(020408) The Lifters Experiments home page by Jean-Louis Naudin
http://jnaudin.free.fr/html/lifters.htm

Le Projet Lifter par Jean-Louis Naudin
http://membres.lycos.fr/jlnlabs/lifters/index.htm

Jean-Louis Naudin
JLN Labs
France

Inspired by a patent granted to the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center for their Two Dimensional Asymmetrical Thrust Capacitor, JLN Labs has created a series of experiments. The Lifters Experiments use an updated version of the Townsend Brown Electrokinetic Apparatus — a set of capacitors that generate enough lift to defy gravity. With no moving parts! The Lifters Experiments home page by Jean-Louis Naudin details the experiments which are non-commercial and independent of the work being done at the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center. Visitors can even learn how to build their own Lifter device. There is a high Nikola Tesla vibe going on here so approach with an open mind. Be sure to see JLN Labs' Advanced Propulsion Home Page (http://jnaudin.free.fr/html/advprop.htm) as well. (Back to top of page)

(020409) The Landscape Coin Project
http://home.earthlink.net/~alysons/coin.html

Megan Shaw Prelinger and Rick Prelinger
San Francisco, California, USA

For a year now, Megan Shaw Prelinger and Rick Prelinger have been visiting places and leaving behind a coin of their own design. It's The Landscape Coin Project, part travel-a-log, part history and civics lesson, and perhaps the most compelling aspect, part memory. More than 800 of the 10,000 coins created have been left at places around the world. While some may consider such actions littering, The Landscape Coin Project coins are left with the sole purpose of being discovered. (Back to top of page)

(020410) Virtual Catalog of Roman Coins
http://artemis.austinc.edu/acad/cml/rcape/vcrc/index.html

Robert W. Cape, Jr.
Classical and Modern Languages
Austin College
Sherman, Texas, USA

Originally featured as Site du Jour of the Day on November 3, 1998 (SdJotD 981103), the Virtual Catalog of Roman Coins continues to improve with age. After receiving a great deal of positive feedback for featuring The Landscape Coin Project (http://home.earthlink.net/~alysons/coin.html) (SdJotD 020409) yesterday, it only seemed appropriate to feature Virtual Catalog of Roman Coins again for those who may have missed it the first time.

Roman coins survive to tell stories and give us a glimpse of men and women who for the most part, ruled Western society and helped shape government as we know it today. The Virtual Catalog of Roman Coins currently holds pictures and descriptive text illustrating over four hundred years of history. This collection would be difficult to assemble and display in one location, an event not very likely to occur due to the scarcity of the pieces involved and works quite well in this form. Perfect for educators, students or anyone interested in the art and money of an ancient time. Leaders from Honorius back to Augustus are represented here, usually with several examples from each reign. Beyond that, the collection also contains Roman Republican Coinage dating back to 326 BC. Numismatic information, pointers to other sites and educational materials add to this superb resource originally set up for students at Austin College. (Back to top of page)

(020411) It's Dainty Time
http://www.daintytime.com/

Andrea Lekberg
Sherri Wood
Durham, North Carolina, USA

It's Dainty Time is made up of two art exhibits. The Dainty Show combines the work of Andrea Lekberg and Sherri Wood as the artists look back at what it meant to grow up as girls — the roles and expectations society, and their mothers had for them.

Sherri Wood has also teamed up with other artists around the country. The results so far are seen in the Tattoo Baby Doll Project. Like it sounds, scale Tattoo art on cloth dolls. But it's mostly embroidered on the dolls.

For a couple of years there was all of this talk about the so called Renaissance Man — guys doing stuff that guys should do, all the while doing it well. Big deal, with all due respect the broads at It's Dainty Time have been doing that since they were girls. (Back to top of page)

(020412) CBC News - Words: Woe and Wonder
http://www.cbc.ca/news/indepth/words/

Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
Toronto, Ontario, Canada

The people who work for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation have a lot of words to keep track of. They also use a lot of different words at the various outlets of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Broadcasting radio and television for the country of Canada, in both English language and French language versions. With all of those words being used, members of the audience will often have questions or comments about the content at the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. This section of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation site (http://www.cbc.ca/) explores different words through essays, letters, articles, and more. It's not all about reading either, the streaming audio here will help visitors who are not familiar with any of the Canadian dialects of the English language. In particular, the pieces from CBC TV's The National Magazine. From 1998 comes Words In Canada (http://www.cbc.ca/news/indepth/words/wicanada.html), a series that exposed many things Canadian — from beer parlours to toques. (Back to top of page)

(020413) Canadian Information By Subject
http://www.nlc-bnc.ca/caninfo/ecaninfo.htm

Information sur le Canada par matière
http://www.nlc-bnc.ca/caninfo/fcaninfo.htm

National Library of Canada
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

A section at the site for the National Library of Canada (http://www.nlc-bnc.ca/), Canadian Information By Subject is at times like having a pretty good reference desk at your fingertips. Pointers to thousands of sites around the world pertaining to Canada. Sorted in alphabetical order and subject order based on the Dewey Decimal Classification, the database is also fully searchable. Canadian culture is as vast as the country and with sites like this, no longer as remote as it once was. Even those with only a passing interest in things Canadian will find something useful here. A reference bookmark to be sure. (Back to top of page)

(020414) 2000 Central Office Code Utilization Survey
http://docs.nanpa.com/2000cocus/entry.html

NeuStar, Inc.
Sterling, Virginia, USA

Because there's another eight year-old with a cell phone, I get a new area code!

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(020415) The Big Number - your questions answered
http://www.oftel.gov.uk/publications/1999/numbering/qanum999.htm

The Office of Telecommunications
London, England

On the subject of telephone area codes changing, Nik Sargent suggested this section of The Office of Telecommunications site (http://www.oftel.gov.uk/). In charge of overseeing the wonderful world of telephone service in the United Kingdom, The Office of Telecommunications was established under the Telecommunications Act 1984. The Big Number - your questions answered presents a clear description of the somewhat convoluted solution to changing the way we dial our telephones. Fighting the logical addition of an extra digit or two seems to be a universal malady because it'll cost a lot of money, people will never be able to remember more than ten digits, blah, blah, blah.

When you've explored the The Office of Telecommunications site, be sure to head over to Nik Sargent's The Anagram Engine - Free Anagrams Generator, Crossword Scrabble Solver (http://www.anagram-engine.com/anagrams/) (SdJotD 980308). (Back to top of page)

(020416) Just Because Club Strange Experiments in Perception
http://www.slimeworld.org/xxaxx/jbc_ndx.html

Just Because Club
Nevada City, California, USA

Have you ever had one of those days where you just couldn't think of anything to do? Well sure, there's always something that could stand to be done, but how long has been since you have just done something unusual. When was the last time you did something solely for the sake of doing something out of the ordinary?

Just Because Club Strange Experiments in Perception are a little weird, most likely by design. To say any more than that would give away the experiments — take this material for entertainment value only. Proceed with caution. Watch your back. Have fun. (Back to top of page)

(020417) The Space Place
http://spaceplace.jpl.nasa.gov/spacepl.htm

Jet Propulsion Laboratory
California Institute of Technology
Pasadena, California, USA

Full of things for kids of all ages to make, do, see, learn, and share, The Space Place has been established to generate and sustain enthusiasm for science and technology. Think Blame El Niño Pudding, Get a Space Nose, Saturn Model from a CD, and like that. The Space Place has received input from a nice cross-section of the industry. As a joint effort of NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/), California Institute of Technology (http://www.caltech.edu/), National Aeronautics and Space Administration (http://www.nasa.gov/), International Technology Education Association (http://www.iteawww.org/), and Spectrum Astro Inc. (http://www.spectrumastro.com/), the future of the future is in progress every single day. (Back to top of page)

(020418) The Academy for Future Science
http://www.affs.org/

The Academy for Future Science
Los Gatos, California, USA

The future is coming whether you like it or not. The goals of The Academy for Future Science are varied, but include giving "…future leaders in science and humanitarian projects the practical training to prepare them for the ethical and social demands of their vocations," and achieving, "…a common basis for dialogue on issues of new sciences through holding regular symposia and world conferences that share the same objectives of hope, cross-cultural understanding, and advancement of the human race".

A lot of work just to get people up to speed? When it comes to warming people up to ideas like terraforming the planet Mars it might take some time. Many adults have difficulty imagining such things, but ask a child… (Back to top of page)

(020419) Earth Day Network
http://www.earthday.net/

Earth Day Network
Washington, District of Columbia, USA

April 22nd is Earth Day this year. The site for Earth Day Network includes a brief history of Earth Day, listings of related events going on around the world, tips on organizing an event of your own, and more. The section for educators could come in handy as well. (Back to top of page)

(020420) International Earth Day- The Official Site
Spring/Vernal Equinox - The Great Day of Earth
http://www.earthsite.org/

Earth Trustees, Inc.
Ridgewood, New York, USA

Ask John McConnell when Earth Day is and you might get a different answer than the one you expected. John McConnell claims to have started Earth Day back in 1970, on the Vernal Equinox which fell on March 20. San Francisco was the spot, and the United Nations wasn't too far behind in proclaiming the same.

Why the difference in Earth Day dates? Perhaps it has more to do with the Vernal Equinox falling so close to Saint Patrick's Day, where here in the United States it's one big beer bash on March 17th. Another theory surrounds the fact that many communities see public demonstrations on April 20. These demonstrations are often loosely tied to the 1937 Marijuana Tax Act (see frontline: busted - america's war on marijuana: marijuana timeline (http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/dope/etc/cron.html)). By this time of year the weather has warmed up enough for people to be gathering outside, cleaning up the trash hidden under snow for the past few months is a logical next step. It all could combine into the April version of Earth Day, leaving the original left to relative obscurity.

International Earth Day- The Official Site - Spring/Vernal Equinox - The Great Day of Earth has a great deal of information on the subject and intent of the original Earth Day. There is also a lot of information on John McConnell and not too much on activities and celebrations from the last Vernal Equinox Earth Day. This may leave visitors a little cold. (Back to top of page)

(020421) Outline Maps
http://www.eduplace.com/ss/maps/

Houghton Mifflin Company
Boston, Massachusetts, USA

A part of the Houghton Mifflin Company's Education Place | Social Studies Center (http://www.eduplace.com/ss/index.html), Outline Maps is just the place to find simple political maps of the world. Available as Adobe Acrobat PDF files, these maps are only licensed for personal or classroom use which is fantastic if that's what you plan on using them for. A very nice collection geared toward K-8 students, but useful for almost all of us. (Back to top of page)

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(020422) AJ Hackett Bungy webcam, Queenstown, New Zealand.
Adrenalin adventure action.
http://www.kiwinewz.com/html/bungycam.htm

KiwiNewZ
Tuatara Investments Ltd.
Queenstown, New Zealand

C'mon, it'll be a blast — we'll go up on the Kawarau Suspension Bridge, tie this surgical rubber tubing around your waist and then watch you jump off. Sure, we'll haul you back up. It'll be cool. Not quite how the sport originated, you'll have to visit the AJ Hackett Bungy site (http://www.ajhackett.com/) for the history. This camera, maintained by travel site, KiwiNewZ (http://www.kiwinewz.com/) presents a series of images from the original Bungy Bridge and a recent addition to the facility. (Back to top of page)

(020423) Elvis Costello
http://www.elviscostello.com

Elvis Costello
Island Records
New York, New York, USA

"I've been singing so many ballads with other people recently that I was in the mood again for a rowdy rhythm record." — Elvis Costello on his new album When I Was Cruel.

Productive stints with Burt Bacharach and Anne Sofie von Otter, dozens of dates on the road with Steve Nieve playing old material in new arrangements on guitar and piano. Working out new numbers like 45 and Alibi — the noisy Elvis Costello is back and in rare form. He's obviously learned something since he went missing from Rock 'n' Roll nearly a decade ago. The tracks on When I Was Cruel combine to form what is probably the most solid Elvis Costello record since King of America. Every track, every single track deserves to be on this album. The singles, 45, Alibi, and Tear Off Your Own Head (It's A Doll Revolution) will all help to secure the success of the big summer tour Elvis has lined up. Especially with a full band every night.

This official site lists news and breaking information about the release of the album (fresh in stores today, stop on the way home and pick it up), the tour, and radio and television appearances — those in the US will want to look at CBS Saturday Morning this weekend. Check your local listings. The official Elvis Costello site is still in development, audio and video streams are just arriving, but the biography section, message board, and pictures sections all add up to a nicely done promotional site. This should prove to be a big record for Elvis, and rightfully so. Stop by and see why. (Back to top of page)

(020424) Elvis' Women -- in the movies, that is
http://greggers.granitecity.com/elvis/women/

Greggers
Granite City, Illinois, USA

Elvis Presley turned a truck driving career into something much larger. Records and concerts and an influence on popular culture that continues to be felt almost 25 years after his death. It's probably the movies, all 31 of them, that stand to show those who too young to know what the big deal with Elvis was about. More often than not, these musical feature films were written off as B-pictures. Maybe so, but they were Elvis pictures! What stands out more than the frequently innovative cinematography and choreography of the movies is the wide range of co-stars. The leading ladies often saved the outing from a quick box office death. These movies were intended for youth consumption, and without putting too fine a point on it, the actors and actresses were never too rough on the eyes. Elvis' Women -- in the movies, that is takes a look at the different actresses who were in the movies with Elvis. Photographs, biographical information, pointers to related fan sites and official sites — All about Yvonne Craig (http://www.yvonnecraig.com/) (SdJotD 990509)) being one such site. Pointers to merchandise, most are Affiliate accounts, are handy for finding a specific title to purchase. A nice site filled with nostalgia. (Back to top of page)

(020425) GRAFICA Obscura
http://www.sgi.com/grafica/

Paul Haeberli
Silicon Graphics, Inc.
Mountain View, California, USA

Imagine how cool it would be to have a computer graphics research position with a major firm. Making things up because you enjoy the process, and someone gives you money for it. Imagine then, being so comfortable with the work you do that you can share small treasures with the world. Paul Haeberli and Silicon Graphics, Inc. have done just that with GRAFICA Obscura. A wonderful notebook of sorts, GRAFICA Obscura should present most visitors with quite a few ideas to ponder or try perhaps try out for themselves. (Back to top of page)

(020426) Color Matters
http://colormatters.com/

J.L. Morton
Honolulu, Hawaii, USA

Color theory is one of those things that is very rewarding in and of itself to learn. Light and color play an important part in how we react to things, as individuals and as distinct cultures. Color Matters explores the world of color through articles and examples. Subjects covered range from basic color theory to more advanced topics such as Color and Critical Environments and like that. Set aside a little more time than usual for a visit to Color Matters, content is well written and nicely illustrated. (Back to top of page)

(020427) Effective Color Contrast
Designing for People with Partial Sight and Color Deficiencies
http://www.lighthouse.org/color_contrast.htm

Aries Arditi
Lighthouse International
New York, New York, USA

Desktop computers have certainly changed the way we communicate. E-mail messages have driven telegrams to near extinction. Inexpensive, if not downright cheap printers have made printing color documents affordable to the masses. Creating a printed piece for color reproduction can be a challenge on many different fronts, the very least of which is the intended audience. Effective Color Contrast - Designing for People with Partial Sight and Color Deficiencies is an article at the site for Lighthouse International (http://www.lighthouse.org/). Like it or not, as humans age we tend to experience a degradation of our eye sight. Add difficulties in color perception and before you know it, it's hardly worth the effort to even try to read that page or advertisement. Effective Color Contrast - Designing for People with Partial Sight and Color Deficiencies may help even the most casual designer work smarter. (Back to top of page)

(020428) PopTopix
http://poptopix.com/

PopTopix, LLC
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA

It's easy enough to find information about your favorite musical act, there a plenty of search engines listing official sites and fan sites. There are many site with streaming audio or full files to download. There too are sites, one actually, PopEx - Free music trading game (http://www.popex.com/) (SdJotD 000625), where visitors can participate in a fantasy-league-music-stock-market kind of thing. Yes, there are plenty of music related sites out there. PopTopix acts as a portal to those sites about musical acts. Listed by name, genre, and popularity, pointers to sites for the different artists are listed in the searchable database. Far from complete, suggestions for new listings are encouraged and those for older bands would make a nice addition. Again, the search engines have all of this and more, but to find so many hand-picked pointers to such a large number of sites for different performers is quite nice. (Back to top of page)

(020429) University of North Dakota High Altitude Balloon Project
Scientific ballooning on the northern plains
http://balloons.aero.und.edu/habp/

University of North Dakota High Altitude Balloon Project
University of North Dakota
Grand Forks, North Dakota, USA

Manage a rather complex project such as launching a balloon with scientific equipment in tow, recover the payload and the data it contains, develop new methods to replace those which have failed to perform while working with a relatively small budget, and you have half of the story. Use the whole process as an educational opportunity and then you are on the way. This site, from the University of North Dakota High Altitude Balloon Project details all of those things and more. (Back to top of page)

(020430) Brian's Space Hotlist
http://www.ssl.umd.edu/space/

Brian J. Roberts
Space Systems Laboratory
University of Maryland at College Park
College Park, Maryland, USA

Site du Jour of the Day episodes rarely feature personal hot lists. Most of the time, such lists are a little too personal. They are of great interest to the individuals they belong to, but for the rest of us, well…

When Site du Jour of the day reader Brian J. Roberts wrote, "Would you consider my space hotlist as a Site du Jour of the Day". I took a look and was impressed. Rarely are such semi-private sites as complete on a subject as Brian's Space Hotlist is. Hundreds of categorized pointers to all sorts of space related sites. A Field Guide to American Spacecraft by Jim Gerard (http://aesp.nasa.okstate.edu/fieldguide/), KODAK: Space Capsules (http://www.kodak.com/US/en/government/space/index.shtml), and Marc G. Millis' Warp Drive When? (http://www.lerc.nasa.gov/WWW/PAO/warp.htm) at the NASA Glenn Research Center are only a few of the fantastic pointers Brian J. Roberts has rounded up. If you like what you see at Brian's Space Hotlist, let Brian know by sending a message to that end. A bookmark for sure. (Back to top of page)

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Copyright 2002, Edward J. Pelegrino. All rights reserved.
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Updated April 30, 2002