsociety.org/) site and my original review is included below. As Site du Jour of the Day starts year number 5, let me thank you for being a part of it. Thanks for all of the messages, suggestions, and ideas. If you have a site which points to the Site du Jour of the Day Archive site (https://members.tripod.com/~SdJotD/), thanks for the courtesy and for the visitors. And if you can make any sense whatsoever out of How To Shape Shift To Dolphin Form please let me know.

It's often very difficult with sites like this one to figure out how seriously such topics are taken by the people who put them up. How To Shape Shift To Dolphin Form is listed as "Shamanic fact and fiction" credited to and copyright secured by one J. G. Dolphin. The thought of transcending space, time has been around for ages, and the tradition continues here. While not completely understanding the process, the shift could be made if I only knew how. The planet sized space craft could be fun to fly around in dolphin form although the intermediate stage where humans get to be mermaids and mermen might be the best part of all because you still have thumbs. Maybe this is the reason Flipper was such a good actor on that old TV show.  (Back to top of page)

(010221) MadSci Network
The 24-hour exploding laboratory.
http://www.madsci.org/

The MAD Scientist Network
Washington University Medical School
Saint Louis, Missouri, USA

If you have ever had a question about science, any science at all, but didn't know who to ask then MadSci Network is for you. Thousands of questions have already been asked by people of all ages and answered by the hundreds of scientists on the MadSci Network. Visitors are encouraged to use the search engine and explore the archives before asking a question — it may have been answered already. Anyone who is a science educator or is involved in research is welcome to join the network and help field questions. Plan on bookmarking this site.  (Back to top of page)

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(010222) Things That Have Been Sold In Vending Machines
http://www.chaparraltree.com/vending/

Raphael Carter
Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA

I've always thought that someone could make a lot of money by converting one of those multi-crane games seen at arcades and carnivals into a pet vending game. Remove all of the stuffed animals and assorted prizes, replace the lot with a bed of wood chips and a half dozen hamsters or gerbils. It would be far too cruel to the rodents, and I've always thought that — but cruel or not, you could make a lot of money with the machine. You'd have to give the rodents a sporting chance, say have the machine start playing a recorded version of Pop Goes The Weasel or something just to warn them that the crane was coming. The individuals plunking in their 50 cents or dollar coins probably wouldn't be all that bright to begin with, so giving the rodents a place to sit well out of reach of the crane mechanism would be the way to go. Then you could get money from the dumb kids and not go through too many rodents. I've seen a similar set-up that had a tank full of lobsters in it at a local seafood restaurant, it was removed after about a year. The machine wasn't making enough money. The idea is feasible, but too cruel to actually open for business.

The items listed at Things That Have Been Sold In Vending Machines are more traditional coin operated fare — but there may be a few items that will be of some surprise. Mostly text, this set of pages contains brief descriptions of products that visitors have reported seeing and purchasing in vending machines. Pointers to related sites provide additional information in the event that visitors are interested.  (Back to top of page)

(010223) Fuzzy Brush
http://www.fuzzybrush.com/

Fuzzy Brush Ltd.
London, England

Fuzzy Brush America
Fort Myers, Florida, USA

Dental hygiene can be a difficult task occasionally, it's something most people only tackle twice a day. Brushing teeth usually isn't the first thing we do right after lunch. Establishing the habit just got easier with the introduction of this effective new product. Using a Fuzzy Brush is similar to popping a piece of gum in your mouth — Fuzzy Brush is basically a small toothbrush that works while you chew it. I've used Fuzzy Brushes a number of times and the Fuzzy Brush is such a novel and simple solution to an age-old problem that it's a wonder it wasn't invented sooner. This site for Fuzzy Brush is basically an advertisement for the product containing a description and ordering information. Content related to general oral health would make a nice addition to the site, even if it was a matter of including pointers to other sites such as the American Dental Association (http://www.ada.org/), the Australian Dental Association (http://www.ada.org.au/), the British Dental Asscociation (http://www.bda-dentistry.org.uk/), the Canadian Dental Association (http://www.cda-adc.ca/public/index.html), the Hispanic Dental Association (http://www.hdassoc.org/), the New Zealand Dental Association (http://www.nzda.org.nz/), or the South African Dental Association (http://www.edoc.co.za/sadanet/), to name just a few. A clean mouth is indeed a happy mouth.  (Back to top of page)

(010224) Animated-Teeth.com
Explanations and animated illustrations about common dental conditions and procedures.
http://www.animated-teeth.com/

WMDS, Inc.
Columbia, Missouri, USA

Animated-Teeth.com could be considered a dentistry primer although it is not intended to replace the advice and care provided by a trained and licensed dentist or oral surgeon. The material is general in nature, but may help to educate and perhaps curb the apprehension often associated with dental work for patients. By describing the basic procedures and conditions, Animated-Teeth.com offers an almost entertaining look at modern dentistry. Subjects covered include cold sores, tooth extractions, wisdom teeth, and more. Visitors who are interested can send in a picture for an idea of what cosmetic dentistry can do for them.  (Back to top of page)

(010225) The Best French Swear Words
by David McAninch
http://www.stim.com/Stim-x/9.1/curses/curses.html

an article at

Stim
http://www.stim.com/

Stim
New York, New York, USA

If you have ever uttered the words "Pardon my French" before or after using foul language then you might appreciate this short piece. Found in the Stim Archives, the article is from the 1997 Issue 9, the French Issue (http://www.stim.com/archives/archives.9.html). If you never use foul language, The Best French Swear Words is probably best avoided. If your own foul language is offending others, The Best French Swear Words could be of some use, especially if the offended parties have weak French language skills. As the title states, visitors will find a short list of really effective French language obscenities. Complete with use and pronunciation guides, The Best French Swear Words will have you up and running in no time. Now when you exclaim "Pardon my French" it'll be true.  (Back to top of page)

(010226) Big Eyed Art Bonanza By Masters: Keane, Gig, Lee, Eve…
http://besmirched.tripod.com/eyes.html

Megan Besmirched
Dana Point, California, USA

They were everywhere for a while in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Pathetic images of half-starved children and animals, with grotesquely large eyes. Some cried, others simply stared off into space. Mostly found in plastic framed lithographs, these Sad Eyed pictures frightened more than a few children and may have even turned into the Big Hair phenomenon of the 1980s (http://www.1980-89.com/culture/big-hair.html). That's speculation on my part.

Megan Besmirched is an aficionado of the Sad Eyes school, and this site contains a fair amount of information pertaining to the artists that worked in the genre at the height of its popularity. Quite a few pointers to contemporary Sad Eyes art sites are included as well. Love them or loath them, big sad eyed creatures made an indelible impact on popular culture and Big Eyed Art Bonanza By Masters: Keane, Gig, Lee, Eve… allows them to live on.  (Back to top of page)

(010227) Ames Research Center News Homepage
http://amesnews.arc.nasa.gov/

National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Ames Research Center
Moffett Field, California, USA

A far cry from the "Take me to your leader" scenario many people expected, the following press release from the Ames Research Center may be the first official word about extraterrestrial life. This story has been in the news several times recently, but the results of the investigation have not been this definite. As a rule, large press releases like this one rarely go out verbatim in Site du Jour of the Day episodes. In this case it's hard to say how mainstream media will handle this story, so here is, straight from the source. The Ames Research Center News Homepage has this story and others, the press releases are also available by e-mail.

Resent-Date: Mon, 26 Feb 2001 14:19:29 -0800 (PST)

Date: Mon, 26 Feb 2001 14:07:18 -0800

From: "NASANEWS@Ames"

Subject: SCIENTISTS FIND EVIDENCE OF ANCIENT MICROBIAL LIFE ON MARS

Kathleen Burton Feb. 26, 2001

Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA

(Phone: 650/604-1371)

kburton@ mail.arc.nasa.gov

RELEASE: 01-11AR

SCIENTISTS FIND EVIDENCE OF ANCIENT MICROBIAL LIFE ON MARS

An international team of researchers has discovered compelling evidence that the magnetite crystals in the martian meteorite ALH84001 are of biological origin.

The researchers found that the magnetite crystals embedded in the meteorite are arranged in long chains, which they say could have been formed only by once-living organisms. Their results are reported in the Feb. 27 Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

"The chains we discovered are of biological origin," said Dr. Imre Friedmann, an NRC senior research fellow at NASA's Ames Research Center in California's Silicon Valley and leader of the research team. "Such a chain of magnets outside an organism would immediately collapse into a clump due to magnetic forces," he said.

The chains were formed inside organic material whose structure held the crystals together. "The end result looks somewhat like a string of pearls," Friedmann noted. Each magnetite crystal in the chain is a tiny magnet, approximately one-millionth of an inch in diameter. Magnetite is an iron oxide, similar to iron rust.

The chains may have served as 'compasses' for the host magnetotactic bacteria, so named because they navigate with the help of the magnetic crystal chains inside their bodies. The chains were preserved in the meteorite long after the bacteria themselves decayed.

The researchers say the magnetite chains probably were flushed into microscopic cracks inside the martian rock after it was shattered by an asteroid impact approximately 3.9 billion years ago. This cataclysmic event on Mars' surface also may have killed the bacteria. The same, or a later, asteroid impact ejected the rock, now a meteorite, into space.

Another NASA research group, led by Kathie Thomas-Keprta of NASA's Johnson Space Center, report in the same issue of PNAS that the magnetite crystals inside the meteorite are similar to those formed by 'modern' magnetotactic bacteria now living on Earth. The team studied only single crystals, however, not the elusive chain-like structures.

Friedmann's team discovered the crystal chains using a technique that enabled them to 'see' the tiny chains inside the meteorite without destroying them. Besides the chain-like formation, the team discovered that individual crystals are of similar size and shape, do not touch each other and that the chains themselves are flexible, further evidence of biological origin.

"Until now, studying life has been like trying to draw a curve using only one data point -- life on Earth," said Friedmann. "Now we have two data points to draw life's curve." The next step is to find the remains of the bacteria themselves, he said.

The fact that a small (about 4-pound) meteorite from a planet contains large numbers of bacteria suggests that such bacteria were widespread on the surface of Mars, the researchers say. A stone of similar size from Earth would contain many bacteria.

In addition, since magnetotactic bacteria require low levels of oxygen, this finding indicates that photosynthetic organisms, the source of oxygen in the atmosphere, must have been present and active on Mars 3.9 billion years ago.

"Finding evidence of life on Mars is one of the central problems in astrobiology research today," said Dr. Michael Meyer, head of NASA's astrobiology program, which funded the research.

In addition to his fellowship at NASA Ames, Friedmann, who is best known for discovering microorganisms living inside desert rocks, is professor emeritus of biological science at Florida State University. Members of the research team include Dr. Jacek Wierzchos (University of Lleida, Spain), Dr. Carmen Ascaso (CSIC, Madrid, Spain), and Dr. Michael Winkelhofer (University of Munich, Germany).

The meteorite ALH84001 was found in the Allen Hills region of Antarctica in 1984 by researchers supported by the National Science Foundation's Antarctic Search for Meteorites Program, a joint effort by the NSF, the Smithsonian Institution and NASA. The Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland manages the program.

Full text of the research paper is available at: (http://www.pnas.org)

Images of the magnetite chains inside the ALH84001 meteorite and, for comparison, inside a modern magnetotactic bacterium are at: (http://amesnews.arc.nasa.gov/releases/2001/01images/magneticbacteria/bacteria.html)

Ames Research Center is NASA's lead center for astrobiology, the study of the origin, evolution, dissemination and future of life in the universe. NASA Ames is the location of the central offices of the NASA Astrobiology Institute, an international research consortium.

-- end --

 (Back to top of page)

(010228) Fleet Numerical Meteorology and Oceanography Center
http://152.80.49.210/

United States Navy
Fleet Numerical Meteorology and Oceanography Center
Monterey, California, USA

The Fleet Numerical Meteorology and Oceanography Center is the primary source for weather reports for the US Department of Defense. The sections of this site accessible to the public (http://152.80.49.210/PUBLIC/) provide a wide array of atmospheric and oceanographic data in the form of maps, charts and forecasts. The global view is outstanding… "Fleet Numerical is a leading edge technology center, developing innovative new methods to provide the most accurate and timely meteorological and oceanographic data to both Department of Defense and civilian customers worldwide. The primary numerical modeling center for the Navy, Fleet Numerical is truly 'A National Asset'".  (Back to top of page)

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Copyright 2001, Edward J. Pelegrino. All rights reserved.
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https://members.tripod.com/~SdJotD/2001/0102.htm

Updated February 28, 2001